Chapter 1860 Moving Forward by Taking a Few Steps Back
Since virtually everything in the Tower was new to them, the Hell Train included, Vahn gave the girls a detailed overview of the current situation while guiding them to where the God of Guardians was located. They had all basically 'reincarnated' into the current Record, and, unlike Fenrir, their origins had very little to do with The Path. He was hoping this would allow them to undergo the process of Revolution, and, if they were lucky, it might provide them a significant increase in power.
Though their combat experiences and mastery over certain Laws would allow them to fight against much stronger foes, each of the girls, on average, had the equivalent strength of a B-Rank Regular. This was in spite of the fact they possessed the inordinately powerful physiques of a True Dragons, and, most importantly, functionally unlimited reserves of energy.
Given enough time, the girls would invariably become some of the most powerful beings within the entire Record, but, for the time being, they were still adapting to the changes of their body and the instability of their Soul. The process of separating them from the Realm and transplanting them into the Record was an incredibly destructive process, and, if not for his recent breakthrough into Tier 5, effectively allowing him to manifest their Spirits within his domain, it would have been exceptionally difficult to prevent their Egos from fragmenting.
Unfortunately, regardless of his skill level, it was impossible to prevent some amount of 'loss' during the transition. The boundless energy comprising their Egos was something altogether foreign to the current Record, so, even after the transfer, they needed to stay within the bounds of his domain for several months. During this time, they were required to cultivate numerous techniques that would, slowly but surely, replace the energy within their Ego. This was an exceptionally painful process, but, considering the alternate was the effective erasure of their Selves, everyone who had chosen to exit the Realm had been required to endure it.
Now, after a month of rehabilitation and training, the girls were more determined than ever to stay at his side, and, just as they wished to support him, Vahn was more than willing to do the same. His journey might result in him standing alone at the pinnacle of all creation, but, until that penultimate moment, he was happy to journey alongside the people he loved. Just being around them filled him with a sense of purpose, and, though their presence reminded him of the family he had left behind, these same sentiments became the motivation propelling him further forward...
Giving voice to the words that had danced across everyone else's minds, Eva adopted a slightly incredulous expression as she looked up at the God of Guardians and remarked, "Someone's been eating their wheaties..."
Cocking his head to the side, visible confusion could be seen in Donar's countenance as he said, "I did not expect you back so soon...have you brought these people here to undergo Revolution?"
Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn plopped his hand down on Mordred's head, ruffling her hair as he said, "These are my family and loved ones. Though they are far removed the concept of what you refer to as the 'outside', they should better fit the definition of what you call an Irregular. I want you to allow them to undergo Revolution, starting with this spunky young lady."
Happy to both have her head pat and her name volunteered to be the first to receive strength, a toothy smile immediately developed across Mordred's face as she puffed out her modest chest and exclaimed, "Give me your best! I can overcome any challenge you throw at me, mountain man...!"
Frowing in response to the woman's boastful words, Donar felt compelled to say something, but, with Vahn smiling up at him, he felt that doing so would be a mistake. Instead, he leaped up to the top of the Rice Pot, opening the lid as he explained, "I'm afraid only one person can experience the process of Revolution at a time. There are only five days until the train reaches the next destination. Are you sure you wish to start now?"
Preempting any further discussion, Mordred skillfully leaped to the edge of the Rice Pot before hopping inside. This was her opportunity to surpass her mother, and, though it might only be for a short period of time, it was something she had dreamed of for hundreds of years. Just the thought of being the 'strongest' made her feel giddy and excited, so, regardless of the consequences, she charged forward without any hesitation...
Understanding her daughter's thoughts, Artoria couldn't help but shake her head as she remarked, "That child still lacks discipline...I wonder which of us is most to blame...?"
Though he knew this was her attempt at making a joke, a glimmer of guilt could be seen in Vahn's eyes as he adopted a wry smile and rubbed the back of his head. This earned him amused giggles from several of the girls, Artoria included.
Fortunately, while they had each come to enjoy teasing him quite a bit, the girls generally held back their urges whenever 'outsiders' were present. This was especially true for Artoria, who, prior to her 'rebirth', asked if her status as a Knight could be reinstated. Becoming his Empress was one of the proudest moments in her entire life, but, first and foremost, she had the heart and soul of a Knight. She also had very little interest in politics after experiencing the idyllic structure of the Empire, so, at least for the time being, she wanted to walk a path separate from her status as the Phoenix Dragon Empress.
