Chapter 1587: Everything in Due Time...
Having obtained Divinities related to Space and Creation, Vahn was only a few Objectives away from completing the Zenith Quest, [Genesis Path: Dawn of Creation]. He had completed all but one of the Optional Objectives, but, if he really wanted to, it was surprisingly easy to create a few unique lifeforms, especially with his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome]. The only real 'downside', if it could even be called that, was that he would end up with a few more exceptionally loyal subordinates...
One of the most important aspects when obtaining a Divinity related to Creation, even though it seemed rather contrary, was understanding that you should never arbitrarily create anything. As he had learned through his used of the [Keeper of the Akashic Tome], the things you create and name became an intrinsic part of your own existence, so, if you misused the ability to Create, it would be 'very' difficult to obtain a Divinity related to it.
Fortunately, though it had caused him innumerable problems, Vahn had always been an empath, so, even before he meandered down the path of Creation, he never wandered far. He couldn't help but care deeply about the things he created, his instincts compelling him care for, spend time with, and love them. This was what truly separated Creators from those who used their mastery over the Laws to artificially create life, and, as a result of the love he felt toward his own creations, Vahn, rightfully, took exception to those who treated their creations as tools...
---
Though comprehending the Laws of Time were exceptionally difficult, especially with his existence representing a singularity within the Time Axis, Vahn had been on the cusp of a breakthrough for a considerable amount of time. Fortunately, he had Da Vinci's brilliant mind to aid him, and, though they might not seem like the best reference to draw from, Vahn could find inspiration in fiction. He knew all fictional worlds, including those based on real-world events, had the capacity to become a Record of their own, so, while some authors took 'extreme' liberties with concepts such as Time, the Laws were so mysterious and abstract that they had no trouble manifesting in virtually any form...
If Vahn really wanted to, he could create a story where fire 'naturally' flowed like water, and, rather than oxygen and nitrogen, the people of that world could breathe the void itself. He could make up a completely ridiculous story, and, so long as it became relatively popular, a Record would be born from it. Thus, even if it seemed like a waste of time from a scientific point of view, he had purchased millions of fictional novels, storing them as information within his mind. Then, largely thanks to Sis, he was able to sort through the information, filtering and constraining it into a digestible form that, to an extent, reflected the true nature of the Laws.
Ironically, the only thing preventing Vahn from obtaining a Divinity related to Time was himself. He had known it was possible to reverse the flow of time even back in Danmachi, demonstrating the process for Riveria quite a number of times, but, ever since learning he was a singularity within the Time Axis, Vahn had convinced himself it was impossible to travel back in time. Though this was still true, Vahn had ignored one fundamental flaw in his logic; while it may not be possible to travel to a point in time prior to his entry into the Record, there was nothing preventing him from inverting the flow of causality and entropy, effectively 'reversing' Time...
When Vahn realized his mistake, he quickly retreated into his own Realm to put the theory to the test, and, as a result, he watched in awe as everyone, including Tier 5 beings like Alaya, Gaia, and Tiamat, moved backward through Time. Though they were still able to perceive that 'something' had happened, they were unable to understand the cause of the incongruity, interpreting it as a feeling of Deja Vu more than anything else.
Upon realizing the power he held in his hands, Vahn was like a child with a new toy, as, within his Realm, he didn't have to worry about running out of energy. He could even reverse the flow of Time for the entire Realm all at once, but, much to his surprise, Vahn learned that the flow of Time within other Realms was unaffected by his changes. It could be due to the fact he wasn't a true Tier 5, but, during his experimentation, Vahn ended up causing Azathoth and Da Vinci quite a bit of confusion...
After a series of long lectures, Vahn spent a few months learning how to properly manipulate the flow and direction of Time within a controlled environment. This, once again, reminded him of how truly brilliant Da Vinci was, as, after granting her the authority to govern Time, she became the one teaching him. Because of her, he came to realize that Time, as Sis had always told him, simply didn't exist. It was just another aspect of Space, a conditional function specifically tasked with observing the direction of entropy and record the location of individual particles along the Time Axis.
