Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1497 - Entrance

With three of the most powerful beings on the planet, including the planet itself, in tow, Vahn exited Tiamat's Marble Phantasm. The others, including Artoria, Arcueid, Illya, Iris, Nero, Fenrir, and, of course, Spenta, were already waiting for them outside, eager to both assist in Gaia's rehabilitation and spend more time together.

In actuality, nearly every member of the Inner Sanctum had volunteered to enter Arcueid's Marble Phantasm, but, as that would unnecessarily complicate things, it was decided to split everyone up into smaller groups. This would prevent Gaia from feeling overwhelmed, and, to a lesser extent, it would also ensure everyone was able to make the most of the experience. If there were too many people at once, Vahn wouldn't be able to properly attend each of them, so, with the exception of Spenta and Arcueid, he limited the number of attendees to five.

Upon seeing Gaia for the first time, nearly everyone present was dumbfounded by her presence alone. The only exceptions to this were Arcueid and Illya, the former feeling as though she had known Gaia her entire life. As for Illya, she had become a Beast of Gaia after her fusion with Cath Palug, so, rather than awe, she seemed nearly as excited as when he showed up unannounced, causing her to quickly run up and exclaim, "Wow, she is quite adorable, isn't she!?"

Against expectations, Gaia didn't show any apprehension towards Illya in the slightest, a small smile spreading across her face as she inexplicably extended her hand. This caused Illya's pupils to contract slightly, her smile becoming more pronounced as she unhesitantly allowed Gaia to gently caress her head. While this was going on, everyone observed with a mixture of reactions, many showing expressions of amusement while others were still awed by Gaia's aura.

While Gaia was still petting Illya's head, Vahn relaxedly announced, "We will handle introductions once we're inside. Arcueid, please go ahead and activate your Marble Phantasm."

Hearing Vahn's words, Arcueid blinked back into focus, smiling radiantly as she said, "Of course, " before bringing her hands together and causing a 'pulse' to spread through the area. In the next moment, they were all within her personal world, a near-perfect replica of Gaia, albeit without any humans.

Though others might not have noticed it, Vahn could feel Gaia relax considerably once they had entered into Arcueid's Marble Phantasm. She then began to look around, a curious glimmer in her ruby red eyes as she gazed towards everyone in turn before stopping when she got to Fenrir.

Seeing Gaia's gaze stop on her, Fenrir pointed toward herself, an amicable smile on her face as she said, "Fenrir. I am of Master's trusted companions. One day, I will also be the strongest. I may be weak right now, but I will do my best to protect you."

Smiling in response to Fenrir's introduction, Gaia softly chimed, "I know you...I know all of you...I have been watching...for a long time...thank you...Master's precious people...my children..."

Hearing Gaia suddenly refer to them as her children, nearly everyone present felt a great deal of warmth spread through their bodies. It was a feeling similar to hearing your actual parent express their love after being apart for a long period of time. As a result, they could feel a stinging feeling in their noses, and, though nobody outright cried, the sentiments were still there...

Seeing how things were developing, Vahn's concerns rapidly faded away. He didn't expect any major issues, especially with Gaia's calming aura, but it was still a relief to see how fond everyone had become of her. This was good for a number of reasons, as, not only would it greatly reduce the time it took for Gaia's rehabilitation, but, equally as important, it would undoubtedly leave a deep impression on Tiamat and Alaya.

Tiamat was still very childish and innocent so it would be good for her to interact with others in a controlled environment. As for Alaya, she was often cold and distant towards everyone, but, after seeing how quickly Gaia was accepted, Vahn was hoping she would mellow out. Even if she only got along with those present, it would be a marked improvement compared to the past...

As a plan began to formulate in his mind, Vahn looked toward Arcueid once again, saying, "We'll be here for a month, at the very least. Can you create a pavilion for us to rest in?"

With the ability to freely manipulate reality within her Marble Phantasm, Arcueid didn't hesitate to nod her head, asking, "How many rooms?" as a glowing white sphere manifested in her hands. If you looked closely, the interior depicted the surrounding landscape, albeit with small grid lines and spatial coordinates. Closer inspection would even reveal their group itself, standing idly in the middle of a verdant plain...

After briefly considering Arcueid's question, Vahn stated, "Something simple will be fine, for the time being. I will have to trouble you with constructing additional facilities later, but, before that, I propose we enjoy tea and snacks while getting to know each other better. I intend to maintain up to five bodies while we're inside, so we'll work out the finer details once everyone is more familiar with each other."

The moment Vahn finished speaking, Arcueid gave a small nod before focusing on the sphere in her hands. Then, seemingly formed from 'nothing', a fully furnished Japanese-style pavilion came into existence with them standing in the central courtyard. There was even a small pond and a zen garden with three large stones surrounded by soft sand.

