Vahn didn't quite know what he should feel as he experienced the 'punishment' Scáthach had decided to bestow upon him. Though it was a very troubling matter, he had slowly been growing accustomed to her nature during the previous training sessions. In a way, it felt like he was becoming desensitized to her overtly sexual actions, primarily as a result of how she had no discernable reaction while, at the same time, he was almost certain she would 'deny' him if he actually did choose to lay with her. The intent behind her actions seemed to frustrate and egg him on, giving him the motivation to improve even faster in order to 'take' what he wanted. It was an extreme method but, more than ever before, Vahn's realized that his power wasn't all that impressive compared to the upper limits of this world. The worst part was the fact that he knew this before even descending but, after being given the same classification as some of the strongest forces in this Record, combined with how 'weak' geniuses like Rin were, Vahn realized, quite clearly, he had indeed been arrogant and hubristic...
As Scáthach had pointed out, his most base desire was to gain strength in order to protect others, not to show off in front of opponents he rarely cared about. Though playing the part of a tyrant might dissuade some people from trying to attack him, it served no purpose when his repute wasn't even enough to draw attention in the first place. If the only person he was 'showing off' to was one he had either marked for death or recruitment, it was honestly more than a little vain. To make things worse, he even had a somewhat haughty attitude towards his actual companions, initially treating Rin as someone that he could just 'set aside' whenever he was ready to move on. Though he had his own reasons, ones which still held some amount of value to him, Vahn knew that he had been acting in a way that might outright cause the girls back at the Hearth Manor to admonish him...
Without a mouth to sigh, Vahn did so internally as he asked, ("Sis, do you think my mental instability is tied to my overreliance on the [Will of the Emperor]? My convictions seem to fluctuate, sometimes feeling strong enough to be unshakeable...while other times I feel weak and pathetic. Even I can tell that there is 'something' wrong with me but I don't know how to fix it without just 'letting it go' as Scáthach puts it...") Though this wasn't the first time Vahn had asked Sis such things, yet another sign of his cyclic thought process, he still 'needed' to hear her advice. At times like this, Vahn knew he relied more on the perspective of others than his own opinion, almost as if he lacked any real direction and needed the guidance of others to function...
Knowing full well what Vahn wanted to hear, Sis actually chose to remain silent this time as she sorted through his thoughts and tried to make sense of them. While he was genuinely asking her for advice, she could tell that he wanted something 'different' from her, something he himself didn't understand. Since she relied on his thoughts and experiences to rationalize her own thoughts, Sis felt always felt unprepared whenever Vahn would drop bombshell questions that were existential in nature. It wasn't until she could feel Vahn's anxiety beginning to grow that she answered, (*It seems that your consideration and empathy for others has caused an overreliance on their input in order o establish a baseline for how you 'should' act. I believe the thing that Scáthach wants you to let go of is the expectations of others, acting as you yourself have decided. Even if you make mistakes, so long as it is a decision you decided upon yourself, you will be able to take responsibility and grow as a person. If the mistake is made as a result of someone else's input, it allows you to shift the blame to them, regardless of what you might say or do to 'accept' the blame unto yourself...*)
Hearing Sis' words, Vahn began reflecting on his past actions to determine their veracity, an action that Sis had performed before him to 'confirm' this was the most likely cause of Vahn's current state of mind. Because he was always worried about others, especially when they started pressuring him with their expectations, he would get overly stressed out trying to act accordingly. Even if everyone around him usually followed his lead, Vahn would constantly be looking towards them for input on what he 'should' do. If he just continued forward on the path he decided, the only people that kept following him were those that genuinely sought to stay at his side. As for everyone else, once they realized that Vahn couldn't be 'contained', they would either strive to improve themselves or fall to the wayside. When this happened, however, Vahn would almost immediately stop what he was doing in order to let them catch up with him, constantly increasing the number of people he had to worry about...
