Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2005: She Who Is Death

With Yasratcha's energy signature vanishing from her perception, Pram, with blood dripping from her forehead, began to condense as many Baangs as she could in preparation for her next attack. This was a fight that prohibited the use of weapons, so, without her prized Needle, her strongest ability was the technique she had learned during her training with Fenrir. It allowed her to bolster her physical characteristics to extremes that simple Baangs couldn't achieve, and, more importantly, it stimulated her nervous system to provide a rather drastic increase in reaction and response time.

Though raw speed was generally considered the most important factor when it came to fighting potential, it was useless without the reaction time to keep up with and guide your own attacks. It also provided little benefit when your opponent could simply shrug off your most powerful attacks, as, even if you could move near lightspeeds, that didn't mean you could strike at lightspeeds. After all, unless you had some kind of technique to redirect counter-forces away from your body, hitting a foe at the speed of light was the same as hitting yourself at the speed of light. This was the main reason people near the top still used weapons, as, more often than not, it was simply impossible to go all out with their actual bodies.

Ignoring this logic entirely, Pram began to absorb a phenomenal amount of Shinsu into her body with complete and utter disregard for the consequences. Strangely enough, this didn't result in her body swelling due to the increased density of her muscles. Instead, her affinity with Yin Elemental Energy caused the energy within her body to enhance her feminine characteristics to a surprising extent. The most noticeable of these changes was her ashen-silver hair turning pitch black, but, as soon as you looked past this, your heart would seize up upon realizing how indescribably beautiful she had become.

Not only had Pram's already striking features become even more outstanding, but, contrasting her relatively petite stature from before, her height had increased to approximately 180cm. Even more noticeable than this, however, was that her breasts and butt appeared as though they were trying to liberate themselves from the fabric containing them.

While these were the features that stood out to virtually everyone watching the fight, Vahn's mind had stalled when he saw how much longer and fluffier Pram's tail had become. Previously, it had been around 120cm in length. Now that her body was saturated with Yin Elemental Energy, it was nearly twice as long, and, more importantly, thick enough that it looked like she could conceal her body within if she really wanted to.

As thoughts of doing the same crossed his mind, Vahn's expression became inordinately serious as he noticed the major drawback of Pram's unexpected transformation. Though her fair skin made it difficult to discern, the very tips of her fingers and toes had started to freeze due to her inability to properly control and regulate the energy within her body. A similar phenomenon was occurring in the energy pathways of her body, so, while her power had increased rather drastically, it wouldn't be long before the chillingly cold energy completely froze and crippled her body.

Even if she could hear Vahn's thoughts, Pram wouldn't have expressed any fear. She had already formed her resolve, so, even if she ended up completely ruining her body, she was willing to do so if it meant defeating her opponent. She also felt as though she had just broken through some kind of limiter, so, even if Vahn didn't step in to save her, she no longer had any regrets. This power was clearly something she had obtained as a result of the time she had spent at his side. Thus, even this battle ultimately resulted in her death, she was content knowing Iifa and Nio would one day surpass her...

Believing wholeheartedly that Vahn would never allow the Snow Leopard Family to face extinction, a smile spread across Pram's face as she directed her ice-blue eyes towards an extremely faint energy signature. One of the major flaws in Yasratcha's ability was that, without a lighthouse or something similar, his senses were just as muted as his opponent. They might not be able to detect him, but, in that same vein, he could only detect energy within a few hundred meters whilst underground.

Though she was actually aware of this flaw, the fact she could sense, not just Yasratcha's, but the life force of virtually everyone in the stands, filled Pram with the instinctual urge to 'erase' them all from existence. She could even make out a mysterious flame burning near the heart of virtually everyone present, the only exception being the chestnut-haired man sitting next to her father...

Restraining the urge to go on a killing spree, Pram ordered her Family's Guardian Beast to return to its Bowl. To her surprise, it actually refused to come anywhere near her, fear visible in its pale-blue eyes as the hairs across its body stood on end. This left her feeling more than a little confused, as, despite having a limited number of techniques at their disposal, the Guardian Beasts of each branch family were exponentially stronger than the Elders they served. They could also reform their bodies so long as their Bowl remained intact, so, in the long history of the Lo Po Bia Family, it was unheard of for a Guardian Beast to fear the Anima controlling it...

Feeling an emotion similar to disdain rising from the back of her mind, Pram's smile faded away as she ordered the inordinately large feline to flee to the periphery of the arena. This was an order the creature happily obliged, as, from the moment she had transformed, the central thought in its mind had been to get as far away from the abyssal-black-haired beauty as possible. Her presence felt like death itself, and, while it would readily sacrifice itself under normal circumstances, its instincts were practically screaming 'run away'.

With her Guardian Beast seemingly fleeing for its life, Pram was marginally surprised to hear a snort escape her nose as she followed its departure with her eyes. She normally revered the creature that had protected her family for numerous generations, yet, here, at this moment, she felt as though it was beyond pathetic. Rather, with the exception of the three monstrous entities observing her with differing degrees of intrigue, she felt as though everyone else was simply taking up space they had no right to occupy...

Doing her best to suppress these dark thoughts, Pram spread her arms with the intent to create as many Baangs as possible. To her surprise, the normally bluish-white swirls of energy had gained an unnerving black hue, and, for a brief moment, her own instincts kicked in, demanding she cease her current course of action. Instead, she focused on stabilizing two massive Baangs of Shinsu, a vicious smile appearing across her face even as visible cracks began appearing on her arms and legs.

