Capítulo 1084: Instant
With an impact comparable to a small-scale nuclear warhead, an area of 700m had been turned into a small sun that illuminated the dark night of Fuyuki City. Accompanying this light, a powerful shockwave spread through the area and, even with the city-wide formation limiting its destructive capabilities, several blocks surrounding the Matou Mansion were effectively leveled as a result of Gilgamesh's attack. If not for the fact they were in an area where only a few affluent families lived, the death total would have easily reached in the tens of thousands as, by the time the golden sun had vanished, the only thing still standing within the area was a black shield covered with the emerald green motif of a turtle.
Feeling that his reserves had been overtaxed, Vahn resisted the urge to pass out as he released Artoria's body and downed a [Turbo Ether]. He had put his all into defending against the strike, only realizing later that he could have actually held back. This was a small revelation, allowing Vahn to understand that his durability was even higher than expected, but that was something that could be looked into later. From the area where the Matou Mansion had previously stood, there was a malignant black and red puddle that was slowly forming into the familiar figure of Sakura, now covered from neck to toe in black markings. Her hair had reformed into translucent white strands as the glow of her eyes had more than doubled in intensity compared to before.
High in the sky, a visible vein had now appeared at Gilgamesh's temple as he frustratedly tapped his gauntleted finger against his own bicep. He had crossed his arms, assured of his own victory, only to see Sakura rise up without being any worse for wear. Feeling slighted by her mere presence, the proud King of Heroes stared into her blood-red eyes with his crimson gaze as he coldly stated, "Very well then...though you are unworthy, allow me to show you true despair...!" At this point, Gilgamesh pulled a strange golden key from a golden ripple in space but, before he was able to cause even greater devastation, the golden cubes protecting his body were forced to defend him against a series of black arrows.
With an enraged expression, Gilgamesh shouted, "You dare try and sneak attack this King!?" Even with his blustering, however, Gilgamesh was forced to retreat backward as the [Yi] arrows exploded into dense and all-consuming gravitational wells. Surprisingly, he seemed to be able to 'ignore' gravity in its entirety as he ascended higher into the sky and attempted to use the key in his hands. Once again, Gilgamesh was not afforded the opportunity to execute his plan as, appearing like a phantom, a version of Vahn with an expressionless face appeared right behind him. With a spear not all that dissimilar to Scáthach's, but possessing a silver hue, 'Vahn' slammed the tip directly into Gilgamesh's elbow, denting the golden plates protecting the vulnerable joint inside.
Feeling the bones in his left arm break, Gilgamesh's expression turned fierce as more than a hundred golden ripples surrounded him and Vahn as he shouted, "Die, you pretender...!" As if these words had no impact on him at all, Vahn continued to stare blankly at Gilgamesh, his spear snaking forward at an almost impossible angle as it stabbed into the latter's right wrist. Immediately following this, Vahn vanished like a phantom as more than ten hypersonic projectiles pierced his previous location, skewing the afterimage he had left behind. With this taking place, Gilgamesh's expression became that of a crazed madman as, instead of continuing his bombardment, all the golden ripples around his body vanished in an instant.
Though it was only a single moment in time, Gilgamesh felt as if he was experiencing the passage of eternity as his brain simply refused to process what was happening. He watched in slow motion as golden gates began to open in the air, not behind his back, but behind the figure standing in the air across from him. This most incomprehensible aspect of what he was bearing witness to was the fact that the 'Pretender' had now even copied his appearance. The only difference between them was the lack of armor and the impossible cold green eyes that reflected no light. Then, as if to spite him even further, Gilgamesh felt his arms and legs bound by an immovable force that caused his brain to buzz with madness as the resplendent light of [Enkidu] filled his vision...
Since Gilgamesh was showing an unbelievable amount of hostility towards him, Vahn, under the influence of [Laplace's Key] unhesitantly sent several projectiles from the hijacked [Gate of Babylon]. Since Gilgamesh had no treasures to protect him, the only thing keeping him in the sky [Enkidu], he was unceremoniously torn apart as more than ten Anti-Divine Noble Phantasms shredded his body to pieces. His head was severed from its body, an incredulous expression on his face that simply refused to believe what was happening, even as a speared pierced through the bridge of his nose, causing his entire head to explode in a cloud of red mist.
