章節 1028: Push
Though he had fully expected her to have it, Vahn was surprised to see that Rin's [Child of Destiny], the Innate that seemed to be possessed by all 'main' characters, was already at C-Rank. This implied that she had already experienced several incidents that had a direct impact on the fate of her world. Since she carried herself as someone who had a few deeply ingrained traumas, Vahn assertion that her past hadn't been easy now held a great deal of veracity. Just the wound on her abdomen, which was far more serious than he had expected, showed that she had only barely survived whatever trial had been forced upon her in the past. Since he knew how 'troublesome' fate could be, Vahn felt far more empathetic about Rin's situation than before...
Sensing the change in Vahn's mood, Rin turned towards him with a curious glint in her aqua-blue eyes. Seeing her gaze, Vahn's expression softened for a brief moment before he regained his composure and explained, "The effect of the blessing was actually more impactful than I expected. Though your physical parameters are lacking, your Magical Power is more than six times what it had been previously. Now, even without your Od changing, you should be capable of outputting around 7500-7800 units of Magic Power. This could be a double-edged sword with the durability of your body, however, so make sure you don't overexert yourself as a result of the unexpected increase."
Hearing Vahn's words, Rin's eyes widened in shock as she asked in an incredulous tone, "Are you telling the truth? That is more Magical Power than most Brands can output...!" As a member of the Mage's Association, Rin was intimately familiar with the ranking system used to categorize Mages. Her own rank was only that of a Cause, though she was expected to reach the same rank as Lord El-Melloi II, known as Fes, by the time she reached the age of thirty. This was considered an incredible talent so hearing Vahn suddenly claim she was capable of outputting the same Magical Power as someone three full ranks higher than her was more than a little jarring...
Understanding Rin's confusion, Vahn smiled lightly as he explained, "I'm not sure why, but there seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding regarding the development of parameters in this world. I imagine most Magi only have a base Magic Power between one and two, perhaps the result of a natural limiter that is intended to prevent people from harming themselves. Handling more Magical Power than your mental capacity would allow can have devastating consequences if you let your power run wild. Not only could your spells explode, but there is also a chance that your Magic Circuits could be irreparably damaged as a result. Though you won't have to worry about that while I'm around, you will need to work on developing both your mind and body to avoid a mishap in the future."
Though she was still struggling to believe Vahn's words, Rin absentmindedly nodded her head, thoughts wandering to what she was now capable of. In the process, she sat up on her bed without thinking about her current wardrobe or, more specifically, her lack of one. Vahn casually averted his eyes to the side as a result before pulling out a mantle and unceremoniously handing it to the slightly confused Magus. It was only when she looked down at herself that Rin remembered that she was only wearing a pair of panties. Though Vahn was already looking away, she hugged the mantle to her chest with a dark expression on her face as she asked, "Did you see...?"
Instead of Vahn answering, Fenrir snorted through her nose before answering in his place, stating, "Do not blame my Master for your mistakes. You haven't even thanked him for increasing your power and are already looking to lay blame on him for an incident you had caused...hmph!" Since Rin wasn't one of her Master's lovers, Fenrir wasn't shy about harshly reprimanding her. She had never gotten along with people outside of the Hearth Manor so, unless her Master accepted them, she would proactively keep women from inconveniencing her Master over misunderstandings they had caused.
Looking as if she had taken actual damage from Fenrir's words, Rin flinched a few times before holding the mantle even tighter to her chest. With her head hung, she remained silent for several long seconds before finally muttering, "Thank you...Master..." in a quiet tone of voice. This seemed to have set off a bomb in her mind, however, causing Rin's face to immediately become red as she quickly added, "Now get out of my room! I'm going to bed!"
