章節 1267: Interlude: Unstoppable Momentum...?
A mere ten days after the summoning of Maxwell, equating to seventy within the Projection, the enigmatic Conceptual Entity finally reached the point Vahn had been awaiting.
Maxwell spent the majority of his time just idling about in the garden of his private Manor located on the southern tip of Avalon. He rarely interacted with others and instead spent most of his time just reading novels and enjoying the warm rays of the sun. Since his Manor had been directly tied to the island-wide mana gathering formation developed by Da Vinci, he was able to absorb a truly monstrous amount of mana with little to no effort on his own part.
In truth, Maxwell had finished charging enough mana after only sixty-three days but, in an attempt to see how closely Vahn was observing him, he decided to meander for an additional week. Vahn had been aware of this but, as there was no pressing need to force Maxwell when his Empire was already thriving, he allowed the matter to lay for the time being.
Using the extra time, Vahn just poured through history books and spent a few hours each day just discussing who they should summon when the time came. Maxwell allowed them to summon an infinite number of figures from any point in history but, in order to prevent any issues from arising, they had to be selective in their decisions. After all, the people summoned all had their own wants and needs to consider.
Da Vinci was of the mind that he should summon one of each type of Servant Class, just to get a proper understanding of their capabilities. She postulated that a time would come, perhaps in the distant future, where their enemies would have come up with a summoning system of their own. If they did not have a proper understanding of the capabilities of each type of Servant, there was a chance they would be caught off guard.
Generally speaking, it was almost impossible to argue against Da Vinci as, long before she gave her opinion on a matter, she had usually put a lot of thought into it. In many situations, she would have already researched the matter and run numerous simulations using Ark so, when Vahn read over her study and was coming to a conclusion, he couldn't help but agree with her. Merlin also supported the idea and, though he advised caution, he believed it was well within their power to keep under control so long as Vahn didn't summon an entity like 'Lucifer' under the Avenger classification.
So long as nothing unexpected happened, Vahn was going to be summoning a total of '_' new residents to his Empire. This included Jeanne, by Alaya's recommendation, Scáthach, by her own recommendation, and Medea, by Circe's recommendation. As for the rest, they were important figures that Vahn and his 'counsel' had decided were beneficial to the Empire and the world at large. The two most notable in this category were Sherlock Holmes, recommended by Da Vinci, and Semiramis, recommended by Merlin.
Vahn had been more than a little surprised by the fact that Merlin suggested someone who was famous for tyranny, despotism, and the use of poison. He was only convinced after Merlin told him why Semiramis behaved the way she did. She was someone who had been abandoned by her Goddess mother immediately after birth and, as a result of her pseudo-divinity and unnatural beauty, she had been a 'prize' to claim by many men. As a ruler, she was actually praised for her administration, despite the fact most people referred to as a witch and a poisoner.
Semiramis would certainly be a problematic individual to deal with but, according to Merlin, she was easier to manage than someone like Circe. Better yet, she had an EX-Rank Noble Phantasm that allowed her to, quite literally, make a nigh-impenetrable floating fortress. Not only could this serve as a principal military installation but, with Da Vinci's modifications and the fact that it was a literal floating fortress, it would be a lot easier to convince people of the existence of Magic in the near future.
It was impossible to know for certain but, with the omnipotence provided to them, it was possible for Merlin and Scáthach to make an approximation of Semiramis' capabilities. She wasn't actually that strong without her Noble Phantasm, which required weeks and a phenomenal amount of resources just to build, so she didn't pose any significant danger. Rather, as long as others treated her well, she was relatively easy to deal with.
Vahn was still a little uncomfortable with summoning someone like Semiramis but, as her poison would essentially be useless, there wasn't too much to worry about. Even if she had poisoning capabilities on the level of a Noble Phantasm, he was entirely immune. She also wouldn't be able to take advantage of any ongoing conflicts within the Inner Sanctum as, unlike the majority of other Kingdoms and Empires throughout history, the Aldrnari Empire didn't have such issues in the present.
Semiramis would obviously not be allowed to reside within the Inner Sanctum with impunity as, now that the status quo was being established, Vahn was preparing to separate future Heroic Spirits from those he had already summoned. He didn't want things to develop to the point that he was essentially sleeping with every famous Heroine throughout history so, by the time Maxwell was ready for the mass summoning, Vahn had commissioned several Manors and refurbished a large section of the Ivory Castle to serve as their principal residences.
