บท 1401: Realization
Though he still couldn't believe it, Vahn eventually touched down on the edge of the massive crater he had formed, taking a seat along the periphery as his mind entered a daze. He refused to admit it could be over in such a short period of time as, while he had, indeed, gone all out, it shouldn't have been enough to defeat his Shishou. Her immortality was tied to the Land of Shadows itself so, with the latter still existing around him, Vahn couldn't believe she was dead...
With little else to do, Vahn used the moment to reflect on the battle, staring at his own hands and the massive chasm that stretched out before him. He knew his destructive capabilities had reached a ridiculous level but, seeing how devastating his Dragon's Breath had been, an empty feeling welled up inside them. This didn't feel like an amount of power that someone should possess but, despite this, Vahn knew he was barely at the starting point on his journey to becoming Tier 7.
One day, perhaps a lot sooner than he expected, entire planets, stars, galaxies, and even universes would cease to be if he so willed it. Even entire multiverses would bend to his will and, though he was nowhere near that level just yet, even the Laws themselves would manifest in the way he chose. He would be able to create Gods, shape worlds with his will, and alter the flow of time on his whim. It was a truly terrifying amount of power, not only because he would possess it one day, but because others already did.
With even Alaya absent from within the Land of Shadows, Vahn only had one person to talk to so, after falling onto his back and staring up at the ashen-gray sky above, he asked, ("What should I do, Sis? I know I need power but, what is the point of possessing it if I can't even control it well enough to avoid killing my own allies? I feel like I'm becoming a monster, not a God of Creation...will I ever be able to enjoy a battle at higher levels...?").
Immediately after his inquiry, Vahn could hear a sigh within the back of his mind but, when Sis finally spoke, she had her usual reassuring voice as she answered, (*Your ability to use Source Energy allows you to leap over the Tier gap and even damage people you shouldn't be able to harm. Just like how you are able to affect Artoria when she is using Avalon, there is no classification of immortality that is beyond your means to destroy. I can't say whether or not you will ever be able to enjoy yourself in a battle but, as most of your conquests are against your enemies, is it not better to have the power to defeat anyone...?*)
Though there was a lot of truth to Sis' words, Vahn still missed the times when he had first started his journey. Before he had gotten wrapped up in trying to protect others, elevating his strength to ridiculous levels, he had been a bit of a battle junky. He used to enjoy the heart-pumping thrill of battle, letting his instincts take charge as he zipped around the battlefield at high speeds. Now, he had enough raw power that, if he was back in Danmachi, he would probably be able to crack open the head of Achron with his bare fists...
Vahn knew that, as his power continued to grow and develop, even minor conflicts would turn into climactic battles with the fate of entire realms on the line. One day, rather than throw marble-sized Elemental Stars, he may be using actual stars, hurling them towards monstrous entities the size of Nebulas. It seemed so ridiculous to think about but, with even Tier 5 being able to create a system-driven multiverse, it wasn't really an exaggeration. He still couldn't even begin to fathom what Tier 6 and 7 were like as, in the present moment, he couldn't even truly comprehend his own power...
Fearing that Vahn may be falling back into his old habits, Sis' voice became more prominent within his mind as she stated, (*There is no going backward, Vahn. Just as you encourage others to do, you need to have the strength to constantly move forward. There are no limits to The Path, only how you choose to use it. The power you seek is necessitated by your desires but that doesn't mean you will be forced to use it. When the time comes, you can choose to seal your power away or even manifest as an Avatar amongst the many worlds you have created; just like the Gods in Danmachi...*).
Hearing Sis' guiding words, Vahn exhaled a tired sigh before rolling to a seated position and kicking off against the side of the massive hemispherical chasm. Though he still felt empty inside, he knew it was only a temporary phenomenon. He actually had quite a number of things to fill the void caused by his ever-increasing power so, rather than mull over it, taking action was the more sensible choice.
Even if he reached a level of power that others couldn't hope to compete with, that didn't mean he was out of options. If he wanted to, he could just become a teacher, helping his comrades, guiding his children along their own paths, and even setting others unrelated people on their own. He didn't have to focus on his own life as the central point of all things as, with enough power, there were no limits to the options available to him. The only thing he really needed to get better at was managing his Karmic footprint as, if he kept repeating the same cyclic behavior in every Record he visited, there would be no end to his troubles...
---
After several hours of aimlessly flying around with no particular destination in mind, Vahn began mulling over ways to leave the Land of Shadows. He could still feel his link to the seven Heroic Spirits of Scáthach so, if it came down to it, he could summon her Caster version to open a gate back to the real world. There was a good chance they were already aware of what had happened so, at the very least, he could learn whether or not the 'real' Scáthach had died.
