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46.46% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1094: Adapt

Capítulo 1094: Adapt

Though she would have liked to give Artoria and Gray the opportunity to continue talking, Rin apologetically nipped that possibility in the bud by stating, "Sakura could be waking up soon. I don't want her to panic if I'm not there when she wakes up..." Since Sakura was just a six-year-old girl at the moment, it would certainly be discomforting for her to wake up to an empty house. Even if Illya, Circe, Nobunaga, Lakshmibai, and Scáthach were all nearby, they would currently be strangers to the young and confused Sakura. Having people she didn't know in her house, especially while her Okaa-chan was missing, would probably cause her to cry her eyes out. Illya might be able to wrangle her in pretty easily, but she was also in a rather 'peculiar' state of mind right now so it wasn't necessarily the best idea to rely on her...

Gray seemed saddened by Rin's words while Artoria, understanding the sensitive nature of Sakura's situation, gave a polite bow before saying, "Some other time." This was immediately followed up by Vahn, however, smiling as he said, "You are free to stop by the Tohsaka Manor whenever you'd like Gray. Artoria and I will still be staying there until Rin returns to London..." With the completion of the Holy Grail War, Vahn knew that Rin's time before 'having' to return was already limited. This was even more so for people like Lord El-Melloi II and Gray as, now that their 'duty' was completed, they could be back in London before sunrise of the following day. Since it would probably be difficult for her and Artoria to contact each other later on, Vahn felt it was better the two talked about whatever was on Gray's mind before their separation.

With a sudden hopeful expression on her face, Gray looked toward Lord El-Melloi II with big eyes, eliciting a sigh from the middle-aged Magus before he said, "It would be better if you aren't here when Madam Barthomeloi is around. At this point, I'd argue that you have a few months of vacation days if you want to take them. I understand how important an existence Artoria is to you...take your time, Gray..." Then, after saying that, Lord El-Melloi II alternated his gaze between Vahn and Rin before adding, "I trust you will better explain the situation before we have to face the Tribunal back in London. For the time being, I will entrust Gray to your care..." The last few words were directed to Vahn, causing Lord El-Melloi II to have an uncomfortable feeling in his heart as his intuition told him this might not actually be the best idea. His intentions were to have Gray collect information on Vahn before flying back to London with Rin but, seeing the casual smile on Vahn's face, Lord El-Melloi II slumbering paternal instincts, even though he wasn't Gray's father, began acting up...

Unaware of the sudden internal struggle of her Mentor, Gray had one of the largest smiles Vahn had ever seen on her face as she brought her hands together and exclaimed, "Thank you~!" This seemed to actually 'impact' Lord El-Melloi II as, though it wasn't by much, his whole body flinched when Gray directed her lethal smile towards him. Now, even if he wanted to change his mind, the thought of seeing her suddenly heartbroken forced him to bury the words deep in his heart. He did, however, glare at Vahn in some vain attempt to keep the man from doing anything 'suspect' towards his protege. The only thing he got in response, unfortunately, was a confused blink, followed by Vahn tilting his head slightly as if to ask, 'Was there something?'.

---

Now with a plus-one accompanying them, the group was drawing even more attention as, even though there were differences in their appearance, seeing two ethereal qualities 'western' beauties walking side-by-side had quite the impact on the average Japanese person. Gray had lowered her hood after Artoria had asked, showing that they even had similar hairstyles, both with long fringe bangs framing their youthful and doll-like faces. Instead of letting their hair hang naturally, as it would get in the way during combat, both girls had neat french-style braided buns that Vahn had yet to identify how Artoria was able to style on her own. What stood out the most, at least to him, was the fact that both girls had a prominent 'ahoge', a tuft of hair that poked out from the tops of their head in defiance of the laws of gravity. When they excitedly talked to each other, Vahn could see how the ahoge moved about as if they had minds of their own, much like how a Chienthropes tail would wag when they were happy...