Without arguing the issue, Vahn sent a slightly reproachful look towards Fenrir before releasing a small sigh when she just huffed in response. On their way out of the room, Vahn kept his back to Rin as he calmly stated, "In order for your parameters to increase, I will need to periodically update your Status Board. By the time you wake up in the morning, I'll have a comprehensive list of your current parameters and skills so you can have a better understanding of your growth...Goodnight, Rin..." With these parting words, Vahn exited through the door with Fenrir before allowing the door to close behind him. As for Rin, she had followed their retreat with her eyes, waiting for the door to close completely before she threw herself back on her bed and began to flail around in an attempt to ease her embarrassment...
---
Out of consideration for Rin, Vahn and Fenrir spent much of the evening just cuddling without doing anything 'too' intimate. He had vented a lot of his pent-up tensions during the hours they had spent together prior to Rin's return to the Manor. Now, he was more than content with simply holding her in his embrace, enjoying the naturally 'cool' feeling of her skin. Unlike other girls, who would heat up very quickly whenever he embraced them, Fenrir's body was like hugging soft and comfortable mesh pillow filled with ice. It was one of the unique traits that was distinctly hers, causing Vahn to feel calm and relaxed as he inhaled the natural aroma in her hair. Though she wasn't a Chienthrope, Fenrir's ears also had a pleasant and calming aroma that made Vahn feel as though he had finally regained something precious that he had previously lost...
As much as Vahn enjoyed their time together, Fenrir felt everything he was going through and used it to feed into her own emotions. Though the thought of being bound still terrified her, Fenrir felt an extreme level of comfort wrapped in her Master's embrace, something she had convinced herself she simply couldn't live without. It didn't matter what he wanted her to do, just feeling how happy he was to be reunited with her caused Fenrir to feel an emotion within her heart that she could only describe as 'filling'. It was like her existence was amplified when they were together, even though she felt small and 'contained' within his embrace. This was a feeling of security that nothing else could provide, causing Fenrir to feel that she might lose herself if she was denied it for too long...
---
After a night that seemed impossibly long, even though it also seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, Vahn and Fenrir arrived in the dining room to find that Rin was already present. She had slight bags under her eyes, evidence that she didn't sleep very well, as she nursed a cup of black tea. Fenrir's face adopted a small frown when she saw Rin but, after Vahn gently touched the small of her back, she walked over to the table before muttering, "Good morning..." Though Rin had noticed their presence instantly, she had been trying to focus on her tea after stressing out a bit too much the previous night. With Fenrir suddenly greeting her, she was at a loss as to how she should respond, barely managing a simple, "Mornin..." before feeling a sudden urge to yawn.
Leaving the two to 'talk', Vahn made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, adding a few mana-rich fruits into the mix to give Rin a bit of extra energy. At the same time, Vahn went through his morning routine of using his free Premium Gacha pull before checking the status of his Quests. He had the option of submitting his [Repeatable Quest: The Title of Master], but wanted to see if any additional rewards could be obtained by convincing Rin to eventually become his Subordinate or Retainer. Since his View Affection was still inactive, by Vahn's own choosing, he couldn't accurately gauge how Rin felt towards him. He was certain there weren't any feelings of love between them, at least as far as he could tell, but that didn't mean he affection was low.
Shaking his head to clear the urge to activate his View Affection function, Vahn reminded himself that he wanted to have more meaningful relationships from now on. Ever since the birth of his children, it almost felt 'wrong' to be able to know how people felt about him in a quantifiable way. It felt like he was always trying to measure his actions to meet their expectations, almost as if he was manipulating them into falling in love with him. After becoming an Emperor, Vahn had disabled the system function that had become one of his most powerful tools within the Record of Danmachi. Now, regardless of what happened, he was determined to use his own judgment when it came to dealing with people, refusing to rely on the system as a crutch for even basic interactions...
