章節 1643: Pursuit : Truth
With most of his business completed, Vahn teleported to the center of Fenrir's gradually expanding castle.
Curiously, perhaps because she was able to sense his presence from the gemstone, Asuna reacted a little slower than usual. It was only after Fenrir raised her body that she seemed to notice his arrival, her face a subtle shade of red as she quickly 'concealed' the rainbow-hued gemstone from view.
Though he found Asuna's behavior rather amusing, Vahn could only smile wryly as he extended his hand, materializing the gemstone in his palm. This caused the twin-tailed princess to puff out her cheeks slightly, but, as he really didn't need the stress of a precocious girl becoming increasingly bold with his gemstone, Vahn pretended not to notice her pouting expression.
After walking over and allowing Fenrir to nuzzle against him for a few moments, Vahn hopped onto her back, ruffling the deadpan Asuna's hair before saying, "It seems our enemies want to draw this out. I guess it's about time we meet with the members of Ala Rubra. Are you ready, Fenrir, Asuna?"
Though she was able to speak in her wolf form, Fenrir's response was a bored yawn. As for Asuna, her fake pout turned more genuine as she asked, "Are they going to be living with us?"
Understanding Asuna's concerns, as she was going through a bit of a 'selfish' phase right now, Vahn smiled wryly in response before gently guiding her to sit in his lap. This was more than enough to pacify her mild frustrations, her ears turning a rosy tinge as she leaned into Vahn's chest and turned her head up, clearly expecting an answer to her previous question.
While smiling back at her, Vahn explained, "Depending on how things develop, they will probably come to stay on the island. Don't worry, I have no intention of revealing the Garden of Avalon to them at this point in time. Even if it turns out the mastermind behind Ala Rubra is involved in some grand scheme, they won't be able to trace our movements if I'm serious."
Knowing Ala Rubra wouldn't be able to enter the Garden of Avalon, Asuna could feel the tensions in her body melting away. She could already imagine Vahn helping Nagi train, and, while that wasn't a bad thing, she didn't want to spend years living in close proximity with the members of Ala Rubra. It was one thing to be allies, but, after reading excerpts about Nagi's various exploits during his youth, she wasn't comfortable with bathing or changing anywhere near him.
Feeling a little angry just thinking about someone trying to 'prank' her, Asuna's expression became somewhat scary as she muttered, "I want to fight against Nagi. I need to overcome my aversion to injuring others and I can't think of a more suitable training partner..."
Sensing the sword intent radiating from Asuna's body, Vahn was struggling to restrain a laugh as he internally remarked, ("I'm starting to feel sorry for that brat...")
In the original timeline, Asuna would have undoubtedly grown fond of Nagi, and, though she might have felt forced by the circumstances, Arika likely loved him dearly. Now, however, both girls held a bit of resentment towards the boy. This was one of the downsides to learning about the future from a historical account. It allowed people to form a bias because all the finer details, such as the actual context and emotions involved, were simply missing.
If he were being honest, Vahn had also formed a bit of a bias towards the legendary party, but, as they were undoubtedly the 'protagonists', he knew there had to be a greater reason for everything that happened. Nagi was probably a good kid, and, though he would undoubtedly be a little dense, he should have a natural charisma that drew people to him. As for his perversion...well, that seemed to be a common trope when it came to protagonists.
Based on how people viewed nakedness in Mundus Magicus, it wasn't difficult to imagine that the world was created as either a romantic comedy or an action novel with a fair amount of fanservice. Even Eva had shown up in what amounted to a BDSM outfit, and, though she had defaulted to less revealing clothing after their reunion, her leather g-string wasn't something that could be forgotten easily. She also had a habit of wearing rather skimpy side-tie panties, and, though it was easy to just blame it on happenstance, even the wind within Mundus Magicus had a high probability of blowing up skirts to reveal the contents hidden beneath...
Remembering his stay in Ariadne, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head slightly, a wry smile on his face as he answered, "I don't mind if you want to fight against him. If he is as strong as rumored, he will be a good rival for you. Just make sure you wear your Aegis properly to prevent any 'accidents' from occurring."