As nearly everyone present could produce grand structures in a short period of time, there wasn't even a hint of surprise on any of their faces. Even Fenrir had developed an 'ultimate' Magic called 'Dominion of Eternal Ice', allowing her to create a palatial structure formed entirely from Yin, Ice, and Darkness Elemental Energies. It took nearly all of her Mana to do so, but, so long as it existed, she would quickly be able to recover while simultaneously reducing the speed of, and ultimately freezing, her opponents.

Satisfied with Arcueid's choice, Vahn gave an approving nod, saying, "Thank you, Arcueid. You're amazing, as always."

Though she had already been smiling, Arcueid's expression blossomed into a radiant expression upon hearing Vahn's remark. It always made her happy to be complimented and, after spending a few years together, her feelings for him had only compounded. If he wasn't holding onto Gaia, only Artoria would have been able to stop her from pouncing on him in glee...

Sensing the shift in Arcueid's mental state, Vahn had to resist smiling wryly, both as a result of her overwhelming emotions and the looks he was receiving from everyone else. Fortunately, they had all gathered for a specific purpose so, before things could get out of hand, he said, "Come. Let us head inside. Also, feel free to change into something more comfortable. Though we are gathered to aid Gaia's rehabilitation, this is also an opportunity for us to strengthen our bonds. For the time being, everyone should relax and enjoy this next month to the fullest. If you feel the need to train, focus on mental development. No fighting."

Hearing Vahn's words, Artoria, Fenrir, and Illya appeared as though they had received some kind of mental attack. They had developed the habit of training to an incessant degree, never skipping a single day unless something important was going on. It would be difficult for them to just sit still, for a month, but, as he was intending to maintain five bodies, Vahn wasn't worried they would get stressed out...

---

Meeting expectations, things within the Marble Phantasm preceded without incident. Gaia was surprisingly open to engaging with the others, and, though she would become anxious when he wasn't in the same room, she still did her best. It was actually rather inspiring, leaving a positive impression on everyone that interacted with her.

Due to her calming aura, Gaia was even more effective than Spenta at giving people peace of mind. Just seeing her seemed to cause negative emotions to fade away, causing a strange feeling of 'relief' the moment you walked into the same room as her. This was different from Spenta, who, despite having a calming aura, generally relied on direct contact. As for Gaia, it was actually very difficult to approach within a few meters of her, causing anyone who ventured too close to feel a rising concern, almost as if they were approaching an extremely fragile object.

Unless Vahn was holding onto her, it was absolutely impossible to approach Gaia without her expressly allowing it. This seemed to be a kind of failsafe to prevent any harm from coming to her, as, depending on the circumstances, her 'death' also meant all life on the planet would slowly die. As a result, she could purge malicious intentions, and, if the person approaching her had any kind of 'negative' energy, it would be purified almost immediately.

He obviously wouldn't test it, but Vahn assumed that Gaia's 'barrier' was an exponentially more powerful version of Fafnir's Innate. She wasn't able to protect herself, but, even if you attacked her with an EX-Rank Noble Phantasm, it would simply 'disperse' the moment it came into contact with the invisible field surrounding her. It even dwarfed Artoria's [Avalon] in power, but, considering Avalon was just a small part of Gaia's existence, it wasn't all that surprising that she had the more powerful version.

The only 'people' able to approach Gaia freely, with the obvious exception of Vahn, were Tiamat, Alaya, and, as could be expected, Illya. They were functionally incapable of even thinking about trying to harm her, and, in the case of Illya, she had basically become an obedient pet. This was largely due to the influence of Cath Palug, but, as Illya was still aware of her actions, it wasn't too much an issue. Rather, it was an excuse for her to cuddle with 'both' of her Masters at the same time, a benefit unique to her.

Far more troublesome than Illya's shift in behavior was the fact that Fenrir, despite a concerted effort, was simply unable to get anywhere near Gaia. She harbored no malicious intentions, but, due to her affinity with Yin and Darkness, it would cause her considerable pain if she attempted to violate the invisible domain of protection around the delicate Mother Goddess. This made Gaia herself extremely apologetic, but, with Fenrir's insistence she had done no wrong, the two were still able to converse cordially from a distance.

Though it was largely conjecture, Vahn speculated that the 'actual' reason behind Fenrir's inability to approach Gaia was the existence of her [Devour] Innate. While others would struggle to do any real harm to Gaia, Fenrir's Innate even allowed her to convert Source Energy more efficiently than any other. She was also able to devour anything she was able to comprehend, so, while there was a vast disparity in power between her and Gaia, Fenrir's Innate was actually 'very' effective against the former. After all, she understood Gaia's 'true nature' as the planet itself, something she could 'easily' devour if she devoted herself to the task.