After finishing the breakfast preparations, Vahn set a few dishes on the counter before placing them into his Inventory. When he entered into the dining room, a somewhat unbelievable scene entered his eyes as, contrary to what she had said the previous night, Fenrir was currently letting Rin gently touch her ears. Though she immediately turned away from Rin when he entered the room, causing the latter to make a pouting expression, it was obvious that Fenrir was making an effort to get along better. Even if Rin wasn't 'family', she had become one of Vahn's official Disciples so Fenrir knew she shouldn't cause unnecessary tension between herself and someone that should be her ally. After being held by her Master for the entire night, she had calmed down a lot compared to the previous evening.
As he had promised, Vahn provided Rin with an updated Status Sheet before explaining the specifics of each parameter, at least according to his current knowledge. She listened attentively to everything he explained, displaying the serious and studious side that had allowed her to thrive within the Clock Tower. Each question she asked was clearly thought out, providing Vahn with a few extra insights due to him having to explain it in a way that Rin could understand. It was sometimes stated that a good student could make a great teacher and, after talking with Rin for the better part of an hour, Vahn was beginning to believe her claim about being a 'genius' was genuine. According to her, she was already recognized within the Magus Society as having the potential to become one of the top 100 graduates that the Mage Association had ever produced.
By the time breakfast had come to an end, Rin surprised Vahn a second time as she quickly rose from her chair and exclaimed, "I'll wash the dishes. Since I'm supposed to be your Disciple, I need to start acting like it. You made breakfast so I can at least wash the dishes...!" Since she said this with a surprising amount of conviction, Vahn was slightly taken aback by Rin's spontaneity. Fortunately, Fenrir also hopped out of her chair before adding, "I will help as well. Master should relax more often." With these parting words, Fenrir and Rin grabbed the dishes before alighting to the kitchen together. Vahn was beginning to wonder what they had talked about during the twenty minutes he had been cooking as it seemed like the distance between them had shrunk in an instant...
Deciding it was best not to pry, as there was nothing wrong with Rin and Fenrir getting along, Vahn took the latter's advice and just relaxed for the few minutes it took them to clean the plates. When they next appeared, Rin was wiping her hands with a towel as she asked, "So, what kind of training are we going to do? You have the means to help me improve quickly, right?" Though she would usually spend most of her free time infusing her Magical Power into the gemstones she relied on in combat, Rin was now keenly aware of the fact that Vahn's methods were the key to becoming a far more powerful Magus than her own efforts would have allowed. The previous night, she had been able to fill a gemstone with nearly ten times the amount of mana that she would have been able to manage in a similar amount of time just one day prior...
Having expected Rin to start asking for his advice at some point, Vahn didn't let her down as he smiled and answered, "Your parameters are useless without having a strong foundation. Right now, the most important thing you can do is work on improving your physique and mental power. With your increased Magical Power, the strain your body and mind will experience has increased exponentially. Though it won't be much of a problem if you're satisfied with your current status, you'll need to continually break down and rebuild your body if you want to truly reach the top. If you train seriously, the day in which you break the sound barrier without even having to rely on Magecraft would only be a few years down the line." Though this wasn't much of an achievement in a world like Danmachi, Vahn felt this would be quite the feat from Rin's perspective.
Imagining herself moving at such 'ridiculous' speeds, Rin felt a little dizzy so she placed her hand against her forehead before groaning as she asked, "You're serious, aren't you...?" Vahn, thinking she was worried about becoming super muscular, chuckled amusedly before gesturing to Fenrir as he said, "Fenrir can easily move several times the speed of sound without damaging her muscles and tendons. You don't have to worry about becoming some super-human bodybuilder, as your parameters alone will help fill in the gaps. It is more important to focus on balance and, as your parameters are all equally low, you actually have a pretty good starting point to build upon. Also, there is one last thing I need to talk to you about before we advance your training..."