After deciding he would need to explore this peculiarity at some point, as there were obviously some Laws at play he didn't understand, Vahn left the two to their own devices. They were walking a little bit behind the rest of the group but, if something did happen, Vahn could tell that both girls were still paying close attention to their surroundings and would be ready to react on a moment's notice. With that assurance, Vahn 'escorted' Rin through the cold morning traffic by holding her arm as, on his right side, Fenrir held his hand without minding the looks of passersby in the least. Other than Alaya, who she would periodically stare at for long periods of time, Fenrir didn't particularly care about the pedestrian traffic walking about. So long as they did not direct any disgust or hostility towards the group, which she was extremely perceptive to, she wouldn't bother with them...

Though the entire trip took more than an hour, including a rather awkward train ride, Sakura was still sleeping soundly in her actual bedroom from childhood. Rin went to check on her immediately after they returned while Vahn went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for everyone. Though Gray tried to offer her assistance, even Artoria prevented her from 'interfering' in Vahn's 'creative process'. She had been genuinely shocked by Vahn's cooking skills and, as meal preparation had always been one of her pet peeves, Artoria's opinion of him had improved by leaps and bounds since she first tasted his highly nutritious food.

One person that couldn't be kept out of the kitchen, however, despite Artoria's insistence, was none other than Circe. As if she had sensed that Vahn was cooking, she had quickly appeared at the door of the kitchen before immediately joining in. It wasn't until Vahn asked Artoria to go keep Gray company that the fretful Knight left them to take care of breakfast. This obviously made Circe very happy as, with it being just the two of them in the kitchen, she misconstrued Vahn's dismissal of Artoria as 'special treatment'. The truth of the matter was, as he intended to have Circe essentially become their organization's Chef, he merely wanted to see her cooking process up close...

With Vahn 'peeking' over her shoulder, Circe was in a great mood as her wings flitted about happily while she used a combination of various spells to expedite the cooking process. Even at a glance, it was easy to see that she was far more comfortable in the kitchen than even Vahn was. He relied on extremely high-quality ingredients and a heavy focus on each phase of the meal preparation while Circe, as if it was easier for her than breathing, would handle dozens of ingredients at the same time. She skillfully handled most things with her telekinetic abilities while the surrounding tools and appliances 'literally' seemed to gain life as they began processing things for her. Vahn never realized how 'magical' making breakfast could be, causing him to watch in fascination as Circe completed a meal that could easily feed ten people in less than seven minutes...

Being especially sensitive to others giving her attention, Circe was in an even better mood by the time she had finished cooking everything. With a playful smile on her face, Circe tossed the frilly apron she had been wearing toward Vahn, giggling as she said, "I normally don't let people watch me cook, so be grateful, okay~?" After finishing these words, Circe waited for Vahn to remove the apron from his face before jumping up and sneaking a kiss on his left cheek. Then, like a child who had successfully completed a prank, Circe quickly alighted from the kitchen, laughing like the Nymph she was all the while. This left Vahn the duty of carrying the surprising volume of food but, with a simple hand gesture, he easily stored it within his Inventory to make sure there were no 'tricks' hidden within the food's description...

By the time Vahn reached the dining room, almost everyone was present, including Rin and a very sleepy-looking Sakura. She was still wearing the animal pajamas from the previous night, looking like an adorable tanuki as she bobbed her head without seeming to mind the presence of everyone else in the room. This all changed when she looked toward him, however, her big blue eyes showing a small amount of intrigue and confusion until Rin gave a somewhat awkward smile and whispered, "That is your Otou-sama..." Though Rin allowed Sakura to call her Okaa-chan, she knew it would be easier to explain Vahn's relationship with other women if Sakura was already used to addressing him with honorifics. In time, she intended to explain that Vahn was an 'Emperor', though she was still working out the details of that particular conversation in the back of her mind...

As her memories of her father had effectively been erased after Merlin's 'intervention', Sakura seemed genuinely surprised by what her Okaa-chan had said. She suddenly became extremely bashful, hugging Rin's waist and burying her face into her abdomen without looking directly at Vahn. This caused Rin to look at Vahn for help, causing his own smile to soften as he made his way over and knelt down next to the two before stroking Sakura's back. The unfamiliar contact caused Sakura to peek out of the corner of her eye, seeing Vahn's face in close proximity with a gentle smile spread across his kindly expression. Eventually, Sakura seemed to summon up a bit of courage as, while still hugging Rin's waist, she sheepishly asked, "Are you really my Otou-sama...?"

