Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1046 - Pragmatism

With three shades of crimson reflected in his view, Vahn locked gazes with the one in the center, causing Fenrir's eyes to droop as she already knew what he was going to say. Surprising her, however, Vahn didn't mention how she had lost directly, stating, "I have underestimated the strength, speed, and skill of our opponents. To prepare for upcoming battles, I'm going to set up a formation in the bas.e.m.e.nt to house a Sub-Space Orb..." After saying this much, Vahn turned his gaze upon Scáthach before pausing for a brief moment when her eyes pierced through him. For a brief moment, his heart involuntarily sped up a bit, something she seemed to notice since an almost imperceptible smile spread across her otherwise expressionless face...

After having researched Scáthach's legend, Vahn believed he had a good understanding of her character so, garnering no surprise from her, he asked, "Can you help Fenrir and I with our training? Irish legend speaks highly of your skills as a Mentor..." Though there were quite a few things that the legends 'didn't' speak highly of, Vahn wasn't going to pass judgment on Scáthach for events he had only read about, not witnessed. The only thing that really mattered was, much like Musashi had in the Record of Danmachi, Scáthach had pushed her skill to a point that it transcended common-sense completely. It was almost as if, so long as she believed it to be possible, Scáthach was able to perform nigh-any feat with her legendary set of spears, the [Gae Bolg]s that she seemed able to manifest as a pure concentration of her intent...

Not disappointing Vahn, Scáthach gave a small nod before answering, "I have determined that both you and your companion are worth teaching. If it is your will, my Master, I would deign to instruct you in your pursuits. So long as it is not a unique skill or ability, I am able to conduct myself as a master in any form of fighting. Know that I will not hold back once we begin so prepare yourself well..."

Hearing Scáthach speak several sentences in sequence, Vahn didn't know why but he felt as if she were 'somehow' pushing herself. Because she spoke in a cold monotone, it was strange hearing her speak full sentences, much less several simultaneously. In a way, she had a similar vibe to Ais but, contrarily, had no problems with making her opinion known in a surprisingly direct manner. Still, he appreciated her willingness to participate in their training, even if he severely underestimated the menu she put her students through. Unless you were someone truly exceptional, it was the fate of almost all who sought Scáthach's guidance to die as a result of their mediocrity...

Having keyed in on what Scáthach had said, Fenrir surprisingly spoke out of turn, gazing towards the taciturn beauty as she asked, "You can teach all weapons...?" To this, Scáthach immediately nodded her head, explaining, "If not for the knowledge of the abyss, I would not know how many I have fought and slain. The spear has become an expression of my existence but my path has been one that pursues the mastery of all things. To master oneself is to be without weakness...opening the path towards a future of limitless possibilities..." With her skill [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] granting her a form of omniscience, combined with her [Clairevoyance] providing her insight into both her opponents and the future, Scáthach was just as capable of using a weapon she had never picked up before as some Servants that had claimed to master them...

While Fenrir seemed satisfied with Scáthach's answer, Vahn was more than a little surprised that the first Servant he ended up 'recruiting' ended up being exactly what they needed right now. Though the odds of him using a Sub-Space Orb after receiving a setback was par for the course, it almost seemed like the product of 'fate' that they ended up encountering the one Servant who seemed capable of increasing their strength in the shortest period of time. Though this wasn't entirely accurate, as Scáthach would be honing their skills, not actual power, there was a point where skill actually overtook strength and became something 'beyond'standard concepts. As he looked over Scáthach's status, Vahn couldn't help wondering what other 'monsters' they would encounter during this corrupt Holy Grail War...

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[Status]

Name: [Scáthach]

Age: Ageless

Race: Human, Divine Spirit

Strength: 44B+

Endurance: ★

Agility: 50A++

Magical Power: 37C

Good Luck: 20D

Soul Tier: 4 (Fragmented Divine)

Noble Phantasm: [Gáe Bolg Alternative: Myriad Spears of Slaughter:B~A ], [Gate of Skye:SS]

Origin: Spear, Slaughter, Divine, Bestow

Skills: [Blood-Stained Phantasm:Innate:SS], [Pathfinder:Innate:SS], [Scáthach:Innate:S], [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground:Innate:(-)], [Clairvoyance:SS], [Magic Resistance:A], [God Slayer:B]

Magic: (-)

Magecraft: [Primordial Rune:SSS], [Overload:SS]

[Clairvoyance]

Rank: SS

Passive: Allows the user to determine the strengths, weaknesses, and value of all objects.

Active: Allows the user to read the flow of a battle, determining the most likely outcome. With a special ceremony, this efficacy of this skill can be pushed to the level of prophecy.