In total, Vahn had eliminated Gilgamesh in only seventeen seconds, including the time it took for his brain to 'process' how to use the key he had robbed from the Hero King's grasp. Unfortunately, now that Gilgamesh had been eliminated, Vahn stood in the air like an emotionless automaton as the key in his hands dissolved into golden specs, vanishing from the world. Though he could have continued using the key while Gilgamesh was manifested, there was nothing anchoring the incredibly powerful artifact to this timeline after the Holy Grail absorbed Gilgamesh's mana. Had he still been 'aware', Vahn might have cared a lot more but, now that it had already escaped his grasp, he would have to be content with the vast amount of knowledge he had obtained just by owning the key for a few seconds...
Now that her primary target had vanished, Sakura had turned her gaze towards Vahn as a Shadow Giant more than 30m tall extended its arm in an attempt to knock him out of the sky. The only thing it got for its trouble, however, was Vahn turning into his Zhuque form, giving him a 'true counter' to the black mud with his Yang Elemental Flames. At the same time, nine links of [Enkidu] burst into existence around Sakura's body before tightly binding her in place moments later. This caused the Shadow Giant to lose its structure, plopping to the ground with a force akin to seven hundred-thousand gallons of thick and destructive mud. It quickly spread through the area and began to corrode the surroundings but, for better or worse, Gilgamesh's earlier attack ensured there was nothing to affect.
It was around the time that Vahn was being brought back to awareness by Sis that Scáthach appeared next to Artoria, two children tucked under her arms as she looked up at Vahn and muttered, "That is a dangerous power he has obtained. We must both do our best to make sure it does not consume him." In response to this, Artoria, who had been feeling strangely anxious due to her inability to actively participate in the fight, nodded her head firmly in response. She recognized Vahn's state as the same thing he had used against her during their spar. It gave him a level of power that was beyond comprehension, meaning the chances of it corrupting him were extremely high. Since she had promised to always be there to guide him back on the right path, Artoria tightly gripped [Excalibur]'s handle as she redoubled her resolve...
---
After regaining his senses, Vahn felt a strange incongruity as he replayed the scene of his surprisingly short battle with Gilgamesh. Though he had certainly sneak attacked the King of Heroes, he hadn't expected the latter to go down so quickly. What he didn't know was, much like Scáthach, Gilgamesh relied on a powerful form of [Clairvoyance] to know how to deal with most enemies. Since Vahn was inherently 'immune' to such abilities, Gilgamesh fundamentally lacked the means to see through Vahn's sudden attacks. This, combined with the face he had already used up a large amount of mana to bombard Sakura, meant Gilgamesh was in a severely weakened state at the time his 'key' had been stolen. From that point onward, the fight had already irreversibly shifted in Vahn's favor...
By the time Vahn touched down on the ground, Sakura's hair and eyes had returned to normal as she lay limply within the immovable embrace of [Enkidu]. Though the mud in the area was still damaging the surroundings, it was quickly beginning to turn into an inert black sludge since there was no 'intent' guiding it after Sakura's powers were sealed. So long as nothing entered the area of influence for the next hour or two, it should die out completely before either dissolving away or fusing with the soil below. How the Mage's Association and Holy Church intended to cover up such devastation was something Vahn didn't really care about though, after what had happened, he was tempted to use his own 'wish' to restore the lives that had been lost...
Deciding to worry about such things when the Holy Grail War had been concluded, Vahn placed his palm atop Sakura's head and began to systematically seal each of her mana circuits before placing a thick membrane of Source Energy around her 'core'. In a way, it was fortunate that Gilgamesh had shown up when he did as, if Vahn had started to use 'Nirvana Rebirth' on Sakura, she undoubtedly would have caught him off guard with her 'Shadow'. Though it likely wouldn't be able to kill him, Vahn didn't imagine it would be very pleasant to have much of his body dissolved as she desperately tried to break him down and consume him...
