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45.28% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1066: Rush

บท 1066: Rush

Though it had only been a few minutes since he had parted with Nobunaga, more than an hour had passed within the Sub Space Orb in that same span of time. By the time Vahn finally appeared, he immediately sensed several gazes shift towards him for a brief moment. At the same time, as she was ought to do, Scáthach appeared right next to him with her characteristic expressionless face. Before she could say anything, Vahn held up his hand to silence her, explaining, "I already have my own thoughts on the matter. I'm not going to force the issue on anyone who is unwilling, regardless of whether or not it is the most 'efficient' method to guarantee victory."

Since he fully expected Scáthach to try and force the issue by pressuring the other Servants, Vahn wanted to make it clear from the start that he wouldn't accept such methods. In response to his words, Scáthach nodded her head in understanding before saying, "I understand. Victory is often not as important as the means used to obtain it. If you were willing to compromise your own integrity and morals so easily, people wouldn't be willing to follow you. I will respect your decision on the matter, Vahn. Know, however, that I would prefer being able to operate at my full potential for the coming battles..." With that said, Scáthach squinted her eyes pointedly before vanishing from sight once again.

Seeing Scáthach vanish, Vahn was a little surprised, not that she didn't try to convince him to take action, but because she didn't immediately pull him aside for training. With this, it was easy to see that Scáthach was giving him the opportunity to interact with the others before she began beating him once again. To that end, Vahn made it way over to where Rin was sitting at a wooden desk, pouring over several stacks of documents related to [Primordial Runes]. She lacked the natural talent to understand the startling complexity of the relatively simple-looking runes so Rin had taken a lot of notes regarding everything Scáthach had taught her. Even if it took her a bit of time, she was determined to master the unique form of Magecraft so she could incorporate it into her own [Jewel] Magecraft.

Having been one of the gazes directed towards Vahn shortly after his entry into the Orb, Rin wasn't surprised by his presence, causing her to release a tired sigh as she placed down her pen. Before Vahn could even greet her, Rin looked up at him with her aqua-blue eyes, asking, "What is our current relationship, Vahn?" Even with Scáthach trying to 'help' guide her towards an answer, Rin simply couldn't put the matter aside and just 'accept' the way things were. She had no expectation that she would be able to reign Vahn in, but that didn't remove the need to hear what he thought about her in his own words.

Hearing Rin's question, Vahn resigned himself before pulling out a chair and sitting opposite to her at the same desk. This caused Rin to frown but, still waiting for his answer, she kept silent as Vahn carefully explained, "I don't think our relationship is something that can be explained simply. I care for you dearly, enough that I would put my life on the line to protect you. At the same time, even though the concept of a Familia doesn't exist in this world, you are my second family member in this world. I will do my best to make you happy..." Instead of waiting for him to finish, Rin added, "But you still don't really love me, at least not right now. Since you said as much during...well, I don't really know what I expected to change since then. Very well...thank you for being honest with me."

As if the conversation was finished, Rin picked up her pen and began focusing on the document she had been going over before Vahn's arrival. This caused Vahn to release a small sigh through his nose before rising to his feet and giving Rin the space she seemed to need. When he began to walk away, however, Rin suddenly spoke in a serious voice, "There are several things I need to take care of in my personal life right now. Don't think I've given up, Vahn...once I've finished with everything I need to deal with, you won't be able to get rid of me so easily..." This caused Vahn to stop in his steps before turning around to see that Rin had already returned to her work. Knowing that she was still listening, however, Vahn smiled appreciatively before saying, "I look forward to that day...if there is anything I can do to reduce the time it takes, you need only ask..."

---

After parting ways with Rin, Vahn made the rounds to see how Fenrir, Astolfo, and Lakshmibai were doing. The former was still fixated on her training while Astolfo and Lakshmibai, both having heard about what had happened with Nobunaga, had very different reactions. Astolfo seemed strangely nervous about the prospect, even though Vahn told him he didn't have anything to worry about, while Lakshmibai's reaction caused Vahn to shake his head internally. She reacted as if she had been 'expecting' such an outcome, showing a determined and resolute expression as she resigned herself to her 'fate'. Though he was honestly more than a little interested in Lakshmibai's appearance, the shadow of Helen within her made Vahn quickly extricate himself from that situation until it became more pertinent to the ongoing Grail War.