[Magic Resistance]

Rank: A

Use: The user's ability to resist all magic of equal rank and lower. Provides moderate resistance to higher-ranked magics.

[God Slayer]

Rank: B

Use: The culmination of the user's mastery, pushed to such extremes that even Gods and Divine Spirits are not beyond the ability of the user to kill. So long as there is the intent to kill, provides a massive increase to parameters against entities of Divine origin.

[Primordial Rune]

Rank: SSS

Use: The precursor to [Rune Magic], dating far back to the Age of Gods. Consists of a series of thirty-nine runes that allow the user to use B~S-Ranked Magecraft without the need for chants. True mastery has allowed the user to reach the point that runes need not be inscribed on any surface as even the void itself will suffice.

[Overload]

Rank: SS

Use: The user's ability to expel Magical Power before reabsorbing into the body. Upon taking in external Magical Power, all of the user's parameters are increased depending on the quality and quantity of the consumed energy.

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If not for his classification as a Greater Divine Spirit, Vahn felt that he would have few advantages against someone of Scáthach's caliber. As a human who had reached Tier 4 through her skill alone, Vahn was actually far more afraid of her than he was most Gods. Since they were often born with their abilities, or relied entirely upon their Divinity, few Gods pushed their skills to the extreme. In a way, they were much like him, possessing an incredible amount of power without having the means to use it to its full potential. Scáthach, however, pushed her skill 'beyond' comprehension, reaching Tier 4 and almost immediately overtaking most Gods from the very moment of her ascent...

Since Scáthach might not even be the most powerful entity summoned by the Holy Grail, he was once again reminded that he had been arrogant and overconfident. Just reading her [God Slayer] skill was enough to make Vahn's skin crawl as, if she really wanted him dead, Vahn felt she would be able to achieve the feat. Fortunately, knowing that such skills existed gave Vahn a greater sense of relief as, had he been taken by surprise, there was a non-negligible chance he might have been ejected from the Record. Though he 'should' be contained within the Root, for the time being, meaning even death theoretically had no sway over him. Still, Vahn would have to rely on Akasha to reunite with Fenrir, once again assuming he wasn't outright forced out of the Record. The thought of leaving her behind sobered him up a great deal, opening Vahn's eyes to the severity of the situation he now found himself in...

Shaking away negative thoughts, Vahn turned his attention to Nobunaga who, for the last couple of minutes, had been silently working down the contents of a bottle of sake he had provided. When she saw him looking her way, Nobunaga 'hugged' the bottle to her chest in a protective manner before saying, "Hey now, you gave this to me. I might share it with you if you ask nicely, but don't expect any handouts." This immediately caused Fenrir's ears to stand on end as she glared at Nobunaga and growled, "You should be grateful to Master for giving you a gift after your attack failed to even buy enough time for me to kill the enemy..."

Hearing Fenrir's words, Nobunaga's eyes squinted into fierce lines as she raised her head, uttering, "Ooooh...? This coming from the girl who was immediately sent running after the first contact with the enemy? If your Master-." Before Nobunaga could complete her sentence, Vahn began to emit a powerful pressure through the room as his eyes locked onto her. Fenrir was the most aware of her failure, to the point that she would probably beat herself over it for days to come, so he found it reprehensible that Nobunaga would use such harsh words, even if Fenrir had picked the fight.

Clenching her teeth in response to the mountain-like pressure that had descended upon her, Nobunaga soon dispersed into magical energy as her voice echoed in his ears, ("My words may be harsh, but you are only reinforcing the safety bubble you built around your little pet. I get it, Vahn, I really do. You want to protect the people closest to you, especially after whatever happened prior to you coming to this world. If you keep coddling her like this, though, you're only going to turn her into a spoiled brat that relies on her 'Master' to bail her out each and every time. You ever think about what will happen when you aren't there...?") With her last few words fading, so too did Nobunaga's presence within the room.

Though Nobunaga's words were more than a little harsh, Vahn noticed that Fenrir had perked up a bit after he reprimanded Nobunaga on her behalf. She even smiled back at him when they locked eyes, something that would have normally made Vahn's heart gently palpitate a few times. This time, however, Vahn caused Fenrir's pupils to shrink when he released a heavy sigh and said, "Tonight, you will have to sleep at the foot of the bed. No brushing. Though Nobunaga's words were unnecessarily harsh, you shouldn't have picked a fight with her from the start. If she and I hadn't provided support, you know better than anyone how things would have developed...please be more considerate..."