Once Sakura was adequately sealed, Vahn removed one of the links of [Enkidu] before anchoring it to his hand and coiling it around her body. After she was wrapped up 'snugly', Vahn dismissed the other eight chains before wrapping a large blanket around Sakura's body. He needed to move her to a secure location in order to perform the 'Nirvana Rebirth', especially since the Mage's Association and Holy Church were undoubtedly flocking to the area. With Gilgamesh destroyed, Vahn knew the Holy Church would be quick to lay the blame on him, regardless of whether or not he told them the truth of the matter. Since telling the truth would undoubtedly lead to them 'demanding' he hand over Sakura, Vahn would rather leave the area and deal with them on his own terms later on...
After throwing Sakura over his shoulder, Vahn floated through the area towards where Scáthach and Artoria were waiting for him. Without him needed to ask, the former immediately explained, "I was only able to save two of the children after the unexpected explosion that occurred." Since he had already sensed this, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by Scáthach's emotionless words. Still, hearing her say them directly caused him to wince as he looked down at the two sleeping girls hanging limply in Scáthach's embrace. Vahn hoped that the Mage's Association would be able to track down their families but, considering that Sakura was the primary culprit in the disappearance of more than three thousand people, he assumed their families were amongst that number.
Shaking his head to clear negative thoughts, Vahn hardened his expression as he said, "We should move to the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel to explain our side of events before they get twisted out of proportion. We'll leave those two girls in the custody of the Mage's Association while I use their medical facilities to treat Sakura's body." Contrary to expectations, neither Scáthach nor Artoria seemed to fully agree with him, the latter outright saying, "It would be better to attack while our enemies are off-kilter. After dropping off these two girls, I believe it would be best to place Sakura in a safe location before heading to Mount Enzou and dealing with Circe before they are able to come up with any countermeasures."
Though Artoria took pity on the two orphaned girls, she knew there would only be more victims if they didn't bring the Holy Grail War to an end. The fact that a large section of the Miyama Town Foreign Residential District had been destroyed all but guaranteed that the Mage's Association and Holy Church would begin interfering proactively. Their window of opportunity was rapidly shrinking as, even if they weren't the primary culprits behind the devastation, the blame would undoubtedly lie on all participants of the war. There was a good chance that Executors of the Mage's Association would appear at the Tohsaka Manor in an attempt to 'reign' in Rin and Vahn, even though this would undoubtedly just be a power play on their part to obtain the grail for themselves...
Understanding Artoria's concerns, Vahn gave a curt not before saying, "We will return to the Tohsaka Manor for the time being. We can buy time with the Sub-Space Orb while Astolfo comes over to pick up the two girls. After I treat Sakura, she can be left in the care of Rin while we go and storm Mount Enzou and try to bring this all to an end. There have already been too many victims...let's do our best to ensure there aren't any more added to the count..."
As this was a far more agreeable plan, both girls nodded in response before the entire group ran back on foot. Since she had been engaged in battle, Scáthach was unable to assume her Spirit form for the time being. This meant she was carrying the two unconscious girls under her arms as she ran through the streets in her characteristic skin-tight bodysuit. Vahn was tempted to tell her to wear something that didn't stand out but, considering they were carrying three unconscious bodies, it wouldn't really matter how they were dressed. He even had Rin wrapped up in a blanket while, with the exception of some foul brown clothes, neither young girl in Scáthach's arms were wearing anything that remotely resembled clothes...
---
Though the distance between the Matou and Tohsaka residences were something that could quickly be traversed by the group, Vahn wasn't at all surprised when a pulse of magical energy spread over the area. Immediately following this, he could sense several figures rushing towards them with a commendable pace of around 310kmh. Though this was unbelievably slow in comparison to the speed of most combatants he associated with, Vahn could tell these four people were 'normal' humans. One of them even seemed vaguely familiar, causing Vahn to feel an extreme amount of exasperation when a white-haired, golden-eyed beauty appeared to block their way. He was almost tempted to ask how a skintight leotard and a half-dress that didn't even cover her lower body was considered suitable attire for a Nun but Vahn didn't think Caren would appreciate the comment...