While watching Vahn sort through his own thoughts, Sis tried piecing together what decision he was coming through in order to prepare her own response. She could tell that Vahn, once again, seemed to be going through the motions of affirming his resolve based on various justifications he had found within his memories. This gave Sis a strong desire to sigh, as it increased the probability of Vahn having a 'relapse' in the future to around 93.172%. Whenever he affirmed his resolve like this, it was almost guaranteed that he would immediately do something 'extreme', riding the high of his own actions for a few months before finally coming back down. When that happened, he would start to reflect on 'what he had become', often mulling over thoughts that weren't even directly related to whatever trouble was weighing heavily on his mind. In a way, it was amazing to see how much effort a person could go through to convince themselves something was wrong, even though there was rarely anyone around Vahn that genuinely questioned his decisions...
Deciding to reduce the probability a bit, Sis interrupted Vahn's thought process, explaining, (*If you want to avoid becoming a polarizing existence, it may be best to follow the lead of Scáthach and work towards achieving 'balance' of the heart and mind. Stop acting in an extreme manner and just focus on building yourself up in preparation for whatever challenges you may face in the future. The more unnecessary thought you put into things, the greater the backlash you will experience when facing a setback.*) As she spoke, Sis could feel the probability of Vahn having a relapse fluctuate greatly, nearly reaching one-hundred percent at one point before sharply dropping to 47% in the next. This was another example of how 'extreme' Vahn's shifts could be, something Sis had been seeking a solution to for more than 150 years now...
Feeling that Sis' words were rather convincing, Vahn gave a mental nod before musing, ("Unless I used a Command Spell, I don't think Scáthach would show me any leniency. Though it is hard to tell from her rarely changing expression, she seems remarkably dedicated to teaching both Fenrir and myself...") As Vahn thought of his 'errant' Teacher, a feeling of numbness spread through his mind as, currently, she was tracing the sharpest end of his 'core' around her navel. She seemed to be considering whether or not to go further, causing Vahn's brain to buzz in both frustration and expectation. Before Sis' words, he had been considering whether or not he should test the theory that Scáthach would refuse his advances if he actually did try to have sex with her. Now, he realized this was a little 'extreme' and, as everyone back at the Manor was probably worried, it would be best to return home and restart his training anew.
With that in mind, Vahn began to focus on the image of his body, expanding his energy outward to give form to himself once again. He wondered if this was the same as what Fenrir and the others experienced when they went from their core states to their manifested forms. Since he had used his understanding of a magic cores structure when trying to protect himself, Vahn assumed this wasn't far from the truth. When he had the opportunity in the future, Vahn felt it wouldn't be a waste of time to pursue this method to an even further extreme, potentially to the point that he could even store his avatars in cores he had structured for himself. Part of him even humored the thought of trying to infuse his own magic core into a piece of weapon or armor to see if his consciousness could be transferred into objects, something that seemed rather simple when he considered the fact that he had just existed as a gemstone for nearly five hours...
When Vahn's body had complete reformed, he had Scáthach laying below him with her characteristic expressionless gaze focused on him. Since he was naked, Vahn was more than a little tempted to try and get 'even' with her for how she had been treating his gemstone while in her possession. Having already decided against this course of action, however, Vahn instead equipped some clothes before rising to his feet and extending a hand to Scáthach. She tilted her head slightly to the side in but, without wasting much time, accepted his assistance in rising to her feet. After this, Vahn looked towards the south and said, "Let us return to the Tohsaka Manor. There are some things I want to look into and we'll need to restart my training before I lose the sensation from the previous battle."
As if she hadn't been 'playing' with him for the last couple of hours, Scáthach simply nodded her head in response before vanishing in a flash of magical light. Vahn shook his head lightly as a result before focusing his mind and shifting his intent to the Manor's interior. He found Astolfo reading a book within Rin's study while Nobunaga sitting on the roof as she listlessly tapped her foot while an ornate black and gold matchlock rifle lay across her lap. As for Fenrir and Rin, Vahn assumed they were inside of the Sub-Space Orb since he couldn't detect their presence after looking in both the basement and the workshop.