Shortly after Vahn had completed his 'rounds', ending with a short conversation with an even more mischevious Nobunaga, Scáthach had appeared once again. Vahn was already prepared so, without needing her to say anything, he kicked off the ground with enough force to cause small fractures in the white 'stone'. Though others might have been caught off guard, Scáthach easily traced her hand along a trajectory under Vahn's striking hand, hooking her hand around his joint before throwing him off balance in a single swift movement. Like this, another long session of 'training' began, resulting in Vahn getting thrashed even more than normal. Following this, during the period which was supposed to be his 'rest' phase, Vahn endeavored to complete the lakeside residence so people wouldn't have to continue sitting around on random pieces of furniture...

In this manner, Vahn's days within the Orb began to quickly blend together, interspaced with periods of 'nothigness', a state he actively pursued under Scáthach's guidance. She had also taken up the task of working on the lakeside residence in his stead whenever he would meditate at the bottom of the lake or venture into the denser sections of the Sub-Space Orb to train with Fenrir. As a result, by the end of the fourth day, the residence was already nearing completion. Vahn helped Rin move all of her stuff into one of the larger rooms that had been constructed specifically for her use. His own room ended up being on the smaller side but, as Vahn only had two real uses for it, he felt anything larger would just be wasteful...

Since there were a lot of things that needed to be added to the residence to make it livable, Vahn was installing various formations all over the premises while Scáthach did much the same with her [Primordial Runes]. Whenever he saw what she was working on, Vahn couldn't help but feel that Scáthach's skill was 'beyond' masterful. There was a reason why she had been able to obtain SSS-Rank in the skill as, even with his ability to interpret their meaning, Vahn's lack of comprehension behind the 'logic' that gave the runes their effects meant he could only use them in their simplest form. As for Scáthach, she seemed to be able to do 'literaly' anything, almost as if she were using her [Primordial Runes] to bend the Laws to her will, recreating and altering phenomena that Vahn couldn't wrap his head around...

It was during one of the instances in which Vahn was watching Scáthach 'write' thousands of runes into interior walls of the residence, essentially altering the fundamental nature of the materials used in its construction, that an unexpected incident occurred. Rin had gone out of the Sub-Space Orb to touch base with Lord El-Melloi II before returning a few hours later, immediately shouting, "Vahn, we have an emergency...!" the moment she entered the Orb. This caused Scáthach to cease writing before instantly turning into her Spirit form to conserve energy. As for Vahn, he quickly made his way outside while everyone else within the Orb arrived to hear what the emergency was.

Seeing Vahn appear only seconds after she had shouted, Rin lightly pat her chest to calm down as she hurriedly explained, "Gray was attacked while trying to investigate the various disappearances throughout the City. The number of victims has already exceeded a thousand people so both the Mage's Association and the Holy Church are up in arms trying to find out who is brazen enough to commit such a high-profile act..." Before Rin could go on a diatribe trying to explain less-significant details, Vahn raised his hand and said, "You said Gray was attacked...is she okay?" Though he hadn't interacted with her too much, Vahn had a good impression of the unique gray-haired woman. Even though she seemed to have a tragic past of her own, Gray remained relatively positive and sincerely hoped that the world would one day become a better place for all people to live...

Remembering the reason why she had rushed over, Rin adopted a serious expression as she explained, "It's bad. Gray's Mystic Code took an extreme amount of damage trying to protect her. Even then, she wasn't able to escape without losing an arm and sustaining serious injuries..." As she spoke, Rin could vividly recall the distress in Lord El-Melloi II's voice as he mournfully explained the situation. Whatever had attacked Gray was beyond any of their expectations as it didn't appear to be the actions of a Servant. Instead, she described her attacker as a black-cloaked figure that was able to freely manipulate its cloak, destroying almost everything that came into contact with it. Instead of being moved away and used as sacrifices, it was now apparent that the shadowy entity had been devouring hundreds, now thousands, of people during the hours prior to the resumption of the Holy Grail War.

Hearing Rin's explanation, Vahn flexed his jaw a bit as, during his discussion with Gray the previous night, she had been in high spirits as they talked about Paracelsus together. Imagining that same smiling woman, now on a stretcher with an arm missing, Vahn felt a seething rage bubbling up within him. Though the other Masters and Servants had always 'technically' been his enemies, it now felt a lot more personal since they had hurt someone he had a good impression of. Without wasting any time, Vahn gave a curt nod before decisively saying, "I will go and heal Gray. Tonight, we will hunt down this bastard...if they think they can get away with involving innocent lives in order to fulfill their greed, they have another thing coming to them. Come, let's move quickly...!"