Seeing Vahn get 'serious', Rin's eyes turned sharp as she asked, "What is it? Don't tell me there is actually a downside after you said there wouldn't be..." To this, Vahn just waved his hand dismissively before explaining, "Right now, we are officially Master and Disciple. Though this relationship alone has quite the bit of significance, I want to make you aware that there are other paths available to you. Just like how the gods prior to the Age of Men were able to draw power from the beliefs of their followers, the relationship we share affords me a few unique abilities. Once the bond between us becomes strong enough, even helping you change your age, race, gender wouldn't be that difficult to achieve. Though I'm not asking you to suddenly start fervently believing in me, I wanted you to be aware that the limits you currently have as a human are functionally meaningless if you choose to pursue a path beyond this singular world."
Though Vahn didn't intend to take Rin with him to other Records, as it would be impossible, that didn't mean she couldn't potentially accompany him through alternate timelines. He hadn't been able to see the full extent of Bell's capabilities with the [Child of Destiny] Innate so it would be extremely helpful to see what Rin is able to achieve with it. Now that he had decided to invest his efforts into helping her grow stronger, almost as a way of 'sticking' it to fate, Vahn wanted to see just how far she could go. Fortunately, Rin was the type that seriously considered things so, instead of outright refusing, she gave a contemplative nod before answering, "I'll need to know more about exactly what these abilities of yours are able to achieve. For now, I want to focus on familiarizing myself with my increased Magical Power while following the training schedule you come up with."
Vahn gave an understanding nod of his own before looking through the system shop and purchasing an item he was intimately familiar with, the [Aegis Mk 5]. Though the shop didn't generally stock items he had produced, Ina's, Asfi's, and Hephaestus' involvement in the production of latter iterations were recognized as 'products' of the Record. As a result, everything after the [Aegis Mk 4] was accessible through the system shop. Though some of its functions would be changed to adapt them to the current Record, Vahn was confident in the design he had invested several years of his life improving upon. Rin, however, didn't seem too keen on accepting the predominately white 'undergarments' as she gave Vahn a deadpan stare and asked, "What are these supposed to be...?"
Because the [Aegis Mk 5] had been designed to be worn under other equipment, it wasn't inaccurate to consider them undergarments. They were both elastic and comfortable and, though Vahn would never tell Rin, they even had a 'shaping' function built into them, like many of the later pieces of equipment he had designed for the girls. As a Japanese woman, Rin had somewhat modest breasts and, though her thighs seemed strangely plush, she was distinctly lacking an asset Vahn had come to appreciate like a fine connoisseur. Since she obviously had the 'potential', Vahn felt that the [Aegis Mk 5] would be a qualitative improvement to her current equipment, even without being obvious.
Since Rin seemed to have misconstrued that he wanted her to wear the [Aegis Mk 5] by itself, he calmly clarified, "You'll notice when you get used to using them, but these garments will greatly increase your capabilities. Not only that, you can be sure that not even a tank would be able to easily damage you while wearing them. They also have relatively high magic resistance, to the point it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the entire Mage community going to war just to obtain them..." Though it might seem like an exaggeration, the [Aegis Mk 5] was still graded as an S-Rank item, meaning it was very near the 'pinnacle' of what mortals could achieve. So long as Rin was wearing them, she wouldn't have to worry about things like bullets, assuming they weren't magically empowered to have an extreme level of penetrative power...
Rin still didn't seem fully convinced so Vahn laughed before adding, "These are designed to be worn under other clothes. You can even wear them under your normal underwear if you want to keep them concealed so don't overthink it and just accept them..." Without waiting for her to take them, Vahn placed the soft shite garments into Rin's hands. She still didn't seem to believe they were as powerful as he claimed but, after training with them, Vahn knew she would quickly come around. As for Fenrir, she unhesitantly changed into a set of the [Aegis Mk 5] for herself, electing to forego other garments since she could just manifest them with magic. This gave her the appearance of a scantily clad young woman wearing nothing but a sports bra and a pair of 'shorts' that were closer in form to actual panties than spats. She wasn't bothered by this, however, as, even after wearing growing used to wearing clothes, Fenrir still wasn't that fond of how restrictive they felt...
