Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With one of the prerequisites of Phase Four requiring the awakening of his Zanpakutou Spirit, Vahn found himself riding on the back of Zhuque in her Vermillion Bird transformation. Thirty-seven years was a long time, even for a normal person, so Vahn had made startling progress in his mastery over [Rakshasa Body] since his evolution. In the past, he had always relied on linking the reserves of every single one of his vessels, putting a heavy strain on his body whenever he wanted to manifest one of the Divine Beasts. After discussing the matter with Da Vinci, however, Vahn pioneered a method of basically turning his vessels into storage containers, rather than batteries and receivers.

Borrowing a page from Naruto, Vahn created a literal well of Souce Energy within his dantian, the core of his 'Mana Body'. Once he had mastered this process, he could completely isolate this energy from the rest of his network, allowing it to work as a reserve battery in the even his normal reserves were depleted. This was important as the more vessels he had the more batteries available in the event of an emergency.

By using the energy sealed away in his dantian, Vahn was able to summon the Four Divine Beasts without taxing his primary reserves in the slightest. This provided him a monstrous increase in his overall capabilities, as, on their own, the Divine Beasts could be equated to weaker Tier 5 beings. He could also feed more energy into them, and, during an emergency, they could infuse their own into his body to greatly empower him for a short period of time.

Though it wasn't anything new, Vahn's progress in his Innates reinforced the idea they were his most powerful assets. Now, he could relax as Zhuque accelerated to near-light speeds, her majestic wings, spanning more than 300m across, leaving vermillion streaks that lingered in the void, causing it to tremble in her wake. It was a truly breathtaking sight, but, when compared to the gentle warmth and indescribable beauty of her feathers themselves, it was marginally less impressive...

After a little more than 150 hours of travel, Vahn could sense the 'edge' of Sol's dominion, the outer edge of what Pre-Fall Astronomers called the Heliopause. Here, rather than get colder, space rapidly heated to near 31,000 degrees Celsius, the result of superheated particulates of matter being caught in the relatively thin membrane that separated Sol's dominion from Interstellar Space.

In the past, Vahn had spent a short time traversing Interstellar Space, but, other than a few moon-sized asteroids and nigh-invisible gas giants, he didn't find anything interesting. It did help him to confirm that not all planets were alive, but, considering he was soon to depart the Nasuverse, such knowledge wasn't pertinent to his situation. He had come to the very edge of the Sol System for a singular purpose, so, after directing Zhuque to land on a planetoid 1/6th the size of Gaia, Vahn drew the Asauchi as he stood in the middle of a pitch-black world illuminated by little more than Zhuque's flames.

While doing a few warm-up stretches, Vahn turned toward the massive Vermillion Sparrow, sending a quick telepathic message. In response, she gave a simple nod before her body turned into a large plume of vermillion flames. This served two purposes, alerting the beasts that called the dark world home while also allowing Zhuque to adopt her human form.

Once the flames finished condensing, an eastern beauty that could easily rival Chang'e in beauty had appeared. She was wearing a vermillion palatial gown that cascaded from her body, flowing past her feet before ending in wisps of flame. Her hair was a rich brown, bordering on black, that was styled into a loose bun that allowed most of her hair to gracefully fall around her shoulders. She had skin as fair as white jade, a figure that was poorly concealed by her loose garments, and a countenance that would cause people to instinctually lower their heads in reverence.

As the surprisingly tall woman gracefully approached him, Vahn couldn't help but admire Zhuque's celestial beauty. The way her hips swayed was as natural as the reeds of a weeping willow gracefully flowing in the breeze. He found everything about her aesthetically pleasing, from the way her sleeves emulated the wings of her true form to the small flame-like mark that was situated between her two sword-like brows. Her emerald-green eyes radiated both intelligence and sensuality and her lips had an almost magnetic quality, drawing the eyes of anyone in close proximity...

With an expression that was simultaneously bashful yet proud, Zhuque combed her delicate fingers through her hair, her voice as sonorous as a perfectly tuned musical instrument as she asked, "Was the journey pleasant for you, my Lord? I hope you found my backside to your liking..."

Restraining a laugh, Vahn smiled widely before adopting a contemplative look, rubbing his chin as he mused, "It was a very pleasant experience...for a while, I even though about burying myself into your feathers. They always look so comfortable..."

Hearing her Master's response, Zhuque's pretense of a graceful and sultry woman shattered in an instant, a 'too-eager' look on her face as she cupped her cheeks, writhing about as she said, "I-If that is what m-m-my Lord desires, I, no, this lowly one would be more than willing~!"

No longer able to restrain his laughter, Vahn's voice echoed through the thin atmosphere of the dark planet, shaking the void and startling both Zhuque and the creatures skulking in the shadows.