Vahn wanted to take into consideration the wants and needs of everyone he summoned so, much like Maxwell, he would give them the option to serve. It helped that the summoning system made them more inclined to obey him, especially with the modern knowledge and memory link, but it was still possible for them to decide on a different path.
So long as they were not intending to go around causing harm to others, Vahn didn't mind letting those he summoned live as they pleased. He would need to be careful with ambitious people and anyone leaning towards the 'evil' end of the spectrum but, with the use of Command Spells, even people like Gilgamesh could be loosely controlled. Though A and S-Rank Servants would be able to resist the compulsion of a Command Spell, it was still possible to create a gap in their ability to fight back so, if anyone tried to rebel, Vahn was more than prepared to deal with them.
Though it was haphazard to summon so many powerful figures into the present, the world was already set on the path of merging with the Reverse Side from the moment he arrived. Since he would need to have powerful allies to prevent Gods from running rampant and doing whatever they pleased, Vahn was willing to face a few difficulties in order to expand his faction.
By the time the Surface and Reverse Sides were merging, the Gods would either be forced to step in line or retreat to the far ends of their own isolated Bounded Fields. If they intended to cause trouble, which was extremely likely, he didn't mind striking down the old pantheons and creating them anew.
To this end, and as a final regulating mechanism, Vahn was going to be summoning most of the new Heroic Spirits as that, Heroic Spirits. He was not going to use the [Transmigrator] perk on all of them from the start as it invalidated the Class Skills and some of the unique abilities they would have possessed. Since they needed to get a proper understanding of what each Servant Class was capable of, Vahn needed to summon them as a representation of themselves, not the version of themselves torn from history.
Though it seemed like a relatively brash and selfish thing to do, Vahn had come to believe that it was equally selfish to prioritize the existence of historical figures over their Servant manifestations. After all, he had people like Nobunaga and Lakshmibai in his care so, he was inclined to treat all Heroic Spirits as individual existences. Since some, such as Da Vinci, were brought into this world as completely different people, despite having the [Transmigrator] perk, Vahn felt that the only time he should make use of the peculiar perk was when it was requested of him.
With this in mind, Vahn intended to use his summons as such: (A/N: You wouldn't believe how long this list took to make xD...)
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Jeanne: Ruler
Scáthach: Caster
Medea: Lily
Sherlock Holmes: Ruler
Semiramis: Assassin
Boudica: Avenger
Okita Souji: Alter Ego
Hati: MoonCancer
Leviathan: Watcher
Azathoth: Foreigner
Sol: Shielder
Spenta Mainyu: Idol
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While there were other Servant Classes inscribed on the Throne of Heroes, Vahn had noticed that some of them were left blank or, much like the example of Hassan-i-Sabbah, he simply couldn't summon them. This had included the Saver, Ender, Faker, and any Grand Classes, implying that they were either beyond his means to summon or, for whatever reason, Akasha's superiors had prevented him from doing so.
Vahn had originally intended to summon the primary Heroic Spirit of Miyamoto Musashi but, in the same manner as Hassan-i-Sabbah, his name had simply been greyed out. It was still possible to summon alternate versions of him but, any attempt to summon the 'real' Musashi was met with adamant refusal by the system regulating the Throne of Heroes. This implied that Musashi was a Grand Class Servant as, from what they were able to discern through prior discussions, it was all but guaranteed that the original Hassan was the Grand Assassin.
Fortunately, while the Grand classification was entirely blocked off to him, Vahn still had other unique modifiers besides the [Transmigrator] perk to choose from. This included the Lily and Alter classifications, two peculiar perks that offered a variety of different benefits...
The Lily classification was a version of a Heroic Spirit that was pulled from a time before their legend had fully formed. As a result, the Lily version of a Heroic Spirit was often much younger and, in many instances, a great deal weaker than their 'true' selves. This was not always the case, however, as Vahn noticed that the Lily versions of Artoria and Medea were actually just as strong, if not stronger, than their legendary counterparts.