When Rin returned, wearing what appeared to be a red and black bodysuit, she looked at Fenrir's appearance with dull eyes before 'glaring' towards Vahn. Since this was par for the course, Vahn chose to ignore her penetrating gaze as he firmly stated, "Now, it is time for our morning training. From now on, so long as the circumstances allow, you will follow the schedule I set for you every single day. It won't be easy but, if you work through the pain, I can guarantee that you'll look back on your past self, wondering how you ever tolerated how weak you were." Though he said these words to encourage Rin, Vahn noticed that she flinched a few times at certain parts of his statement. Before she could say anything, however, he smiled snidely, much like how Tsubaki acted when he trained under her, saying, "If you have a problem with my words, prove to me that you can get stronger. Talk is cheap, Rin, now is the time for action...!"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All according to cake...','I swear, even if it doesn't cover much, you'll be bullet proof...!','Vahn is the culmination of all his experiences with the women who helped to shape him')
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章節 1029: Flexibility
Though Vahn had wanted to start Rin's training in earnest, they hit a snag almost immediately as, even though Rin was already in decent shape, her conditioning was geared towards very specific movements. The martial arts she had learned, combined with the combat style she had developed as a Magus, caused certain muscle groups to develop more than others. This meant the balance of her body needed a lot of work as, even for a woman, Rin's flexibility left something to be desired. Vahn had grown accustomed to the fluid, borderline 'formless' styles that were used back in the Record of Danmachi. There were few actual schools of martial arts so everyone refined their own style from scratch, often focusing on flexibility and speed as the core of their fighting techniques...
While guiding Rin through some simple stretching exercises, she ended up giving him one of the more incredulous looks he had seen on her face when he performed a simple split and extended his body parallel to the ground. This wasn't even close to the limit of Vahn's own flexibility so he was a little surprised when Rin openly admitted, "There is no way my body can bend like that. I'm not a gymnast or an acrobat, I'm a Magus...!" When he heard this, Vahn countered Rin's exclamation with a hard gaze before simply stating, "Balance and flexibility, both in body and mind, are the most basic foundation for martial arts and magic. Unless you think you're going to suddenly start throwing around True Magic without following my menu, you will perform the exercises I expect of you."
To punctuate his words, Vahn rolled forward before lifting his body with nothing more than the index, middle, and thumbs of his hands. Then, causing Rin's face to pale, he twisted just his hips around until his backside was facing her, all while he maintaining direct eye contact. If he pushed himself, Vahn could even go 'beyond' a 180-degree rotation so it was quite the sight to behold, even if it also looked 'wrong' from Rin's perspective. Pushing off from the ground, Vahn twisted nimbly through the air before landing almost soundlessly on his feet. Then, before Rin could find any words to argue, he adopted a serious expression before saying, "Watch closely. I will move slowly so you can follow my movements."
Rin swallowed whatever words she was about to say before watching in shock and awe as Vahn began to 'shift' around the area, leaving behind subtle afterimages. From her perspective, it was almost like he was appearing in multiple places at once, each version of himself in an athletic pose that helped to emphasize the credibility of his statement. Though [Shundo] didn't actually require much flexibility, one of the key aspects to executing it was having impeccable balance. Without it, there was a chance you would 'slip' in between the two points, causing you to go tumbling painfully several tens of meters. As for the benefits flexibility would provide, at least in regards to [Shundo], it allowed the user to exploit the gaps in an opponent's defense by appearing in their blind spots more easily.
After keeping up his pace for around a minute, Vahn came to a stop right in front of Rin before exhaling a muted sigh. His legs and the core muscles of his abdomen felt like they were on fire but it was a 'good burn' that meant he was making progress in his own physical development. He didn't let the pain show on his face, however, as he looked directly into Rin's hesitant eyes and stated, "No matter how long it takes, I will make sure your understanding of the basics reaches the point that, no matter what heights you seek, you foundation will never fail you." Then, causing Rin to fluster, Vahn turned to Fenrir, who had been showing off her own flexibility at the side, saying, "Fenrir, I will give you the task of helping Rin improve her body's flexibility. She doesn't need to be at the level of Tiona, but I expect her to at least reach Lefiya's standard..."