Before she could begin to pout or apologize, Vahn extended his hand, gently caressing Zhuque's soft and unsurprisingly hot cheek as he said, "It is still a little too soon. You four are as precious to me as my own children...there will come a time when we can be together, but, for now, I can only ask for your patience..."

Punctuating his words, Vahn gave Zhuque a small peck on the lips before running his thumb across them with a smile on his face. This was enough to return the smile to Zhuque's face, her expression turning into that of a demure maiden as she turned her eyes up at him and answered, "We will be together forever...I can wait..."

Truthfully, the only thing keeping Vahn from laying a hand on Zhuque was the knowledge that she was a part of him. She was a manifestation derived from his Innate, so, for reasons he couldn't fully understand, Vahn felt a considerable amount of trepidation towards advancing their relationship. It was like an instinct in the back of his mind, warning him that, if he were to have sex with Zhuque, the nature of his Innate would change.

With his departure from the Record fast approaching, Vahn didn't want to compromise his plans just to increase the size of his harem. The Four Divine Beasts were an intrinsic part of his power, and, no matter how much time passed, Zhuque would always be a part of him. He had a functionally infinite amount of time to make it up to her, so, for the time being, he decided to play it safe...

Tearing his eyes away from Zhuque's affectionate gaze, Vahn swung down with the Asauchi, slicing through the hill-sized monster that had come barreling toward them. Its body seemed to be formed from the same black rock as the planetoid itself. This gave it the appearance of a massive golem, but, rather than being powered by a core, the creatures had multiple hearts pumping luminescent green blood through their bodies.

Undaunted by the fact it had been sliced in half, the creature discarded its rocky shell, both halves quickly regenerating to create two smaller creatures. Their blood, which had flowed like a small lake, quickly corroded away the glassy black rock that marred the surface of the barren planetoid. It had such a low pH value, that, in its active state, it rated between -38 and -43, making it one of the most acidic compounds that occurred 'naturally' in the Sol System.

Seeing the true form of the monsters, vaguely reptilian creatures with multiple protrusions that allowed them to 'wear' the environment like a hermit crab, Vahn couldn't help but smile tauntingly as he said, "Well, you're some ugly bastards, aren't ya~?"

Though sound didn't exactly travel well in a virtually non-existent atmosphere, it didn't stop the monsters from releasing an extremely high-pitched frequency as they attempted to rip Vahn and Zhuque apart with their taloned limbs. The former dealt with this by simply side-stepping into the monster's blind spot, casually tracing the Asauchi through its body to strike at one of the massive hearts hidden within the reptilian creature's body. As for Zhuque, she didn't bother to dodge at all, allowing the monster's talons to phase through her body like a child quickly swiping their fingers through a flame.

Unlike a mischievous child, the reptile that had attacked Zhuque released an even shriller noise than before as every part of its body that came into contact with the unassuming beauty had been turned to ash in an instant. It might be able to survive in an environment exceeding forty-thousand degrees, but, with Zhuque's 'core' averaging around three-million, very few things could attempt to harm her without suffering the consequences.

Seeing Zhuque emulate a Logia Fruit user from One Piece, Vahn couldn't help but feel a tiny amount of envy. He had tried fully elementalizing his body with [Magia Erebea], but, no matter how much he tried, his body still remained relatively 'solid'. His limbs could still be sliced, and, though they would heal in an instant, it was a stark contrast to how Zhuque could simply 'ignore' attacks. She also made it seem so effortless, a stark contrast to the concerted effort required to maintain one of his various Elemental Emperor forms...

Knowing her Master was thinking about her, Zhuque gazed toward him with a happy smile on her face as the fiery sash that usually wrapped her body made short work of her attacker. This, too, was done without any effort on her part, almost as if she was simply 'above' having to exert herself...

While returning a smile of his own, Vahn used [Shundo] to evade the glaive-like tail that had tried to bisect him, appearing at the monster's back like a phantom. His Asauchi cut through its exceptionally hard carapace without leaving a single mark, striking directly at the Spiritual Body of the creature in an effort to preserve the integrity of its internal organs. Da Vinci had asked him to bring back various samples so he needed to at least collect a few corpses intact.

With its last remaining heart 'cut', the massive reptilian creature crashed to the ground with enough force to create a tremor. Its overall length was close to sixty meters, one-third of which was just its tail. More surprisingly, however, was the fact that this was only a baby. Despite this, it could easily rival a C-Rank Heroic Spirit, making them rather popular opponents within the simulations back on Avalon.

After collecting the body, Vahn shouldered the Asauchi before turning to Zhuque and asking, "Will you join me for an evening stroll~?"