Without letting any hesitation or apprehension show on his face, Vahn nodded his head in response before gently rubbing Sakura's head as he answered, "Of course, my precious little cherry blossom..." Though showing her too much affection would probably cause Sakura to feel a bit of separation anxiety when she flew off to London, Vahn still wanted her to open up to him before then. Thus, after watching Sakura look to Rin for 'confirmation' once again, Vahn gently pulled the small girl in his embrace, hugging her frail body in much the same way he would his own children. This seemed to be all the confirmation she needed, causing Sakura to rest her head against his shoulder as she somewhat sleepily muttered, "Otou-sama...my Otou-sama..."

----

Using Sakura as a 'natural barrier' to prevent Circe from trying to forcefeed him breakfast, Vahn enjoyed having his new surrogate daughter sit in his lap as she somewhat messily ate her meal. Though Illya seemed to envy Sakura somewhat, the fact she had already called Vahn her Onii-sama made it hard for her to try and 'steal' the position from his 'daughter'. She knew he and Sakura weren't actually related but, as her own situation was already more than a little peculiar, she elected not to cause any drama for the impromptu family. This was largely due to the fact that she knew Rin and Sakura would be leaving for London in a few days, but that was beside the point. For now, she enjoyed the unexpected companionship of Fenrir who, for reasons she couldn't quite ascertain, was very kind to her...

Though everyone had their own thoughts on various matters, breakfast proceeded in a relatively festive manner with everyone in high spirits by the meal's completion. Gray had originally just wanted to get along with Artoria but, after seeing the two of them talking amicably, most of the other Servants quickly joined the conversation. Nobunaga made a few less-than-appropriate comments but, understanding Vahn would probably be annoyed with her if she took things too far in front of Sakura, she made sure they were heavily layered in innuendo. This was still enough to get a bashful response from Gray while Artoria, having already gotten used to Nobunaga's uncouth behavior, lightly reprimanded her in response. As for Lakshmibai and Circe, the former also got along well with Gray and Artoria while the latter, finding herself seated next to Scáthach, was on her best behavior as she tried to make polite conversation with Fenrir and Illya. The only person who wasn't present was Heracles but, as he took a monstrous amount of mana to keep manifested, he would spend most of his time as a Spirit when Illya wasn't in danger...

In this manner, breakfast proceeded without incident, punctuated by Vahn giving Sakura a kiss on her forehead before entrusting her to Rin once again. Afterward, he went into the Sub-Space Orb with everyone except Fenrir and Illya, as the latter would probably have a bad reaction to seeing him get brutalized by Scáthach. To her credit, Illya didn't make any attempts to argue against her staying outside the Orb, something Vahn would later learn was due to her desire to separate from Sakura and Rin 'sooner'. Though she didn't fully blame the two sisters for what she had experienced in the past, it was a simple fact that Rin had not only failed to prevent Gilgamesh from murdering her, when they were supposed to be allies, but she had also 'let' Shirou, her last real family, die as well. As a result, the 'shorter' the interval before she no longer had to see them, the better...

Unaware of Illya's surprisingly level-headed analysis of her own trauma, Vahn was more focused on evading each of Scáthach's seemingly undodgeable thrusts. Unless he prioritized 'running', it was virtually impossible to avoid having her [Gae Bolg] pierce into his body. Since she knew it wouldn't actually kill, Scáthach wasn't shy when it came to using a weakened form of her Noble Phantasm to try and 'encourage' Vahn to dodge better. Since it would feel like hot thorns would branch through his body with even a light wound, Vahn really was pretty desperate in trying to evade her blows...

Stepping back on his left foot, Vahn managed to avoid one thrust with Scáthach's spear only grazing against his cheek. At the exact same instant, however, a second spear cut through his Achilles tendon, sending him tumbling to the ground before Scàthach quickly followed it up by stabbing him through the chest. This was far from the first time Vahn had been skewered by Scáthach, but this time she added insult to injury by saying, "Stay focused. Do not pay attention to her." With this said, she flicked her wrist and, as if Vahn's weight was completely negligible, sent him flying several tens of meters through the air before slamming hard into the ground.