Though it could be 'very' difficult to comprehend, the easiest experiment to show the relationship between Space and Time involved created an isolated temporal field, similar to a Sub-Space Orb. If you then destroyed an object within the field, taking special care not to use literal Destruction Laws, its constituent particles would basically be spread all over the place. No part of it would actually be destroyed, only converted into a different state.
Most people would mistakenly believe that, if you reverse the flow of entropy around the object, it would simply revert back to its original state, but that wasn't the case. Depending on how long you waited, the individual particles ejected from the object might have moved outside your domain of control, so, unless your domain was the universe itself, reverting something to its original state was virtually impossible. In fact, if you constrained the temporal field to the dimensions of the original object, reversing entropy might not even leave you with ten percent of the original object...
Fortunately, Da Vinci was never constrained by setbacks, and, having pioneered some of the most advanced quantum and spiritron computers in existence, it didn't take long for her to come up with a solution to this problem. She referred to this as creating a 'Save State', borrowing the term from a concept that existed within video games.
Since Time didn't actually exist, you could effectively 'trick' distant particles into returning to their original position so long as you established a domain of control before the object was destroyed. In other words, you created a 'Checkpoint' to serve as a quantum reference point, and, so long as your domain of control was never destroyed, you could effectively create an entropic loop. If you created a trigger that activated upon death, it was possible to have the person infinitely revert back to that same point in Space-Time, and, so long as it remained, they were, effectively, immortal.
Though the results could have been skewed by the fact they did their research within his Realm, it was possible to find countless examples of video-game mechanics within fictional universes. This meant there were an infinite number of Records where the world was structured like a game, and, if he thought back to Sis explanation prior to entering the Akamatsuverse, it was very possible that all Records met this criterion. If he had used his Karma more proactively, he could even turn a Record like Naruto or One Piece into a world with a Leveling System and other RPG elements...
---
Following his emergence from within his Realm, Vahn wasn't surprised when he felt his 'existence' surge outward. Since this wasn't the first time he had obtained a Divinity, however, there were no major, 'heaven-shaking', phenomena created by his ascension. Instead, it was a perfectly natural transition, his Time Divinity forming a pale-grey fragment that seamlessly fused with the golden Creation and bluish-black Space Divinities. They came together to form a tri-colored gemstone that, very slowly, siphoned away a bit of the Source Energy produced by his Soul Realm.
Seeing the indescribably beautiful gemstone lazily floating within him, a calm smile spread across Vahn's face as he cupped his hands together like someone about to draw water from a river. Near the very center, tiny flakes of green energy began to manifest from the void, coalescing into a tiny green lotus that seemed to be formed from pure, unblemished, crystal. Then, while releasing a very pleasant hum, it began to slowly blossom into life...
Whenever Vahn thought about creating life, his thoughts always took him back to the time he had created Jade, his first true creation. It always made him feel a little sad whenever he recalled the tiny white lotus formed from Pure Fire Elemental Energy, but, knowing they would meet again, he never allowed his melancholy to negatively influence him. Instead, it was one of the catalysts that allowed him to be a Creator, his memories of that time serving as a constant reminder of both his successes and failures...
With the tiny green lotus floating in his right palm, Vahn manifested an equally beautiful blue lotus in his left hand, smiling affectionately as he said, "Celeste...meet Norn..."
Responding to his words, the sapphire blue lotus released a mystical blue light as a resonant chime echoed through the surrounding space. This caused the light emanating from the emerald-green lotus to dim slightly, but, after a few seconds had passed, it gradually recovered before releasing a gentle hum. The two sounds blended together almost perfectly, and, without him directing them to do so, the two loti came closer before seamlessly fusing into a vibrant aquamarine green lotus.
Vahn hadn't expected the two loti to suddenly fuse, but, considering the intrinsic relation between Space and Time, he wasn't too surprised. Instead, he tenderly caressed the petals of the combined lotus, eliciting an indescribably pleasant sound for the duo. It was impossible to describe, but, upon hearing it, Vahn felt as if he was becoming closer to the origin of all things. It even reminded him of the Mantra of Eternity, and, though he was capable of experiencing it, his mind couldn't process the 'truth' contained within the mysterious sound...