Feeling a small urge to tease someone, Vahn settled on appearing next to Nobunaga to see if he could spook her. Contrary to his expectations, however, she simply gave him a mildly annoyed look before using a grey cloth to wipe down her rife as she said, "You'll need another hundred years if you want to try and startle me. Instead of messing around here, you should go see those two before your pup gets separation anxiety..." Towards the end of her words, Nobunaga held up her rifle with the stock near her cheek as she looked down the sights to make sure they were properly calibrated. Though this was an ultimately pointless action, as the weapons of Heroic Spirits were always in 'perfect' condition, it was a habit she had carried over from her past life, a means of calming herself whenever she was bothered by something.
While spooking Nobunaga had certainly been one of his intentions, the reason Vahn had decided upon her was because of her abnormal state. He could tell she wasn't in the best of moods and, considering the circumstances, he was the most probable cause. Thus, while it was 'better' to enter the Orb and begin his training as soon as possible, Vahn instead plopped down next to Nobunaga and asked, "Can I see your rife...?" This caused her to release a long sigh before lowering the rifle and saying, "You really fucked up this time..." with a frustrated grimace on her face. Then, even though it looked like she had something more to say, Nobunaga rather unceremoniously threw her rifle at Vahn before suddenly jumping off the rooftop and landing soundlessly in the garden below.
Seeing the usually confident and snide Nobunaga act in such a way brought Vahn to silence. If not for the cold and heavy rifle in his hands, weighing significantly more than he expected, Vahn might have thought this was an illusion. It was obvious she was more than a little bothered by the fact he had almost died, causing Vahn's mind to nearly fall into a period of reflection before Sis interrupted, reminding, ("Fenrir and Rin are likely waiting for you within the Sub-Space Orb. You have even more time to reflect after you enter so don't dawdle for too long, Vahn. Nobunaga is a strong and prideful woman, Vahn. She will recover quickly only her own so, unless you intend to push her, any attempt you make to 'help' will probably exacerbate the situation...")
Though she didn't say anything explicit, Vahn knew what Sis meant by pushing Nobunaga, causing him to take a deep breath before teleporting into the basement. He was surprised by the realization that he was 'okay' with the thought but, understanding there were higher priorities at the moment, Vahn made the decision to return to the Sub-Space Orb. Just as Sis pointed out, Nobunaga wasn't the type to brood over things so she would undoubtedly recover, likely after watching him get a beating or two. When he was resting later, Vahn decided he would purchase some high-quality sake from the system shop before apologizing in a more meaningful manner. Though the chance things would develop beyond that were slim, at least for the time being, Vahn felt it was better for the both of them if they took whatever was going on between them in a slower and more natural manner...
After placing his hand on the Orb, Vahn felt the world around him shift before he found himself standing next to the small lake he had dug previously. It was a little strange, seeing a pure white 'hole' filled with crystal clear water, but it was something he would get used to. What he never seemed to get used to, however, was how Rin was floating on an airbed in the middle of the water, wearing sunglasses to cover her eyes as she lounged about in a red bikini. Vahn could tell she was taking a nap and, as tempting as it was to flip her float, he ultimately decided against it as he looked around for Fenrir's figure. She had moved a considerable distance away, likely out of consideration for Rin, and was currently training her body in the third level of increased spatial density.
Though Fenrir was simply running around normally, wearing what appeared to be modern spandex, the increased pressure ensured that the training wasn't pointless. Given how Fenrir's body was covered in a dense layer of sweat, whilst seemingly on the verge of collapse, it was easy to see that she had been going at it for a while. Vahn almost felt a little apologetic for interrupting but, knowing he would probably get a thrashing from Scáthach soon, now was the only time they would be able to spend together before their training became even more intense.
