This time, unlike all the previous times in recent memory, Eva didn't immediately pin him down to 'celebrate' their reunion. When Vahn opened his eyes, he saw Eva and Terra waiting with serious expressions on their faces as Eva explained, "Vahn, it's time...the stability of the orb is already starting to deteriorate and I want to make sure you have enough time to undergo the trial before things break down completely. Make sure to collect all the physical materials you intend to take back with you or they will get destroyed once the space collapses..." Though she wanted to spend more time with Vahn, Eva knew the orb was never intended to last this long and it was getting far too dangerous trying to maintain it any longer. Before something unexpected happened, she wanted to ensure Vahn was able to learn the [Magia Erebea]. Though it was a bit sad that they would be parting for a while, Eva was also somewhat looking forward to it since the next time she woke up, she could be with Vahn indefinitely...
Vahn nodded his head but still blinked forward with [Shundo], taking Eva into his arms and hugging the girl tightly in as loving an embrace as he could manage. Feeling her tremble slightly, Vahn said, "Eva, thank you for everything you've done for us...I promise I won't make you wait too long." Eva wrapped her small arms around Vahn's waist, pressing her head into his chest as she mumbled, "Vahn...I thought I might end up alone for all eternity, so I don't mind waiting for a short while...just promise me that we'll get to spend some quality time together in the future, just the two of us." Since Eva could make isolated dimensions where time was distorted greatly, she wanted to at least have a few years alone with Vahn before she got wrapped up in his other 'affairs'.
As they had discussed, in great detail, how to make spatial artifacts and isolated dimensions, Vahn understood what Eva had in mind. He didn't tell her that they would likely be able to spend a few years together when he visits her world in the future and just made what he believed to be an easy promise. A few years in the stream of eternity wasn't a long period of time, especially if they were in an isolated dimension, so Vahn didn't mind pampering the lovable vampire a bit. He expected she would want to have the opportunity to mature and break away from the passage of time in her own world, potentially even starting a family and living a 'normal' and peaceful lifestyle for a while.
Vahn hadn't had enough time to learn how to make various different orbs from Eva, but Terra had studied them in detail since she also had an affinity with space magic after taking an interest in it. Her [Void Transference] had reached the pinnacle and she could teleport vast distances in an instant. Much like Eva, she could also create pockets of folded space within the void to conceal her presence and 'hibernate' away from the influence of the rest of the world for periods of time. Though they couldn't create one within the orb itself, as spatial laws restricted 'compounded' time and space even further, she would be able to create them after returning to the real world. This was one of the things Vahn had the most interest in, as it would allow the girls to train their own magic much faster, give them more time to spend together, and even 'exploit' certain things like growing herbs and such...
All of that would have to wait for later, however, as there were far more important things on his plate as he accompanied Eva in silence for twenty minutes as they overlooked the small world that had come into existence. Previously, the space within the orb had been an endless white plane with pure darkness above, creating a very eerie and 'lonely' atmosphere. Now, there was a rather large castle that was at the center of a world that had been split between a verdant forest and an icy tundra. Overhead, there was a rainbow-like light that Eva said was similar to a geomagnetic phenomenon that could be observed in her world. Instead of an endless black sky, there were small lights that looked like stars, a product of the tweaks Eva had made to the orb to make it more visually appealing.
Eva had been sitting in his lap, hugging his body closely for a while before releasing a sigh and saying, "Okay, it's about time for us to start. We need to make sure there is plenty of time for you to undergo the trial and seal my memory fragment away before the space breaks down. Vahn, you're going to have to face the darkness in your heart so make sure you are prepared. I can't tell you what you'll see, just know that I'm...'we're' here waiting for you to return. Don't let the darkness consume you..." Though Vahn had already told her things would be okay, Eva couldn't help but worry since the [Magia Erebea] could corrupt and kill most people that try to learn it. Even though Vahn was an 'exception' to the rule, that was simply something they had postulated and there was never a 'guarantee' things would work out the way they expected.
Before she gave him the scroll, Eva once again explained all potential negatives of learning [Magia Erebea], including the fact that it could corrupt the soul if the user harbors any negative emotions. The reason why Eva had become so cold and detached in the past was a natural response to resisting what she called the 'Encroachment of Erebea'. In order to prevent losing your mind, you had to embrace the darkness willingly and always keep your sense of self, essentially putting your pride and personal identity over your emotions and feelings. Of course, you wouldn't have any real problems if you didn't use the [Magia Erebea], but overusing it would increase the rate of corruption, eventually causing a person's soul to become the embodiment of darkness and destruction.