Knowing that staying down would afford him no reprieve, Vahn instantly bounded back to his feet as he complained, "Yeah, I'm trying..." in an exasperated and pained tone. At the same time, he gave an annoyed glance toward Alaya who, from the start of the training session, had been hovering around like an annoying fly. Not only was she able to easily keep pace with his and Scáthach's movements, but even powerful shockwaves seemed to have virtually no effect on Alaya as she continued to stare unblinkingly at him getting thrashed by Scáthach. The latter didn't seem to appreciate the fact he had turned his attention away once again, breaking into Vahn's range in an instant as she stabbed both spears mercilessly into his abdomen...

At the very same instant that Scáthach stabbed him, Vahn severed his connection with [Will of the Emperor], somewhat excited at the prospect he had ensnared his Teacher in a trap. To Scáthach's credit, she immediately let go of her spears but, as 'Vahn' obviously associated her as the reason there were two spears in his gut, his automated defenses had been activated. As a result, Vahn's pupils shrank to small points as he pulled out both [Gae Bolg] and almost instantly transformed into an exact replica of Scáthach. This caused Alaya's purple eyes to begin glowing, an obvious indication that she was both recording and analyzing the battle with even more scrutiny than before.

Like a mechanical whirlwind of death, Vahn used smooth and precise movements that he couldn't even come close to emulating under normal circumstances. Scáthac, for the first time, was almost purely focused on defense as she used two short spears to deflect the majority of Vahn's blows. This wasn't enough to completely stop Vahn's assault, however, causing a few nicks and tears in the fabric of her bodysuit when he struck from a particularly difficult angle. Unfortunately for Vahn, this was an ultimately futile effort as, instead of piercing flesh, the spears passed across Scáthach's skin like a gentle caress without even leaving the shallowest of injuries...

When Vahn performed a low sweeping spin, his body so low that his face nearly touched the ground, Scáthach seemed to have lost her patience with his little stunt. Though he wasn't able to appreciate it until later, a small smile spread across the cold beauty's face as time around them seemed to slow to a crawl. Immediately following this, Scáthach stabbed towards Vahn's chest with the most basic thrust imaginable, something even a novice would be able to perform. As he naturally moved to try and deflect it, however, [Laplace's Key] seemed to 'fail' him as Scáthach's spear continued forward undaunted as his own parry struck empty air. When he viewed the 'memory' latter, Vahn experienced one of the most severe shocks of his life as, every time he looked at the memory, the trajectory of Scáthach's spear would change. The only thing that didn't change was the outcome, resulting in her simple stab entering into his chest before fading into a deep state of unconsciousness...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sending a little lamb into the wolf's den...','Otou-sama...?','What it means to have spearmanship beyond comprehension...')

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Capítulo 1095: Bond

Unlike how he would normally be 'aware' while unconscious, Vahn found himself floating in darkness for what felt like years before he finally began to return to his senses. In a way, Scáthach's final attack was similar to when Musashi had cut him apart back in the Record of Danmachi. It was a strike that was close to the truest representation of 'Spear Laws'. Scáthach had developed her understanding of the Spear to the point that, unless you had a comparable understanding of a similarly tiered Law, there was no way to even understand how you were defeated. Even with his immortal body and three processes, Vahn had experienced a state where, even though he wasn't actually dead, it was almost impossible for him to comprehend still being alive...

Contrary to expectations, Vahn felt something soft against the back of his head and neck as he slowly opened his eyes to see Scáthach staring down at him. She was gently stroking her fingers through his hair, causing a comfortable tingling sensation to spread through Vahn's mind as she gave him a lap pillow with her plump thighs. He immediately recognized the energy from her palm as 'Petting' energy, causing Vahn to released a sigh mixed with comfort and exasperation. It felt like there were no limits to what Scáthach was able to do, even copying one of the abilities he thought unique to himself without any difficulty. Still, it was undeniable that this situation was far more pleasant than he had expected, especially given Scáthach's track record...