Though Rin had a few things she wanted to say, she ultimately decided to follow along with Vahn since they could always talk on the way to the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel. As a result, the group quickly made its way over to where Gray was being kept, her condition serious yet stable. Even after losing an arm, her vitality wasn't something to be looked down upon. If anything, Gray was more worried about the condition of Add, her shape-changing weapon, as its consciousness had faded along with it entering into a self-preservation state. Instead of looking like a cube, it now appeared similar to a burnt spheroid, almost as if it was a piece of metal that had been dropped in a vat of acid.

Finding Lord El-Melloi II and Flat waiting outside of a makeshift ICU, Vahn dismissed with formalities as he plainly stated, "Let me see her. I will be able to help her a lot more than any of the Doctors and Magi you have on hand." Though this might have sounded somewhat presumptuous, Vahn had just as much confidence in his medical skills as he did in his ability to satisfy women. Since he could even lead around Goddesses of Sex, Vahn believed there was very little he couldn't treat with his unique understanding of the body's internal structure.

Lord El-Melloi II frowned when he heard Vahn's words, as the Doctors Vahn had just insulted were people he would trust with his own life, were it in danger. Before things could devolve into an awkward situation, however, Rin quickly stepped in, explaining, "You can trust Vahn's skills. I'll explain the details later, but I doubt there are many people in the world who would be able to treat a patient if he were unable to do so..." Rin didn't actually know about the limit of Vahn's medical expertise but, seeing how confident he was, she had no doubt that he would be able to help Gray. Even if he was unable to do so himself, Scáthach would undoubtedly be able to use her [Primeval Runes] to perform the task in his stead...

Though he still seemed reluctant, Lord El-Melloi II ultimately gave in when even Flat added, "Teach...shouldn't we be doing everything we can to help Gray? If Vahn says he can help, we owe it to her to let him try..." Even if he and Gray didn't particularly get along, primarily as a result of his lackadaisical nature, Flat still considered his fellow apprentice a good friend. It pained him a great deal to see her in such a sorry state, especially since there was nothing he could do for her...

Understanding that Flat's words struck at the heart of the matter, Lord El-Melloi II stared directly at Vahn with a stern expression on his face as he said, "I will entrust my apprentice to you...if I find out you did anything uncouth-." Before Lord El-Melloi II could finish his words, Rin surprised everyone by suddenly slapping him and exclaiming, "Enough!" before turning to Vahn and adding, "Go help her!" in a commanding tone. She was more than a little annoyed that it had taken Flat's support to get Lord El-Melloi II to acquiesce so, when she heard what he was saying, Rin felt like an exposed nerve had been touched.

Without sticking around to see the aftermath of Rin's actions, Vahn passed by the two security guards who had previously been blocking the way. He found himself passing through a few plastic curtains that had been hung on a corridor before arriving in a room that had a sterile appearance, so long as you ignored the blackened blood that had stained a few areas of the floor. Within the room, there was what appeared to be an operating table that was surrounded by five individuals, two men and three women. Even at a glance, it was easy to tell that they were either Doctors or Nurses but, if you looked closer, you would find that their tools were far from the standard used by common Surgeons. There were several scalpels that had runes carved into them while various plants and vials were neatly arranged on metal shelves surrounding the operating table.

Having some random person entering their operating room, it wasn't all that surprising when the younger of the two males grimaced before shouting, "You shouldn't be in here! What are those guards doing out there!?" His companion, however, remained calm as he cut away a piece of blackened tissue before looking towards Vahn and asking, "Did Lord El-Melloi II allow you to enter...?" As there hadn't been any commotion prior to Vahn's arrival, he had correctly deduced that the latter had permission to enter.

With a curt nod, Vahn walked over to the operating table while explaining, "There are few Doctors in the world that would be able to come close to my abilities. I will not discredit your efforts, but please allow me to step in from here. I have already received permission from Lord El-Melloi II, so please do not cause trouble." Though Vahn said his words calmly, his expression turned dour as he inspected Gray's unconscious body. Her right arm was missing using under the shoulder while the skin in the surrounding area seemed to be necrotizing at a rate faster than the Doctors could deal with it. He could tell they had tried various different alchemical mixtures to slow the process while, as could be seen during his entrance, they were cutting out sections of the rot while one of the female Nurses was analyzing the composition at the side...