For a brief moment, Fenrir had a look of absolute betrayal on her face as her ears lost all their power to remain upright. Vahn's heart twisted painfully in his chest when he saw this but, as if realizing something, Fenrir's expression became serious as she nodded her head and said, "I understand, Master. I will take your words to heart and be better in the future..." As the person who had 'wanted' her Master to be harsher with her, Fenrir bounded back almost immediately. Though she still felt sad and anxious, there was also a strange 'comfort' knowing that her Master was willing to punish her. In a way, though she wasn't quite sure how to describe it, Fenrir felt as if she was finally beginning to close the distance between them...

Vahn had no words to describe how he felt after seeing Fenrir's 'resolute' look. Ultimately, he settled on pride and, if not for the fact he had just said she was going to be punished, Vahn would have reached his hand over to pat her head. She caught onto this fact quite quickly, leading to the rather peculiar sight of Fenrir patting her own head with a happy smile on her face. Vahn could only laugh wryly upon seeing this, at least until Scáthach suddenly commented, "The bond shared between the two of you is something rarely seen within the world. Vahn, as Fenrir is willing to call you Master, you must never betray her 'trust' by giving her more leeway than you would grant yourself. Fenrir, if you wish to make your Master proud, hold onto that feeling inside your heart. The journey may be long but, so long as you never stop walking forward, you will eventually reach your destination..."

Hearing Scáthach's words, both Vahn and Fenrir had blank expressions on their faces before ultimately nodding their head in understanding. Fenrir seemed to treat this advice especially serious, balling both of her paws into tight fists as a resolute light glowed within her eyes. As for Vahn, his face had formed a smile while, internally, he was asking, ("Are all Heroic Spirits going to end up shaking my world view in such a way? First Nobunaga, now Scáthach...the quality of Heroes in this world is much higher than those found in Danmachi...") In response to this, Sis laughed from the back of his mind before remarking, (*Perhaps there are greater benefits to visiting this world than simply growing stronger. If you want to return to everyone without worrying them, experiencing some emotional growth will help you a great deal.*)

With even Sis making such remarks, Vahn felt a little more determined than before, causing him to match gazes with Scáthach before saying, "We will both be in your care for a time. I will do my best to meet your expectations..." Though it sounded like he was talking about just being her student, Scáthach knew the greater implication behind Vahn's words. A small smile spread across her lips as she tilted her head to the side slightly and said, "Yes...I have no doubt your words are the truth..." As she still couldn't see through him, after watching Vahn for several hours, Scáthach's impression had only increased with the passage of time. Though she had to constantly break through her limits in the past, forever aspiring towards greater heights, Scáthach couldn't sense any limits within Vahn from the very start...

Coming to an understanding with Scáthach, Vahn was thinking about the matter of the Sub-Space orb when she suddenly sent an arrow into his heart by mentioning, "I will train both of you to the fullest extent of my abilities. In order to do so, I will be relying on Master to provide me with Mana. I do not possess the ability to act independently so I will have to inconvenience you often..." Each of Scáthach's sentences were direct and to the point, causing Vahn to take damage every time she punctuated a sentence. He didn't understand it himself, but Scáthach's presence and beauty were nearly as incomprehensible as her spearmanship, causing Vahn to feel strangely fl.u.s.tered when she looked at him and said such things with an entirely expressionless face...

After recovering from his momentary stupor, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Whenever you are low on mana, just let me know...I have a few methods to help replenish your reserves." Though she seemed to accept his statement, Scáthach seemed determined to shatter Vahn's psyche as she spontaneously placed her hand atop her stomach before emotionlessly stating, "If it would ease your burden, do not hesitate to use my body to ease your tensions. You are my student from this point onward. I will not accept you using the excuse that you are feeling anemic to perform beneath my expectations of you. Taking a source of mana directly into my body will allow me to continue fighting for longer periods of time."

Each sentence leaving Scáthach's mouth, while pragmatic, resounded in both Vahn's and Fenrir's ears like bombs erupting right next to them. Vahn was perfectly aware of what Scáthach was implying as, even during his discussions with Rin about the Holy Grail War, she had attested to the 'need' of using such means on occasion. It was even speculated that, the reason the vast majority of Servants appeared as women was due to most Master's being men. The Grail seemed to use this as a means of 'balancing' things so that Master's with weaker Magical Power, or an inability to transfer Mana through their Magical Pathways, were able to ensure their Servants could keep fighting. After all, even if they were against the idea, a single use of a Command Spell would compel the Servant to follow their Master's command...