The Alter classification was significantly rarer than the Lily classification as it generally required the Heroic Spirit to have two, or more, iterations of their legend. In many cases, the 'alter' version was how the enemies of a Heroic Spirit saw them, meaning a good person could be misconstrued as an evil despot and vice-versa. Curiously, Vahn had noticed that Semiramis had the potential to be summoned as an Alter version of herself, much like Artoria, Jeanne, and Nobunaga.
Vahn had ultimately decided to summon the Alter version of Okita Souji after discussing potential trump cards with Alaya. According to the diminutive blue creature, the Alter version of Okita had the ability to even kill concepts and, unlike the majority of other Alter Ego Servants, she was the type that greatly appreciated simply being given the opportunity to exist. Since Vahn wanted to study Laws related to the death of things that didn't even exist, she was the recommendation that had been provided by his perpetual counterpart...
---
When it finally came time for Vahn to perform his mass summoning, he had quite the crowd ready and waiting within the Welsh Dragon's chamber. There was also a large congregation back in the Projection waiting to celebrate the arrival of several new allies so Vahn was pressed to complete the ritual as quickly as possible. To this end, he decided to get the 'safer' summons out of the way first as, when it came to beings such as Azathoth, Leviathan, and Hati, he needed to make a few extra preparations.
With this in mind, Vahn went with the 'safest' option and, as Circe had been pressuring him for quite a while, he decided to lead with summoning the Lily version of Medea. This was the version of her before she had been twisted by Aphrodite and forced to serve Jason until she became one of history's most notorious witches. Circe had actually wanted him to pull the young Medea into the present but, as this would alter history in unforeseen ways, he managed to convince her not to do anything drastic.
What awaited Vahn after his summoning of Medea was an adorable little girl that was actually a little taller than Circe. She stood at 149cm and, based on her physical development, Vahn would estimate her age to be around fourteen years of age.
Much like Circe, Medea had pointed ears, albeit significantly shorter. She also had long hair that was a gentle purple hue. It cascaded from the back of her head in a long ponytail while her fringe bangs actually extended past her shoulders. She actually reminded him a lot of Lefiya and, if the color palettes were swapped, Vahn felt like it would be difficult to tell them apart from each other. The biggest difference, besides the 'atmosphere' surrounding them, was that Medea could give Circe and Fenrir a run for their money in the breast department, something Lefiya had few issues with...
Medea was more than a little confused when she suddenly came into being. She stared back at the person she knew was supposed to be her Master, her adorable expression turning into one of silent contemplation. Vahn simply returned a kind smile to her, causing Medea to inhale audibly as a strong desire to hide behind someone, or something, invaded her heart. Fortunately, before she was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions, a petite figure with reminiscent pink hair reached her side and practically tackled her with a warm hug.
After flustering for a short while, Medea finally got a good look at the person squeezing the air out of her lungs. She then blinked a few times in confusion before asking in a soft, bell-like, voice, "Aunt...Circe...?" In response to this, the pink-haired demon squeezed her even tighter, rubbing her cheek against Medea's as she answered, "Yes, you silly girl. It is so good to see you. Come, we have a lot to talk about."
Before anyone could stop her, Circe had dragged Medea out by her hand, causing the latter to show a fretful expression as she tried to bow and excuse herself. Vahn had already decided to let Circe take care of Medea so he just waved his hand with the same kind smile on his face before turning back to try and perform a second summoning. Since Maxwell explained there weren't any issues with his Noble Phantasm, Vahn was indeed able to activate the summon system a second time, causing a smile to spread across his face as he entered the Throne a second time...
The next Heroic Spirit to be summoned by Vahn was none other than Scáthach who, as could be expected, was almost identical to herself. With the exception of their garb, they were exact copies of each other and, much like Scáthach had attested, they both had the same set of memories and the same sense of self, just split. Even without using any form of telepathy, they always knew what the other was thinking and, with the exceptions of their Noble Phantasms and parameters, they were functionally the exact same person.
Vahn was a little unnerved to have two Scáthach's staring back at him with their cold expressions and glaring red eyes but he managed to conceal it well enough to perform the third summon. He didn't want to keep Da Vinci in suspense so, this time around, he decided to summon Sherlock Holmes. What appeared before was a gentlemanly individual standing at 183cm tall with black hair that looked reminiscent of ink. He had golden eyes which could rival a hawk's in sharpness and intensity while, as could be expected, he was garbed in old-school Victorian clothing.