Contrary to expectations, Caren was actually standing at the back of a group consisting of two other women and a tall man that reached 194cm with his thick-soled shoes. Unlike Caren, the other two women were wearing clothes that were similar in structure to business suits, complete with pants, while the man leading the group had a clerical collar designating his status as an ordained priest within the Holy Church. He even carried an archaic-looking bible in his hands that made Vahn's skin feel like it was turning inside-out just by being near it. Because of this, he was starting to feel more than a little bothered by the existence of the Holy Church and their various 'troublesome' artifacts.
With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, the man leading the group passed his gaze over the two girls in Scáthach's arms before resting his dark brown eyes on Sakura. Then, in a deep voice that didn't leave any room for argument, he plainly stated, "I am afraid you will have to be detained until an Inquisitor of the Holy Church is able to determine your involvement with that blast. This is a clear violation of the restrictions that you had agreed to after making your participation in the Holy Grail War known. Do not resist or we will be forced to apprehend you through methods I am certain you will find far less agreeable..."
Refusing to simply bow down to the whims of an organization that was quick to lay blame on others, Vahn fixed his gaze on the man as he answered, "Without any conclusive evidence, you lack the right to hold us at your convenience. Do not pretend that the Holy Church has jurisdiction to act however they please without any evidence to support your claims. We are the ones who put an end to the Servant who had caused the devastation, not the culprits behind it. You are more than welcome to seek out the master of the Archer-Class Servant Gilgamesh if you want to seek some form of recompense."
As if Vahn's words were inconsequential, the man inclined his head towards the unconscious girls before saying, "You are fleeing through the night with three unconscious victims yet insist on your innocence...? Very well then..." Though his tone had started off stern, the man suddenly put on a more 'agreeable' expression before adding, "You need only turn those girls over to us and we will let you be on your way. Depending on the information they reveal, however, we may be forced to seek you out for an explanation later..."
Without Vahn needed to answer, Scáthach suddenly stated, "Father Alexander Crowley, 2nd Class Executor of the Holy Church. Specializations include Exorcism, Sealing Scriptures, and Memory Alteration. We will not trust you to do as you please behind the scenes. If the Holy Church intends to make a play for the Holy Grail once again, please come to an accord with the Mage's Association first." Though she said these words in her characteristic emotionless tone, Scáthach had already pulled out two shortened versions of her [Gae Bolg], making it clear that she 'knew' these people couldn't be trusted.
With a stern expression on his face, the man named Father Crowley looked at Scáthach, eyeing her up and down as he asked, "Which Master managed to summon a harlot as a Servant? If you wish to slander the Holy Church, do not think we will stand idly by and watch as you carry out your evil deeds..." In response to this, Artoria seemed like she could no longer contain herself, pointing her [Excalibur] directly at Father Crowley as she exclaimed, "Insolence! You would play at righteousness, knowing full well your own sins!? Has the Holy Church truly fallen so far...!?" As a King who had been bestowed her title by providence, Artoria hated 'false priests' more than anything else. Since she was well aware of how their actions had negatively impacted the previous two Grail Wars, she was less than enthused to hear another pretender speak righteous platitudes while literally plotting to lay false blame on them...
Though he hadn't been that perturbed by Scáthach, courtesy of not knowing who she was, Father Crowley was very aware of Artoria's identity. Since she would likely be able to take out their entire group on her own, he was considering whether or not he should antagonize Vahn further. Their only actual advantage was the knowledge that Vahn and his cohorts weren't actually responsible for the devastation. They were also the strongest party remaining in the Holy Grail War, putting an end to the schemes of several other Masters through relatively peaceful methods. On the surface, this made it appear as if they could be exploited rather easily but, with the purple-haired woman apparently able to see through people's identities, things had become far more troublesome...
Deciding that a tactical retreat was the best course of action, at least until they could receive backup in a few hours time, Father Crowley gave an overly polite bow that was repeated by his two female associates and Caren. When he raised his head, an 'amicable' smile was present on his face as he said, "Seeing as how the legendary King of Knights is willing to speak for you, I can only assume that this was a case of mistaken identity. It was not our intention to lay blame on an innocent party for the atrocities of another. However, please be aware that we will be by to question you about the specifics of the incident at a later date..." With that said, Father Crowley nodded towards his group before squeezing a silver cross around his neck, dissolving the isolation barrier they had created to try and entrap Vahn's party.