For a brief moment, Vahn imagined himself 'ordering' Scáthach to service him, resulting in yet another blush touching his cheeks. Since he had endeavored to improve his control in the past, Vahn had no idea why Scáthach was able to influence him so much. It could be due to the fact that her bodysuit left nothing to the imagination, further accenting her already ephemeral beauty, but Vahn speculated it had more to do with her 'presence'. It wasn't a secret, even back in the Record of Danmachi, that Vahn had a weakness for women that had tragic pasts. Some women had tried to use this to get into his good graces, to the point of fabricating stories that could be written into books classified under the Horror genre. Scáthach, however, while simultaneously being a powerful warrior with few equals, had an unbelievably tragic past. Though Vahn didn't know all the details, just the fact that she sincerely desired death to the point that she wanted to use the Grail's power to wish for it, seemed to resonate with whatever part of him was drawn to tragic women...

Though not quite a sigh, Vahn exhaled long and slowly while supporting his head with his right hand. He noticed that his breath was tinged with warmth while, resisting all his efforts to keep it steady, his heart was pulsing in a chaotic rhythm within his chest. Ultimately, however, Vahn reigned in the temptation swelling up inside of him, making eye contact with the seeming unperturbable Scáthach as he said, "My constitution allows me to replenish my blood endlessly...don't worry, I won't make excuses during our training..."

Scáthach tilted her head to the side in response, showing a flash of confusion across her eyes as she could, even without her ability to see through people, tell that Vahn desired her body. With the tone of a lecturer, she plainly stated, "If you hold back your urges, you will cause instability within your mind. A warrior that is unable to control their emotions leaves gaps that the enemy can exploit if they are clever. In my time, before I was forced to the 'outside', it was not uncommon for men to fight to the death to obtain the wives and daughters of others. I have lain with many of my students in order to promote their growth. You need not restrain yourself, Master, as I too desire the touch of a man..."

Vahn felt like his brain was being overloaded by Scáthach's words, nearly causing him to comment that they were no longer in her homeland. At the same time, he wondered what kind of place Ireland had been to cause even someone like Scáthach to simply 'accept' such things as commonplace. As a result, Vahn's head was filled with a flood of information so that he might make some sense of the current situation. Reading through Scáthach's 'legend' in particular, Vahn found that her words were indeed credible, not that he doubted her. There was even a ridiculous accounting of her 'giving' her daughter to the man who had broken her finger and slain her husband. Apparently, in order to take responsibility, he 'assumed' the role of her deceased husband after unceremoniously skewering him with a spear...

Realizing that Scáthach's perspective was extremely skewed, Vahn knew he wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. Now, even without her previous words, Vahn knew he would find himself thinking of laying with her whenever his mind wandered. It was like she had ensnared him in an inescapable trap, one comprised of her willingness and his knowledge of her tragic existence. It now felt like a matter of time before they had s.e.x, the only thing delaying the affair being his quickly crumbling apprehensions...

While her Master seemed to have retreated into his own mind, Fenrir glared at the implacable Scáthach with glowing red eyes. She knew this kind of woman was the most 'dangerous' to her Master because, on top of having looks that made Fenrir feel incredibly envious, Scáthach was a strong and capable woman who knew exactly what she wanted. Her Master would inevitably 'break' around women like her and, even though he would 'get better' soon after, Fenrir didn't like how it felt like he was being manipulated. In her mind, her Master was someone who should always be taking the lead, not someone who was led around by the nose with questionable justifications...

Scáthach, feeling Fenrir's gaze on her, smoothly pivoted her head before staring back with her vibrant crimson eyes. Even though she knew Fenrir was far from her match, she could feel a lingering 'threat' that radiated from the deepest depths of the petite Vanargandr's scarlet eyes. Feeling the 'promise' contained within that gaze, Scáthach showed a genuine smile that made Fenrir's expression harden when she said, "You are too possessive...but I do not hate that frankness. If you can convert those feelings into power, you will become truly strong." Then, causing Fenrir to jump back with enough force to tear apart the sofa, Scáthach's hand had reached her head before she even noticed it, gently stroking her ears...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A talkative Kuudere...','Scáthach is a little too OP...?','Vahn's kryptonite')

(A/N: Seriously though, if you start reading some of the old Irish myths, you'll quickly learn that what Scáthach says is just the tip of the iceberg. By the time I finished my research, my respect for Cu Chulainn had all but vanished as, other than a few boss moments, the man was a monster. There are so many inconsistencies in his legends but, the one thing that rings true throughout is that almost every woman he had a child with was through force and coercion. Hell, the man even killed his own son by 'accident', skewering him with his Gae Bolg just because he was struggling in what was supposed to be an honorable duel...)

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