Almost immediately after coming into existence, Sherlock began to look around at the crowd of people gathered before him. He pulled a curved pipe, seemingly out of thin air, and began to chew on the end of it in a contemplative manner as a smile slowly began to develop across his admittedly handsome face. He had a very sharp appearance, with a confidence visage, slicked-back hair, and a fit figure, so Vahn felt he would be extremely popular in the outside world.
Without even needing to be told, Sherlock gave a polite nod to Vahn before making his way over to where Merlin and Da Vinci were standing. He shared a few words with each of them before the latter began to brief him on what he should expect insofar as his duties were concerned. This was something that Vahn had already discussed with them so, while they were getting Sherlock up to speed, he wasted no time in performing another summoning.
This wasn't the first time he had experienced this phenomenon but, as he summoned several Servants in sequence, Vahn began to feel like his existence was beginning to thin and fade away. He had noticed this during his last mass summoning so, while Maxwell allowed him to summon as many people as he wanted, it seemed there were still some limitations on him.
Most 'Masters' could not manifest more than a single Heroic Spirit but, with his existence being an exception to the rule, Vahn was able to summon several without any real strain on his body. Still, it seemed that overusing the Throne had side-effects so unless it was necessitated by the situation they found themselves in, he would try to abstain from spamming the system to build a veritable army of Heroic Spirits.
Since his clarity of mind hadn't been affected that much just yet, Vahn next summoned Jeanne, the Ruler Class Servant that had been suggested by Alaya. What appeared after confirming the selection was a woman who was uncannily similar to Artoria, albeit older and garbed in a suit of armor that was distinctly different than his Empress'. She also gave off a more 'natural' vibe and, though she was a very beautiful woman, Vahn had the impression Jeanne was 'normal' compared to many of the women around him...
When Jeanne opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Vahn staring back at her while, behind him, several people that gave her a 'dangerous' feeling watched her with curiosity. This made her feel a little uncomfortable but, a stark contrast to how his entourage made her feel, Jeanne felt a natural inclination toward Vahn. Though the information provided by the summoning system was a contributing factor to this, it was the 'aura' surrounding him that gave her a strong urge to bend the knee.
Vahn was a little taken aback by the fact that Jeanne immediately lowered her head to him but, knowing why she would do so, he kept his composure and simply stated, "Raise your head. For the time being, go to my companions. They will explain the situation to you. Later, when the time comes, I will explain your mission to you..."
Without any hesitation, Jeanne returned a somewhat scary smile, one which could only be pulled off by those that whole-heartedly believed in something, as she answered, "Yes, my Lord...I will do as you command." Since she still had her hands brought together in prayer, Vahn felt more than a little awkward but, as Jeanne gave off the impression of someone 'inviolably pure', he decided to address her quirks later.
At this point, Vahn felt like it was becoming harder to focus but, without delaying any further, he activated the summoning system for the fifth time. This time around, he summoned Semiramis and, almost as if to emphasize this was his current limit, a trickle of blood began to run from his nose, irrespective of his regeneration. Vahn, fortunately, had his back to everyone so he just gave a quick sniffle to recover the errant blood, leaving all but Merlin and the two Scáthach's none the wiser.
Semiramis was a woman who, at other times, could be described as a peerless beauty, albeit with a palpable 'depraved' vibe emanating from her. Like Circe, she had extremely long ears, giving her the appearance of a High Elf but, a stark contrast to the natural beauty and soft colors of an Elf, Semiramis had silky black hair that cascaded down her back and pooled at the ground. It was much longer than she was tall, leaving Vahn to wonder how she kept it clean since it didn't seem to be 'alive' like Medusa's.
Though her hair is what stood out the most, at least to Vahn, almost everyone else in the room was taken aback by Semiramis' garb and the atmosphere surrounding her. She was wearing an ornate dress that was reminiscent of a moonless night. The top half was similar to a corset, which showed off her 'very' ample bosom, while the bottom half flared out in a bell-like shape that had large frills on the ends. It was adorned with pale golds and scarlet reds while, around her collar, a mane comprised of raven-black feathers and fur framed her head and constrained her impossibly long hair.