Vahn had a small smile on his face as he listened to Eva's lecture for what felt like the twentieth time. He knew his soul wasn't something that the [Magia Erebea] would truly be able to influence and there was no way it would be able to overwhelm his [Will of the Emperor] either. Though there was some danger, that was only if Vahn 'willingly' allowed himself to fall into the darkness, which was something he would never allow. He had already seen what kind of person he became after being unable to accept loss so Vahn had absolute confidence he would be able to rise above it this time around.
Seeing that Vahn wasn't worried at all, Eva furrowed her brows a little before releasing another sigh as she pulled out an ancient looking scroll bound by a red wax seal. She hesitated for a short moment before eventually handing over the scroll, saying in a serious tone, "Vahn, I believe in you..." before backing away and standing next to Terra. There was a good chance Vahn would go berserk during the trial and, even though he wouldn't be able to really threaten her, there was a chance he might be able to injure Terra. The absolute worst case scenario was him using his golden chains or that [Chainbreaker] ability to destabilize the space, but that was unlikely to happen since using such skills required 'intent' from the user to function. If Vahn lost his mind, he would more than likely just attack them with pure magic power and physical attacks instead of using more complex skills and abilities...
Vahn marveled at how such a 'plain' looking scroll could contain so much power, tracing his finger along Eva's name, which ran the length of the scroll. Then, without any hesitation whatsoever, Vahn broke the wax seal and opened the scroll, causing it to immediately break free from his hands as a second Eva came into existence. Unlike 'his' Eva, who was currently wearing a cute blue dress, this Eva was wearing the same black gothic clothing that Eva used to wear. It was almost sad to see but Vahn didn't have time to think about it as she turned her icy gaze to him and asked, "What is darkness?" At the very next instant, Vahn felt himself sinking into an endless black abyss as the question echoed in his mind...
Not knowing how much time passed, Vahn felt an aching feeling in his body accompanied by an overwhelming sense of 'powerlessness'. It wasn't until a bright light shone on his face that Vahn finally opened his eyes, momentarily blinded by unnervingly familiar circular lights. For a brief moment, Vahn tried to move his arms to block the light but found only a phantom sensation in their place and an ache he hadn't experienced in a very long time. His body began to tremble instinctively as a 'sucking' sensation appeared near his hip and he craned his head to see a pale and emaciated body, his body, affixed to various machines and tubes.
Once again, Vahn found himself without limbs, strapped to a table without any means of escape as the band around his neck slowly loosened. Since sedatives didn't really work on him, Vahn was always forced into unconsciousness by having his oxygen restricted during intense operations. Even though most people would have gotten severe brain damage from being oxygen deprived for so long, Vahn's own blood prevented his cells from breaking down so the scientists had quickly gotten over any concerns they had about his safety as it became common practice to deprive his brain of oxygen to force him to pass out...
Though part of him was 'screaming' that this wasn't real, there was a larger part of Vahn's mind that was telling him that everything he had experienced before had been a dream. There was an almost overwhelming sense of depression that was attacking his mind, compounded by the words that sounded out from his right, "Oh? Welcome back, Vahn. Tell me, did you have any dreams this time?" Vahn looked over to see the false smile on Dr. Keenly's face as she held her clipboard, prepared to take notes as she continued her psychoanalysis of him. Contrary to her expectations, however, Vahn just began to laugh as he rested his head against the table and relaxed.
Dr. Keenly raised her brows, staring over the rim of her glasses as she said, "Vahn, I expect you to answer my questions clearly. You won't be able to enjoy those Manga of your's if you don't behave..." This was a common threat that Dr. Keenly used to use against him, but Vahn didn't mind it at all since, while everything around him was very familiar, the chill within his mind as a result of his [Will of the Emperor] allowed him to know this wasn't real.
Eva had cautioned him that he would see what he believed to be 'darkness' so it wasn't surprising to find himself in a powerless situation, surrounded by the people that he believed to be the true embodiment of darkness, or 'evil'. All of the things he was currently feeling, though they seemed very real, had no actual effect on his body and mind unless he allowed them to. Even death wouldn't be permanant so Vahn felt no need to humor the illusory Psychologist who seemed to become increasingly annoyed with his behavior.