With a thump of her chest, Fenrir stated, "Leave it to me...!" before moving towards Rin with a somewhat mischevious glint in her eyes. Rin held up both hands, waving them from side-to-side as she said, "Wait, wait, wait. I can do it myself. There is no need for Fenrir to assist me!" To this, Vahn just shook his head and said, "There are a lot of tensions in your muscles and joints. It is obvious that you don't properly stretch before you train so Fenrir will make sure your body 'remembers' how it ought to move. I would do it myself but...well..." Since Rin was wearing a skin-tight bodysuit that exposed her navel, it left little to the imagination when she stretched. Vahn didn't mind the sight but, deciding it was best he conducts his own training regimen, he left Rin's care to Fenrir since the latter would treat it 'very' seriously.
Not affording Rin the chance to refuse, she and Fenrir ended up moving into the basement to use the yoga mats there. Vahn could swear he heard Rin's voice was echoing through the entire Manor, penetrating soundproof barriers, as Fenrir forced her body into positions she never thought possible. Fortunately, though Rin had been lax in her prior training, she still had the inherent flexibility of a woman, combined with the fact she actually did take care of her physique. This meant that, while it was certainly painful, Fenrir was able to 'help' her perform the entire routine without too many issues. It helped that Rin was able to use [Restoration] Magecraft as it relied on increasing the body's natural regeneration, meaning it was repairing and rebuilding the damaged muscles quickly. Vahn wondered why Magi didn't use a combination of [Restoration] and intense physical training to build up their bodies but, much like many of the things he had observed in this world, there seemed to be a distinct lack of 'awareness' about how to reach the pinnacle...
By the time lunchtime came around, Rin was walking on shaky legs as Fenrir helped to support her body. When she plopped down in her chair, she nearly missed her mark and fell over but Fenrir quickly snatched her up as if she were wrangling a child. Vahn couldn't help laughing out loud at this because Rin, intuiting what he had been thinking, showed an embarrassed blushed as she 'glared' back at him. This faded quickly when she began eating, however, as Vahn was using ingredients that contained a fair amount of mana to further promote her growth. Rin was perfectly aware of this, as she was sensitive to the existence of mana, so she savored each bite without leaving any scraps. After all, trying to procure produce that had mana contained within would cost a small fortune on the market so she wasn't willing to refuse food that was both ridiculously delicious and extremely nourishing.
When lunch came to an end, Vahn was preparing Rin's second training menu when she preempted him by saying, "I have somewhere to be this afternoon. Don't forget that I'm still an active member of the Clock Tower so I have my own duties to attend. Your arrival here just happened to coincide with the start of something akin to a 'vacation' for me. Pretty soon, I'll be busy doing my job so you'll have to stay here with Fenrir while I return to work." Though she recognized Vahn as her Master, at least as far as Magecraft was concerned, Rin still hadn't talked to him about the Holy Grail War. She was even intending to have him and Fenrir stay with a friend just before the event officially took place as, even though Vahn's assistance would be extremely helpful, Rin didn't want to expose him and Fenrir to the larger Magus Community, at least for the time being.
Though Vahn's expression didn't change much, Fenrir furrowed her brows in response to Rin's words since she knew the latter was trying to 'fool' her Master. Fortunately, Rin had averted her eyes as a result of her own guilt, making it even more apparent that she wasn't quite sure about her actions. Since it was ultimately her choice, as Vahn was just a single new variable in her life, he lightly stroked Fenrir's back to keep her calm before saying, "I expect you'll put twice the effort into your training later on. Right now, your increased Magical Power could result in a serious backlash so make sure you avoid 'dangerous' situations, at least for the time being..." Even though Rin likely wouldn't be fighting any time soon, as Vahn suspected there was no way he would miss the start of the Holy Grail War, there was no way of knowing what would happen.