Knowing what Vahn meant by accidents, Asuna's sword intent became even more potent, her eyes sharpening like blades as she said, "If he tries anything...I'll cut it off..."
Feeling goosebumps spread across his body, Vahn found himself unable to reply to Asuna's rather 'dangerous' words. Instead, he just lightly pat her head before turning to Fenrir and saying, "We'll head West to draw out the people who are undoubtedly pursuing us. If anyone powerful shows up, you will probably need to return to your true form. You don't need to force yourself to fight in your transformed state."
Understanding the weaknesses of fighting in a giant form, Fenrir didn't hesitate to nod in response to her Master's words. Then, after storing her [Pristine Jace-Ice Bed], her scarlet eyes began to blaze with an intense light as the palace around her began to vibrate and crackle. From the outside, it was like the entire structure was being illuminated from the interior, and, after reaching an intensity that could rival the side, the entire thing simply 'dispersed' into a veritable tidal wave of icy white light.
Though the glacial palace only covered a few hundred meters, the ice elemental energy released by its dispersal spread out for several kilometers. In its wake, a large part of the bay was frozen down to the mud as a thick layer of frost covered most nearby structures. It was almost like a giant snow globe had been formed in the region, as, due to the presence of the ice elemental energy, any rain that entered the pale white bubble immediately turned to ice and snow...
---
Immediately following Fenrir's departure from the Megalomesembrian entry point, various forces that had been patiently lying in wait stirred to action. Fighting inside of the city was forbidden, for obvious reasons, so, even when Vahn had been making his way towards the Senate Building, they had been unable to act.
Fortunately for the would-be bounty hunters, Megalomesembria had yet to even consider whether or not they were going to retract Vahn's bounty. Thus, without any fear that their efforts would be wasted, various groups decided to pursue the giant wolf that was somehow able to run across the surface of the water as if it was flat ground.
Among the first groups to react, a youth with two-tone red hair and similar red eyes had a massive grin on his face tossed his staff into the air before leaping atop it and shouting, "I'm going ahead! I won't let them get away this time!"
Without waiting for any of his companions to respond, the youth took off toward the horizon at breakneck speed, his body shrouded in a thin white barrier that mitigated air friction completely.
Seeing their young charge take off without even considering a plan, the remaining members of the group had mixed reactions of amusement and concern. The oldest among them, at least going by appearance, was the first to speak out, worry audible in his tone as he said, "Shouldn't we be giving chase as well? Nagi is very powerful, but that monster seems to be in a class of his own...I'm worried he might be getting in over his head this time..."
Hearing their Japanese companion's words, the other two members of the group turned toward the man, smiles visible on their faces as the truly oldest among them answered, "You are correct to be concerned, Eishun. Though Nagi has a propensity for shattering expectations, his current power is far from the Sage Dragon Emperor's."
The moment the man finished his words, Eishun showed an even more fretful expression as he pullted out an inordinately long sword made from white wood and exclaimed, "Then what are we waiting for!? Nagi is our student! We can't just leave him to fight against that monster by himself!"
Showing none of the concern visible on their companion's countenance, the younger of the two calmly stated, "Even if we were there, Nagi would ask us to stay out of the fight. We should certainly give chase, but, rather than interfere in the battle, our goal should be to prevent others from doing so. You don't have to worry about Nagi. Even if he emerges from the battle beaten and bruised, I do not believe the Sage Dragon Emperor would kill him."
Annoyed by the words of the childlike individual, Eishun glared back at him, asking, "What makes the two of you so certain that is the case!? How do you know Nagi isn't currently flying towards his death while we stand here twiddling our thumbs!?"
Continuing to show no visible concern in their expressions, the two ancient individuals, Filius Zect and Albireo Imma, looked toward each other with calm smiles on their faces. After the former gave a curt nod, Albireo turned back toward Eishun, explaining, "I would have thought someone of your talent and pedigree would have noticed."
With a visibly annoyed expression on his face, Eishun continued to glare at the duo, his voice dark and heavy as he asked, "What was I supposed to have noticed?"