The younger of the two men seemed to want to argue but he was quickly shut down by the Senior Attending who set aside his tools, saying, "There isn't much more we can do besides slow the progress of the infection. We have been unable to analyze what exactly is causing the rot but, based on its tenacity, it seems to be some kind of malignant curse. However, even Holy Water was only able to slow the progress, not prevent it. We even amputated several centimeters above the original site, but it has still persisted regardless of our efforts..." Instead of wasting time arguing, the middle-aged man kept his sensibilities about him as he began explaining everything they had tried thus far.

Having already activated his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could see a black aura that had already extended beyond Gray's shoulder, encroaching down her chest and up her neck. This seemed to be the cause of the spreading rot, meaning it would be 'necessary' to cut off nearly a third of Gray's torso if he wanted to use the same methods as these 'supposed' Doctors. He didn't doubt they were skilled and highly educated but, at times like this, such things weren't enough if you lacked the means to identify the cause of the ailment. Vahn could even see the black aura lingering around the middle-aged Doctor's hands, meaning he would probably begin to suffer the same effects as Gray if left unattended.

Causing the younger man and all three women to give him an accusatory glare, Vahn removed the sheet covering Gray's chest before closely scrutinizing the encroaching darkness. At the same time, he explained, "If you have any to spare, you need to douse your hands in Holy Water soon. You might not be able to see it, but the same thing eating away at Gray's body has already extended into your hands. That nurse that has been handling the necrotic tissue needs to do the same..." These words caused the older Doctor's brows to raise before he looked towards one of the other nurses and said, "Help Samantha wash her hands with Holy Water. Make sure not to touch her hands directly..."

To her credit, the woman named Samantha didn't panic in response to hearing that she was infected with the same thing eating away at Gray's body. Instead, she simply held out her hands so that she wouldn't accidentally touch anything while her fellow Nurses poured a vial of crystal clear water over them. Vahn could see a glimmer of white light contained within the water with his [Eyes of Truth], allowing him to understand the relatively simple solution was indeed sanctified water. What he found most curious, however, was the fact that the older Doctor simply removed his gloves before placing them on a sterile tray and holding them out without washing them in Holy Water.

As if to answer Vahn's curiosity, the man smiled through his facemask before explaining, "I want to see if your words hold true. Holy Water didn't work on the young lady so I doubt it would be very effective, even if I doused my entire body in the substance. Just focus on doing what you can. If you can find a solution for her, it shouldn't take much effort to help treat us, correct...?" To this, Vahn gave a nod before complimenting, "You are a good Doctor..." before placing his full focus on Gray's body. Then, under the scrutinizing eyes of everyone present within the room, Vahn held out his right hand as a rainbow hue began to suffuse through it.

In absolute silence, everyone watched as Vahn slowly traced his palm over various areas of Gray's body, primarily focusing on her right flank, breast, neck, and shoulder. Though the younger male Doctor looked more than a little annoyed when he watched Vahn grab Gray's right breast, his attention was quickly brought away from the fact as one of the Nurses whispered, "Doctor, your hands..." As the older Doctor had been holding his exposed hands up for everyone to see, it was clear to anyone looking that the tips of his fingers had started to turn black. At the same time, his expression began to pale slightly before he walked over the sink and rinsed his hands with the help of the Nurses. From this, it was clear that Vahn could see something they were unable to discern, lending veracity to his claims and 'leniency' towards his actions...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scáthach really needs a bell...','Two uses for the room, neither involving sleep...','Gray (TT ^ TT)...')

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บท 1067: Nirvana

With the room having turned into a scene of absolute silence, Vahn continued his analysis of Gray's affliction, finding it to be a combination of several different troublesome factors. The malignant black aura seemed to possess something akin to a rudimentary self-preservation function whereby, the more effort you put into trying to remove it, the faster it would spread. Even more troublesome was the fact that the energy didn't simply invade the cells of the body, it targetted the flow of mana itself. Small particles of pure black mana would 'infest' the individual particulate of mana, self-propagating and spreading in a flow that was the opposite of how mana was supposed to behave. This had come as a big surprise to Vahn as, even in the presence of Death and Decay Laws, only the form of the mana changed, not its fundamental composition...