Like a child who had just been bribed with candy, a bubbly atmosphere surrounded Zhuque as she happily approached his left side. She always enjoyed walking with her Master, and, though the Dark World wasn't exactly the most scenic place to explore, she had come to appreciate it quite a bit. This was the fifth time they had visited this particular planetoid, so it had started to grow on her...

---

While his main body was off exploring the cosmos, another version of Vahn was within a quarantined area of his and Da Vinci's Workshop. His Inventory was linked between all of his vessels so he could instantaneously transport foreign materials and samples for processing. This was greatly appreciated by Da Vinci, so, whenever she needed to move a large number of materials, she unashamedly called upon his services.

Vahn always enjoyed spending time with his most brilliant lover, so, whenever she needed his help, he was quick to acquiesce. She had basically conditioned this kind of response from him, but, as the reward always brought a smile to his face, Vahn didn't particularly mind. Rather, just seeing Da Vinci walking around in nothing but a bra, panties, and lab coat always stirred something deep within him, demanding he takes action...

Despite being separated by several physical and magical barriers, Vahn was still able to smell the tantalizing aroma that always lingered around Da Vinci's body. He could even feel her gaze casually tracing the contours of his body, causing a small tingling sensation everywhere her pastel-blue eyes lingered.

After organizing the samples so they could be processed more easily, Vahn turned his attention to the maroon-haired woman who always seemed to have a smile on her face. She was watching him with a playful glimmer in her eyes, leaning forward against the console in a way that showed off her voluminous chest.

Feeling a familiar buzzing in his mind, a wolfish grin spread along Vahn's lips as he mused, "It seems someone is in a good mood..."

With her smile becoming even more prominent, Da Vinci pressed a button on her console, activating the speakers within the sealed chamber. Then, much to Vahn's wonderment, she stated, "Sophia told me there is a boy she likes~."

Of all the nonsensical and abstract things Da Vinci had ever told him, Vahn found her current words the most unbelievable. His mouth began to hang open in sheer incredulity as every part of his brain that was able to form words simply shut down.

Finding her lover's reaction amusing, Da Vinci input a command to save a screenshot of his current expression. She enjoyed his surprised reactions more than any other as it made him seem cute and flawed, a stark contrast to how many saw him. It was also her way of getting revenge against him for all the 'surprises' he gave her, some of which still kept her awake for days on end.

Knowing he would want more details, Da Vinci explained, "It is a handsome young man named Ethan Thompkins. He is the Rank 13 player in the Adventure World. She seems to have been smitten by his wanderlust and naive personality...honestly, I was quite surprised. If you'd like, you can take a look at his files later on. I had Ark and Mother compile a dossier...he seems to be a good boy, even if he is a little daft..."

Though he was interested in the man his brilliant daughter had apparently fallen for, Vahn shook his head in response to Da Vinci's offer to review his file. Sophia was an unbelievably intelligent woman, perfectly capable of making her own decisions, so he didn't have much to say on the matter. Instead, he gave Da Vinci's scantily clad figure a curious look, asking, "Why are you telling me this now...?"

Seeing the look in Vahn's eyes, Da Vinci couldn't help but smile even wider. She appreciated that he was always quick on the uptake, even if he sometimes asked pointless questions. Her only answer to his question was to slip out of her lab coat, revealing her immaculate body. She had never stopped improving upon the form and function of her vessel so she had only become even more beautiful with the passage of time. It was to the point she had to wear powerful artifacts just to prevent the other members of the Inner Sanctum from questioning the value of their own appearance...

As was often the case when Da Vinci 'revealed' herself, Vahn couldn't resist the instinctual urge to swallow. His throat suddenly felt exceptionally dry as a powerful thirst began to well up from deep within his psyche. If there weren't several layers of protection between him and Da Vinci, he might not be able to resist the urge to push her down then and there...

Feeling Vahn's eagerness permeating through her very existence, Da Vinci's body began to rapidly heat up. Though she enjoyed seeing his surprised expression more than any other, it was the hunger in his eyes that made her feel the greatest amount of vindication. Her beauty was something she had dedicated exclusively to him, so, if he didn't appreciate her properly, she would find a way to punish him. For now, however, his reaction was enough to set her body alight with a passionate flame, so, after squinting seductively, she turned her back to reveal a tail not all that dissimilar to Artoria's as she exited through the door and said, "I'll be waiting, my Master~."

Seeing Da Vinci's tail, Vahn understood why his instincts were acting up even more than normal. This caused a somewhat predatory grin to spread across his face, his eyes transitioning to a vibrant gold as small scales began to protrude along his arms and legs...