To complete her outfit, and adding to her depraved look, Semiramis had two long fringe bangs that came to an end in golden nails. She had similar golden nails in her hands and feet but, rather than just serve as an adornment, it was clear that the nails were actually embedded into her body. As a result, she had golden nails sticking out from the palms of her hands, linked together by a thick black cloth, while the other set was protruding from the tops of her feet. If not for her high heels, which had edges reminiscent of blades, she wouldn't even be able to walk normally.
When Semiramis opened her eyes, she revealed golden pupils with snake-like slits that gave her a natural predatory gaze. Her lips, which were like succulent fruits begging to be sampled, were fixed in a perpetually amused smile, one which gave off the impression of a cat that liked to toy with its prey. She immediately looked Vahn up and down with her sharp eyes before licking her lips with a startlingly red tongue and musing, "Not for naught am I known as the world's oldest poisoner... Are you truly certain that you can wield Queen Semiramis...?"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pay to Win','Two Shishous!?','Ara Ara~?')
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章節 1268: Interlude: Pushing Boundaries
Though he did not mean to belittle her, Vahn couldn't help but chuckle in response to Semiramis' words about being the oldest poisoner. While others may be in danger if her actions were ignored, he had absolute confidence in his immunity to poisons. His blood could even purify and purge the corruption of Angra Mainyu from his system so, even if she had an Innate related to poisoning, the likelihood of it having any effect on him was slim, at best.
Semiramis squinted her eyes slightly when the person that was supposed to be her Master began chuckling at her expense. She was tempted to try and teach him a lesson but, as almost everyone in the room gave her a dangerous feeling, she managed to resist the urge. Instead, she offered a sly smile and asked, "Have I done something you find humorous...?"
Vahn hadn't completely lost his composure so he ceased chuckling and instead returned a casual smile as he answered, "I apologize...my reaction may have been unwarranted. There are a few things you should keep in mind. You see, I'm completely immune to things like poison so I'm more worried about you trying to target others. If that thought crosses your mind, however...well, just know I can get a little heated when it comes to protecting the things I care about. Please, keep that in mind."
Despite his best attempts to restrain it, Vahn always emanated an oppressive aura whenever he was discussing anything related to his loved ones being harmed. This was felt by Semiramis who, despite being a Heroic Spirit, had a comparably frail body. Her Endurance only measured 13D and, despite having been summoned as an Assassin Class Servant, even her Agility was only 17D. To make up for this, she had a unique ability known as [Double Summon], allowing her to use the Class Skills of both an Assassin and Caster. This meant that, rather than an Assassin, she was basically a Caster with the Skills and abilities of an Assasin.
As a Queen who had ruled over Assyria for decades, Semiramis managed to keep her composure even under Vahn's pressure. Though it felt like her skin was tingling all over, she managed another sly smile as she mused, "How curious...it would seem my Master is not some incompetent fool. Tell me, why have you called upon the services of this Queen...I trust you are seeking more than just my body, yes?"
Semiramis was supremely confident in her own beauty but, with people like Da Vinci, Scáthach, and Artoria present, it was a little hard to consider herself the most beautiful. After all, Da Vinci's [Golden Rule:EX] wasn't just a gimmick that artificially enhanced her beauty. If she made an earnest effort to try and exploit the ability, it would work similar to [Charisma:EX], meaning she could essentially rule the entire world on the laurels of her beauty alone. Thus, in the presence of Da Vinci, Semiramis felt like she had to take a step back, even if her pride gave her a strong urge to try and compete against her...
Vahn wanted to buy enough time so that he could recover enough for one final summon so, rather than just leave the explanation to others, he decided to pander to Semiramis a bit by answering her questions. She was a Queen, after all, so she would probably appreciate it more if he gave her a bit of attention instead of just diverting her to someone else.
In response to Semiramis' teasing, Vahn kept his casual smile as he answered, "I suppose it would be proper to answer your questions in order. First of all, I have no intention to 'wield' you. Rather, if you are willing, I would like to consider you amongst my allies. Ultimately, you are free to live the lifestyle of your choosing. So long as you do not endanger the interests of the Empire and cause unnecessary suffering, you are free to live as you please."