After admiring the fused duo for several hours, Vahn coaxed them apart before having them both return to their dormant state. He had a very specific purpose in mind for the Elemental Loti he had created, and, until he linked the Records together, he wanted to keep them safe within the storage dimension of his Unit Management Function. They were the purest form of Elemental Energy, and, as a result, they were 'extremely' susceptible to all forms of corruption. If they somehow fell into the wrong hands or developed destructive tendencies, the amount of devastation they could cause was simply unimaginable.
The last thing Vahn needed was for Fate to see the Elemental Loti, and, discovering they had no fate of their own, using them as it pleased. He knew best how inconvenient Fate could be to those who had none, so, until he bestowed them their True Names, Vahn wanted to keep them safe. They had the potential to become the principal representatives of the Laws within his unified Record, so, until he linked Danmachi and reunited them with their big sister, he wanted to avoid assigning them True Names and exposing them to the whims of Fate and Karma...
---
Before emerging from his seclusion, Vahn created enough vessels to attend to his numerous duties before turning his attention to the system interface and staring at his Zenith Quest. He now had the option to complete it whenever he wanted, but, if he wanted to obtain the greatest rewards, he still needed to complete the [Divine Father] Option Objective. This required him to create a total of ten unique lifeforms, but, despite being over 273 years old, Vahn had only completed five out of ten.
Fortunately, four of the five had actually been created after he entered the Akamatsuverse, as, for a number of reasons, Zanpakuto were all considered unique existences. With the three Elemental Loti, Lave-tan, and Kyo, Vahn had already completed half of the objective. If he waited for everyone else to awaken their Zanpakutos, he would naturally complete the final objective, so, rather than stress over creating more life, Vahn just decided to wait. At the very least, Musashi and Eva should be able to awaken their Zanpakuto in a relatively short period of time, and, even if it took a few years, Arika, Theo, and Fenrir should be able to figure it out. The only real variable in the equation was Xiao Bai, as, despite having his own Ego and personality, he was still just an extension of an Innate. He might never be able to awaken his own Zanpakuto, as, on the most fundamental level, even his form and personality were completely dictated by Vahn's perception...
Shaking his head, Vahn smiled calmly as he mused, "So long as I continue to believe he can awaken his Zanpakuto, there is no reason he won't be able to..."
As Innates had no limits whatsoever, there was nothing dictating that they were unable to produce life. Rather, there were Innates that specifically related to the creation of life, so, with enough time, Vahn was certain the Divine Beasts would become truly unique existences.
Confident in his conjecture, Vahn casually stepped through Space and Time, instantly appearing at the beach house without requiring any energy whatsoever. At this point, Theo's Resort Diorama had basically become a Sub-Realm of his, so, within its confines, he had an almost inexhaustible amount of energy. In fact, if Eva's words were to be believed, the number of nascent Elementals within the diorama had reached the point of being able to directly contend against the Magical World itself...
It only took a few hundred nascent Elementals to ensure the health and prosperity of a large city, and, in the entirety of Mundus Magicus, there were only a few million of the intangible creatures. Whenever their population within a given area grew beyond a certain point, they would naturally fuse together, so, generally speaking, the actual population of Nascent Elemental Spirits depended wholly on the amount, and composition, of mana within the environment.
As an endless factory producing Source Energy, Vahn's influence on his surroundings was, as Eva put it, 'absolutely terrifying'. His presence, alone, could slowly convert an illusory or spiritual space into a physical world, and, when he stayed in one area for an extended period of time, the number of Elementals would increase at a phenomenal rate. His influence was so extreme that, if you were to walk around the constantly expanding island, encountering Lesser Elemental Spirits wasn't even uncommon. If you ventured to the areas where the concentration of elemental energy was higher, you would even find Intermediate Spirits with enough sapience to converse.
Though there weren't any Greater Elemental Spirits just yet, it was only a matter of time before one finally appeared. The Aspidochelone, in particular, had already grown to the size of a small island, and, if you sat on the beach long enough, you would eventually see it lazily circling the main island at around 2km/h. If you were especially lucky, you might even see it lift its massive head out of the water for a few minutes, its wrinkled face forming a vaguely human smile as it peered 'through' you with seemingly blind eyes...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The burden of a Creator's love...','Da Vinci, the ultimate cheat function','Vahn the type of guy that puts on a VR headset and slowly transform it into a real world...')