Tapping her pen against her clipboard for a few seconds, Dr. Keenly wrote down a few notes as she mused, "Very well, Vahn. I had actually managed to find a movie related to that 'Naruto' that you're so fond of. If you had been more cooperative, I had intended to let you watch it later...it's a shame, really." As she spoke, Dr. Keenly watched for any changes in Vahn's behavior, looking for any sign that he was remorseful since it gave her more leverage in their future discussions. It was her job to give him a basic education and keep him 'happy' so it was always better to give him small rewards when he 'rebounded'. He had just come out of a very serious surgery, so Dr. Keenly just assumed he was in one of his 'down' periods and would bounce back when he realized what was at stake.
Vahn found it somewhat amusing that part of his mind was panicking in response to Dr. Keenly's words. It was almost like he wanted to shout out and accede to her, begging to be allowed to watch that movie since he rarely got to see videos of the characters he liked. He was actually somewhat tempted to see if this 'Phantasmagoria' could recreate the entire movie, even though it was supposed to be a world created for his suffering. If he gave in, Vahn expected Dr. Keenly would leverage having him agree to some other horrible experiment that would likely cause him immense pain before he was allowed to actually view it.
Seeing Vahn smiling as he reclined against the table, Dr. Keenly felt very unnerved because he had never acted like this in the past. It seemed like he was strangely 'content', almost like he didn't care about anything that was going on around him, even the things that previously interested him. She suspected he was going through a unique phase of depression and made a few notes as she asked, "How are you feeling right now, Vahn? You don't have to describe it in great detail, just a few words will suffice...did the surgery cause you any pain or discomfort?"
Hearing her questions, Vahn just chuckled in response, saying, "Don't worry, Dr. Keenly, I'm perfectly fine. Though this place probably haunts my dreams till this day, I've already put this world behind me entirely. The only connection I have to this place is my mother, so feel free to do whatever you want to try and sway me. I wonder what it's like to experience my 'darkness' while knowing it has no effect on me..." As he spoke, Vahn moved his phantom limbs, curious about the sensations present even though he was currently a quadruple amputee. The pain wasn't actually as bad as he remembered, a shadow of some of the things he had experienced after transmigrating...
Dr. Keenly frowned in response to Vahn's words, making several notes on her clipboard before circling the word depression a few times. Deciding he probably needed to be 'shaken' to bring him back to reality, Dr. Keenly asked, "Professor Keith wanted to try a new experimental procedure and he would like your cooperation. He wants to see how your blood reacts to chemotherapy so we can get a better understanding of how cells fight off the effects. It will help many cancer patients that don't have the opportunity to access your blood directly so I would appreciate it if you consider his request..."
Vahn just listened to the phantom doctor's words in silence, doing his best to contemplate what 'darkness' meant and trying to embrace it. He knew 'fighting' it wasn't the correct answer so decided to just go with the flow and try his best to understand everything that was happening. He had a very different perspective compared to the past and might even be able to glean a few insights into his own blood by the tests they try to perform on him. Though they were arrogant, cruel, and indescribably foolish, they were still scientists and doctors that had been researching his body for years. Even if there was only a small chance they might make a discovery, Vahn gave them the benefit of the doubt and just accepted his current situation as he focused his mind and meditated.
Seeing Vahn giving her the 'silent treatment', Dr. Keenly frowned before saying, "I will take your silence as consent on this matter since your relaxed state makes it appear as if you don't mind..." Vahn just smiled slightly in response this time, causing Dr. Keenly's frown to deepen further as she gestured to the observation room where a fat, bearded, Doctor was waiting with his team. His jowls shook as the man started laughing in excitement before leading his team to the operation room. Moments later, a few attendings came into Vahn's room and moved him to a gurney before wheeling him away for another round of experiments. All the while this was happening, Vahn just laid back, completely relaxed as a small and unnerving smile remained on his face...
For what felt like several years, Vahn passively allowed the scientists to conduct their experiments on him, aware of everything that was happening but expressing no real interest in what they were doing. He got to see all the familiar faces of the people he hated in the past, faces still fresh within his mind but decidedly insignificant after the other things he had experienced. Since he had met actual gods and goddesses, it felt like all of these people, proud scientists and considered themselves at the top of their fields, were just children playing around. Every time one of their hypothesis failed, Vahn just shook his head, pitying them for their severe lack of understanding.