To test his theory, Vahn surprised everyone present by placing his hand near the tourniquet tied around Gray's stump, effectively 'guaranteeing' that he was also infected. This was, however, his actual intent as, even with the ability to see the changes in Gray's body, it would be far faster to test theories using his own. As a result, the malignant black energy spread into his hand before bringing a small smile to Vahn's face when it suddenly became even more chaotic. Moments later, in much the same ways as a normal toxin or curse, Vahn's body had completely dispersed the malicious energy. He hadn't believed for a moment that it would be able to cannibalize his Source Energy infused blood, but seeing it practically writhe around was surprisingly satisfying.

After confirming his suspicions, Vahn looked towards the older Doctor and explained, "I can treat this. I'll need absolute silence and no distractions. If your people don't think they can manage that, they will need to leave. Once I've healed Gray, I will help you and that Nurse remove the curse from your bodies as well." These words seemed to come as a great relief to the woman who had been growing steadily more anxious at the side. As for the Doctor, he gave an understanding nod before looking towards his younger protege and saying, "Thomas, you need to leave. You have been too emotional since the lass was dragged in. Don't worry, this man seems to be competent enough to make good on his word."

In response to the senior Doctor's words, the man named Thomas showed a dour expression before finally nodding his head and quickly leaving the operating room. Then, as if to explain why the man was so upset, the older Doctor smiled as he explained, "Miss Gray had saved his life around three years ago. Though nothing has come of it, you can't really blame the man for being upset when the person he cares about is brought in with such severe injuries." As this was something Vahn could understand, he gave a curt nod in response before unceremoniously placing his palm on Gray's abdomen. It didn't really matter to him what the man's reasons were, as everyone had some form of justification for their actions. Vahn just wanted to make sure that Gray wasn't forced to spend the rest of her life missing an arm just because her primary caretakers weren't able to treat the affliction she was burdened with...

Seeing that Vahn wasn't in a talking mood, the older Doctor made no further attempts to converse as he, along with the three Nurses, closely monitored everything Vahn was doing. When they saw Gray's body steadily become suffused with a rainbow hue, followed by Vahn's hand 'sinking' into her abdomen, they were more than a little surprised. This was only the beginning, however, as they watched Vahn slowly guide his hand 'through' Gray's body as a surprising amount of blackened blood began to flow from her arm. Things reached an extreme when Vahn removed the tourniquet completely, causing a potentially fatal amount of blood to flow from Gray's amputated arm...

Ignoring the stunned gasp of one of the nurses, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly as, from the hand he had placed in Gray's body, he was directly sending his own blood from through the major arteries around her heart. He had essentially extended one of his own arteries through his finger, allowing his blood to transfuse into Gray's body as it quickly expelled the malignant energy that was grossly unprepared to contaminate his blood. At the same time, Vahn held his left hand over Gray's arm, isolating the malignant cells and 'ripping' them from her body. Fortunately, even if she hadn't already been sedated, Vahn had put her into a pseudo-nirvana state, cutting off all sensations of pain.

It took much longer than Vahn had expected but, after a period of around 33 minutes, the black aura trying to spread through Gray's body had been removed down to the smallest particulate of black mana. Once this was completed, he slowly pulled his hand from Gray's body before applying a fresh tourniquet to her arm, explaining, "I've successfully removed the malignancy. After I treat you and the Nurse, everyone present will need to leave before I can begin the next phase of treatment. I only allowed you to witness the first part since you would experience it yourself later on. Everything that will follow is a secret I'm unwilling to disclose..."

As it wasn't uncommon for Magi to want to protect their secrets, both the Doctor and the three Nurses all nodded their heads in understanding. Just the technique Vahn had used to remove the malignancy in Gray's body was something that would cause a stir within the Magus Community. If he wanted to keep his other methods a secret, they knew better than to try and insist, especially when two of them still needed treatment of their own. With that in mind, Vahn had the older Doctor and the Nurse named Samantha remove all the clothes from their upper bodies before going through the arduous process of treating them as well. It wasn't a simple process of targeting the malignancy directly, meaning he could just sink his hands into their arms, Vahn was forced to work from the 'core', the source of mana even in the Nasuverse, before working is way through the major organs like the heart. This seemed particularly awkward for the young Nurse as, after removing her green medical garments, her rather buxom breasts were laid bare for the whole room to see...