As if she had read his mind, Scáthach gently moved her fingers around Vahn's scalp while explaining, "Though your training ended much sooner than expected, it is also true that you caused me to get serious. The way you used your preoccupation with Alaya to set a trap against me was brilliantly executed, even if your use of that ability is horrendous. In the future, we will end your training by having you enter into that state when you are near exhaustion. You should never become reliant on that kind of skill, but I will help you try and master it after you finish your other training..." With that said, Scáthach ran her finger along Vahn's cheek before she rather unceremoniously rose to her feet.

Going from a state of comfort to suddenly bumping the back of his head against the hard ground, Vahn released a groan before rising to his feet shortly thereafter. He knew better than to try and use words to 'complain' as, unless you had an 'actual' point, it seemed like they just went in one ear and out the other. This didn't mean there weren't other ways in which Vahn could 'rebel' against this cold Teacher of his as, after stepping only a few centimeters away from Scáthach, he began tracing his thumb over one of the holes he had made on the fabric of her bodysuit. At the same time, his right hand snaked its way into the fabric of her undergarments before, using a practiced motion, Vahn tore through the fabric in one swift motion. Throughout this entire process, Scáthach just stared back at him with her blank red eyes as, even from Vahn's perspective, he wasn't really thinking about his actions and just 'doing' whatever he felt like doing...

Now that Scáthach no longer had the support of the Greater Grail, her cost efficiency was even worse than before. Though Vahn had given her a 200,000,000OP [Spirit Choker] to help ease the burden, it took an awkward twenty minutes before the glow in her eyes reached an intensity that showed she was 'full'. This made him realize he would need to come up with a more effective means of sustaining her, inadvertently bringing his mind back to Sis' mention of implanting one of his 'cores' into a Servant's body. Since he had three processes, Vahn could easily produce two 'backup' cores to serve as a failsafe if his body was unexpectedly destroyed. With Scáthach being an almost unbeatable existence, it wasn't exactly the worst place to store one of his 'backups'...

Deciding he wasn't in the best state of mind to make such decisions, Vahn lightly pinched Scáthach's right nipple through the fabric of her bodysuit before asking, "How long until our next training session?" This almost immediately let to Scáthach answering, "With this amount of energy, I can sustain myself for around eleven hours if I spend five training Fenrir. So long as you prepare yourself for a more intense training session, you can use the next fifteen hours to recuperate. Since you seem a bit 'restless', make sure to release your tensions so you aren't distracted during our training." Since she wasn't able to completely understand Vahn's 'random' actions, Scáthach made the assumption it was Vahn's instinctual draw towards powerful women that led to his aimless exploration of her body when supplying her with mana...

With her words finished, Scáthach immediately exited the Sub-Space Orb to go and retrieve Fenrir while Vahn, having already intended to do what she had suggested, made his way towards the lakeside residence. There was nothing quite like laying with a woman after hard work and training, especially knowing that the girls essentially expected him to seek them out after the fact. Though they used to watch his training from start to finish, most of the girls would end up leaving when it looked like Vahn was about to fall. They would either go to take care of their own business or wait in their rooms, wondering when he might come knocking on their door. The only exception to this was Artoria and, when she felt like picking him up, Nobunaga. This time, however, Artoria wasn't alone as she sat at the small 'picnic area' near the almost pristine blue lake.

Seeing Artoria and Gray sitting next to each other, even Vahn would feel as if he was strangely unworthy to stand in their combined presence. Their uncanny resemblance, combined with Artoria's 'perfect' mannerisms and Gray's somewhat unapproachable aura made it feel like there was an invisible barrier around the table that he shouldn't enter. This, of course, had no real effect on Vahn's decision, however. Though he didn't delude himself into thinking he could convince both girls to alight with him, just spending a few minutes talking with them would be a refreshing experience. As there was a very real chance they could actually get in the mood during the conversation, Vahn didn't feel it was a waste of time to join them for tea, even in his somewhat high-tension state.