Eventually, it got to the point where Vahn existed as nothing more than a torso and a head, floating in a vat of green liquid with a breathing apparatus feeding directly into his lungs. He didn't really know how many experiments had been performed on him and it didn't really seem to matter since he had gleaned more insights into his blood in a single afternoon back in his workshop than this team of scientists had in 'years' of concerted efforts. It was almost pitiable that they had willingly become something so terrible and objectively evil without ever having anything to show for it whatsoever. Other than monetizing his blood for their own personal gain, they weren't able to do anything of note and instead become progressively bolder in their experiments since he never showed any care or concern for what they were doing. Dr. Keenly had long since disappeared from the staff and he never got to see that movie, the one thing he sort of regretted.
Toward the end of everything, the phantom of Eva appeared in front of his stasis tank as she once again asked, "What is darkness...?" in an icy tone. Vahn, though seemingly unable to speak through his apparatus, lifted his head and smiled. As if the apparatus did absolutely nothing to prevent his words for resounding through the illusory world, Vahn said, "Darkness...is irrelevant. Though it exists as a concept that is clearly defined by laws, it has no influence on the world unless people willingly give in to it. Accepting the darkness means accepting reality, moving on without giving in to the negative emotions that come as a result of misguided individuals in their own pursuit of truth.."
Vahn raised his phantom arm, shattering the stasis capsule around him as various alarms went off around in the lab. The phantom Eva just stood there and watched as he atrophied body walked forward on legs that didn't exist as hands that had long been discarded pulled away at the mask affixed to his face. Seeing this, the phantom Eva smiled before making a sword of pure darkness in her hand, saying, "If you think darkness is something so inconsequential, then you'll surely be able to take this blade." Though he didn't have any teeth, Vahn smiled in response to Eva's taunt and just walked towards her without making any efforts to resist whatsoever.
The phantom Eva showed a cruel smile as she lunged forward and stabbed him through the heart, causing an intense amount of pain to seize his body. Vahn, however, just continued forward and wrapped his non-existent arms around the phantom Eva, saying, "The darkness is just a part of everything else...I'll accept it all, even the burdens in your heart." In response to his words, the magical energy in the phantom Eva's hand became more powerful as it ripped apart what little remained of his physical form. Vahn, however, continued to hold her tightly even as she struggled to try and free herself, shouting, "You fool! You'll never understand true darkness! Even if you say you can accept it, you're just denying its existence as something inconsequential! You'll never be able to use my [Magia Erebea] like this!"
Vahn chuckled, marring the phantom Eva's beautiful face with his blood as he spoke through gargled words, "It is no longer just 'your' [Magia Erebea], Eva...it is a burden we'll share together." As he spoke, a complex ward appeared around Vahn's back that looked like a six-pointed star with an eye at the center, surrounded by a complex magical formula that absorbed the blade in the phantom Eva's hand. Her eyes widened in response as she said, "Impossible...you shouldn't be able to absorb energy from other people. [Magia Erebea] is a magic that uses your own offensive magic power as a catalyst, fusing it with your soul to grant you immense power...you can't take the energy from other people like this..."
The phantom Eva had an incredulous expression on her face, feeling terrified by the anomalous existence that was holding her firmly in his embrace. Worst of all was the fact that, though she wanted to break free from his non-existent arms, a part of her 'compelled' her to stay. There was a warmth coming from his body that was difficult to resist, almost like a hearth in the middle of winter. Even as his skin darkened into an onyx-black color, with light purple tattoos covering his entire body, the phantom Eva felt very secure in his embrace and eventually gave up resisting entirely. She didn't understand what was happening at all since, unlike the memory fragment Vahn had interacted with previously, this phantom Eva knew nothing about him other than what she had seen in his memories of the Phantasmagoria...
Vahn had no regrown all of his limbs as the phenomenal magic power of the phantom Eva's attack resonated with his body. He felt more powerful than ever before but it didn't really matter at the moment since he had a disconsolate little vampire in his embrace. Tilting up her pouting face, affixed with an incredulous expression and a look of blame, Vahn smiled and said, "One day, I will prove to you that I'm capable of bearing the burden that weighs you down, Eva. I promise you will be free from this 'curse' that has plagued you for so long..." Though she was about to refute him, the phantom Eva's eyes widened like saucers as Vahn leaned down and sealed her lips. It was very frustrating for her since, even though she was clearly much stronger than he was, it didn't seem to matter as her body rapidly melted in his warm embrace...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Impending Separation','Phantasmogoria','Phantom Eva never stood a chance (UwU)')
(A/N: Some people may be a little confused about how 'easily' Vahn was able to accept everything that was happening. This is about 95% the influence of [Will of the Emperor], which was active the entire time the Phantasmogoria was taking place. Remember that it forces him to be very rational and he also had the [Mantra of Eternity] to focus on instead of bothering over the pain caused by the illusion itself.)