With their own afflictions significantly weaker than what had been affecting Gray, treating the two only took Vahn a combined forty minutes. To make things easier, Samantha had gone first while the Doctor, surnamed McKenneth, politely sat with his back to the room. Though he had seen more than his fair share of breasts over the years, he understood there was a basic professional courtesy involved when taking into consideration the wellness of his staff. Even as his fingertips began to slowly necrotize, his only reaction was to self-administer a shot of morphine before 'meditating' at the side to resist the building pain. Vahn had to admit that, even if the man hadn't been able to help Gray, he had a commendable work ethic and an even more impressive nature.

Once Doctor McKenneth had finished his treatment, he quickly ushered everyone out of the room in order to receive follow-up treatment for his own wounds. The encroachment of necrotic tissue on his right pinky and ring fingers had been especially severe, as they were the closest digits to Gray's wounds while he had been treating her. Though he didn't say anything at the moment, Vahn made a mental note to make sure the man's hands were able to regain complete functionality if they were unable to treat it themselves. It would be a terrible travesty for a Doctor with McKenneth's level of professionalism to have their career ended in such a fashion.

Shortly after the room had been cleared, Scáthach slowly manifested her body within the room, likely to avoid startling Vahn unnecessarily. She, along with Nobunaga and Lakshmibai, had been observing the operation from start to finish. Since it seemed like Vahn was becoming fatigued, Scáthach asked, "Do you want me to restore her lost limb...?" To this, Vahn pulled out a tiny vial of blue liquid before downing it in one go. In an instant, his internal reserves had completely restored, followed by him smiling as he said, "I don't leave things like this unfinished." This elicited a rare smile from Scáthach before, choosing to withhold further comments, she once again returned to her Spirit form.

Though Vahn's words to Scáthach were certainly the truth, it wasn't the only reason he had decided to treat Gray personally. During the time he had 'interfaced' with her body, Vahn had noticed several other abnormalities present, many of which had likely been there since her birth. It was as if she was spliced together from two different people and, though her mana circuits had harmonized over the years, Vahn could tell that Gray's potential had been severely limited by the two conflicting networks of mana. In a way, her body was similar to those of the Half-Races found within Danmachi, meaning she was not only severely handicapped by her genetic abnormality, but the chances she would ever have children of her own were near zero. Since he had the opportunity, Vahn figured he might as well repair and fuse the two different networks, greatly increasing Gray's power and making her more comfortable in her own body. This might even cause her to smile more often in the future, something she seemed to reserve due to a trauma Vahn was currently unaware of...

Before beginning the process of 'Nirvana Rebirth', Vahn pulled out a [Hea] from his Inventory, a nostalgic item that would likely cause the entire Magus Community to flip on their heads if they knew of its existence. After Vahn channeled his mana into the staff, a large and complex magic circle came into view, discernably different from the one he had seen within Danmachi. This wasn't too much of a surprise, as the magic systems used differing logic, but that didn't make it any less interesting. Vahn figured, once he had more free time, he would study these differences more closely so that his understanding of Magic and Magecraft more closely matched his previous knowledge.

At a rate visible to the eye, Gray's bones began to quickly regrow as new arteries, veins, muscles, and flesh grew to cover them. It ultimately ate up nearly a third of Vahn's internal reserves, but Gray's arm had been completely regrown in less than a minute. Now that she was 'complete', Vahn felt a little awkward staring at her defenseless body before quickly shaking away the errant thought. Then, after ingesting a [Hi-Ether], the weaker version of the [Turbo Ether], Vahn placed his right hand above Gray's navel while his left hand hovered over her heart. Rainbow hued energy began to flow from his hands into her body before Vahn's hands, once again, began to sink into her flesh...

Though he had considerably improved within the Record of Danmachi, Vahn's development of the [Hands of Nirvana] was a bit lacking in the Nasuverse. As it was one of his most used skills, he decided to put a concerted effort into developing it further as, even though it hadn't been that difficult, spending seven hours in a state of absolute focus weighed heavily on the mind. By the time he was completing the process, there were only a few hours left before sunrise. In order to help Gray, Vahn had essentially abandoned participating in the Holy Grail War for the evening. In hindsight, he realized that he could have probably convinced Gray to allow him to treat her body at a later date but, considering there was a good chance she would refuse out of embarrassment, he didn't regret taking the opportunity in the present.