With Artoria rising to greet him, Gray quickly followed suit after flustering slightly at the unexpected interaction. She didn't know why, but she felt 'compelled' to emulate Artoria's behavior as, the longer they talked, the more she genuine aspired to be like her. Though she resented this idea in the past, Artoria seemed like a far more down-to-earth person than she expected, even if it was hard to keep pace with her sudden polite behavior and seemingly immutable bearing. Thus, when Artoria stopped speaking almost mid-sentence to rise up and greet Vahn, she did the same in a rather awkward manner with her hands neatly folded. She was just short of calling Vahn Master, a thought that turned her face scarlet when the word nearly left her mouth...

Feeling that the odds were leaning in his favor, Vahn gestured for the two to sit as he mused, "The two of you seem to be getting along rather well. It is refreshing to see you in such high spirits, Gray. Thank you for treating her well, Artoria..." In response to this, Artoria had a natural smile on her face as she gave a curt nod before saying, "I am proud to have such an outstanding descendent. I had never expected my genealogy to have persisted for more than fourteen hundred years. Though I feel troubled thinking about how this was managed, it still pleases me to interact with one of my own kin in the present..."

Hearing Artoria's words, Vahn couldn't help but perk up his brows as he asked, "Is it so difficult to believe that one of the most legendary historical Kings would have a lineage passed down through the ages?" Though Vahn also wasn't sure how Artoria's genes were passed down, as it was rumored that Queen Guinevere was barren, the fact Merlin had been present in her Era meant it shouldn't have been that difficult for him to find a solution. At the same time, her father, Uther Pendragon, had an extended family line that even the most determined enemies would be hard-pressed to eliminate. He even found a few rather complicated family trees related to Arthur* within the system shop, some of which even included Gray's name in them, a full thirty-seven generations descended...

What Vahn found troublesome was the fact that in most of the lineages he observed, Gray's name was only ever attributed to a mother, never a father. Since he didn't want to pry too much without her first revealing things on her own, Vahn didn't look too deeply into it as he listened to Artoria somewhat awkwardly explain, "Though it is not difficult to imagine that my extended family was able to persist through the generations...I...my own descendant should not have been able to pass on their genes." At this point, Artoria had a conflicted expression on her face but, whilst she may have kept the matter private in the past, this time she mustered up the resolve to explain, "Due to the machinations of fate...I was required to put the one person who could be considered my descendent to death..."

Artoria released a tired sigh before noticing that neither Gray nor Vahn was looking at her with eyes filled with judgment. Instead, Gray seemed to empathize with her while Vahn's eyes immediately softened, his silence encouraging her to continue. Though it was a bit of a mood killer, Vahn's interest in Artoria's past far outweighed his libido. They would be together for upwards of sixty years, at the very least, so it was better to learn things like this early on. If he could, Vahn would help her find closure as it was clear for anyone to see that Artoria had a lot of regrets about her past...

Feeling a close kinship with Gray, and a deepening affection with Vahn, Artoria eventually hardened her heart as she explained, "I will not go into too many details of my struggles to produce an heir to inherit the throne...the only thing that ultimately matters was that I failed in my duty. This didn't stop others from conspiring to seize the throne, however. In my later years, one of my own knights came forward claiming to be my legitimate son, a woman named Mordred. I do not know how she came to be, but she certainly inherited my looks and combat prowess...however, she did not possess the qualities of a King so I was forced to deny her claim as my heir. Later, after I had to deal with a civil uprising, Mordred led a rebellion in order to forcibly seize the throne. This was the same Battle of Camlann where I was supposed to have fallen...struck down by the blade of my former Knight and my only potential descendant..."

If Vahn were being honest, he hadn't quite expected things to have played out in the way that Artoria had described them. There were certainly historical accounts of Mordred and the Battle of Camlann but, much like Artoria's own gender, it was obvious things had been skewed greatly from the truth of the matter. Mordred was described as being a handsome and manly knight who swept through the battlefield with an almost unrivaled amount of skill. Hearing Artoria description of events, it was apparent that, while the rumors of 'his' skills were undoubtedly true, it was far more like that Mordred was a beautiful and petite woman instead of a burly and dominating man...