After chuckling lightly in response to Eishun's reaction, Albireo explained, "That man, the one who calls himself the Sage Dragon Emperor, had already detected our presence. His perception is rather amazing. It reminds me of the domain of a God, albeit with a few peculiarities...I digress. The simple truth of the matter is, even after sensing our presence, he showed no sign of hostility. Rather, based on the impression I got, he seems to be familiar with us?"
Nodding his head in agreement, Filius went on to add, "Indeed. There is a chance that man knows the true reason behind our arrival in Mundus Magicus. That girl accompanying him is actually the Key of Twilight, and, based on his actions thus far, it is fair to assume he comes from the future. He is far too powerful to have remained hidden for this long, and, based on how the elementals react to his presence, it is safe to assume he didn't come here from a different world."
Not expecting Filius to suddenly mention time travel, Eishun couldn't help but look at the 'youth' as if he had lost his mind. Before he could say anything, however, Albireo added, "I have watched over this world since a time before its inception. In that time, there has never been a creature as loved by the Spirits as the Sage Dragon Emperor. The energy radiating from his body is also unlike anything I have ever seen, even during the eras preceding humanity. This energy has even started to affect the entirety of Mundus Magicus, so, if he had existed prior to his emergence in the Hellas Empire, there would have been a considerable amount of evidence."
Though it sounded ridiculous, Eishun found himself unable to refute the words of Filius and Albireo. He knew the former was well over two-thousand years old, and, though Albireo Imma often skirted around the topic of his age, he was 'much older' than Filius. If they were both saying something like the Sage Dragon Emperor had never existed, that was very likely to be the truth. There was also the fact that the Sage Dragon Emperor wasn't discreet, so, if he hadn't come from the future, he would have already taken action long ago...
Not expecting to suddenly face a time-traveling Ancient Dragon, Eishun couldn't help but release a profound sigh before looking back at his two ancient companions and saying, "After this is all over, I'm expecting an explanation. It's about time the two of you told me the actual reason you wanted to bring Nagi to this world. I'm tired of being left in the dark."
As Eishun had already proven himself a capable ally, Filius and Albireo could see the merit in telling him the truth. Thus, after a brief exchange of glances, the duo nodded to each other before turning back to the slightly nervous-looking Japanese man, answering, "Very well then..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let me just confiscate that...','Ice Age~!','Never underestimate the intelligence of Old Monsters...')
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章節 1644: Experience
Having anticipated that various groups would be pursuing them long before his excursion into Megalomesembria, Vahn had already selected a suitable battleground. It was one of the regions that had previously flooded, and, though there was a settlement a few dozen kilometers away, there was a decently sized mountain range separating it from the largely uninhabited valley.
After reaching their destination in just under half an hour, Vahn had Fenrir come to a stop near the very center of the valley. Then, without him needing to advise her, she instantly reverted back to her true form, manifesting her Zanpakuto in the process.
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn caressed the heads of both Fenrir and Asuna as he said, "I'll be watching closely. Remember, if you want to use any big attacks, aim them upwards or towards the South. Even if this region is largely uninhabited due to Megalomesembria's wanton destruction, we should try to avoid exacerbating the situation..."
Though he didn't have much room to speak, the simple truth of the matter was that Vahn's attacks generally had a beneficial effect on the environment. His former battlefields became hotspots for a variety of different lifeforms, and, even if he were to fight in the middle of a desert, the area would quickly turn into an oasis over the course of a few weeks...
Without drawing attention to the fact that Vahn often caused 'extreme' amounts of damage to the environment, Fenrir and Asuna both nodded their heads, the former answering, "Yes, Master!" while the latter followed up with a simple, "Nn."
Satisfied with the duo's response, Vahn lightly pinched Asuna's nose before walking off to the side with Fenrir. Moments later, like a meteor descending from the heavens, a youth veiled in a cloak of vibrant white lightning crashed into the ground a few meters away from the trio's position.
Understanding that the youth was trying to make a cool appearance, Vahn couldn't help but smile in amusement as a red-haired boy emerged from the small crater his landing had formed. His wild hairstyle was influenced by the infusion of lightning elemental energy into his Ki, and, like a Super Saiyan emerging on the scene of a battlefield, a chaotic shroud of crackling energy veiled his body as he leaned forward confidently and asked, "So, you're the Sage Dragon Emperor that's all the rage these days?"