Hearing her Master's words, Semiramis couldn't help but raise one of her brows as she asked with a slightly incredulous tone, "You would have me believe you summoned me twenty-eight-hundred years into the future without a purpose? Live however I please? What kind of farce is this, my dear Master...?"
Semiramis was still smiling but it didn't quite reach her eyes any longer. She was obviously annoyed to have been summoned for such a half-hearted reason. This made Vahn feel a little apologetic but he managed to keep his usual smile as he answered in a calm tone, "In truth, there are several uses I have for you. However, I live by the principle that people should not be forced to obey. If you choose to help me, I will make sure you are rewarded properly. I can even grant your wishes, so long as they do not conflict with the interests of the Empire and endanger other people. Rather than tools, I seek powerful and reliable allies..."
Though she couldn't really sense any falsehood in Vahn's words, Semiramis felt like he was trying to manipulate her. When she heard his remark about not forcing people, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and retorted, "You summon me into the modern era and then pretend I have any choice in how I live? I either have to make use of the arrangements you have made or venture out into the outside world to try and find my footing. A Queen without a Kingdom and subjects is nothing more than a target for despots who wish to claim her. Tell me, how strong is this 'Empire' compared to the other forces in this world...?"
Vahn was a little taken aback by Semiramis' accusations, even if he could understand where she was coming from. Still, he managed to keep his composure as he answered confidently, "The Empire has the greatest military might and the fastest technological development. Though there are a select few individuals who could cause a significant amount of damage to our forces, there are none who have the power to destabilize the foundation we are building."
Once again sensing no falsehoods behind her Master's words, Semiramis made a show of rolling her eyes as she retorted, "See? My choices are obedience, house arrest, or becoming an enemy to a man who has the power to order me however he pleases. In other words, I only really have one choice, do I not? After all, I am quite accustomed to a life of luxury and...indulgence..."
Toward the end of her words, Semiramis adopted a more seductive expression as she turned her eyes up and leaned forward slightly. This accented her cleavage a considerable amount as she had already crossed her arms to prop up her breasts. Vahn, however, kept a completely straight face as, with his Divinity related to Sex, he knew when a person desired him. Semiramis was trying to seduce him, yes, but there were no genuine emotions behind the act at all. Instead, she seemed like a viper waiting for its prey to get within range and, though she would play the part of a willing participant well, it was all but guaranteed that she would try and poison him in the process.
Rather than fall into Semiramis' pace, Vahn continued to smile casually as he remarked, "I will not pretend that my act of summoning you into this timeline was not selfish. To that end, I will provide you with comfortable living conditions. My Empire has an unlimited amount of wealth and, so long as you do not treat them poorly, our staff will tend to your every need. Whether it be delicious food, lavish adornments, or mountains of treasure, all will be provided to you. Though these may lack real substance, they should be more than enough to make up for the inconvenience you have suffered. If this is unsatisfactory, it is also possible to break the contract binding-"
Though she had been listening attentively as Vahn spoke, Semiramis felt her heart flutter anxiously when she realized what he was about to say. Before he could finish his statement, she made a show of clearing her throat before adopting an awkward smile and saying, "You'll have to forgive me, my cherished and benevolent Master. You see, I am not accustomed to the position of Servant so I may have issued some unnecessary remarks. For now, I would like to observe this world for a while before making my final decision. If the Empire is as powerful as you say, I would not mind giving my all in service of the Emperor..."
At this point, Semiramis had already started to suspect that Vahn was the Emperor in question but, as he didn't really give off the bearing of a true tyrant, it was hard to be certain. She believed that a ruler was intrinsically superior to others and, as a result, they should express their desires and live a life without inhibitions. Since Vahn spoke of platitudes and pretended to walk the moral high road, this meant he was either an idealistic fool or, as was more likely the case, he had obtained the only 'real power' in the world: Authority.
Semiramis decided that, until she got a better understanding of the situation, she should not press her Master in the 'usual' way. He did not seem to have the same weaknesses as other men or, at the very least, was no easily wiled by things like beauty and subtle seduction techniques. She would have to use more extreme methods to secure a position for herself. As for his prior remark about being immune to things like poison, Semiramis didn't believe that in the slightest. He might have a very high tolerance but, once she had a better understanding of his constitution, it was only a matter of time before she had him in the palm of her hand...