(A/N: This chapter, despite its length, took over six hours to write xD...)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
Chapter 1588: Time Flows Like an Endless River
On an artificial island constructed entirely of ice, five figures were seated within the void. These were Vahn, Eva, Fenrir, Theo, and, as she often tagged along with her Mistress, Chachazero. They had gathered to witness the climactic battle between Arika and Asuna. This was meant to be the latter's 'graduation', and, despite only being around eleven-years-old, Asuna was actually the one pressuring Arika...
After fighting for more than twenty minutes, the enchanted pink gown that made Arika look both graceful and elegant had become tattered in several places. Despite this, she actually looked even more beautiful, not just because of the smile on her face, but because her garb now complemented the rather peculiar weapon she swung around gracefully with both hands.
Though she had deadpanned the first time she called upon it, Arika had grown increasingly fond of her Zanpakuto ever since she awakened it. It had the appearance of a shattered two-handed sword, but, instead of a normal handle, it had integrated a magical staff that greatly enhanced her magical capabilities. The only reason she had disliked it was due to its appearance, but, much like the old adage, looks could be 'very' deceiving.
Once she learned how powerful it was, Arika's became very fond of the fragmented blade, and over the last few months, even the way she carried herself had gradually begun to change. She had been mellowing out for quite a while, but, ever since she learned the name of her Zankapkuto, 'Kossetsu-shi-ta-Hokori', literally translating to 'Fractured Pride', she seemed to take it as a wake-up call. As a result, she had been treating people better, and, though she wasn't exactly outgoing, she wasn't the same cold beauty she forced herself to be in front of others...
Showing off one of the more unique aspects of her Zanpakuto, Arika infused a phenomenal amount of magic power into the fractured blade. As a result, a blade of purified elemental erupted from the broken blade, extending to more than a hundred meters as she swept it toward the equally fierce as she was petite, Asuna.
The blade looked like it could sever the horizon, splitting Heaven from Earth, but, without paying it much mind, Asuna released an invisible pulse of energy that caused the blade of light to simply 'dissipate' the moment it came near her.
Though she knew of her cousin's ability to negate magic, as the latter continually made use of the ability, Arika couldn't help but click her tongue slightly as she attempted to block Asuna's charge...
Despite her own Zanpakuto appearing as a tiny black Tanto, the force behind Asuna's blows was terrifying, to say the least. Not only did she completely shattered Arika's barriers just by being near her, but, despite the fact she was only 125cm tall, weighing less than 25kg, Asuna's blow sent Arika smashing into the icy plateau below with meteoric force.
Taking advantage of the brief moment when Arika was embedded in the ice, Asuna shouted in a high-pitched, excited, tone, "Do it now, guys~!"
In response to Asuna's outburst, a 'platoon' of blue, white, and black globules of elemental energy gave cutesy salutes. Immediately thereafter, the ice and snow began to swirl like a tempest around the location of Arika's impact. It took less than three seconds for a massive tornado that was more than a hundred meters across to form, the interior temperature rapidly decreasing to around -200 degrees Celsius.
Though Asuna had gradually lost the ability to use external magic, she had never lost the ability to see Nascent Elementals. Rather, her affinity with the Spirits had increased by association with Vahn, so, as part of her training, Asuna had learned how to directly communicate with them, ignoring the need for a contract. This was a truly enviable ability, and, other than higher-tiered Spirits, Vahn and Asuna were two of the only people capable of achieving such a feat.
At this point, Asuna was the closest thing to a true protege Vahn had ever had, as, despite being a Master, an Advisor, and a Teacher, he generally observed and guided his students' growth without interfering too much. Asuna, however, had earnestly wanted to learn his techniques, and, due to her prodigious nature, he ended up teaching her a lot more than he originally intended...
After a few minutes had passed, the tornado gradually faded away to reveal a twisted-column of vibrant bluish-white ice. At the very center, as if she had been frozen in both space and time, Arika could be seen mid-charge, her expression clear and calm as she seemed to gaze directly at Asuna floating above.