While ruminating over the practicality of having a magical staff spinning behind your body, Vahn shook his head, confusing the youth slightly as he said, "Who I am doesn't really matter right now. If you continue to ignore the enemy in front of you, you're bound to experience some suffering."
Hearing Vahn's words, the youth showed a slightly incredulous look on his face as he briefly turned his attention to Asuna. Based solely on appearance, there wasn't much of a difference in their ages, but, disregarding this entirely, the red-haired youth craned his head and asked, "Huh? Enemy? This chibi? Come on man, you-"
Unable to finish his words, the youth was forced to dodge to the right, his movement so swift that it was impossible for most to trace. Despite this, he was unable to completely dodge Asuna's attack, a rather sizeable chunk of red hairs serving as a testament to that fact.
With widened eyes, the youth turned back to Asuna with an incredulous look on his face, a thin line of blood running down his left cheek as he exclaimed, "Holy shit. This little cutie is a real firecracker, ain't she?"
Unamused by the youth's words, Asuna's eyes sharpened as she leaned forward slightly, her large parka flaring out in a rather cinematic display as she bolted forward with explosive force. She felt a weird disturbance in the surrounding air, so, rather than use shundo, she intended to rely on raw speed, footwork, and technique to punish the foul-mouthed boy.
Getting a dangerous feeling from the small black 'dagger' in the girl's hand, the youth rightly chose not to try and block it. Just staring at it made him feel a little nervous, something he didn't even feel when facing against his teacher, one of the most skilled swordsmen in the entire world.
With his enhanced speed and reflexes, the youth thought he would be able to create some distance between himself and the fiery young girl, but, even after doubling his speed, he was still barely able to dodge her attacks. A few even nicked his body, completely ignoring the multi-layered barrier of Ki and Magical Energy surrounding his body.
Realizing the girl wasn't simple, an excited smile began to spread across the youth's face as he used a short-range teleportation spell to create some distance and say, "My name is Nagi Springfield, the man who will one day stand at the pinnacle of this world. Tell me, what's your name, cutie?"
Emphasizing just how annoyed she was, Asuna's bells released a gentle chime as she took a slow-motion step forward as she muttered, "Vis Maxima..."
With alarm bells screaming in the back of his mind, Nagi exclaimed, "Shit..!" as he extended both hands forward. In response to his gesture, several layers of magical barriers appeared between him and Asuna. Even this didn't silence the alarms, however, so, trusting his instinct, Nagi used another short-range teleportation as Asuna, shattering all of the barriers as if they were thin panes of glass, cut through the area where he had previously been standing.
Shocked by the girl's ability to just crash through magical barriers with her body, Nagi adopted a slightly more serious expression as he muttered, "This little chibi is even stronger than I was at her age..."
Though she hadn't heard the Nagi's mutterings, the edge of Asuna's Zanpakuto glistened with a dangerous light as she cut towards his direction. This caused him to instinctually use another short-range teleportation spell, but, much to his surprise, he still felt 'something' pass through his body as an intense, searing, pain spread from his chest.
After reappearing in the air several hundred meters away, Nagi was compelled to cover his mouth as a large volume of blood surged from his throat. To his horror, an unnervingly large wound had appeared across his body. Its length ran from his right shoulder to just under his ribs, and, if it had been even a centimeter or two deeper, most of his vital organs would have been sliced through in an instant.
Despite feeling extremely lightheaded, a smile spread across Nagi's face as the lightning veiling his body began to cauterize his wound. He realized the girl was holding back, as that attack could have easily taken his life, but, rather than show any fear whatsoever, all he felt was excitement as he said, "You're really something..."
As she had been a little worried about the severity of Nagi's injury, Asuna didn't immediately follow up on her attack. This was where her lack of experience came into play, as, following his statement, a truly monumental amount of lightning surged from Nagi's body, tearing through the surrounding landscape as his figure seemed to blink out of existence. The next thing Asuna knew, there was a hand covering her view, and, if not for her defaulting into the State of Nothingness by default, she would have found herself being dragged through the terrain by the lightning-clad youth.