As if to try and console Artoria, Gray reached out her hand before hesitantly placing it on her shoulder as she explained, "I do not know what it is like to have to fight against your own child...but I understand how family can be a complicated mess...In order to make me more like you, I was treated as some kind of sacred idol that represented your physical rebirth. After that, my village even made several attempts to try and call your spirit into the present world to inhabit my body...killing my own ego and personality in the process. There are several times I should have died...even I do not know how I was able to remain myself...if I am even the same person I was back then..."

With Gray also dropping quite the bombshell, Vahn was beginning to feel as if the air within their 'bubble' was becoming increasingly tense. Since it seemed like the thing to do, he decided it was his turn to open up, releasing a heavy sigh before giving a barebones summary of his past, before his rise to becoming an Emperor. This seemed to catch Alaya's attention as well but, as there wasn't really anything he could do about her, Vahn chose to ignore her. Even if Akasha's superiors tried to 'replicate' the experiment that they might misconstrue as the catalyst to produce another person like him, they were missing the most fundamental ingredient, his blood. He had no doubt they had been analyzing it during his battles with Scáthach but, no matter how they endeavored to try and crack its secrets, it was simply beyond the means of a Tier 5 entity.

Hearing Vahn recount his past, both Artoria and Gray were stunned into silence as, no matter how they looked at him, Vahn didn't seem like someone who had undergone such a terrible experience. At the same time, however, they could tell he wasn't trying to deceive them as it would have taken an almost impossible level of acting to fool their intuition. The realization that he was telling the truth shook both girls to the core as, even though their pasts were also filled with tragedy, it was also true that Artoria's path had been cleared for her since birth. Even Gray, after being identified as Artoria's second coming, spent much of her life essentially being worshipped by her entire village. Though their attempts to implant Artoria's soul into her body had left her with deep and permanant mental scars, she couldn't even imagine being crippled and imprisoned as people harvested her blood for fourteen years straight...

Seeing that his story had been a little 'too effective' on Artoria and Gray, Vahn managed a wry smile before quickly regaining his confidence as he explained, "So long as there is life, there is the chance to make a better future for yourself and others. It is just like I told you during our first time together, Artoria...I am constantly moving forward. I'm not just looking for my own happiness either, but the happiness of everyone around me. I believe, if you really made the effort, you could even reconcile with Modred. She might not have had the qualities of a King, but that doesn't mean the two of you couldn't be parent and child here in the present. Instead of living with your regrets, you should look towards the infinite possibilities the future holds...there are no limits to any path, so long as you pick yourself back up each time you stumble..."

With Vahn suddenly mentioning their first time, Artoria's face became somewhat humorous as she awkwardly smiled, even as her brows were furrowed slightly. The red hue on her face, however, was the only evidence required to understand she was feeling bashful. This was noticed by Gray who, before seeing Artoria's reaction, hadn't really connected the dots before now. Realizing that Vahn and Artoria had already had sex, she felt her heart begin to beat rapidly as a variety of tumultuous emotions intermingled within her mind. She could 'easily' imagine Vahn and Artoria together but, instead of a woman with blond hair and green eyes, the version her mind defaulted to had gray hair and blue eyes...

As if to hide her embarrassment, Artoria released a few coughs before straightening her back and asking, "Do you really think I can make amends so easily...?" In response to this, Vahn immediately shook his head before correcting, "It isn't supposed to be easy. At times, it might even be the hardest thing in the world to accomplish...however, if you manage to persist until the end, I can assure you there is are few things that could rival the sense of fulfillment that accompanies such success. The only thing I can imagine that outright beats it is watching your child take their first breath..."

Seeing the deep affection within Vahn's eyes, Artoria couldn't help but return a smile of her own while, at her side, Gray looked like her mind had stopped working. She had been willfully ignoring the awkwardness that was present during breakfast, where she watched Rin and Vahn behave rather lovey-dovey while treating Sakura as their daughter. Hearing him now mention 'other' children made her mental faculties slow to a crawl, causing her to somewhat awkwardly ask, "Vahn, exactly how old are you...?" Though she almost asked how many children he had, Gray felt like she actually didn't want to know the answer. She now recalled that Vahn's 'goal' was to return to his family, something she had overlooked as her emotions continued to build over the past few days...