After taking a few more steps, mostly in an effort to slow her momentum, Fenrir turned her eyes towards her Master as she heaved a few deep breaths in an effort to collect herself. In this time, Vahn walked over to her side before pulling out a white towel, using it to wipe down her face and neck as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This caused Fenrir to adopt a small smile on her face as she closed her eyes and raised her chin slightly to make it easier. It wasn't until he had finished wiping the fringe of Fenrir's scalp that Vahn calmly stated, "I lost a battle tonight..." This immediately caused Fenrir's eyes to snap open but, before she could get too stressed out, Vahn smiled while stroking the sides of her face, explaining, "Don't worry. In a way, this has been a good experience for me. Now, just like you, I have a much stronger desire to increase my strength..."
Though she was happy for her Master, Fenrir's heart began beating faster when she heard his words. She already had trouble shortening the distance between them when he wasn't wholly focused on his training so, if he really did get serious, Fenrir was afraid she would be left even further behind. As this was something Vahn knew she would fret over, he affectionately stroked her head before saying, "You are already doing amazingly, Fenrir. The only thing you need to focus on is increasing your strength to the point that nobody is able to pose a threat to you. Even if I do become stronger, you know better than anyone that I simply can't leave you behind. While I may be focused on increasing my own strength, I will always be considering methods to help you improve as well. Now, raise your head up...I want to see you smile..."
Since it was far more important to Fenrir that her Master was safe, meaning he needed to be stronger than everyone else, she ultimately lifted her head and did her best to smile as sincerely as possible. Vahn already had one of his own and, after giving her a light peck, Fenrir's mood instantly improved a bubbly and exciting feeling swelled up from her heart whenever her Master kissed her. When he saw her improved mood, Vahn gave an amused chuckle before giving her a few more gentle kisses to bolster her mood even further. Then, just as Fenrir and Vahn both started to feel a little 'too' excited, Scáthach appeared next to them like a phantom, asking, "Are you ready?"
Knowing she had likely timed her appearance in an attempt to make him frustrated, Vahn looked towards Scáthach with slightly dull eyes before giving Fenrir one last kiss, this time on her forehead. The moment he separated from her, Fenrir immediately used [Shundo] to create some distance as, without any delay at all, Scáthach spun towards Vahn, delivering a high kick towards his head. He was actually able to receive it by guarding with his right arm but, with the amount of force behind the blow, Vahn's balance was still disturbed by the attack. In the next instant, Scáthach was already spinning in the opposite direction as she lowered her body to the ground. Using the momentum of her pivot, she planted her fist squarely within his diaphragm before stepping inward and 'launching' Vahn's body with her fist. In this manner, Vahn's increased training regimen began, starting with him spitting up a mouthful of blood...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Even Sis is getting tired of Vahn's shit xD...','Nobu-chama is not happy','I feel like Scáthach is like an analogy for 'life'. The moment you get distracted by happy feelings, she shows up to remind you of your responsibilities (^_^)...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
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Though he had realized it as early as his first 'beating', Vahn noticed that his state of mind was always much calmer after the fact. He wasn't sure if it was Scáthach's intent, but there was a strange feeling of release whenever the pains and aches reached a critical level. It was almost as if his brain shut off, forcing Vahn into a state of clarity where everything just 'was'. In those moments, he was able to offer the most basic amount of resistance to Scáthach's attacks and, even though he had yet to accomplish anything with it, Vahn felt like he was getting closer to 'something'...
The most useful part of this was that, even after he was in a recovery phase, Vahn's clarity would persist for several hours longer, allowing him to focus on tasks such as building a house within the Sub-Space Orb. Though it didn't bother him that much, Vahn knew it could be stressful for others if they were stuck in the infinite white space of the orb without anything to serve as a central hub for their focus. This was one of the reasons why he had created the small lake first and, now that he had a bit of time in between training sessions, Vahn had started making the Sub-Space Orb into more of a second home, even if he originally wanted to avoid having people lounge around when he had first created it...