Having flipped Gray over onto her stomach, Vahn lightly muttered, "Sorry about this..." as he placed his fingers at the base of her neck and spine. This was undoubtedly the most awkward part of the entire process but, knowing it was necessary to restore the connection between Gray's mind and body, Vahn performed the 'Convergence of Heaven and Earth' without any real hesitation. As a result, Gray's stark blue eyes snapped open as her back arched, Vahn's hand the only thing keeping her from thrashing about. At the same time, she released a surprisingly high pitched moan as a great deal of confusion and fear flashed across her eyes, persisting even as Vahn eased the tensions from her body by pressing into various pressure points on her back...

---

After calming Gray down, something that had been made much easier after providing her a mantle and a change of clothes, Vahn explained the situation, leaving out no details, before asking, "How do you feel...?" In response to this, Gray, who had been somewhat absentmindedly listening to Vahn explain her treatment, blinked into focus before staring at her hands and answering, "I feel...a lot better...but different...it is a very comfortable feeling, but it doesn't feel like 'me' any longer..." As she had lived her entire life with the mild discomfort that had always persisted within her body, Gray felt a strange sense of congruity now that it had disappeared. It was almost like trying on a pair of brand new clothes for the first time, ones that fit your entire body...

Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn then explained, "It may take some getting used to, but you will be a lot more powerful in the future. I know this may not have been what you wanted, but I couldn't just ignore such irregularities in the body of a person I consider a friend. Even if we haven't known each other all that long, I can tell you are a kind-hearted person. Though you may find being around me somewhat difficult in the future, try to remember that I conducted myself professionally."

Though Gray's body and responses had been carved into his mind for perpetuity, Vahn had enough confidence that his mind wouldn't wander too often...

Though she nodded her head in response, Gray still pulled at the fabric of her mantle as she hid her furiously blushing face. Even if he hadn't said anything about it directly, Gray felt an extreme level of embarrassment knowing that Vahn had seen her in such a state. Regardless of whether or not it was supposed to be an intimate act, the fact he had been operating on her naked body for more than seven hours wasn't something she could simply ignore. This was only exacerbated when she thought about the method he had used to bring her back to consciousness, causing Gray's face to become so red that she began to feel dizzy.

Seeing how Gray was reacting, Vahn was glad he didn't mention the fact that he had transfused nearly 3.5 liters of his own blood into her body, effectively replacing the large majority of her own. If she knew the blood flowing through her body was almost entirely his, Vahn imagined that Gray would have already passed out long ago. Thus, just as he kept the information about her newfound 'fertility' to himself, at least for the time being, Vahn chose to withhold the truth of the matter. When Gray had calmed down and gotten comfortable with the changes in her body, he would broach the subject on an 'as-needed' basis. He imagined that, by the time she had her first menstrual cycle, Gray would probably reach out to him in order to better understand the changes in her body...

Setting aside the matter until the future, Vahn gave a placating and gentle smile as he explained, "I'm certain everyone would like to see that you've recovered. Scáthach had to keep them at bay when you shouted earlier..." As these words left his mouth, Vahn slightly regretted them as Grey instantly pulled down the hood of her mantle while releasing a shrill whine of embarrassment. The memory of her loud and uninhibited moan was the most embarrassing part of the entire situation, something Vahn should have considered before speaking. Now, when people asked her why she 'shouted' so loudly in the future, Gray didn't know how she would respond without immediately becoming red in the face.

In hindsight, Vahn realized that he should have put up a barrier to prevent sounds from traveling outside of the operation room but, as he had already been rather exhausted at the time, it wasn't entirely his fault. The state of Gray's body had shaken him a bit so, even if he had made a few errors in judgment, Vahn didn't regret the course of action he had taken. Even if she blamed and resented him for what he had done, Vahn was content knowing she would be healthy for the rest of her long life. She had an incredible amount of vitality present within her body, especially after he repaired her mana circuits, so it wouldn't be surprising if Gray lived for a few hundred years without further intervention...

