Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though he only had twenty-four hours to make a decision, Vahn was in no hurry to do so. Said twenty-four hours was referring to the amount of time that passed 'outside,' so he could mull over his decision for days, months, or even years, thanks to his ability to manipulate time.

With this in mind, Vahn decided to consult with Sis, the Council of Wives, and just about everyone who had branched out to assemble a Community of their own. The Win Condition of the Gift Game may have specified that only a single person could triumph, but there were no rules or restrictions prohibiting Representatives from working together.

After hearing what Vahn had to say, Eva was among the first to offer her input, asking, "Why not just implant one of your Templates into each of our affiliates? So long as they weren't the Leader of a Community, there are no Restrictions stating transfers are prohibited."

Shaking his head, Vahn replied, "While that's a good idea, I'm not going to deprive others of the opportunity to participate. There is also the issue of Authority. Without the benefits it provides, most of my Templates wouldn't even be able to harm the Avataras hailing from the Inner Gates."

Unable to restrain herself, Wu chimed in to complain, "This Gift Game is a load of bullshit. They claim that the Rules and Restrictions are intended to make things fair, but they're just an excuse to stack the deck in their favor. Even if I sent forth my most powerful subordinate, they wouldn't be able to do jack shit against those monsters from the Inner Gates."

Though he was of a similar mindset, Vahn could understand why entities such as himself and Wu were prohibited from participating. The latter was regarded as the most indestructible entity in all of Creation, so unless she surrendered, she basically couldn't lose.

"I understand where you're coming from, I really do. However, the Game's conditions have already been determined. Participation is also mandatory, so all we can do at this point is play by the rules or surrender out of spite."

Clicking her tongue, Wu bounced to her feet and said, "I need to blow off some steam." before promptly departing the meeting room. The look she gave Vahn made it clear she expected him to accompany her, so, while his original self remained seated, another manifested in the hallway, ready to receive her.

Choosing to insert herself into the conversation, Da Vinci asked, "Would you like me to run some simulations to determine which of our available members can best cooperate? I can also participate as a Representative, but I'd rather not get involved in such a public contest."

As the Leader of her Community was actually Luvia, Da Vinci was one of the people Vahn was considering as the Aldrnari Empire's Representative. She didn't like to stand out, but her raw power and ingenuity gave her an advantage over just about anyone, Authority excluded.

Interrupting before Vahn could respond, Ureko elected to follow in Wu's footsteps, complaining, "Man, if I had known an event like this was going to occur, I would have put Yuri in charge..."

Prompted by the remark, Yuri burst out laughing, much to the chagrin of Ureko and just about everyone else in a similar position. Those that had set out to establish Communities of their own did so because they either enjoyed fighting or wanted to help Vahn, so they were more than a little annoyed by the notion they were being forced to sit out.

Drawing the gazes of everyone giving Yuri a stink eye, Vahn exhaled a sigh and muttered, "I know how you feel...everything I did these past few days was with the belief I would be settling things personally. Now, even though I'm just two steps away from completing my goal, I have to rely on others at one of the most critical junctures..."

Realizing how his words could be misconstrued, Vahn's smile became wry as he scratched the back of his head and asserted, "Not that I don't trust each of you..."

With his comment eliciting a series of sighs, giggles, and eye rolls, Vahn was moments away from apologizing when Artoria chimed in to question, "Would the most appropriate choice not be Sis? I can't imagine her losing, not when she shares your power."

Having anticipated such a question, Sis took it upon herself to respond, "I am directly linked to Vahn, so the Central Network views us as two halves of the same entity. I prefer things staying that way, so I'll have to ask that you forgive me. I can provide support, but I can't participate directly."

Instead of questioning Sis's claim, Artoria supplied an understanding nod, adding, "My power is also reliant on Vahn, so I would be a poor choice as a Representative. What about you, Eva? With your understanding of Magic and Martial Arts, you should be able to perform well."

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Eva shook her head and stated, "I'll participate if Vahn asks me to, but I've already retired. Besides, if those are the only conditions, Asuna would be a more suitable candidate."

Pointing toward herself, Asuna expressed a hint of shock as she asked, "Me? You can't be serious, right? While I'm confident in my strength, I'm nowhere near the strongest person present. If the rules don't prevent aggregate entities from participating, Kefla would be a better choice. I mean, I've never blown up a planet before."

Excited by the notion, Caulifla promptly stood up, smacking the table in the process as she exclaimed, "Heck yeah, that's what I'm talking about! Count me in...!"

Though she was weaker than Broly in his Sage Mode, Caulifla was fairly confident in her fusion with Kale. The thought of engaging millions in a contest of strength also left her feeling hot and bothered, so much so that her golden fur immediately transitioned into a shade of pink.

With Caulifla eying him like a piece of meat, the smile on Vahn's face became wrier as he replied, "I don't mind letting you participate as the representative of the Sage Dragon's Hearth. However, as powerful as you are in your fused state, I can't imagine you and Kale emerging as the final victor. If you lose your cool, you might even harm your allies..."

Furrowing her brows, Caulifla wanted to retort Vahn's words but remained silent. She knew better than anyone how 'unstable' she and Kale could be in their fused state, so she ultimately returned to her seat and crossed her arms with a defiant huff.