With every strike of his hammer, Vahn felt a vibration pass through his body that bounced around his organs and bones before spreading through his mind, bringing with it a strangely satisfying sensation as each nail was driven into place. He almost felt like a machine that had been given purpose as he moved used abilities like telekinesis and Elemental Manipulation to quickly give form to the design he had in mind. Vahn had purchased a few schematics and blueprints from the system shop before settling on a more traditional eastern-style residence. He had come to prefer this style of architecture long ago so, if given the choice, Vahn would always default to such a style as it always made him feel more at ease than the somewhat plain and spartan designs found in western architecture...
After finishing another line of reinforcement, Vahn nodded in approval at his own work before hopping off the wooden beam he had been sitting on. The flooring and foundation had already been completed so he was now working on the sub-structure that would serve as the supports for the walls and roof later on. Currently, the house was nothing more than a series of neatly arranged red beams and struts that was reminiscent to a skeleton, albeit one belonging to a building. Though there weren't any pipes and electrical wiring, Vahn didn't particularly mind such things since even the Tohsaka Manor only had gas and a few electrical appliances. Most Magus families shunned the advancement of Science and Technology, choosing to instead use Magecraft to create things like perpetually burning candles in lieu of using lightbulbs. The only reason the Tohsaka Manor had electrical wiring and the like was due to the fact that it had been 'required' during the construction process for compliance purposes.
Almost as soon as Vahn had stored away his hammer, a presence appeared at his side that caused him to lightly chuckle before asking, "Is it already that time...?" To this, Scáthach surprisingly shook her head, followed by her explaining, "You have been working hard. For the next couple of hours, I want you to take a proper break. It has been three days since you rested and, even though you may not require it, relaxation is an important part of any training regimen." With that said, Scáthach gave a small nod before vanishing once again. Unless she was helping them train, or answering Rin's questions, Scáthach spent most of her time in her Spiritual form. This was both to conserve energy and, even if she didn't explain it as such, Vahn believed she was trying to be considerate of others. Whenever she was around, people would be more tense than normal so, in order to allow them to relax, Scáthach simply removed herself from the area before concealing her presence completely...
With his newfound free time, Vahn momentarily considered returning to work on the house before ultimately deciding against it. Scáthach had very clearly told him to relax and, though it felt rather refreshing to work hard on the temporary home everyone would be using, Vahn understood she actually wanted him to interact with the others. With this in mind, Vahn made his way out of the nascent building before turning his eyes towards the 'lake' located to the east. He could see Fenrir swimming around like a dolphin as she dove in and out of the water while, laying near the 'shore', Nobunaga and Astolfo were both wearing swimsuits. Since the latter was wearing a pink bikini with a pareo, Vahn felt as if he had subtly tilted a few degrees before quickly setting aside the incongruous feelings spread through his mind.
Noticing that Rin wasn't present, Vahn extended his domain in a pulse to see if she was anywhere within the immediate vicinity. Since this proved fruitless, Vahn assumed she had gone out of the Sub-Space Orb, likely to make a call or prepare a few things before night fell on the outside world. They still had a little under two days left within the orb before the sun set outside but that didn't mean they could completely ignore the passage of time in the real world. Rin was still, technically, the leader of their group. She was also the best candidate for exchanging messages with Lord El-Melloi II and Luvia as, for the time being, Vahn would rather not have to worry about such things. His role was that of an active combatant and, though he was probably the best at gathering information individually, the network of the Mage's Association was still leagues above his own capabilities.
Even if they were both lazing about, Nobunaga and Astolfo both noticed Vahn's approach while Fenrir reacted by dipping deep beneath the water's surface before shooting out like a salmon. Her motion carried small particulate of frigid water which, hitting the two 'sunbathing' Servants, caused Astolfo to loudly exclaim while Nobunaga furrowed her brows and said, "Hey, think about what you're doing, you brat...!" In response to this, Fenrir snorted through her nose before, similar to a dog, shaking her body from head to tail to dislodge the water soaking into her fur. This made Astolfo protect his face as he laughed in a good-natured manner while exclaiming, "Ah, it's so cold~!" in his characteristically high-pitched voice.