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Vahn continued to hold the phantom Eva until the Phantasmagoria completely faded away, leaving him standing in the midst of a destroyed landscape with Terra and Eva observing him. They both had happy smiled on their faces as Eva blinked next to him, lifting his arms to observe the patterns that had appeared. Vahn saw a purple tattoo-like design had appeared on his arms, creating a complex pattern that seemed to be embedded in his very existence. Eva's smile grew even bigger as she said, "This is the sign that you have been able to learn my [Magia Erebea] successfully. Congratulations, Vahn..." Though she was congratulated him, Eva's eyes began to tear up so, much like he had her phantom, Vahn embraced 'his' Eva and comforted her for a few minutes.
It was a very strange feeling, but Vahn felt as light as a feather now, almost like he had lost a heavy burden after experiencing the Phantasmagoria. Though it might have been a byproduct of learning [Magia Erebea], Vahn felt that it was his decision to embrace reality and move on that was the cause. Previously, his past had haunted him and seemed like such a 'significant' moment in his life...now, it seemed almost pointless to have put so much value in those events. Though they had led him to this moment, Vahn knew that their significance depending entirely on how much value he placed in the memories. He didn't throw them away, but the Phantasmagoria allowed him to 'accept' the reality and continue forward, removing their value without repressing the memory.
After Eva calmed down, she wiped the tears from her eyes before looking up and saying, "We don't have much time, Vahn. You were inside for more than fifty hours and, as you can see, you were a bit busy during that time..." Vahn looked around, noticing the sheer amount of devastation that surrounded him. Much like they had expected, he lost his mind in the real world and wrought a great deal of destruction as a result. Since binding him down was too dangerous, as it might cause him to activate his [Chainbreaker], Terra and Eva just defended against his attacks and let him 'vent'. After all, this space would be destroyed soon and it would speed up the process of his Phantasmagoria if he wasn't prevented from using his power.
Vahn felt a little guilty about the destruction, holding Eva tight enough to lift her feet off the ground as he said, "Next time, let's build a paradise all our own..." Afterward, Vahn spent a fair amount of time 'apologizing' to the two girls for his behavior before Eva once again reminded him about the lack of time. Since he didn't want to force them to wait an additional four years just to be separated immediately after their reunion, Vahn had to get over his own inhibitions and go through with the process.
Now that he had learned [Magia Erebea], Eva herself had begun to destabilize and there was no guarantee she would last for another four years before she broke down and dissipated. Thus, with a heavy heart, Vahn followed his instincts and used [Enkidu] to create a sphere around Eva's body. He knew it was going to put a heavy burden on his soul, but Vahn still used the sealing effect of [Enkidu], targetting Eva's memory fragment and pulling it into his soul, a surprisingly painful process. Though she wasn't real, she was still the memory fragment of a Tier 5 entity and Vahn was currently just Tier 3. If Eva had resisted at all, Vahn felt like he would have taken a great deal of damage to his soul in the process of trying to seal her away.
Terra stepped forward, catching her Master as he fell forward, breathing heavily as he clutched at his chest with a pained expression on his face. Fortunately, his expression also carried a smile as he leaned into her chest and muttered, "It was successful..." As if it had been listening in, the space around them began to fracture at the same time, quickly destabilizing without Eva's existence to maintain its structure. Though he had been focused on the small girl curled up into a fetal position within his soul, Vahn snapped back to reality and said, "We need to go, Terra.", earning a nod before she broke down, leaving behind a resplendent emerald-green crystal filled with a rainbow light in the center.
Vahn grabbed Terra's core, stowing it away safely within his Inventory as he took one last look at the world around him, watching as the unstable space wrought even greater destruction on a place that had been instrumental in his own development. Though it would take some time, Vahn swore he would make a paradise much like this in the future, staying with Eva for a long time to make up for the many years she had patiently waited for him. She had only been a memory fragment, but Vahn felt she had become something 'more' as time passed, perhaps as a result of drawing his blood so often. Unfortunately, it would have to wait until he reached Eva's record before he was able to verify his conjecture...