Innates were heavily influenced by a person's perception and comprehension, so, while Fenrir would struggle to devour more abstract Laws, even 'indestructible' objects were subject to her power. The only things that were 'immune' to her ability were things she was convinced she could not devour. In her mind, the only thing she 'absolutely could not devour' was her Master. While she would never proactively bare her fangs towards allies, Fenrir always carried the notion that allies could, one day, turn into enemies. If that happened, she had already made the resolution to do whatever it took to defeat them, even if it meant destroying them completely.

Fenrir's Loyalty was, simultaneously, her greatest strength and greatest weakness. It left gaps in her mentality that could be exploited by clever foes, and, if she was feeling lonely, her emotional state would quickly diminish over time. She had made significant progress since her creation, but, no matter how much time passed, she was always happiest when she was with her Master. Even a few days apart would begin to make her feel sad, and, if several weeks or months passed, she was susceptible to mood swings and bouts of depression.

Fortunately, with Unit Management, Vahn could easily summon Fenrir to his side in an instant. This would only work if they were in the same Record, but, as it would take exceptional circumstances for them to, somehow, end up in different worlds, this wasn't a major concern. As for them being apart in other ways, that, too, wasn't really a problem, as, no matter how much time passed, Vahn was still reliant on Fenrir's presence. She was one of the 'constants' in his life, so, if they were apart for too long, she wouldn't even need to seek him out; he would go to her.

The 'biggest' issue within the Marble Phantasm wasn't Fenrir's inability to approach Gaia. Rather, it was the intimacy he shared with everyone else. It quickly came to light that Gaia shared senses with both Tiamat and Alaya. She had also born witness to every moment in human history from its inception, including every moment of intimacy and tragedy that had ever taken place. As a result, she had always been apathetic to such interactions, but, now that she had a body, she expressed an unexpected eagerness to 'experience' such things herself.

Vahn knew Gaia was undoubtedly being influenced by Akasha, but, compared to Alaya, it was a lot harder to refuse her sincerity. When she had first made it known that she shared senses with her 'sisters', Vahn had been hugging her gently from behind as they conversed with Fenrir. Her face had become gradually more flushed, and, just as he was fondling Alaya's tail, a small moan had escaped her lips, followed by a tail spontaneously sprouting from her lower back.

Though she appeared delicate and fragile, to the point it was hard to even formulate uncouthly thoughts, Gaia's 'knowledge' was unparalleled. She still appeared exceptionally innocent, but, unless he intended to stop spending time with Tiamat and Alaya, Vahn was in a difficult position where he couldn't actually refuse her curiosity. She wanted to be touched directly, and, with his interactions with the others being well known to her, to the point she could describe them with perfect clarity, it was hard to tell her she 'wasn't ready' for such things...

This was one of the problems with exceptionally ancient beings, as, despite her looks, Gaia had actually 'birthed' hundreds of Gods, Goddesses, and thousands of other species. She was, quite literally, the 'Primordial Goddess of Earth', the 'Mother of All Terrestrial Lifeforms'. Even his own Sex Divinity was an authority he borrowed from her, something she admitted to 'bestowing' him after personally acknowledging his prowess.

Vahn had always known that his Divinity was tied to the planet, but, hearing Gaia mention she had 'given' it to him, he couldn't help but feel a little shaken. He knew that both she and Alaya had an exceptional degree of Omniscience, but, it was hard to rationalize just how much they knew until they began dropping bombshells.

In Alaya's case, she was unable to peek into Bounded Fields, but, when it came to Gaia, she was aware of 'everything' that had ever taken place on her body from the moment she first became aware. One of the only exceptions to this was ORT's Marble Phantasm, as, despite existing on the Surface, it altered reality to create a completely 'alien' environment, a place where Gaia and Alaya had no authority.

Fortunately, while Gaia was apparently aware of everything that had taken place within Artoria's, Arcueid's, Illya's, Aoko's, and Tiamat's Marble Phantasms, she was unaware of anything that took place within Space-Time Orbs. She also didn't know about anything that had taken place inside of the [Virtual Reality Marble]s, and, most importantly, she wasn't even aware of the existence of his faux-Marble Phantasm.

Though he existed within the Record, Vahn had assumed that his 'Realm' was completely separate from everything else. After all, it was a 'projection' of his Soul, so, no matter how powerful Akasha and her Superiors were, they should be unaware of anything that happens within. If they had tried to peek, he, or, more specifically, Sis, would have been able to detect it.

It was comforting to know that Gaia's Omniscience wasn't 'absolute', but, knowing she had been able to witness many of his most intimate moments, it left him in a difficult position. He couldn't easily refute her requests, as, even if he did so, she would still experience everything Tiamat and Alaya experienced. Thus, despite it never having been part of his intentions, the third day within the Marble Phantasm was colored with the sonorous intonations of a frail voice...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Artoria, Fenrir, and Illya be like, "My gainsssss...!"','Sphere of Protec!','The quiet ones are always the most dangerous o_o...')

(A/N: I have had a fever since yesterday afternoon. I will be sleeping most of today.)

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