Truthfully, Vahn didn't understand how Scáthach had been able to manifest the Land of Shadows in the real world, especially with her Heroic Spirits still present. After all, she wasn't a standard summon as, much like Merlin, Scáthach had never actually died. It was for this reason that each version of her was linked together so, now that the original may have perished, common sense stated they should have vanished alongside her. Inversely, so long as they were alive, Scáthach would still have a vessel to inhabit, much like how he used his own bodies.
Since it was easier to just ask Scáthach herself about what had happened, Vahn touched down near the epicenter of the 300km deep crater, marveling at its size for a brief moment before opening his Unit Management and transferring Caster Scáthach to his location. He could have used a Command Spell to accomplish the same feat but, with his Unit Management able to circumvent all interference, it was the simpler solution.
What surprised Vahn was the fact that Scáthach manifested in what appeared to be a column of ice, reminding him a lot of Eva's [Eternal Ice Coffin]. The only real difference was that Scáthach had used [Primordial Rune]s to achieve the same effect, giving the glacial pillar a peculiar and ancient aura.
Seeing the naked woman sealed away in the ice coffin, Vahn briefly considered summoning the Lily version of Scáthach but, as the Land of Shadows was filled with the Laws of Death, it didn't seem like the best idea. She was the only version of Scáthach that didn't have a direct link to the deathly lands so, while she had been linked to the other six, it was fundamentally different than the others.
At one point, Vahn had an inkling that Scáthach had insisted on her Lily version in the hopes of using it as a scapegoat of sorts. Now that things had come to this, he had the terrifying realization that this may have actually been the case. From what he could ascertain, Scáthach had gone to great lengths to ensure that her other six forms had been sealed away completely. She had even made the coffins in such a way that, while still active, he couldn't send mana to any of them. This meant, after they ran out of internal Magical Power, all six of the sealed versions of Scáthach would fade away...
Realizing what she had done, Vahn gnashed his teeth hard enough to bloody his gums and, with a furious howl, he smashed the ground beneath his feet in a frenzy. Though her nature wouldn't have allowed her to go easy on him, it was obvious that Scáthach had played him for a fool. She had used him to effectively commit suicide, removing any chance he had of preventing it. To make things even worse, she had forcibly transplanted her original self into the current time axis so, even if he wanted to, summoning 'his' Scáthach would be impossible...
---
While Vahn was raging within the Land of Shadows, the person responsible for his mental anguish was standing silently atop the Sage Aldrnari College Commons. Though she knew she had wronged Vahn considerably, this was all in the hopes of teaching him an important lesson. After all, unless he really wanted to become one of the very things he hated, Vahn had no right to decide her fate. She had been seeking death for thousands of years so, while she understood, and even appreciated, his intentions, this was the only course of action.
So long as she was connected to the Land of Shadows, Scáthach knew she would never be happy. It wouldn't matter if Vahn found a way to liberate her from the duty she had been assigned as, after being imprisoned for far more than the 2200 years that had passed in reality, her mental state had reached a point of no return. Though Vahn had rekindled some of her passions, the person she had become wasn't someone who was even worthy of staying at his side.
Though her Lily version had been connected with the other six, this mental link would be severed once they ran out of mana. Then, finally, she would be liberated from her position as Queen of the Land of Shadows. She would no longer be burdened by the [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] and, while her power would understandably decrease, she was still a peerless warrior. Now, she even had actual goals, breathing newfound vitality into her cold and desolate existence.
After seeing how powerful Vahn had become in such a short period of time, Scáthach was wholly determined to become even stronger than her original self. She would not give in to the temptation of easy power and, even if it took hundreds of years, she would surpass herself in every way. At the same time, she would dedicate herself to the man who had forced himself to fall in love with her, all while forcing her to love him in kind. This was the least she could do for the man who had given her everything, including the release of death she had sought for the vast majority of her existence.
Remembering the promise she had made with Vahn prior to the twelve challenges, Scáthach couldn't help but allow a sincere smile to spread across her lips. This time, she would be a better mother than before as, even if she didn't really know how, Scáthach knew she could rely on the other women in the Ivory Castle to help her. Now that she had finally been liberated from her fate, there was no end to the number of things she wanted to experience but, before that, Scáthach started off by planting a vibrant [Primordial Rune] directly into her forehead...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW you accidentally kill the final boss with a glitch and the credits start to roll...','Vahn's Temper Tantrum','The longest con')
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