Seeing the fighting spirit in her cousin's eyes, Asuna inhaled deeply before kicking up a large cloud of condensation as she exhaled. The smile on her face gradually faded away, replaced by a dull and distant look in her eyes as she raised Kyo high in the sky. Before she could strike down, however, a series of magic circles seemed to blossom from the void, surprising her slightly as, instead of trying to affect her directly, they began to form a vacuum.
Instinctually choosing to conserve her magical and spiritual energy, a hazy white mist began to rise from Asuna's body as a thin trickle of blood flowed from her nose. She wasn't completely immune to the rapid decrease in pressure, but, despite feeling slightly dizzy, her mind was calm and focused as she deftly cut through the surrounding magic circles. This caused a powerful implosion, but, long before it could affect her, Asuna dropped towards the pillar of ice like a bolt of lightning, landing on the periphery with her sword angled in the motion of a slash...
After taking a few breaths to steady herself, Asuna did her best to stand, but, having lost all feeling in them, her legs were completely unresponsive. This was a little unfortunate, as she had wanted to strike a cool pose after finishing her technique. Instead, she was stuck kneeling on the ground, lines of blood trickling from her eyes, ears, and nose as a thunderous cracking sound resonated through the icy plateau.
Though she still had a long way to go, Asuna was already at the Master level in swordsmanship, so, in response to her grazing blow, the entire pillar of ice was ultimately bisected. The ambient sword energy prevented the two halves from sticking together, so, after the initial cracking sound, the two pieces began to fall away from each other. At the same time, a line gradually appeared on Arika's shoulder, and, as if she had several times more blood than a normal human, a massive red crescent was formed as blood erupted from the wound.
Despite having a wound that would cause a normal person to 'split' apart, Arika was able to remain standing, her magical energy forming threads that bound her flesh together as she used powerful healing magic to mend it. This left Asuna with a wry smile on her face, especially when she saw the massive grin on her older cousin's...
Using all the strength the could muster, Asuna managed to rise to an awkward squatting position, but, before she could take a step forward, Arika used an unnamed magic spell to manipulate the surrounding ice and snow directly. Since it wasn't a magical attack, Asuna's [Magic Cancel] did little to protect her. As a result, she ended up buried under a few meters of ice and snow as Arika, feeling anemic, collapsed backward with a satisfied smile on her face...
---
From within the comfort of Vahn's comfortable lap and warm embrace, Eva gave an approving nod, stating, "The only thing Asuna is lacking at this point is experience and resolve. If she had properly followed instructions, she would have been able to defeat Arika with that final blow. She held back and ended up paying the price for underestimating her foe..it seems you have been too soft on her, Vahn."
With his arms loosely wrapped around Eva's waist, Vahn casually shook his head, nearly dislodging Chachazero from her favorite perch. Then, with an appreciative smile on his face, Vahn firmly stated, "Asuna is a kind-hearted girl. If she never has to kill, I would feel greatly vindicated as her Master. It takes very little effort to reap the life of another...having the power to take a life, and choosing not to, is a lot harder..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Eva couldn't help but roll her eyes before leaning back against his chest and saying, "Sparing an enemy is the same as inviting misfortune upon yourself and the people you care about..."
Rather than refute her words, Vahn gave a slow nod before saying, "You're not wrong...however, my words still ring true. The only way to sever the cycle of hatred in the world is to display compassion and understanding to allies and enemies alike. Even if you possess overwhelming power, people will always oppose your rule if you use force...peace is derived from the willingness of those in power to compromise with their enemies. If you make an effort to understand the wants, needs, and desires of your people, you can prevent most conflicts..."
Though she could understand the grains of truth contained within Vahn's words, Eva still shook her head, quietly muttering, "There will always be outliers who revel in the pain and suffering of others. Even if you could provide people with limitless resources, they would never be completely satisfied. So long as things like Greed, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy, Wrath, Pride, and Apathy exist, the conflicts will never cease..."
Hearing the melancholy in Eva's words, Vahn held her slender figure a little tighter as he said, "True enough...however, so long as there is an intrinsic desire within all people to find happiness, the path we walk remains the correct one. The moment people like us lose faith, even greater tragedies will be wrought in the wake of our 'apathy'...imagine a world where good people just gave up the fight for a better future...the innocent will suffer the most..."