Vahn joined Astolfo in laughing while Nobunaga produced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she seemed to contemplate her next action. Before she could start a fight, Vahn ceased laughing before shaking his head and saying, "Fenrir, you know better than to go out of your way to pick a fight. You didn't have to jump out near Astolfo and Nobunaga, even if I was over here. If you can't be considerate of others, you lose the right to complain when they show little consideration for your feelings in turn." This was enough to get Fenrir's ears to droop somewhat pitifully while, at the side, Nobunaga's smile turned a little more genuine, even if there were mocking undertones visible in her eyes.
In the momentary lull in the conversation, Vahn gave a brief glance at Astolfo before asking, "Do you really prefer women's clothes to the point that you even wear them when swimming? Though your other outfits look cute, I feel that this one is a little...extreme?" Though Astolfo had a very thin and lithe body, his body structure was still distinctly masculine in structure. This could be hidden when he wore frilly clothes that broke the lines of his body but, now that he was only wearing a thin swimsuit top, it was very easy to tell that he was male. In response to his question, however, Astolfo playfully pulled the fabric of his top before saying in a mischevious voice, "If I just wore the bottoms, it would look even stranger, don't you think~?"
Finding Astolfo's words held a surprising amount of credibility, Vahn gave a light chuckle before casually remarking, "You know, if you wanted to complete the appearance, I could probably help you. Though I may not be able to alter your gender through the normal methods, I can lend you an item that would allow you to pull off a more feminine look." To this, Astolfo's eyes began to glimmer before immediately causing Vahn a bit of awkwardness when he teased, "Oh~? Does 'Master' want to see Astolfo-chan as a girl~?" This immediately nipped Vahn's suggestion in the bud as, instead of responding to Astolfo's words, he sat down on one of the pool lounges before gesturing for Fenrir to sit at his side. When she happily took the spot next to him, Vahn took her hand into his own, stroking her's with his thumb as he looked towards Nobunaga and commented, "That swimsuit suits you more than the bikini you were wearing last time. Sometimes showing less if even more impactful than putting everything on display..."
Previously, Nobunaga had the habit of wearing what could only be described as a string, T-back, bikini. Now, however, she wore a top that properly hugged her chest and waist, accenting her figure without 'screaming' for attention. This was ultimately for the best as, with her previous swimwear, Nobunaga's tendency to 'shrink' over time could easily cause a wardrobe malfunction. Her physical appearance seemed to fluctuate between a girl in her late teens to a woman in her mid-twenties depending on how much mana she had stored up. On the night she had used her Noble Phantasm, she had even shrunken down from 153cm to a disconcerting 135cm, looking more like a child soldier than a proud warrior...
Never one to deny a compliment, Nobunaga's mood seemed to improve a bit as she leaned forward and asked, "Are you starting to realize my charms? Or do I need to wear a school swimsuit like your little pet to get your attention?" As she spoke, Nobunaga looked Fenrir up and down with her blood-red eyes. Her gaze ultimately came to rest on the former's chest where, for reasons Vahn himself wasn't aware, Fenrir had decided to inscribe her name on the white section of fabric located in the center. She had spent a bit of time browsing the internet on Rin's laptop to research various clothing designs, picking out plenty of cute and frilly outfits that allowed her to masquerade as a cosplayer if she wanted to walk around town. It was likely that, during her research into cosplay, Fenrir had stumbled upon the 'traditional' school swimsuit, keying in on the fact it was her favorite color, dark blue.