Vahn had redeveloped a habit of activating his View Affection function whenever he was dealing with especially troublesome people so Semiramis' machinations had not escaped his notice. Since Merlin had told him that she wouldn't be an issue, Vahn decided to largely ignore the purple and greens within her aura, at least for the time being. If she attempted anything against him, it would give him leverage against her but, if she tried anything against his loved ones, she would seal her own fate. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be a completely foolish woman so, unless he was confident in being able to deal with 'every' threat, Semiramis would likely never take any decisive action.
Throughout their entire discussion, Vahn had kept a stoic and casual smile without showing any discernible change in expression. This made it difficult for Semiramis to get a read on him so, now that they had reached a basic accord, Vahn gestured to the side and politely stated, "Please, join the rest. We will only be down here for a few minutes longer. After I finish here, we'll be moving to the surface in order to celebrate the arrival of new allies. Once the festivities have concluded, you will be shown to your residence."
At this point, Semiramis was putting on the act of an elegant lady so, after hearing Vahn's words, she gave a polite curtsy before snaking her way over toward Merlin. He was the only other male present so, rather than speak with some of the women given her the stink eye, she decided to try and obtain some information from him. Though he gave her a very 'peculiar' feeling, he seemed to be the least dangerous person in the room.
Vahn was tempted to chuckle when he saw who Semiramis had decided to try and converse with. He could see the smile on Merlin's face morph into one of genuine amusement, giving Semiramis a bit of pause as everyone else in the room gave her incredulous and pitying looks. Since she had already made her decision, however, Semiramis could only walk willingly into the lion's den, something she would come to regret in the coming days. As for Vahn, he made a mental note to discuss Semiramis with the other males living within the castle as, if she realized approaching him was fruitless, there was a good chance she might try and target one of them instead...
---
Ignoring the 'dullness' in his mind, Vahn activated the summoning system for the sixth time. He had recovered a bit during the conversation with Semiramis so he was confident there wouldn't be any serious consequences. He also wanted to push his limits to ascertain how long it would take for him to make a full recovery as this could be important information in the future.
This time around, Vahn decided to summon Okita Souji as, while the others may be more pertinent to his short-term plans, she was the most important for his future development. After all, if he could comprehend what allowed her to kill 'concepts', he would be able to defeat most Tier 5 existences, regardless of his own Soul Tier. Though this would still require that he actually hit them, there were a number of ways to drastically increase his speed through the manipulation of Space, Time, and Light Elemental energy.
After confirming his selection, Vahn felt like his body was burning from the interior but, as he had already prepared himself, there were no external signs of the pain he was experiencing. Since it was a far cry from what he would experience during his training with Scáthach, he was even able to keep the same casual smile on his face as he watched the mana within the summoning system take shape. It began to take the shape of a tall woman but, after seeing her true form, Vahn noticed that much of her height came from the 15cm tall metallic geta sandals.
Sans sandals, the woman was around 163cm tall with tanned skin and pale, almost white, hair. She was attired in a kimono that was closer to a corset in design as, rather than conceal her figure, it accented it considerably. The top half was literally just black leather that hugged her breasts but left a large gap above where the fabric hugged around her diaphragm. This created an inverted cleavage that showed off the healthy yet tender skin of her breasts, almost as if it had been designed for the sole purpose of distracting enemies.
The bottom half of Okita's outfit was extremely thin and form-fitting while the skirt component did not even pass her wrists in length. There was a small slit in the front and, even though he was taller than her, Vahn could see the briefest glimpse of Okita's black panties through the gap. As for the rest of her outfit, she had metallic sabatons, cuisses, and fanned plating covering her legs from the thighs down. They were comprised of a thin black metal that was trimmed with pale gold while, on her arms, she wore a pair of black leather bracers with small plates on the backs of her hands. To complete the outfit, she had on a vibrant red scarf that matched the color of her other garments and the two red tassels tying to the sides of her hair. She also had a black ribbon tying her hair up at the back while, in her left hand, an impossibly long katana was held aloft.