Feeling Vahn's warmth flowing into her body, Eva released an slightly exasperated sigh, but, as she was preparing her response, Theo was the one to ask, "How long are we going to keep sitting here? Asuna is still buried in the snow and I'm a little worried that Arika has lost too much blood. Magic doesn't treat anemia, you know...!?"
Giving Theo a look as if she was a complete idiot, Eva pointedly stated, "Who taught you something like that? Light Magic might only mend wounds but true Healing Magic repairs damaged tissue by drastically increasing the rate of cell division. This incites the replenishment of red and white blood cells, so, as long as she has magic power, Arika can easily heal the majority of wounds and ailments. Have you somehow become dumber over the last four years...?"
In response to Eva's relatively harsh words, Theo just rubbed the back of her head, a wide smile on her face as she released a cutesy 'tehehehe~'. This caused Eva's eye to twitch quite a bit, but, before she was able to exacerbate the situation, Vahn interjected, firmly stating, "Eva."
Though she wasn't completely cowed, Eva deflated slightly in response to Vahn's words, her head lowering almost instinctually as she shrunk in his arms. A lot could change in four years, and, after spending night after night perusing through Vahn's memories and having dozens of heart-to-heart conversations, it was pretty easy to incite her guilt. She had been making a sincere effort to try and be nicer to people, but, whenever she got frustrated, she was still prone to saying things she would later regret...
---
After retrieving Asuna from the snow and checking Arika's shoulder, the entire group, including Eva and Xiao Bai, were relaxing together in the hazy green waters of the onsen. The latter had a childish personality, so, after spending enough time around him, even Eva had dropped her guard around him. Though she insisted he transform into his tiger cub form, he didn't particularly mind since he enjoyed swimming around in the murky water with a contented smile on his face.
Over the last few months, it had become common for everyone to take a bath together. The only exceptions to this rule were Zhuque and Qinglong, the former of which had an aversion to water while the latter had been guarding the diorama after a would-be assassin managed to breach the perimeter and sneak into Theo's room. It was fortunate that the diorama had basically become a world at this point, so, despite their efforts to try and break it from the outside, the only thing the assassin managed to do was alert Vahn to their presence.
As a Mage capable of producing a Phantasmagoria, a world based on memories, Eva was adept at peering into the minds of others to obtain information. They quickly discovered who had sent the assassin, but, despite his willingness to deal with the problem, Theo insisted that the matter be left to her. She might have given into her deviancy in private, but, when it came to her official duties as an Ambassador and future Empress, she became exceptionally serious.
Though the assassin had seemingly been sent by her older brother, Theo was confident that he was being used by their Great Uncle, the Grand Duke. She wouldn't forgive either of them, but she knew her Great Uncle was the principal corrupting force on her brother. He had even tried to meddle with her in the past, so, now that she had become one of the strongest people in the entire world, Theo was determined to handle the affairs of her family personally...
Since the time of their separation was fast approaching, Eva, Arika, Fenrir, and even Asuna allowed Vahn to pamper Theo quite a bit. Though they could meet whenever they wanted, as Vahn could literally move Theo to his side using Unit Management, her randomly disappearing in the middle of the night would cause quite a number of problems. Thus, unless it was an emergency, Theo would be handling matters within her own country until Cosmo Entelecheia had been exposed. With that in mind, Theo, sanctioned by even Eva, had been behaving as spoiled as she possibly could, at least when she wasn't training.
Currently, wearing nothing but a black collar around her neck, Theo was enjoying having her body and hair washed by Vahn. Unfortunately, due to the presence of Asuna, she couldn't have him wash her directly, but, as Vahn was able to manipulate the water to swirl around her body in an incredibly comfortable manner, Theo was enjoying herself quite a bit. It wasn't comparable to his direct touch, but, knowing there was plenty of time for them to 'play' around later that evening, Theo decided to just focus on enjoying the moment. The only time her voice escaped was when Vahn scrubbed the interior ridges of her horns, an especially sensitive area that caused her lower body to twinge quite a bit ever time he ran his fingers across their surface...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Asuna is quite the bully xD...','The truest tragedy is when good people stand by and do nothing...','Theo is a good girl (UwU)...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
249 Power
stone You may also Like
Paragraph comment