Releasing a long and heavy sigh, Vahn stopped resisting against the tugging force and his body quickly began to turn into dust. He was suddenly seized by a powerful melancholy, but Vahn bore it much like the weight of his own past, accepting it was part of life and keeping it close, nurturing the smaller feelings of warmth contained within the emotion. There was nothing that could be done to 'deal' with sadness, as it was a very important part of life that 'needed' to be experienced. However, behind those painful emotions, there was the love he felt for Eva which, when focused on, seemed to overwhelm the sadness in an instant, causing a small smile to appear on Vahn's face as he disappeared from the orb for the last time...
Opening his eyes back in the real world, Vahn found several pairs of eyes looking at him in concern, the closest belonging to his ever-faithful companion, Fenrir. Vahn sat up, letting the tears from his eyes flow freely as he smiled to the girls, explaining, "Don't worry, I'm okay now. I learned something very important this time around..." Placing his hand over his chest, Vahn focused his mind and saw the curled up Eva, resting peacefully at the center of his soul with her long blond hair floating about in slow motion, creating a mesmerizing sight as if she was floating in water. Knowing that his own soul was one of the safest places in all records, Vahn felt a great deal of relief seeing her sleeping securely within.
Vahn spent the better part of an hour explaining the details of what he had experienced, including some parts about the Phantasmagoria that earned him a few consoling tears from the girls. This ended up causing Vahn to comfort them for a few minutes, assuring them that everything was okay and that he had learned to live with his past instead of trying to escape it. It had been an important part of his life and, though it seemed inconsequential now, it was the memories of such tragedy that gave him the motivation and dedication to helping others avoid such travesties. He didn't have to live, defined by those memories, but by the decisions he wished to make from this point forward...
The fastest to bounce back after their conversation ended up being Tiona, who curiously asked, "So, now that you learned that [Magia Erebea] thing, aren't you like super strong now~?" This question caused the eyes of several girls to glimmer, including Fenrir who had been sitting in his lap, freely allowing her Master to hold her and find comfort. Vahn smiled in response, nodding his head as he explained, "Though it certainly makes me much stronger, the more important component is that I'm now functionally immortal...here, don't panic and just watch." To demonstrated his meaning, Vahn pulled out a sword and, in front of the shocked eyes of the girls, cut off his own arm. However, before the limb could even fall to the ground, it was almost like time had reversed and it 'snapped' back into position without a single sign of injury remaining.
For several seconds, there was absolute silence in the room until Tione remarked, "Well, that is a very convenient ability..." Her remark caused even more silence until Vahn began laughing, easing the tensions of the room as the others joined in moments later. He then explained both the benefits and the negatives for them so that girls like Ais wouldn't pester him about trying to learn the ability for themselves. This was also the moment he began talking about other forms of immortality, testing the waters to see which girls might be interested in developing their soul to the point where aging and death became 'optional'.
Other than Mikoto, all the other girls actually didn't seem to mind the idea of living forever, though Tiona and Tione had complained that it would make fighting less interesting. Vahn explained that being immortal didn't mean they 'absolutely' couldn't be killed, just that it was far more difficult. As for Haruhime and, surprisingly, Lefiya, they simply wanted to stay at his side for as long as possible. Vahn felt a little strange seeing the two pairs of fervent eyes looking toward him, but he still returned a happy smile in response. As for Ais, she didn't really seem to mind trying to become immortal since it would only be as a result of her own efforts, something that made her eyes glow with a fiery light. She was the type that always pursued greater heights in her own power, though the reason behind her actions had been subtly changing over time.
Having the 'option' of attaining immortality just by becoming stronger seemed to make Ais feel somewhat competitive as she muttered, "I will be the first to reach immortality..." while eying the other girls. Unfortunately, she rested her eyes on Fenrir for a brief moment, causing the small Vanargandr to raise her head in a haughty manner, reminiscent of Eva, as she said, "Hmmm? But Fenrir is already immortal though~?" Ais' eyes widened and it looked like she had suffered a bit of a mental impact until Vahn clarified that all of his named subordinates were functionally immortal unless they were killed. This made Ais release a small sigh of relief as she eyed the other girls, this time passing over Fenrir without making eye contact. Tiona and Tione seemed to get fired up at this while Mikoto just hung her head in silent contemplation for a while...