As his official Knight Commander, helping to maintain his image was one of the duties Artoria took most seriously. Because of this, her expression immediately turned into a more serious countenance the moment Donar, the God of Guardians, leaped down from the Rice Pot. She even moved to step in between them, her hand naturally gravitating towards the handle of her Asauchi. She had lost the ability to wield both Excalibur and Rhongomyniad, for obvious reasons, so, while he fully expected her to awaken a Zanpakuto with a similar shape, the current Artoria wielded a sword reminiscent of the Caliburn at her hip.
Understanding her expectations of him, Vahn performed a stopping gesture with his right hand as he stated, "Stand down." in a commanding voice. In response, Artoria promptly retracted her hand from her blade, and, though it was entirely unnecessary, she performed an irreproachable Knight's salute before taking her place at his side. This caused the God of Guardians no small measure of confusion, but, rather than comment on it, he asked, "Will you remain here until your companion emerges? In some cases, Revolution can take several months. When Jahad and the Great Warriors boarded this train in the ancient past, it took nearly six years for them to complete their training..."
Having already formed Pactios with Mordred and most of the other girls, Vahn shook his head in response to the God of Guardians' words, saying, "She possesses the means to contact us once she has completed her Revolution. Though I'll have someone periodically check in on her, our principal objective is the elimination of the entity known as White. If Mordred emerges before then, you can just teach her that unique Shinsu Control Skill of yours. Just be careful. She can be a little 'spirited' at times."
Though he felt like Vahn had just entrusted him with a short-fused explosive, Donar still nodded his head before saying, "Very well. Since each of your companions are qualified to undergo Revolution, they also possess the right to learn the same control technique bestowed upon Jahad and the Great Warriors, the Shinsu Black-Hole Sphere. You possess the same right, but, considering the power you already possess, I'm not sure how useful it would be for you..."
Chuckling in response to the man's words, Vahn gestured towards Eva, Illya, and Fenrir catching the trio's attention as he stated, "There are five days remaining until our arrival at the next station. Until then, I'll have you teach your control technique to these three lovely ladies. Among the people here, they are the most talented when it comes to the external manipulation of energy. They may not be able to master it in such a brief span of time, but I have absolute confidence in their ability to grasp the technique before the week's end."
Though they could appreciate Vahn's trust in them, the reactions of the trio were significantly less zealous than the fervor displayed by Mordred. Eva even adopted a frown, her brows creased ever so slightly as she asked, "Do you think I'll just let you run off while I spend the next five days training? I don't give a damn about some special control technique. Hell, I can probably create an actual Black Hole if I really wanted to. Why would I stay here and accept the teachings of someone else? Are you looking down on me?"
Finding himself at a loss, Vahn simply adopted an awkward smile in response to Eva's rebuttal. He hadn't exactly forgotten how willful she could be, but, now that they were traveling together, it was apparent he would need to take this into consideration when he was making decisions. At the very least, he could have avoided the current situation by asking for her opinion rather than putting her name forward and deciding without her input. Now, she would be very resistant to the idea of them separating, as, more than anything else, her primary reason for venturing into this world was to stay at his side. The idea of separating, even for the purpose of training, was something she was bound to oppose, seemingly with extreme prejudice.
Realizing she might have overreacted, Eva adopted a slightly apologetic expression, arms crossed as she added with a huff, "If you really want me to stay and learn-"
Interrupting before she could finish, Vahn shook his head, his smile turning gentle and affectionate as he remarked, "No. It's fine. I should have taken your feelings into consideration. Though I want to track down White before FUG manages to unseal him, I shouldn't be prioritizing some random guy I've never met over the people I genuinely care about. For now, how about we all learn the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere together? Who knows, Mordred might even finsh her Revolution in the next five days. I imagine she would be a lot happier if we're all waiting here when she emerges..."
Though she couldn't help feeling marginally guilty, a loving smile spread across Eva's face as she nodded in response to Vahn's words. She knew she had probably overreacted, but, after several months of painful preparations, the thought of separating so soon made her feel uncomfortable. She wanted to become stronger, sure, but, more so than anything else, she just wanted to spend more time with the person she loved. This was a sentiment shared by most of the women who had chosen to accompany him, the sole exception being Karin, who, despite coming to worship Vahn as her God, primarily emerged from the Realm in order to accompany Eva...
Unaware of what was taking occurring outside, Mordred could be seen lazily blowing bubble as she continued to descend further into the seemingly endless abyss. She had never been known for her patience, so, despite only a few hours having passed, she was already beginning to lose interest in the Rice Pot. The only thing the kept her calm was the knowledge that, the longer it took for her to descend, the greater her potential. She knew it had taken three days for Fenrir to reach the bottom, so, at the very least, she was prepared for her descent to last around the same length of time...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'True Dragons are hax...','Revolution~!','Imagine Mordred's reaction when it takes less than a day for her to reach the bottom xD...')
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