Since she was only bad terms with Nobunaga, Fenrir just snorted in response to her words before leaning her head against her Master's arms. This caused the smile on Nobunaga's face to fade a bit, at least until Vahn mused, "In your 'small' state, I think it might suit you surprisingly well. Still, your current swimwear is probably the most ideal form I can imagine. The only suggestion I'd made is to change from a shiny fabric to something more matte and natural. You might be trying to draw attention, but it looks a little weird seeing light refract off a swimsuit..." Right now, if Vahn got close enough, he was sure he would be able to see his actual reflection in the fabric of Nobunaga's swimsuit.
Taking his advice quite literally, Nobunaga's swimsuit immediately transitioned into a more neutral appearance, giving her greater appeal than before. Vahn gave an approving nod that seemed to satisfy her as she rolled over on her stomach and commented, "You should create something like an artificial sun in here. It is super dreary seeing white in every direction. If you can pull that off, I'll allow you to apply sunscreen on my back, ufuu..." Towards the end of her sentence, Nobunaga flexed her butt while watching Vahn's face with a 'taunting' expression on her own. Vahn rolled his eyes when he saw this before remarking, "I might be tempted to do it just to channel some extra mana into your body. Watching you try to flaunt your flat butt is a strangely heartbreaking..." The moment these words left his mouth, Vahn had to angle his head to the side as a reddish-black beam of light passed through where his face had been previously.
Making matters even worse, though they were all just messing around, Astolfo fed Nobunaga's frustration by commenting, "Vahn is right, you know? You need to eat more if you want to grow up 'big' and strong. I think even my butt is plumper than your's, Nobu-chan~." To emphasize this, Astolfo turned sideways before pinching the unnecessarily plump flesh of his rear end. This caused Nobunaga's face to pale as, emerging from the void behind her, several vicious black matchlock rifles slowly took form. Wasting no time at all, Astolfo changed into his Paladin's attire before kicking off the ground with enough force to crush his pool lounge with the resultant shockwave. Nobunaga, with the expression of a hunter that had just found its prey, quickly jumped after him as she screamed, "It's too late to run now you brat...!"
Following Nobunaga's outburst, she began to pepper the area with her matchlocks as Astolfo dodged around rather deftly with his superior speed. During an especially close shave, his face became even more playful than before as he commented, "Ara? Isn't your butt shrinking even more?" Since Nobunaga was using up her mana, her body was, ever so slightly, beginning to regress in age. She had originally started off with a moderately shapely appearance, standing around 157cm and looking to be around 18-19 years old. After firing a few barrages, however, Nobunaga had already reduced to 155cm as her breasts and butt, at a rate only those with a discerning eye would be able to notice, were surely shrinking along with her.
With her expression now forming into one that most would only use to look at their mortal nemesis, Nobunaga swiped her arm across the front of her body before extending it outward to the side. In response to her action, a total of one-hundred matchlocks formed in the air before priming simultaneously. This caused Astolfo to pale a bit, realizing he had gone a little too far as he waved his hands and said, "Wait, wait, wait, I was just kidding~!" Though he could easily dodge a few shots with relative ease, it was a completely different thing to try and evade a hundred shots all fired simultaneously. Astolfo would be forced to seriously go on the defensive just to avoid being injured by any of the stray shots fired from Nobunaga's Noble Phantasm.
Just as Nobunaga seemed to be considering whether or not to let Astolfo off, an unexpected occurrence happened that caused everyone present to fall silent. Due to her body shrinking in size, Nobunaga's bottoms were no longer clinging to her hips. Instead, in the midst of her battle pose, the red fabric unceremoniously slipped down her legs before coming to a stop near her ankles. Immediately following this, Nobunaga's expression darkened as, even though she knew her Master would reprimand her, Fenrir couldn't help snickering. As a result, half of the matchlocks reversed direction, pointing towards Vahn and Fenrir, while the other fifty all opened fire on Astolfo...