In response to Vahn's concerns, Rin crossed her arms while continuing to avoid eye contact, saying, "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, Vahn. Don't worry about me, I'm a big girl who knows what I'm doing." No sooner had Rin finished saying this line that Fenrir added, "More like a big baby who whines over just a little bit of pain..." As the one who had born witness to how 'whiny' Rin could be, Fenrir wasn't at all convinced by her attempts to put on a strong front. This caused Rin to react as if she had been struck by lightning, causing a strange expression to appear on her face before she eventually exclaimed, "How can you be so cute, yet so vicious at the same time...!?"
Without missing a beat, Fenrir puffed out her chest with pride, a haughty smile on her face as she proclaimed, "I am my Master's first creation, the companion that has stood at his side longer than anyone else! No matter what I do, I always put in the maximum amount of effort to make sure I can be helpful to Master~!" Though these words flowed from Fenrir's mouth without any hesitation, even Vahn felt a little strange hearing her proclaim them in such a way. He was starting to wonder if his 'education' of Fenrir had been a little skewed, especially as Rin look towards him with a deadpan expression, accusation clearly visible in her eyes. This wasn't well-received by Fenrir but Vahn had brought her to silence by placing his hand atop her head, smiling wryly towards Rin as he said, "You should understand the significance of context, Rin. Don't make assumptions that could cause any misunderstandings...now, how soon until you need to be leaving?"
With Vahn's reminder, Rin looked towards a nearby grandfather clock, releasing a sigh as she said, "I should have already left twenty minutes ago. Now I'm going to have to listen..." Towards the end of her sentence, Rin's words trailed as a 'scheming' look adorned her face. She began to laugh in a manner that was eerily reminiscent of Loki before running upstairs to change without another word. Vahn and Fenrir were left in the dining room, the latter showing a pouting expression while Vahn had a wry smile on his face. He had seen the small skirmish between Rin and the blonde-haired girl, one where they were almost equally matched, so it was obvious to him that Rin was intending to 'teach' her friend a lesson...
For the rest of the afternoon, Vahn and Fenrir continued their own training in earnest, even though their breaks often involved the latter curling up in his lap. Overall, it was a very pleasant way to pass the time, leading Vahn to curse his past self for failing to be more decisive. Though he knew his decision wasn't wrong, as it perfectly overlapped with the moment that Rin would be actively seeking to increase her strength, Vahn didn't know how he had functioned without Fenrir at his side. Her presence alone made it feel as if his training was twice as effective, even though the number of breaks they took was far more than he would have otherwise. This was the result of his body and mind being in the state of 'balance' that he mentioned to Rin as, before Fenrir's summoning, Vahn's heart and mind were obviously lacking 'focus'...
Around the time Vahn was expecting Rin to return, he was instead alerted to the presence of another Magus that had a distinctly different signature. Not only was it even larger than Rin's, but there was also a malicious and heavy feeling present within, constrained by a terrible darkness. As he knew that having a Darkness Affinity didn't necessarily make a person evil, Vahn didn't immediately take action as he sent his intent outside the walls to observe their 'guest'. He was no longer as easy to detect as when he had first spied on Rin but this didn't seem to matter at all as the visitor looked 'towards' him with what could only be described as lifeless purple eyes. For a brief moment, there was a look of genuine confusion on the woman's face as she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Are you supposed to be Tohsaka's hidden card...?"
At this point, Vahn could tell that the woman, while showing no open hostility, harbored a deeply rooted resentment towards Rin. Though her face lacked even a hint of emotion, Vahn could feel the mana in her body swirl about chaotically after identifying his presence. Even worse was the fact that, after getting a better look at her, Vahn could see several overlapping mana signatures within her body that, at a glance, caused a sick feeling to rise up in his stomach. She may look relatively normal on the outside, but it was almost as if the interior of her body was crawling with dozens of grotesque worm-like creatures. Though she seemed to have obtained some form of symbiosis with them, Vahn could tell that the creatures writhing about under her skin weren't designed with benevolent intentions...