While making a mental note to 'apologize' to the two Saiyanesses once the meeting had concluded, Vahn surprised nearly everyone present by directing his gaze to Seraphina, asking, "How about it, Sera? There are no Rules or Restrictions against summoning, so your ability would prove fairly useful in a situation such as this."

Equally as surprised as everyone else, Seraphina stared at Vahn as if he were an idiot, silence overwhelming the atmosphere for several awkward moments before she eventually retorted, "Did you replace your brain with a lump of iron? My ability might be helpful against the plebian fodder, but I can't even defeat Usalia. Besides, without my 'Authority,' there's a good chance my subordinates would turn against me if I summoned someone too powerful. Use your head, Vahn."

Realizing his mistake, Vahn exhaled an awkward chuckle before coughing to cover his embarrassment. In truth, he was just giving Seraphina a bit of face. He never anticipated that she would 'rebuke' him so harshly, at least not in front of so many people...

With the gazes and glares of nearly everyone present veering toward her, Seraphina shuddered involuntarily. Fenrir's gaze, in particular, caused her skin to crawl, so, even though she wasn't ordinarily the type of person to apologize, she hugged herself, forced an awkward smile, and said, "I may have been a bit harsh...sorry..."

Shaking his head, Vahn exuded a calming aura as he assured, "No need to apologize. I should have put more consideration into my words. I'm just at a loss after this unexpected development..."

Deciding to help Vahn transition back to the matter at hand, Da Vinci gave one of her mesmerizing smiles, proposing, "Why not make use of that little trinket you've been holding onto all these years? At least by defeating her, you'll feel like you've contributed directly to our victory."

Though he was momentarily confused by Da Vinci's words, the realization of who she was referring to hit him like a ton of bricks. He almost couldn't believe she was the one making such a proposal, as, viewed objectively, it was like manifesting a literal sun to light a candle.

As it was pretty rare to see Vahn stupefied, Da Vinci covered her mouth to suppress a throaty chuckle before lowering her hand, narrowing her eyes, and stating, "You already feel as though you're powerful enough to defeat the current rulers of the Little Garden. This is an opportunity to prove it to yourself. Afterward, what could possibly stand in your way...?"

Confused by Da Vinci's unnecessarily roundabout way of speaking, Fenrir gave voice to the majority's confusion, questioning, "What are you talking about? There isn't anyone Master can't defeat."

Instead of refuting Fenrir's words, Da Vinci's smile broadened as she said, "I agree, completely. If I didn't, I wouldn't have made such a suggestion."

As Da Vinci's words didn't really explain anything, Vahn assuaged Fenrir's growing frustrations by revealing, "She is suggesting I utilize the Ethereal Queen's Grace, summoning her into this world. It's just...even after all this time, I'm not confident in my ability to succeed. I've fought the version in my Actualized Worlds more than a thousand times and never come out on top..."

Though many of the people present knew about Vahn's occasional bouts against the Ethereal Queen, it was difficult for them to imagine him losing more than a thousand times. Vahn wasn't the type of person to stay down in a fight, even if he was utterly obliterated, so they couldn't imagine a set of circumstances where he would suffer a legitimate defeat.

Feeling a little embarrassed, Vahn forced a smile and scratched the back of his head a second time, admitting, "Well, I could probably win if I went 'all out.' When I'm in the Actualized Worlds, I tend to play by their rules. If I ignored them entirely, I can't imagine myself losing..."

Causing Vahn to feel even more embarrassed, a chorus of relieved sighs emanated from nearly everyone present. In their minds, he represented a pinnacle that couldn't be overcome, so it was difficult for them to accept him struggling against even the most powerful and ludicrous opponents. After all, this was Vahn they were talking about...even Da Vinci couldn't imagine a more irrationally overpowered existence...

With the matter all but decided, Vahn, assuming he would emerge as the victor, agreed that the Ethereal Queen would serve as the Representative of the Aldrnari Empire. Given what she represented, the odds of anyone, even the Big Three, defeating her were so infinitesimal they might as well be zero. Thus, the only things left to determine were the Representatives of every other Community affiliated with the Aldrnari Empire, starting with Kefla representing the Sage Dragon Hearth...

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As she hadn't been invited to participate in the discussion between Vahn and his bevy of beauties, Shiroyasha had been peeking in on them from the comfort of her private quarters. She had already designated Algol as her Representative, so she was just passing the time while others scurried about making preparations.

"So he actually went with the Ethereal Queen...It seems my worries were unfounded..."

Though she had never met the Ethereal Queen in person, Shiroyasha had seen several of Vahn's attempts to overcome her. She had been given an identical setup to Sandora, so whenever she was bored, she would flip on her television and see what Vahn's Templates were up to in his Actualized Worlds. They were some of the only worlds where her omnipotence didn't apply, so she had quickly gotten addicted to their content.

With nothing better to do, Shiroyasha laid on her side before manifesting a bag of rice crackers and switching on her TV to a scene of Vahn 'spying' on Mikoto during her early days in the Toaruverse. Mikoto was one of the people most likely to be designated as the Representative for the Aldrnari Empire, so Shiroyasha had been shoring up her knowledge of the peculiar Electromaster. Not because she wanted to plan around Vahn, but because she had been appointed as the Host of the impending Gift Game...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Wu be like, "Fuck this shit, I'm out..."','Seraphina is playing with fire...','Da Vinci doing her thing, as usual xD...')