Without sticking around to make small talk, Father Crowley and his two associates began to make their way towards the sight of Gilgamesh's attack, leaving behind a lingering Caren who looked at Vahn with a 'sad' expression as she said, "If you continue to lead such a sinful life, the judgment of our Heavenly Father will undoubtedly be brought down upon you. Please reconsider the life you have chosen, Vahn Mason...I do not wish to see you destroyed due to your ignorance..." With that said, Caren gave a much lower bow than the false politeness her group had expressed previously. Then, with a mournful expression on her face, she struggled to try and catch up with the group of Exorcists that had left her behind. Unlike them, she lacked active magic circuits, meaning she had to rely on artificial circuits engraved into her outfit just to keep pace. This was undoubtedly a heavy strain on her body, causing Vahn to shake his head as, contrary to Caren's expression, he could tell she seemed to 'enjoy' the pain her body was experiencing...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Surprise, Mud-Fucker...!','It is impossible to save everyone (T ^ T)...','The Holy Church's schemes...')
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Capítulo 1085: Investment...
Without further delays, Vahn, Scáthach, and Artoria quickly found themselves back at the Tohsaka Manor. Since the 'active hours' for the Holy Grail War had already begun, Rin, Fenrir, Lakshmibai, and Nobunaga were all in an alert state as they waited for any potential attacks. They had felt the effects of the battle between Gilgamesh and Sakura so Vahn wasn't all that surprised when Nobunaga jumped down to meet them before they entered the Manor's grounds. She gave an annoyed look at the sleeping Sakura before passing her eyes over the unconscious girls in Scáthach's arms and saying, "There are a lot of eyes on us right now. What do you want to do...?"
Since Vahn could also sense several presences within the 4km range of his domain, he knew exactly what Nobunaga was talking about. Just as Rin had warned earlier, it was obvious that the Mage's Association and Holy Church were beginning to move. Though they had a justifiable reason to intervene, especially with the death toll rising, nobody present was foolish enough to not understand this had been the plan of several parties from the start. With the Holy Grail War quickly moving into its final phase, there were several organizations and families who would want to make a play for the wish-granting item that could elevate their entire family to a privileged status with but a single well-versed sentence...
Shaking his head in mild annoyance, Vahn plainly stated, "They are just a bunch of fools trying to fish in murky water. The only real threat should be the Holy Church, so long as Lord El-Melloi II is able to keep the Mage's Association pacified. As for the rest, we just need to stay on our toes and they are effectively powerless. Without a Command Spell and a Servant, they have no means to interact with the Holy Grail and have their wish granted. Their only chance would be to track down Paracelsus and his Master, but I doubt they will be easy targets with the defensive prowess of Paracelsus' golems."
Though Nobunaga didn't disagree with Vahn, she still cautioned, "Never underestimate the greed and ingenuity of humans. The Mage's Association and Holy Church wouldn't have been able to rule the world from the shadows if they didn't have the means to skew the odds in their favor. Until the Holy Grail has been completely destroyed, we cannot truly trust anyone..." As someone who had been betrayed by her own vassal, even though she felt it couldn't be helped, Nobunaga knew better than most that 'certainty' could only be observed in events that have already come to pass. When you assumed everything would go according to expectations, that is exactly when your enemies would strike...
After giving an understanding nod of his own, Vahn carried Sakura into the Tohsaka Manor, a place that may feel surprisingly familiar to her when she finally woke up. He had already come up with an excuse to tell Rin as, even with a bit of embellishment, it wasn't wrong to say the Makiri had been brainwashing her from the start. Long term captivity and torment were effective means of controlling almost anyone, including Gods. When she finds out that Sakura's memories have been erased, Vahn anticipated she would probably become Sakura's caretaker until she was acclimated to her situation. If necessary, he was even prepared to regress Sakura's physical age so that she was synchronized with her mental age. Scáthach had a functionally infinite number of methods to grant people a form of immortality, including the use of [Primordial Runes] to reverse the age of the body without any real difficulty. This was yet another one of the incalculable number of boons she brought to their group, making it difficult for Vahn to ever truly lash out at her for how she mistreated him...