After Gray had calmed down enough to face others, Vahn escorted her out of the ICU where Scáthach was still guarding the entrance like an immovable statue. The moment they appeared, everyone's eyes immediately focused on Gray, seeing that she appeared to have already recovered. As it usually took a few days to make a full recovery, it was obvious that Vahn's methods had been beyond the means of most medical treatments and Magecraft. When they saw her hang her face, a poor attempt to hide the blush staining her cheeks, a lot of the gazes turned to Vahn. Some of these gazes were especially sharp, including the one belonging younger of the two Doctors who had been waiting outside since being ejected from the operation room earlier.

Fortunately, before the man could make a scene, Doctor McKenneth gave an appreciative nod towards Vahn, saying, "Regrowing a limb and restoring a body to perfect health in only a few hours. I'll admit your earlier bravado wasn't without merit. Good work." With that said, Doctor McKenneth pulled aside his young protege, whispering in a voice that others weren't intended to hear, "That hot-headed nature of yours will lead to a tragedy one day. If you cannot remain calm at all times, you do not deserve to be a Doctor..." These words seemed to impact the young Doctor named Thomas, causing him to show a remorseful expression as he answered, "Sorry, Doctor...I will be better..." This elicited a nod from Doctor McKenneth as he firmly struck his protege's shoulder, answering, "You're right. I wouldn't have wasted my time teaching you if I lacked faith in your abilities..."

With that said, the two walked off without causing a larger scene as the eyes of everyone present briefly followed their exit. Gray even seemed a little apologetic but, without commenting on the matter, she remained silent until Lord El-Melloi II, now with bags under his eyes, asked, "How are you feeling, Gray?" Though he could see that she appeared to be okay, that didn't remove the worry he had towards this apprentice of his. She had been at his side for nearly twelve years at this point and, as he had been protecting her from the Mage's Association all that time, anything concerning her weighed heavily on his heart and mind.

Hearing the concern in Lord El-Melloi II's voice, Gray hung her head even lower as she sheepishly answered, "I am okay...Vahn even helped me fix some of the other issues in my body...I'm stronger now than ever before..." These words came as a surprise to almost everyone present, though the largest reaction came from Rin as she immediately began pouting with a hint of blame in her eyes. Remembering Gray's 'scream', combined with the fact that Vahn had only recently empowered Nobunaga, Rin's mind immediately jumped to a logical, albeit incredibly incorrect, conclusion. The fact that Gray was actively avoiding eye contact with people, combined with how Scáthach had blocked entry into the ICU only seemed to confirm her suspicions...

As Rin wasn't the only one to jump to conclusions, Flat managed to deal critical damage to Gray's psyche by suddenly asking, "What kind of treatment did he use? I get that it's supposed to be a secret, but that shout a few minutes ago..." Instead of affording Gray the chance to answer, Lord El-Melloi II immediately glared at Flat before plainly stating, "We will not discuss such sensitive matters any further. I trust that Vahn had enough professionalism to avoid doing anything uncouth during the operation..." Though he said this, Vahn got the distinct impression that Lord El-Melloi II didn't mean what he was saying, not in the least. Since he hadn't 'really' done anything wrong, Vahn's own expression hardened as he answered, "You can be absolutely certain the reality is far different than any assumptions that have been made."

With a heavy pressure accompanying Vahn's words, Lord El-Melloi II was forced to take a step back while, at the side, Rin suddenly felt apologetic. She could tell from Vahn's reaction that he didn't do anything to Gray, at least to the extent she had assumed. At the same time, Scáthach seemed intent to take Vahn's side as she plainly explained, "I observed the process from start to finish. Vahn was professional throughout the entire operation. He even went out of his way to help fix some of the deeply rooted issues in Gray's body. Do not make assumptions that will only complicate matters further, especially when you do not understand the truth of the matter."

Though not nearly as 'heavy' as the pressure that had emanated from Vahn, Scáthach's seemed to cut through people like a sharp knife. Thus, much to the relief of Gray, the matter of her 'scream' was laid to rest as Lord El-Melloi II and Flat both expressed their sincere gratitude, though not before apologizing in a formal manner. Afterward, Vahn explained the basics of what he had done without going into too many details, followed by a short discussion about anything that had happened while he was operating. As could be expected, there were several hundred more disappearances within the City while, during the evening, a large-scale battle had been fought near the outskirts of the Einzbern Forest. Though details were sparse, the fact nearly a third of the forest had been set aflame, regardless of the powerful formations present within, showed that the battle had been extremely intense...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Thomas','*Casually Restructures Body*','Poor Gray. More tragic than Jiren...xD')

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