---
Unaware of the chaos occurring within the Sub-Space Orb, Rin had indeed been in the process of contacting Lord El-Melloi II. They couldn't exchange any sensitive information, as there was a chance their communications could be intercepted, but Rin could still issue reports about the war and ask if there were any major developments. Though the Overseers couldn't directly tell Master's where the others were located, at least publically, that didn't stop them from sharing news about battles that had occurred and whether or not any Masters had been eliminated. This was how Rin came to learn that the third Master, a man named Lyasin Karl Afanasievich, had been eliminated. As he was never seen with his Servant, it was impossible to know for certain but, given the circumstances, it was highly like he had been the Master of Ozymandias.
Though Vahn, Scáthach, Nobunaga, and Astolfo hadn't gone into all the details, they made it very clear that Ozymandias had been killed by Scáthach. Vahn had even given her a small golden necklace after returning, something that Rin now kept in a small jewelry box located by her bedside. According to what little they had revealed, causing Rin endless frustrations, Ozymandias had been a phenomenally powerful Servant. Though he had an arrogant nature, it didn't seem as if he was a bad guy so, unless they had pulled something, it meant their Master must not have been that bad either. The fact they had been killed, even after their Servant had been eliminated, pointed towards a larger conspiracy of sorts that was happening behind the scenes. It was most likely that, whoever Lyasin had been allied with, decided to steal his Command Spells through the use of lethal force...
Putting together the information she had, it wasn't difficult to discern that the most likely culprits were the Einzbern family. The only other family that would have gone out of their way to kill the son of an Aristocratic Magus family were the Makiri or, more specifically, the Matou family. Since Rin was almost certain that the Assassin-Class Servant had been summoned by the Sakura, as the Makiri almost always summoned one of the variations of Hassan, it almost guaranteed that the group involved in Lyasin's death were the Einzberns. As it wasn't in their nature to take actions that would draw unnecessary attention to themselves, this meant the person who had killed Lyasin must have been the Magus-Killer, Alex Everdale...
Knowing that one of their enemies had a professional Magus-Killer, while another now had two Assasin-Class Servants, Rin felt a strong headache coming her way. She really didn't want to have to confront her own sister as, after their awkward parting ten years ago, the idea of robbing Sakura of her 'wish' filled Rin with apprehension. Even now, she could remember Sakura's teary indignation as she accused her of stealing the one thing she ever cared about, Shirou. Though Rin didn't know what Sakura wanted with the Holy Grail, that didn't make it any easier knowing that her actions would ultimately guarantee Sakura was denied the chance to obtain her wish. As for the matter with the Einzberns, that was perhaps even more troublesome as, more than almost any other Servant, Rin had come to fear the destructive might of Heracles in his Berserker state...
Though she had lost her life to Gilgamesh ten years ago, Rin recalled her first meeting with the 'Ultimate Homunculus', Illyasviel Von Einzbern. She had been elected as the 9th Head of the Einzberns and was a unique existence whose entire body was comprised of magic circuits. If not for her untimely demise at the hands of the 'Hero-King', she may have gone on to be one of the most prolific Magus in history. With Berserker at her side, seemingly without any equals, it was almost guaranteed that she would be the final victory in the Grail War. If not for the cheat-like existence of Gilgamesh, who was only defeated due to the combined efforts of Caster and Saber, there wouldn't have been anything standing in the way of Illyasviel obtaining the Grail...
Imagining the seemingly unstoppable Heracles allied with a notorious mercenary who had made a name for himself killing Magi, Rin couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Even though their side had numerous advantages, including the almost ridiculously strong Scáthach, Rin felt it wasn't enough to emerge victoriously. Her intuition, which was often proven correct, told her that the real battles hadn't even started yet. If not for the existence of the Sub-Space Orb, Rin felt they wouldn't even have the time to recuperate properly before being worn down by their enemies. Fortunately, more than anything else, their side had the anomalous existence of Vahn to rely on. Without his presence, Rin wasn't sure she would be able to bear the burden of the mission she had accepted for herself...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Hamming Intensifies*','RIP Astolfo-chan...','Rin's Innate, [Type-Moon Heroine] seems to be in full effect xD...!')
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