Having been waiting for Vahn at the door, Rin's face furrowed with worry as she saw Sakura unceremoniously tossed over Vahn's shoulder. She wanted to comment that he should have at least given her a princess carry until, just as the words were about to leave her lips, she saw the golden chains flowing from Vahn's hands that flowed into the blanket around Sakura's body. She was very aware of [Enkidu]'s effects, asking, "Is she going to be okay...?" instead of badgering him. In response to this, Vahn gave a comforting smile, saying, "With time, she will be better than okay. Things may become a little difficult for the two of you in the future, but I'll do my best to help out however I can."
Feeling comforted by Vahn's words, Rin released a sigh of relief before their entire group, bar Nobunaga and Scáthach entered into the Sub-Space Orb. The latter was left to look over the two sleeping girls until Astolfo arrived to pick them up. She would then assist in transporting them to the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel while Nobunaga continued to watch over the groups skulking about the area. If any of them were to try and attack, she would either deal with them directly or alert the group inside the Orb so that they could deal with them together. Fortunately, so long as it wasn't a high-ranked Servant like Heracles, there weren't really any threats that Nobunaga couldn't handle on her own...
---
With Rin lumbering over his shoulder throughout the entire process, Vahn spent nearly eleven hours performing 'Nirvana Rebirth' on Sakura's body. Since he couldn't simply pull out the Crest Worms, exposing the truth to Rin before things had settled down, Vahn went through the arduous process of eliminating them while they were still in her body. This wasn't even the most troublesome factor, however, as Sakura's magic circuits, core, and potentially even her ego, were all tainted by the same malignant energy that had manifested during her previous outburst. It had irreversibly fused with her own mana, meaning the only way to remove it was to either 'flush' her entire system, meaning she would have inert magic circuits for the rest of her life or use something like the [Fate Severing Knife] to completely separate them...
Because Sakura was still the Head of the Matou family, even though Vahn was intending to destroy it within the next forty-eight hours, she needed to have active Magic Circuits. If she were to suddenly lose them, her status would be revoked and, though Rin would undoubtedly want to care for her, it may not be up to her. Rin had previously told him a bit about her past, something that was rather common whenever he would make love with her, so he knew about the protected status of the Tohsaka's. The entire reason Sakura had been sent to the Matou family for 'adoption' was due to the fact that, after Rin became the next head of the Tohsaka's, it was Sakura's fate to either become part of an experiment or be given a Sealing Designation. As the lineage and Magecraft of the Tohsaka family were on the verge of extinction, the Mage's Association wouldn't easily let her slip through the system if she lost her status as the Matou family Head...
Though he had finished the process of 'Nirvana Rebirth', Vahn had yet to bring Sakura back with the Convergence of Heaven and Earth. As a result, Rin began showing a fretful expression and, though she had promised not to interrupt, she couldn't help but ask, "Is everything okay...?" Seeing Vahn sit still for more than five minutes felt more abnormal than the 'impossible' situation she had watched play out over the last eleven hours so Rin was beginning to feel anxious as the time continued to tick forever forward.
Fortunately, Vahn had already completed the most complicated processes so he wasn't actually disturbed by Rin's question and simply gave a tired smile in response before saying, "Your sister has something deeply ingrained upon the very surface of her soul. Though I can remove it, more than a third of my reserve energy will be lost in the process..." As Rin had eventually asked about his ability to create items, Vahn had explained things in a similar manner to how he had explained the process in Danmachi. Essentially, by converting precious items and materials into 'reserve energy', he could use his fragmented Creation Divinity to produce almost any item he could conceive of. Vahn had 'proven' this by creating a 'fictional' item from one of the manga that Rin kept on a small shelf within her room, a rather ironic choice on her part considering the nature of system shop and its connect to Records...
Knowing that Vahn had descended into the world with a relatively 'fixed' amount of reserve energy, Rin knew it was a big deal for him to suddenly give up more than a third of it. In a way, it was one of his most powerful abilities and, without it, Rin knew it would be much harder for him to eventually return home in the distant future. However, though she felt extremely guilty about asking him to do so much for her and Sakura, Rin tightly gripped her skirt before spontaneously saying, "If you do this for us, I swear, no matter what it takes, I will do everything in my power to pay back this debt. Even if you-" Before Rin could say anything 'inappropriate', Vahn gave her a hard stare that brought her to silence.
