Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2205: Return

Seeing how easily Usalia was able to deal with her opponent, a frown marred Mikoto's expression as she remarked, "The Little Garden must really hate her…"

Though Karyou was far from the level of Wu, she was still one of the Seven Great Sages. As strong as Usalia was, it was a little difficult to imagine her defeating someone of such renown in as little as two strikes.

Showing no change in expression, Fenrir, wearing uncharacteristically modest clothes that consisted of a fur-lined parka and dark blue leggings flatly replied, "That is none of our concern. If she is truly suffering, Master is bound to intervene. Our mission is to ascertain the owner of each planet before regrouping with the others."

Restraining a sigh, Mikoto gave Fenrir a glance out of the corner of her eye before shaking her head and choosing to remain silent. She wanted to argue that Vahn would want them to do their best to help others, but, understanding there was very little she could do to change the public's opinion of Karyou, Mikoto decided to follow Fenrir's example by placing her trust in Vahn…

"Fire is annoying, plip. I feel like my whole body has been roasted…"

After defeating Karyou with her Usagi Punch, Usalia took a moment to regenerate her outfit before returning to Fenrir and Mikoto. She actually didn't mind people seeing her naked, but, now that she was a mother, she intended to set a better example for her children.

Extending her paw, Fenrir casually generated a cooling aura around Usalia's body as she said, "We should leave. That woman doesn't strike me as the type to stay down for long…"

Feeling a pleasant chill surrounding her body, a grateful smile developed across Usalia's face as she said, "Thank you." before casting her gaze over the fiery planet below and adding, "Leaving is easier said than done, plip. I don't see any teleportation nexi…"

Emulating Usalia's actions, Fenrir's expression promptly morphed into a grimace. Karyou was unable to attack and defend her planet at the same time. With no use for the planetside teleportation nexi, she hadn't hesitated to set the entire surface on fire. This not only trapped the people who dared to invaded her planet; more importantly, it prevented them from using said nexi to reach her core…

Fearing that Fenrir might do something drastic, Mikoto placed a placating hand on her shoulder as she said, "Hey, no need to get upset. Did you forget that I'm here? Vahn isn't the only one familiar with the Laws of Space and Time. Before we departed, I made sure to memorize the coordinates of our homeworld. I might not be able to teleport us to worlds we haven't visited but I can easily take us home."

Though she didn't always get along with Mikoto, Fenrir breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the presently petite brunette's words. If they hadn't been able to return via conventional methods, she was prepared to dig and tear a path all the way to the core of the planet…

Just as Fenrir was prepared to tell Mikoto to transport them, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a cube-shaped barrier of light manifested around them. In the very next moment, a man with wild, dark-brown hair and pale golden eyes appeared outside the barrier, hand scratching the back of his head as he stated, "Sorry about this, ladies. I don't normally attack women but I couldn't help overhearing you mention you possessed the means to teleport off this rock. I'm gonna have to ask you to take me and my friend along…"

Reacting to the fashionably dressed man's words, the seemingly ordinary black cat lounging on his shoulders issued a lazy meow. As for Fenrir, a bluish-black aura manifested around her right paw as she swiped towards the barrier with her Severing Claws.

Seeing Fenrir attack his barrier, an ostensibly teasing smile developed across the dark-haired man's face. This didn't last long, however, as, the moment her attack met the anti-magical membrane, a frightful sound reminiscent of metal being torn apart could be heard echoing throughout the Little Garden. At the same time, almost as if his barrier had been made of tissue paper, Fenrir's blades of energy seamlessly cut through it.

"Gimme a break…"

Though he was more than a little surprised by Fenrir's ability to cut through his barrier, the look on the man's face appeared more disinterested than anything. In response to the attack, he drew what appeared to be a hunting knife from the holster at his waist. Golden runes lit up across its otherwise pitch-black surface, and, though it consumed significantly more mana than he anticipated, the man was able to cut through the four blades of energy with apparent ease.

Following her initial attack, Fenrir smashed through the remnants of the barrier, claws extended as she intended to slice the man to ribbons. Her claws were exponentially sharper than the blades she was capable of producing, so, without even considering whether or not the man could cut through her attack, she charged toward him with a fierce expression on her face.

Seemingly in an effort to protect its master, the black cat on the man's shoulder promptly jumped forward. In moments before Fenrir's attack struck, its form quickly transitioned to that of a dainty, 144cm tall girl with medium-length black hair, cat ears, and a tail. Her outfit vaguely resembled the style of an old school mobster, but, rather than focusing on her attire, Fenrir locked eyes with the resolute woman as she exclaimed, "Cat Scratch Fever…!"

Similar to how Fenrir was attacking with her claws, the petite cat girl lunched forward with a pair of prolonged, razor-sharp nails. The disparity between her and Fenrir was like Heaven and Earth, but, so long as she could inflict even a grazing injury on her opponent, the effects of her attack would take hold…

Noticing the resolution in the cat girl's eyes, Fenrir simultaneously activated her Queen of the Pack and Koku Shundo. She wasn't even remotely afraid, but, having been taught to never underestimate her opponents, she elected to play it safe by flickering behind the duo and surrounding them with the shadow wolves representing Altria, Atalanta, and Gareth.

Though she deadpanned the moment she was summoned, Altria managed to evade the claws of her opponent. At the same time, Atalanta and Gareth took advantage of their speed to snap at the man's ankles. This ultimately proved unsuccessful, but, the moment he stepped back to evade the duo, he found Fenrir waiting for him, teeth bared and surrounded by illusory projection resembling her giant wolf form.