Vahn, like everyone else in the room, felt a subtle 'threat' coming from the katana. It was close to 220cm in length, sheathed in a black scabbard that was adorned with pale gold. At the very end, a red gemstone was embedded into the surface while a thick red cord was tied just beneath the tsuba, the guard of the incredibly long sword. It seemed impossible to unsheath through normal means but Vahn had no doubt that Okita would be able to pull it off without any difficulty at all.
While her outfit and katana were visually stunning, the thing that had surprised Vahn the most was that Okita, despite having tanned skin and pale hair, looked a lot like Artoria and Gray. Her facial structure was almost identical, despite being Japanese, so he couldn't help but gawk slightly until she opened her eyes. This only increased the similarities between her and Artoria, however, as she had pale silver eyes that seemed to emanate a subtle glow. The only big differences between them, besides the aura they emanated, were Okita's skin tone and the fact that her bust size was very close to a D-Cup...
Vahn wasn't the only one to notice the similarities, causing Artoria's and Gray's eyes to dull slightly when they saw their counterparts sizable assets. Despite knowing that Vahn didn't care about such things, it was quite 'troubling' to see someone so similar to themselves have the very thing they had both desired in the past. Gray was a little better off, as she could ask Vahn to help her grow a bit, but Artoria was perpetually stuck in her fourteen-year-old body, never changing in the slightest. Still, she quickly recovered her composure as, despite her own insecurities, she was very aware of the fact that Vahn appreciated her current form...
Though Okita briefly glanced at everyone waiting in the back, her gaze was predominately focused on the man standing before her. Her geta allowed her to stand at a similar height as Vahn so she was able to look directly into his eyes as she stated, not asked, "You are my Master..." Then, without the need for a response, she bowed extremely low while angling her katana back to keep her balance. It would have been more proper to kneel but, considering how short her kimono was, combined with the oversized geta, such an action would have been next to impossible to perform.
Seeing the top of Okita's head directly, Vahn was momentarily distracted by her massive ahoge. It made even Artoria's and Gray's seem small in comparison, giving him a strong desire to reach out and grab it. He managed to resist this urge, however, before stating in a calm tone of voice, "Please, raise your head. For the time being, such formalities are not required. If you choose to serve me after understanding your situation better, only then should you lower your head..."
Rather than raise her head immediately, Okita continued to bow for several seconds before looking up, her face completely expressionless as she stated, "My very existence would be impossible if not for Master's benevolence. Every breath I draw henceforth will be in service of your goals. If you ask me to walk through a forest of swords or a mountain of spears, I would not hesitate. This is the only way I know to express my gratitude...please, make use of me."
If not for a complete lack of emotion and passion, Okita's words might have had a deep impact on Vahn's psyche. He was pretty weak to women who desired to dedicate themselves to him but, in this case, his casual smile took on wry undertones as he answered in a somewhat subdued manner, "Your dedication is admirable...I will do my best to be a good Master for you..." Since it would likely be very difficult, if not outright impossible, to try and convince Okita to live in a more carefree manner, Vahn could only wait for her to mellow out after interacting with the others for a bit.
To Vahn's surprise, Okita shook her head as if to refute his words before saying in a dull monotone, "By allowing my existence, you are already the best Master I could ask for. Do not concern yourself for my well being. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. If there is anything I can do for you, my Master, I will not hesitate to do so. This is my purpose and I intend to carry it out. If you do not have a need for me, I would rather die than live a life without purpose."
If he was troubled before, Vahn was at a complete loss now as he habitually looked through his Unit Management to view Okita's Affection. After hearing the conviction in her almost mechanical words, he wasn't at all surprised to discover that, much like how Gray had been after her conversion, Okita had the 'Eternal Loyalty' value. Seeing this, he knew any attempt to try and convince Okita would be a wasted effort so, for the time being, he simply smiled and said, "I'll be in your care...Okita..."
Though her eyes still seemed to lack any emotion whatsoever, Okita reacted to his with a polite bow before adopting a small smile on her face. It was actually a little eerie but, as he had lived through the adaptation period of Fenrir, whose smile gave off the distinct impression she was about to eat you, he managed to return a natural one of his own. After all, having a loyal follower was never a bad thing...so long as they didn't go out of their way to try and please him...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You call these options!? This is blatant Queen-napping!','RIP Semiramis...','The dangers of summoning an Alter-Ego xD...')
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