Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After his encounter with Death, Izayoi took a moment to rest before heading deeper into the Inner Gated territories. He didn't know for sure, but his intuition was telling him that the closer he got to the center of the former Little Garden, the easier it would be to locate World Dragon Kurma. If not, well, at least he would encounter some strong opponents along the way.

With such thoughts in mind, Izayoi passed through an invisible membrane that put him in the center of a vast, seemingly endless forest. Looking up, he discovered that the sky was completely obscured by the canopy of an incomprehensibly vast tree that resembled an ever-shifting cosmos from below.

Whistling in admiration, Izayoi remarked, "That's one big ass tree. Looks like I just entered the former territory of the Norse Faction. Either that or their predecessors…"

Desiring a better vantage point, Izayoi flew into the sky, the pupils of his eyes briefly contracting as he became aware of the corpses of dozens, if not hundreds, of mountain-sized giants. One, in particular, towered over the others, its hollow eye sockets resembling massive voids within which entire moons could sit.

Though he had witnessed colossal creatures in the past, the sun-sized Vahn being a good example, this was the closest Izayoi had ever been to one. He was fairly confident in his strength but seeing the planet-sized corpse, even from a distance, gave him the impression he was still a small and insignificant being in the grand scale of the cosmos.

Interrupting Izayoi's thought, Seiunn remarked, "Behold, the corpse of Aurgelmir, the First of All and Father of the Giants. That must make this space Ginnungagap, the Graveyard of the Void."

Blinking in surprise, Izayoi parroted, "Aurgelmir?" before asking, "Isn't that the original name of Ymir…?"

Nodding his ethereal, whale-like head, Seiunn replied, "Indeed. In Norse Cosmology, Aurgelmir was born of the dew formed when the ever-ice of Niflheim met with the all-consuming flames of Muspelheim. According to some accounts, his flesh, bones, and sinew are the foundation atop which six of the Nine Realms were built."

Scratching the back of his head, Izayoi remarked, "That's interesting and all, but what am I supposed to do with such information? We need to get out of here and find that World Dragon chick."

Exhaling an echoey sigh, Seiunn responded, "From what I can tell, this space functions similarly to a Game Board. If you want to leave, there is an objective you must fulfill. If I had to guess, this situation is similar to the 'inheritance tests' commonly experienced in Cultivation worlds and novels."

Blinking in surprise, Izayoi asked, "Seriously? You mean to tell me I got dragged into this place to be tested for a power I don't give a rat's ass about acquiring…?"

Shrugging his non-existent shoulders, Seiunn answered, "Based on what I've been able to extrapolate, that appears to be the case. If you want to file a complaint, I suggest you take it up with that enormous corpse over there. I sure as hell didn't drag you into here."

Adopting a deadpan expression, Izayoi retorted, "But you 'should' be able to get us out. Isn't breaking out of spatial locks and prisons supposed to be your specialty?"

"…"

Instead of answering Izayoi's question, Seiunn raised its gaze to the massive canopy blotting out the sky overhead. His Creator had always had a particular 'affinity' with the Norse Cosmology, even as far back as the Record of Danmachi. Thus, while it was possible for him to liberate Izayoi from the Ginnungagap, his curiosity compelled him to at least try to obtain the inheritance contained within.

Exhaling a sigh of his own, Izayoi muttered, "What a pain…" before taking off toward the corpse of Aurgelmir. Even without Seiunn responding, Izayoi had a pretty good idea of what was going through the whale-like Companion's mind. Thus, while he was eager to track down World Dragon Kurma and have her divulge her relationship with his adoptive mother, he didn't mind taking a detour to satiate his friend's curiosity…

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"Is it over?" asked Kurma, her amethyst-purple eyes narrowing as she stared at Siddhartha's right hand.

Nodding in affirmation, Sidd stated, "Though I am weakened without my Power of Authority, Buddhist Sealing Techniques are the most powerful in the current Order. So long as my hand remains closed, Adam has no hope of escaping."

Furrowing her brows, Kurma remarked, "I am well acquainted with the power of Buddhist Sealing Techniques. That's why I'm suspicious. Even if he is blinded by the Truth, why would someone like Adam attempt to fight us directly? Even the leader of his Community is a 3-Digit, Chieftain-Class Deity. How could he hope to contend against Avataras representing single and two-digit Communities? It doesn't make any sense."

Prompted by Kurma's words, Sidd looked skyward, narrowing his golden eyes to focus on the massive construct orbiting hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. It resembled an array of angelic wings from a distance, but as he focused on the epicenter of the construct, Siddhartha became aware of the blue-haired automaton controlling it.

Adopting a faint smile, Siddhartha calmly mused, "It appears we've been lured into a trap."

Following Sidd's gaze, the draconic pupils of Kurma's eyes shrank as she also became aware of Eve's presence. Unlike Sidd, however, she was fully aware of Eve's capabilities, shouting, "We need to dodge…!" with a hint of panic in her tone.

Seemingly disregarding Kurma's words, Siddhartha raised one of his free left hands, musing, "Immovable Golden Buddha…" just as Eve unleashed a beam of purging light comparable to a solar flare. Said beam appeared to blot out the heavens themselves, but the moment it encountered Sidd's comparably small shield of golden light, it was as though it had struck an immovable object. The ruined cityscape surrounding him and Kurma was reduced to sub-atomic ash, but everything within Sidd's spherical barrier was untouched by Eve's orbital bombardment.