"Shion is going to be piss-"

Unable to finish his statement, the dark-haired man found the upper half of his body 'erased' as the massive, illusory wolf closed its jaws around him. Part of never underestimating your opponents was going all out from the start. The man had dared to imprison her, so, while she would have normally left him frozen in a column of ice, Fenrir decided on a more decisive course of action.

Nobody sealed or restrained her without permission…

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As her true identity was that of a familiar, the black-haired cat girl promptly vanished the moment her Master was defeated. Shortly after that, Mikoto, with a wry smile on her face, placed her hands on Fenrir's and Usalia's shoulders. The truth of the matter was that she could have easily teleported them away even with the barrier up, so, while she understood Fenrir's reasons for attacking, Mikoto couldn't help thinking he had gone overboard.

Instead of voicing her thoughts out loud, Mikoto made a mental note to discuss it with Vahn once the Gift Game had concluded. The only people Fenrir sincerely listened to were Vahn, Eva, and, to a lesser extent, Artoria. Her [Queen of the Pack] Innate hadn't helped. Instead, it had seeded in her an almost oppressive sense of duty and pride. Thus, unless you were her Master, one of his children, or one of her mentors, Fenrir didn't have time to deal with you.

In Fenrir's mind, time spent talking was time that could have been spent performing her duties or growing stronger…

"…"

"…"

"…"

As the coordinates recorded by Mikoto were set within the throne room rather than the adjacent antechamber, the trio was gobsmacked by the scene presented to them upon their arrival.

Vahn was seated upon his throne. This was completely normal. What surprised them was the fact that there were several ashen-skinned women present, many with equally incredulous expressions on their faces as they observed him caressing the head of an oversized, partially-clothed cat.

While the scene of Vahn petting something wasn't particularly abnormal, the state of the person he was petting left even Fenrir at a loss for words. She was one of the few people to experience the full effects of her Master's petting, so, seeing the feline figure lying limply atop his lap, an absurdly loud purring emanating through the hall, a hostile gleam flashed across her carmine eyes…

Noticing the trio's arrival, the amused grin on Vahn's face softened into a sincere and affectionate smile as he retracted his palm from Attutyaptish's furry, upturned belly and mused, "Fenrir, Mikoto, Usalia…welcome back…"

Asking the question on all three of their minds, Mikoto eyed the half-conscious figure drooling atop Vahn's lap as she inquired, "What's going on here? Who's the cat…?"

Poking said cat in the cheek, Vahn answered, "This is Attutyaptish, the Great King of Wisdom. He's a bit of a schemer, but, as you can see here, he's also quite cute once he lets his guard down. He kind of reminds me of a monochromatic version of the second and third generation of Companions…"

Retracting his finger from Attutyaptish's cheek, Vahn used Telekinesis to levitate him over to where the aforementioned's daughters were enjoying a light lunch. The 'educational' petting session had been going on for the better part of an hour and a half hours, so, rather than forcing them to stand around, he manifested a low-lying table and a few snacks for them to enjoy.

Though she was a little surprised, Shaanti, the Sage with a Gift related to photography, accepted her father's half-conscious body with a curious expression on her face. She was the only person with animalistic ears to not have her head patted, so, seeing her father with a silly yet contented look on his face, she couldn't help wondering what it was like to be on the receiving end of Vahn's caress…

Unfortunately, Vahn followed the turn-over by saying, "I suppose that about wraps up our little rendezvous. Feel free to stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth once the Gift Game has concluded. So long as you're willing to pay the price, there is very little we can't provide."

Without waiting for the group's response, Vahn teleported them to the antechamber. He hadn't missed the ostensibly murderous glimmer in Fenrir's eye, so, as much as he enjoyed teasing the peculiar group of six-armed individuals, their value didn't equate to a single hair on his beloved companion's tail…

…

…

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Coming to his senses nearly an hour later, Attutyaptish first observed his surroundings before setting his gaze on Eshavi and asking, "What happened? The last thing I remember…"

Recalling the feeling of comfort that had invaded his mind the moment Vahn began kneading the space between his eyes and ears, an imperceptible, dark-grey hue spread through Attutyaptish's cheeks. Were it not for his fur, the entire Little Garden would have been able to see him blushing.

Deciding he would rather review the recording rather than hearing his daughters recount what would invariably become his most embarrassing moment, Attutyaptish directed his gaze to the nearby teleportation nexus. He was originally planning to destroy them so that Vahn wouldn't be able to escape. Now, realizing Vahn had no intention of moving from his spot, he decided it would be best if they simply returned.

"We're leaving. By now, our fellow tribesmen and women should be placing the finishing touches on the ritual magic formation. I don't mind going out in a blaze of glory but I'd much rather assist in the destruction of whichever planet follows this one…"

Though it was too late to take back his previous decision, Attutyaptish was confident he could save some face by demonstrating his prowess against other Communities. Preventing his brothers from teasing him would be impossible but he could at least change how the general public viewed him…

With this in mind, Attutyaptish directed his daughters to stand atop the nearest platform before personally activating the teleportation array. This immediately brought them to the surface, but, instead of finding a planet-wide formation awaiting them, the group was stunned when one of the nearest Rakshasa asked them if something had gone wrong with the initial teleportation. After all, while several hours had passed since their first encounter with Vahn, a mere thirteen seconds had passed since their departure…

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Good mommies don't streak (U w U)…','Only Master is allowed to confine Fenrir…!','*deep breath*…Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh-')

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