Mikoto never thought about living forever and she actually considered aging to be a 'noble' thing, as it made room for the generations to follow. Being able to become immortal through her own efforts, however, seemed like something she 'should' pursue as it would otherwise tarnish her own resolve. Knowing there was a higher realm to obtain, but never even trying to reach it, made Mikoto feel like she would have 'failed' in her pursuit toward reaching the peak. She felt very conflicted but relaxed a bit when Vahn explained that it would take years to even get close to that point, meaning she had plenty of time to think over the matter. In fact, she had her entire life to think about it, along with other things, so there was no need to feel pressured by the prospects of immortality at all. Realizing this, Mikoto calmed down a great deal, releasing a relieved sigh as she found herself toying with the idea of spending several thousand years at Vahn's side...
Since they had been inside their room for much longer than normal, Vahn eventually ushered everyone out to go eat breakfast. He had also explained briefly about Terra and that he would be 'attempting' to summon her after they got some food in their stomachs. Though Vahn didn't really benefit from eating anymore, as [Magia Erebea] essentially created a 'base copy' of physical state, Vahn still had the habit of eating so he joined them. Asfi had already been sitting out on her own, giving them a curious look when they finally came out of the room. Seeing Asfi, Vahn felt like teasing her a bit so he sat across from the cool beauty while Haruhime and Tiona sat at her flanks.
Once everyone had sat down and started eating, Vahn casually said, "I didn't mention this earlier, but Terra actually managed to break through the peak of Level 10. Make sure you don't get on her bad side in the future or she might send you flying before you realize what happened..." Vahn had been tempted to keep Terra's existence a secret, as she would be a powerful trump card for the Hestia Familia in the future. However, it seemed better to use her as a deterrent and Vahn wanted to see if Asfi would actually keep the information a secret instead of spreading it. He suspected the Hermes would probably take 'several' steps back in any plans he might have had when he learned of Terra's existence.
As expected, Asfi's reaction had been 'priceless', as she nearly spat out the tea she had been sipping on, entering a coughing fit as Haruhime rubbed circles on her back. Vahn smiled, showing a bit of an apologetic expression in his eyes as he explained, "I'll be calling her out after breakfast for anyone that wants to see her newfound strength. Ais, you can even try using your [Ariel] if she is feeling up to the challenge. Since Terra is a True Dragon, she could become an important sparring partner for you in the future...just make sure she is consenting and you both have your emergency item with you." The 'flames' in Ais' eyes were burning even brighter at this point since fighting Terra would give her a better idea of how she would fare against the One-Eyed Black Dragon in the future.
After getting all the tea out of her esophagus, Asfi collected herself and gave Vahn a serious look as she asked, "Did Terra really reach Level 10...?" The information they had collected on Vahn's dragons put Fafnir at an 'assumed' Level 7 while Terra had been a 'verified' Level 4. It hadn't been that long since her existence was made known at the Denatus so, unless the gods of the Alliance had lied about her Level, this meant Terra had grown exponentially in the last few months. There had never been a single Level 10 reported in all of Orario's history, so it was difficult to even imagine how strong such an entity would be.
Vahn just smiled in response, stating plainly, "I won't go into too many details, but Terra had been undergoing special training for a while. She is easily the strongest existence within the Alliance, potentially even the entire continent. Don't worry though, Asfi, as she is gentle by nature and won't go out of her way to attack other people...as long as they don't invade her territory and try to harm the people under her protection." At the end of his words, Vahn sent Asfi a wink before returning to his own breakfast. She sat there for several minutes, seemingly having lost her appetite as she sat in silence unless answering one of Haruhime's questions...
Once breakfast had come to an end, Vahn exited the encampment alongside Fenrir, Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, Mikoto, and Asfi. He let Finn know that there might be a bit of a commotion and that it wouldn't be something the Expedition party needed concern themselves with. Summoning an existence like Terra while inside the Dungeon was 'theoretically' very dangerous since there was no way of knowing how the Dungeon would respond. Since they were in one of the 'safe zones', Vahn suspected it wouldn't be that much of a problem and, even if the Dungeon tried to get rid of her, it wasn't likely to be successful. In a defensive fight, Terra was probably unbeatable, even more so once she returned to her own dominion, so Vahn wasn't really that worried. Besides, it would be a good opportunity for him to try out his [Magia Erebea] in combat so he kind of 'wanted' something to happen...