Once Rin had swallowed her words, Vahn plainly stated, "So long as you bear that mark on your back, Rin, we share a bond even closer than family. Rather than have you 'pay' me back, I'd rather you just do your best to become stronger and take care of your sister. Everything else, well, you can just act in the manner you think most appropriate. Just know that I'd rather have a companion I can trust than a slave who thinks she owes me an unpayable debt..." With that said, Vahn didn't wait for Rin's response as he sunk a billion Origin Points into a single [Fate Severing Knife]. This brought his reserves down to around 1.9b, less than half of what he had brought with him only three months prior...
Choosing Sakura as his target, Vahn waved the rather plain-looking knife above her rather buxom chest, watching as the blade sunk into a thin golden membrane before an aura appeared around Sakura's body. Fortunately, due to the state her body was currently in, Vahn had a lot of control over how the energy was directed so he sucked it directly into his body, allowing it to be purged upon contact with his blood and source energy. Less than a minute later, Sakura's magic circuits had been restored to normal, even though there was a rather peculiar 'invisible' color to some of the strands. He knew she had the so-called 'Hollow' element after talking with Rin so, with the other elements in her body being Water and, somewhat ironically, Light, Vahn assumed this invisible energy was the Hollow Element.
Even without asking if Vahn had succeeded, Rin knew the answer as she saw Sakura's hair change from it's purple color to the same soft and rich brown she had when they were little girls. Seeing this made Rin suddenly feel extremely guilty as, for the last twenty years, she and Sakura had hardly interacted with each other. They were extremely close before she was adopted into the Matou family, something Rin felt like she had forgotten after the deaths of their parents and her hellish training with Kotomine Kirei. Now, though it wouldn't be easy, she had a chance to reconnect with her sister and build up their relationship anew...
After purging the malignant energy completely, Vahn released a heavy sigh that caused Rin to flinch apologetically, at least until she saw him rolling Sakura onto her stomach. It had been more than a little surreal, watching Vahn 'operate' on her sister for nearly half a day while she was sleeping naked atop a table. Seeing him move Sakura while she was unconscious made Rin feel strangely perturbed, especially when Vahn placed his fingers near the base of her neck and the area right above her intergluteal crease. She actually felt a little insecure seeing how 'developed' Sakura's body was, as her own had been 'refined' over a long life of physical training and a strictly regulated diet. Sakura had a mature appeal that she would never be able to match, especially with her much larger than average breasts and almost unbelievably plump butt...
As Rin allowed her mind to wander down a strange tangent, Vahn rather unceremoniously performed the Convergence of Heaven and Earth. He was hoping it wouldn't leave a strange trauma in her as, even though Sakura currently had the mature figure of a twenty-six-year-old woman, she only had the mental faculties of a six-year-old. Since this was the only way to bring her out of the state of 'Nirvana Rebirth', however, Vahn had to bite the bullet as he pressed down gently on her back to prevent her from thrashing around as she released a startled, "Fuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!?" that droned for a full twenty seconds before she lost strength and began twitching atop the table.
Since Rin was giving him a rather cold look, Vahn rolled his eyes and explained, "This is a technique known as the Convergence of Heaven and Earth. Without it, anyone that has experienced Nirvana Rebirth will literally turn into fragmentary particles of mana before vanishing into nothingness. I don't suppose you would want me to just let Sakura vanish into particles, right...?" This was enough to make Rin immediately show a far more apologetic expression, followed by a look of realization as she asked, "This is what you did to Gray, isn't it?" Since he had no reason to deny it, Vahn simply nodded his head without commenting on the rather awkward subject. What was far more important in the present moment was making sure Sakura was properly clothed before she realized what was going on...