Forming a series of seals with his free hands, Siddhartha wove together a series of golden runes into a mantra-like passage before gently pushing it forward, declaring, "Karmic Inversion…" in a deep, resonating tone. The moment his words fell, the beam of light impacting his shield appeared to freeze, becoming a solid column of light whose particles began moving in reverse. Moments later, the light retreated into the sky, followed by the previously destroyed cityscape reconstituting itself as Siddhartha calmly stated, "The way is not in the sky but within our hearts. What we believe, reality becomes…"

Using one of his right hands, Siddhartha made a vertical slicing gesture with his index and middle fingers. As his fingers reached the lowest point of their arc, Eve's landed face-first into the ground, transported hundreds of thousands of kilometers in an instant but suffering no damage from the descent.

Gazing down at the prostrate automaton, a rare hint of disdain appeared in Siddhartha's gaze as he muttered, "Your existence is a mockery of the living…"

Though the Buddhist Faction purported the notion that 'existence was suffering,' they also believed that life and, most importantly, freedom of choice was sacred. Those who sought to escape the natural cycle via mechanical means or the transplantation of the soul were regarded as worse than demons, so while most would consider Eve to be among the most beautiful constructs in all of Creation, Siddhartha viewed her as less than an insect.

Bringing his hands together to form the Uttarabodhi Mudra Seal, Sidd was prepared to eradicate every trace of Even when a deep yet feminine voice emanated from behind him, declaring, "That's my prey. I suggest you and your little dragon friend depart before I make you my next targets."

Following the declaration, Madara emerged from thin air wearing ghostly blue armor in place of her usual crimson ensemble. She had been waiting patiently for a chance to attack Eve, so there was no way she would allow someone else to steal her glory.

Before Siddhartha could order Madara to identify herself, Kurma's brows furrowed as she said, "You're Uchiha Madara, one of the highest-ranking Villains in the West. Is the Ormus Society your enemy as well…?"

Meeting Kurma's gaze, Madara plainly stated, "I have no true enemies. I simply seek to battle powerful foes. If you eliminate that woman before I've had the chance to redeem myself, I'll have no choice but to target the two of you in her stead."

Creasing her brows even further, Kurma was tempted to point out she was aware of Madara's relationship with Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire. Instead, she pointedly inquired, "Is this the will of your Master, or are you acting independently?"

Crossing her arms, Madara firmly declared, "I am my own Master. Now, leave this place before you lose the opportunity to depart of your own accord."

Before Kurma could respond to Madara's provocation, Siddhartha made a pushing gesture with one of his left hands, muttering, "Sacred Palm of the Buddha…" in his characteristically resonant tone. As he did so, an illusory golden palm slammed into Madara like a runaway train, rapidly increasing in size and speed as it pushed her back and through several buildings.

Seeing Siddhartha send Madara flying, an indescribable sense of panic swelled within Kurma's chest. Things hadn't been going as planned since the beginning of the Pandemonium Gift Game, but it wasn't until this very moment that she felt that their actions were futile.

As if to confirm Kurma's suspicions, the luminous golden palm produced by Siddhartha abruptly shattered, followed by the appearance of a moon-sized, dragon-themed Susanoo covered in runes…

Situated in a jewel on the dragon's head, Madara had a battle-crazed grin on her face as she shouted, "You've done it now, you bastards! I'll take on all three of you at once…!"

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Confirming Seiunn's hypothesis, a deep, resonating voice entered Izayoi's mind the moment he entered the cavernous void that was Aurgelmir's left eye, stating, "Welcome, mighty warrior. We sense within you a powerful resolve that defies the 'reason' of this world. Overcome our Trials, and we shall help you draw out your latent potential to its fullest…"

Though he didn't really expect an answer, Izayoi called out, "And what if I don't want to undergo your trials? I'm the type that likes to shatter my limits with my own strength. I don't need hand-holding from some ancient giant to draw out my full potential."

Matching Izayoi's expectations, there was no response from the booming voice that had echoed within his mind. Instead, a blue, vortex-like portal opened up in front of him, the center gradually clearing to reveal an army of Elven warriors standing in formation on the opposite side. Only then did the voice explain, "Your First Trial is to aid the armies of Elfheim. Claim the heads of the Dökkálfar's nine Generals if you wish to advance further. Fail, and you will suffer the same fate as the rest of Elfheim's citizens…"

Without waiting for Izayoi's response, a powerful suction force began to emanate from the vortex-like portal. He could have resisted with very little effort, but as his goal for participating in the Pandemonium Gift Game was to promote and spread the name of his Community throughout the Little Garden, Izayoi just sighed internally and allowed himself to be drawn inside. He might have no use for it, but obtaining the legacy of a Progenitor-Class Deity was bound to increase the status and reputation of the No-Names by a great deal…

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The downside of being a protagonist is that fate 'will' find a way to fuck you over…','Madara's switch has been thoroughly flipped…','I can just imagine the entire Norse Faction with deadpan looks on their faces as Izayoi claims and then just gives away one of their most legendary inheritances…')