Though he had no idea what Pram was up to, alarm bells were sounding in Yasratcha's mind as he attempted to develop deeper into the ground. Unfortunately, the barrier surrounding the arena also extended below the surface, so, even if he wanted to descend much further, the maximum depth he could achieve was a mere three-kilometers. This might sound like a lot, but, considering there were High Rankers able to erase mountains with single Baangs of Shinsu, a cold sweat developed across Yasratcha's body as he instinctually hardened his surroundings...

---

With even Yuri having fallen silent, Vahn and his entourage's expressions mirrored those of the masses as they witnessed Pram emit a blast of energy that seemed to erase everything in its path. In actuality, the attack was actually decaying everything it impacted at an extreme rate. There was only one Law that came to mind when seeing this, but, before he could recover from his shock, it was Fenrir who muttered, "Death..." in a somber and serious tone.

Without doing so consciously, Vahn nodded in response to Fenrir's utterance before opening his Unit Management to confirm Pram's status. Unsurprisingly, her Soul Tier had increased from three to four, and, though she lacked a Divinity, she wouldn't be lying if she began referring to herself as a Goddess of Death. After all, listed alongside her previous three, she now possessed a rather scary-sounding Innate called [She Who Is Death]. This was actually the Sanskrit translation ascribed to the Goddess Kali, so, while it didn't directly link her to the legendary Mahavidya, the fact it was listed as a Mind Innate indicated it wouldn't be long before Pram began to think and behave like a Goddess of Death and Destruction...

Though it wasn't his first time witnessing someone awaken an Innate, Pram's breakthrough, while worrying, provided a considerable amount of insight. Her 'evolution', if it could be called that, was a combination of her past circumstances, the changes she had undergone whilst spending time with him, the burden placed upon her after the fact, and, most importantly, her resolve to both face and 'overcome' her impending end. He imagined his periodic 'infusions' of Source Energy also played a part in her awakening, but, in the end, it was Pram's heartfelt desire to 'move forward' that allowed her to bridge the seemingly insurmountable chasm between Tiers 3 and 4...

---

Ignoring the red crystals flaking away from the stumps where her hands used to be, the smile on Pram's face grew to a point that it began to detract from her world-shaking beauty. After all, not only had Yasratcha's energy signature completely vanished, a crater extending all the way to the barrier now dominated the barren and lifeless landscape. Before the fight had started, there had actually been a number of trees and shrubs decorating the landscape within the arena. Now, the only living being within the arena was herself, her family's Guardian Beast, and a number of eerie black plants that hadn't existed prior to her attack...

With a full minute passing without any signs of Yasratcha appearing, a sudden and intense urge to laugh spread through Pram's body. Unfortunately, this was accompanied by a tremendous amount of pain, so, rather than the elegant laughter she was known for, pained cackles emanated from her throat as a black aura erupted from the cracks spreading across her body. Before she even realized what was happening, tears began to pour down her face, but, no matter how hard she tried to rein it in, the black aura continued to expand as her laughter caused the hearts and bodies of thousands to tense in fear...

---

Showing far greater concern than the duo at his side, a scholarly-looking man with sleek brown hair, sharp eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard turned towards his green-haired companion covered in pale-golden fur, asking, "Are we just going to sit here and watch? If the barrier fails to hold, your family will lose a lot more than two Elders..."

Responding before the green-haired man could speak, a sharply-dressed man with chestnut-brown hair and similarly brown eyes remarked, "The Tu Perie Family is becoming bolder with each passing day..." before adjusting his silver-framed glasses and adding, "This barrier was painstakingly erected using techniques developed by my Research Association. Its durability is such that even the three of us would not be able to shatter it in a short period of time. Even if the Sage Dragon Emperor fails to make an appearance, that woman will destroy herself long before the barrier is compromised."

Frowning in response to the man's words, the scholarly-looking individual's voice hardened as he countered, "I would have thought the man praised as the most intelligent within the Tower would be able to understand the repercussions of losing two branch leaders. If Lady Pram dies here, the conflict between the Snow Leopard and Forest Cat Families will-"

Rather than waiting for his former colleague to finish, the sharply-dressed man, Po Bidau Gustang, adopted a glare of his own as he flatly replied, "I would advise you to learn how to think before you attempt to lecture others. Don't assume everyone is limited by your apparent inability to think, Lord Tu Perie. Unlike you, I have properly considered every outcome, inevitable or otherwise. Were there any doubt in my mind that the Sage Dragon Emperor would show up, do you think I would be here right now? Ah, my apologies. I already drew attention to your apparent inability to think, yet here I am assuming you are capable of more than simply spewing platitudes. Now, cease your blathering. If my calculations are correct, the Sage Dragon Emperor will be arriving any moment. Simply seeing him appear has more value than speaking with you for an entire year so stop wasting my time with your meaningless drivel."

Finished with what he had to say, Gustang erected a sound dampening barrier between him and the glowering Tperie. This caused the latter's expression to darken, but, understanding the futility of trying to argue with Gustang, he quickly regained his calm before turning his attention to Lo Po Bia in an attempt to convince him to act. Instead, his words got caught in his throat as the fur-covered man excitedly muttered, "He's here...!"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's so fluffy that I just might die...','Embrace the darkness...','Apply cold water to burned area...')

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