Undaunted by the fact he had somehow passed through his enemy, Nagi grabbed his staff with an even more excited smile on his face as he shouted, "Great! Let's see how long you can keep it up!"
Though he wasn't sure about the mechanic behind his opponent's intangibility, Nagi had learned how to damage incorporeal opponents from his teacher, a Master of the Shinmei-Ryu School. He was still far from the level of being able to cut through concepts, but, with a natural affinity for both lightning elemental energy and sealing, he was confident in being able to injure ghosts, gods, and spirits.
With the head of his staff turning into an extendable blade formed from lightning elemental energy and ki, Nagi began to cut towards Asuna's body with enough speed to create tempestuous winds in the surroundings.
Causing the smile on Nagi's face to become even more prominent, Asuna's figure actually began to flicker in a strange manner, deftly evading or cutting through his strikes. He could tell she was using a variation of shundo, but, before he could see through the technique, he was forced to duck under her blade as it swept through the area where his head had been.
Understanding the danger of 'simply' dodging, Nagi attempted to grab Asuna's wrist while striking toward her abdomen with his left foot. He believed she wouldn't be able to attack in her immaterial state, so, unless it was a 'very' realistic feint, her deduced she had momentarily become vulnerable.
Unfortunately, Nagi's quick-thinking provided little benefit this time around as both his hand and foot slipped through Asuna's body. This put him in an awkward situation that required him to use another short-range teleportation, but, having anticipated this, Asuna managed to place her hand on his back, teleporting with him.
Not expecting a sudden passenger, Nagi was momentarily at a loss as his brain tried to process how Asuna was able to 'ignore' all of his barriers.
Taking advantage of the very momentary gap, Asuna reentered the State of Nothingness in an instant, her hand slipping into Nagi's body. This wouldn't normally cause any damage, but, as a Master in the use of Ki, Asuna was able to release a series of destructive pulses in the interior of Nagi's body, ignoring his defenses entirely. It made her feel a little sick to the stomach, but, as the purpose of this battle was to overcome her aversion to injuring others, she pushed through it...
Feeling as if a localized earthquake had just erupted in his body, Nagi ended up vomiting even more blood than before as most of his organs sustained heavy injuries. He was pretty sure his left lung had completely collapsed as well, but, with a dauntless smile on his face, he managed to look down at Asuna's hand before saying, "You know, I always thought I would be the one penetrating a cute girl. Who would have thought a day would come when the roles were reversed?"
Stupefied by Nagi's remark, Asuna couldn't help but gawk as she stared back at the youth with an incredulous expression. This ended up being another mistake, as, without a clear mind, maintaining the State of Nothingness was very difficult. As a result, her hand 'materialized' inside of Nagi's side, a fact the youth in question was very aware of as he forced his lightning infused ki directly into her body.
Unaccustomed to taking damage, Asuna's first instinct was to try and move away, but, rather than allow his chance to slip away, Nagi grabbed her wrist with enough force to fracture the bones as he mused, "I'm afraid you'll have to take responsibility..."
To punctuate his words, Nagi attempted to release even more lightning-infused ki, but, immediately after his words fell, an irresistible force prevented all of his movements. He could feel his mind race faster than it ever had before, but, no matter how much power he tried to muster, he could do little more than being taken along for the ride as time began to flow in reverse...
---
Unaffected by Vahn's time reversal, Asuna began to tear up slightly as she cradled her broken wrist and attempted to mend the bones. Nagi's grasp was like a death grip so her wrist had turned nearly as black as Ko before swelling up to more than three times the normal size. (A/N: Ko is the name of Asuna's Zanpakuto for those who have forgotten.)
Fortunately, while Nagi was stuck experiencing his battle in reverse, Vahn dutifully appeared next to Asuna, tenderly embracing her trembling body before carefully grasping her wrist. This caused her to release a pained yelp, but, rather than complain, Asuna just bit her bottom lip before burying her face into Vahn's chest and allowing him to mend her wounds...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I would have laughed if Vahn just answered, "No."','Asuna doesn't like being called a chibi (>,...,<)...','Death Penalty')
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