In response to Gray's sudden question, Vahn cast his eyes across his own status, his brows rising slightly as he answered, "I actually just turned 156 today. If you hadn't asked, I may not have even realized it..." Though Vahn said these words aloud, Sis was aware they were directed toward her and not the two girls he was talking to. Since Vahn had a lot of other things going on, she had decided against telling him it was his birthday. It would only complicate matters even further as, from past observations, things always got chaotic whenever Vahn told the people around him that it was his birthday...

For entirely different reasons, Artoria and Gray were both surprised by Vahn's admission that it was his birthday. Artoria recovered much faster, a radiant smile on her face as she sincerely stated, "Happy Birthday, Master. We should inform the others and celebrate the event properly." As for Gray, she was experiencing a bit of inner turmoil as Vahn was actually much older than she expected. Though it wasn't impossible for some people to even live for thousands of years, the Director of the Clock Tower being a good example, she had thought he was closer in age to her. He didn't act like one of the old monsters that spared no expense when it came to preserving their youth through the ages, once again reminding her that Vahn claimed to be a 'Pseudo-Divine Spirit'...

With how awkward Gray was acting, Vahn gestured for Artoria to calm down as he softly asked, "Are you okay, Gray...?" This caused her shoulders to slump a bit before she began taking several deep breaths to work up her resolve. Then, even more spontaneous than her previous actions, Gray made a strange expression as she quickly asked, "Do you like me...?" Figuring she could figure out other things later on, Gray wanted to clarify whether or not Vahn even liked her. She had felt that his actions indicated he had some affection towards her but, after seeing how he acted with Rin, combined with the revelation that he had slept with Artoria, she was no longer sure. Knowing that she was actually wearing panties she thought he might like, Gray was beginning to feel nervous as sitting down suddenly became uncomfortable...

Though he was a little surprised at Gray's spontaneity, Vahn didn't overthink things too much as he nodded his head before confidently saying, "Of course. Though I thought we could be friends at first, I won't deny that I've developed tender feelings for you over the last few days. When I heard about you getting injured, I had been-." Instead of letting him continue any further, Gray began to quickly shake her head as she exclaimed, "No, you don't have to go into details...!" She felt Vahn might even mention the treatment he had given her body, a memory that often plagued her mind when she was trying to relax. Since she already had an answer to the most important question, Gray's heart felt like it was going to explode as she quickly added, "I...I like you too...!" with a red face.

The moment Gray made her confession, she actually turned her eyes towards Artoria to see how she would react. When she saw the latter was relatively calm, even though she still had a light blush from earlier, Gray felt strangely relieved as she slumped even further in her seat. It was only now that she looked back at Vahn, seeing him smiling back at her with what she could only construe as a teasing smile and visible amusement in his eyes. This was already enough to make her feel giddy but, when Vahn suddenly said, "This is quite the birthday present...to think a beautiful girl would confess to me so suddenly...", Gray felt like her head was going to overheat. Even Artoria's face developed a deeper blush as, though his words weren't directed toward her, the fact that she and Gray shared an almost identical appearance meant he thought she was beautiful as well. Though he had actually said these words directly to her before, Artoria felt strangely embarrassed to hear him call someone identical to her beautiful...

While Vahn was enjoying the reactions of the two unique beauties, his mood was immediately killed when Alaya suddenly asked, "Is this the kind of appearance you prefer?" Then, without waiting for a response, Alaya's form instantly changed into a version of Artoria and Gray with peculiarly fair blue skin, neat white hair, and the same purple eyes. Though this confirmed she could freely change her form, the fact he now had a nearly naked and infinitely more exotic version of the two girls hovering next to him caused Vahn to release a tired sigh. As for Artoria and Gray, the former had a troubled look on her face as she stared silently at Alaya while the latter was simply confused about how the tensions had shifted so suddenly. She felt like she had done something wrong, at least until Vahn returned a gentle smile toward her before blowing Gray's mind as he expressed his trust toward her by revealing the existence of Alaya at his side...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gentle Scáthach is surprisingly nice...?','*insert 'my pain is far greater than yours' gif here*','RIP Gray, it is already too late to escape now...')

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

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