Previously, it looked as if the woman was here to visit Rin, as she had walked up to the front gate without any discernable hesitation, but now Vahn couldn't help but feel that her intentions weren't pure. Though he didn't tear through the void with his Qinglong form, Vahn used [Shundo] to appear next to the woman like a phantom as he asked, "What are you doing here?" Unlike how he would normally appear, Vahn currently had ashen-grey hair and sharper facial features, given him an older and battle-hardened appearance. He didn't want to expose his actual identity as, even though Rin knew he could change forms, she seemed to determined to keep him hidden. Vahn wanted to respect this sentiment so he had even changed his race and the internal structure of his mana to make it impossible to distinguish him from his 'true' self.
As if she wasn't even remotely surprised by Vahn's sudden appearance, the woman turned towards him with a smile on her face that seemed extensively practiced. Vahn's brows furrowed in response to this before he unhesitantly stated, "If you are an enemy, know that the only thing that awaits you is a bad end if you attempt to harm Rin." These words caused the woman to laugh in a somewhat dry manner before she muttered, "Rin always gets everything...hahaha...." After these words left her mouth, the woman acted as if she hadn't just shown a 'dark' expression, smiling even more so than before, saying, "It is nice to meet you...ah, I didn't catch your name?" Then, as if realizing her own faux pas, the girl crossed her hands in an overly polite manner before bowing slightly and saying, "My name is Sakura Matou, the acting Head of the Matou family. Miss Tohsaka and I, we must discuss a matter of great importance. Tell me, Sir, would you happen to know if she is in...?"
Hearing the woman mention the 'Matou' family, Vahn's expression didn't soften in the slightest as, from the texts he had within his memory, he knew exactly who Sakura Matou was. She was the biological sister of Rin who had been adopted by the Matou family when she was only six years old. Though most of the details regarding her were vague, almost every account that mentioned Sakura presented her as an antagonistic force within Rin's life. Even though the Tohsaka and Matou families were supposed to be close allies, working alongside the Einzburn Magus family in order to establish the Holy Grail War, this didn't seem to be the actual case in reality. Not only were the often reputed to use vicious means but, even without knowing what the entities inside of Sakura were, Vahn could tell they were 'evil' in nature...
Seeing that Vahn had no intention of answering her questions, Sakura moved her bangs aside so that they fell behind her ear. She had a peculiar hairstyle where one side was neatly tied with a small red ribbon. This gave her a somewhat innocent and youthful appeal, even though Vahn felt that letting your bangs hang on one side would just unnecessarily obscure your vision. He had never understood the draw to such a hairstyle, even if it seemed to suit Sakura's peculiar purple hair. Of course, no matter how innocent she tried to act, Vahn could literally sees several of the eyeless worms 'looking' toward him beneath her skin. Their standard appearance was grotesque enough but it made his skin feel like it was covered in grease as they followed his every movement...
After more than a minute of awkward silence, Sakura's eyes sharpened ever so slightly as she mused, "I've never seen a Servant like you...I wonder how strong you are? Well, not that it matters...please tell Rin that I stopped by, would you? Regardless of what happened in the past, I would sincerely like to reconnect with her at some point...we have so much to discuss." Though her expression conveyed no 'sincere' emotions, Vahn could feel murderous intention in Sakura's final words. She seemed to have mistaken him as a Servant, however, as she tried to walk by him with her over-practiced smile. For a brief moment, Vahn considered whether or not he should kill her but, as she was undoubtedly Rin's kin, the latter might come to resent him if she learned of the truth. Though Vahn could bear her ire if it meant saving her life, he didn't know the full story so it would be hasty to eliminate Sakura outright...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What do you mean you can't do a 270-degree split...?','Fenrir is very prideful','I wonder how the other Masters will feel when they realize Vahn isn't a Servant...quality prank')
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