After putting Sakura's into a state of deep unconsciousness, Vahn had Rin assist him in dressing Sakura as, even though he was a 'professional', he knew she wouldn't just want to watch him do everything on his own. As a result, Rin helped to shimmy a pair of white panties up Sakura's legs, requiring a little more effort than she had expected since the fabric was hard to arrange neatly with her sister's well-developed assets. She then went through the surprisingly arduous process of trying to get a bra onto Sakura's body before ultimately giving up and asking for Vahn's help, something she wished she had asked for sooner since he very deftly completed the process. After that, they fitted Sakura with a pair of animal pajamas, fully aware of the fact that she would be 'extremely' confused after waking up.
When it was nearing time to wake Sakura up, Vahn decided to bite the bullet and mention, "It might be cruel to have her awaken in this state. If she has the mind of a six-year-old while possessing the body of a grown woman, there are likely to be numerous issues you may not be able to address that easily. I'm sure you don't need me to explain how dangerous that kind of state could be if the Mage's Association decides to try and intervene..." Though Sakura was the current Head of the Matou, that might not be the case after he annihilated the family. Even if there are survivors, there was little chance they would support a woman who had regressed to the mind of a child as their actual Head. Some of the senior officials in the Mage's Association, many having disreputable characters, would quickly move to try and 'secure' Sakura for themselves. Not only did she have a unique constitution, but the fact that she could be easily exploited, all while having an admittedly amazing body, would spell tragedy if Rin wasn't able to protect her...
Rin knew better than even Vahn how seriously twisted the Mage's Association could be, especially when it came to some of the 'old monsters' that ran things behind the scenes. She was intending to take Sakura as her active protege and apprentice, using her current standing within the Clock Tower to become an active Lecturer. Though Sakura would 'technically' become an active participant in her own experiments, Rin had no intentions of harming her sister. If it came down to it, she was fully prepared to butt heads and even go to war with anyone who had such intentions, regardless of their power and authority. Now that she had finally been reunited with Sakura, she wasn't going to let anyone get in the way of them being sisters a second time.
After thinking over the matter for a few minutes, Rin ultimately nodded her head and said, "If you can help her, please do. Even if I have to adopt her as my own daughter, that is better than having her return to the care of the Makiri family." As she was unaware of the fact that Vahn had already marked the Makiri for extermination, Rin was already beginning to plan how she would pressure them into relinquishing Sakura. She was even considering covering up Sakura's existence and changing her name as, once her appearance was reverted to match her mental age, there would be few means to directly link her to the Sakura Matou that had 'disappeared' after Gilgamesh 'nuked' the Miyama City Residential District...
As he really didn't want to spend even more OP trying to help the two sisters, Vahn exited the Sub Space Orb for a few minutes before returning with Scáthach. Though she had required him to agree to a few rather unreasonable demands in exchange, mostly pertaining to 'studying' his abilities, Scáthach ultimately agreed to help him reverse the effects of aging on Sakura's body. He could have used a Command Spell to force the issue but, as he was intending to have Scáthach help him deal with the Makiri, Vahn expected he might need the spares.
Seemingly without any difficulty, Scáthach stood over Sakura's sleeping body for a few minutes, a stream of hundreds of runes flowing from her dexterous fingers before flowing into the sleeping girl's chest. From the side, Vahn and Rin watched with varying degrees of surprise and intrigue as Sakura slowly shrank in size until she had reduced from 161cm to a minuscule 120cm by the time Scáthach had finished the process. Her borderline E-Cup breasts were now non-existent while any sign of other secondary sexual characteristics had faded in their entirety. She was now no longer discernable from any other six-year-old, complete with short bobbed hair that didn't even reach her shoulders...
Though it might not have been the best time for such comments, Rin was feeling a little awkward so she absentmindedly muttered, "I wonder if I can convince her to help improve my figure a bit..." This was just her mumbling to herself but, as Vahn was standing right next to her, he was easily able to pick up on her silent utterance. Deciding he also needed to do something to break the tension, Vahn casually reached his hand around Rin's waist before gently squeezing her left butt cheek and saying, "You don't have to worry too much. I can tell you still have room to grow..." Though her back had straightened at the unexpected 'harassment', Rin's face turned beet red a moment later as she swat his hand away and said, "You're hopeless...!" in a voice that lacked sternness...
---
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Trust No-one','The Mage's Association is full of Old Perverts...','Sakura's 'fate' is to always be in a state of unpayable debt xD...')
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