It took nearly two hours, surprising Vahn and everyone else present, but he eventually managed to summon Terra. This gave her a comparable magic power bordering on 2300% of Vahn's own reserves, meaning she was more than a 'little' stronger than everyone else. She may very well be the strongest entity within the mortal world at this point, though there were certainly some enemies that would be able to threaten her deeper in the Dungeon. After all, though Terra didn't seem to exist within the Divination, Vahn had been able to learn [Magia Erbea]. He would have definitely taught the other girls magic, especially after having lost some of them, yet they had never been able to breach the 73rd Floor.
When Terra took form, it caused a large distortion in the ambient elemental energies in the air, almost like the non-natural energies were being pushed away while all the natural elemental energies converged towards her. Vahn even felt his own body being pushed away, even though his [Magia Erebea] didn't have the power to corrupt his soul. Since his cells were saturated with the energy contained within the spell, however, it did give her some influence over him with her presence, at least before she stabilized. As for everyone else present, they were forced to their knees, with the exception of Fenrir...
Terra laughed, covering her mouth as she said, "Ara, my apologies...it's been so long since I've seen everyone so I didn't expect my aura to be so...impactful~." Once her form had stabilized, Terra reigned in her aura since it had actually caused Mikoto, who had an affinity with darkness and gravity, to begin suffocating. The two that had it the easiest was Ais and Lefiya, but even they were shaking a little from Terra's sheer presence. As for Asfi, she had turned into a statue and just blankly stared at Terra, seemingly unable to process what she was witnessing. Though Terra's aura was very 'gentle', it was also completely overwhelming to experience, almost like she was being buried in warm and comfortable blankets...to the point it was suffocating her slightly.
Vahn turned to Ais, who had regained the ability to stand, asking, "So, did you want to try and fight her, Ais?" Terra's eyes squinted when she heard her Master's words, turning them towards Ais, who currently had a fiery look in her eyes, even though she was clearly hesitating. Tilting her head slightly, Terra asked, "Are you sure you're ready...?" Ais, surprisingly, shook her head immediately after Terra's question, saying, "No...but, one day..." There was an air of confidence radiating off her body and it was almost as though her words were an 'absolute truth' that couldn't be refuted. Even Terra raised her brows, surprised by the fervor in Ais' words before releasing a peal of amused laughter...
(A/N: For the curious.)
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[[Stats]]
Name: [Vahn Mason]
Age: 15
Race: Human, *sealed*
Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]
-Level: 4->5
-Power: 2746+(G228)->(E447)->(I0)
-Endurance: 3325+(E407)->(SSS1211)->(I0)
-Dexterity: 2746+(F355)->(SS1093)->(I0)
-Agility: 2859+(G212)->(B702)->(I0)
-Magic: 6297+(SSS1492)->(SSS2994)->(I0)
Total:17,974+(2694)->(6447)
Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)
[Karma]: 13,418->13,692
[OP]: 14,007,815->15,318,499
[Valis]: 3,901,832,592
Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:D], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth: B],[Bow Mastery:S], [Stealth:A], [Chainbreaker:S], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Prometheus:A], [Call of the Reaper:A],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Featherfoot:A->S], [Hands of Nirvana:S], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:A], [Friend of Spirits:A]
Magic: [Thria*Mimos:B->A], [Shundo:B->S], [Koku Shundo:D](new), [Cantus Bellax:B->S], [Mellodia Bellax:H->B], [Vis Maxima:E] (new), [Sagitta Magica:H->B], [Pactio:G->A], [Magia Erebea:SS](new)
Development Skills: [Wound Transfer:S], [Well of Spirit:D->C], [Swordsman:A], [Master Smith:H], [Mixing:C], [Mentor:A], [Grooming:I](new), [Arch Mage:I](new)
[Magia Erebea]
Rank: SS (Forbidden)
Use: Allows the user to absorb offensive magic spells into their body, greatly enhancing their capabilities depending on the spell absorbed. Grants Immortality(Realm) to the user and allows for instantaneous regeneration unless hit by counter-elemental magic.
Chant(user spell): (-), Fixate. Seize. Load Magic, 'Armament'!
Secondary Chant(enemy spell): Will of an Emperor. Endless Empathy. No Mercy.
[Grooming]
Rank:I
Use: Allows the user to enhance the capabilities of the target depending on the amount of grooming applied.
[Arch Mage]
Rank: I
Use: Greatly improves the power, effect, and range of all magic. Forms magic circles beneath the caster that can protect from magic.
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Part of Life','Immortality isn't for Casuals','Ara ara~? Ufufufu~.')
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