Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While tensions around the Name Hunt Station continued to increase, culminating in the arrival of several other noteworthy Rankers, the two most prestigious among them, Ha Yuri Jahad and Khun Maschenny Jahad, were gathered in the most luxurious VVIP Room located aboard 'Kaiser's Auction House'.Under normal circumstances, Yuri would have never bothered to meet with Maschenny, but, due to her penchant for overcompensating whenever she was trying to put on an act, she ended up falling for the senior Princess' goading. As a result, they now sat across from each other, the former with a fed-up expression on her face while the latter maintained an aloof yet calculating demeanor as she silently partook of a cup of tea...Refusing to answer Maschenny's question regarding her tail, something she increasingly failed to keep hidden, Yuri's expression morphed into a taunting smile as she asked, "I heard you had a run-in with Ureko? Is it true you were wearing a t-back when she exposed your bottom in front of your subordinates?"Though she behaved very calm, collected, and haughty whenever she was in control of a situation, Maschenny had never been known for her discretion and patience. Rather, she was notorious for possessing a short fuse and a predatory temperament; so, hearing Yuri make mention of her most recent encounter with Ureko, her expression immediately darkened as she said, "This brat...perhaps it is time this 'big sister' taught you some manners..."Misinterpreting Maschenny's words to be a reference to her figure, Yuri crossed her arms rather proudly under her chest, accenting her rather substantial assets as she retorted, "You might have an hourglass figure, but your arms, legs, and waist make you look as fragile as a twig. And what's with your complexion? Are you actually a ghost or something!?"Momentarily confused by Yuri's words, Maschenny just looked back at the much younger Princess with a look of awe and incredulity. It was only after several seconds that she understood what had happened, a weary sigh escaping her throat as she crossed her arms beneath her significantly less full but notably shapely breasts and said, "Talking with you is like trying to win an argument against a brick wall. How about we dismiss with the 'pleasantries' and direct the conversation back to the main topic...?"Believing Maschenny was trying to 'challenge' her, Yuri puffed out her chest even more, a massive grin spreading across her face as she mused, "You should eat more. I bet even our father likes his women with a bit of meat on their bones."With her brow twitching in response to Yuri's words, Maschenny took a moment to organize her thoughts before asking, "I wonder...what is it that brought you to the Name Hunt Station around this time? As far as I know, you've never bothered to visit before. I wonder...is it truly a coincidence that you keep ending up on the same Floor as the Sage Dragon Emperor? I'm also rather curious about that tail of yours...though the members of the Ha Family have a penchant for behaving like monkeys, I've never met one with an actual tail..."Rather than answering Maschenny's questions directly, Yuri just snorted through her nose before saying, "I'll be sure to tell my Grandma how you feel about the members of her family. It's been a while since the Khun and Ha Families had a war with each other. I'm looking forward to it, Miss T-Back."Unable to fully restrain herself, sparks of blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as her hair began to rise in defiance of gravity. She understood it probably wasn't the best choice to insult the Ha Family in front of one of its most preeminent members, but, rather than backing down, her longing for battle caused her blood to boil as a sadistic smile spread across her face. There were few things she enjoyed as much as fighting, and, due to the abstinence forced upon Princesses of Jahad, it was the only reliable way in which she could release her tensions...With two battle junkies gathered in the same room, one emanating vibrant blue electricity while the other emitted a bloody red aura, it was beginning to look like a battle was unavoidable. Fortunately, they weren't the only two present as every Princess of Jahad, primarily those who had already risen to become Rankers, were assigned a personal Guide to escort them around the Tower and arbitrate on their behalf.At nearly the exact same time, Evan and another Silver Dwarf, a boyish-looking individual named Lucian Edrock, called out, "Princess...!" in differing yet stern tones. This was enough to cause both Yuri and Maschenny to slowly retract their auras, as, despite being the Rank 69 High Ranker, even the latter couldn't simply ignore the advice of her Guide. They were assigned at the behest of the Jahad Empire, and, though she would never admit it, Lucian's advice had saved her life on multiple occasions.Though she was highly tempted to simply throw caution to the wind and see how things play out, Maschenny did her best to control her urge for battle, even going so far as to add a special sedative to her tea before going on to say, "Since you are too slow to understand something like subtlety, I'll just get to the point. Though I have yet to ascertain the particular details, I am well aware of the fact that your relationship with the Sage Dragon Emperor predates your meeting on the 30th Floor. You are a Princess of Jahad, Yuri. Did you really think your movements would go unnoticed when you're doing things like running down to Headon's Floor and spending a full month venturing to the Floor of Tests?"Catching Maschenny by surprise, Yuri made no attempt to hide her 'misdeeds', cocking her head to the side as she asked, "So what? I was following a lead and wanted to check something out. I won't lie and say I didn't take an interest in the Sage Dragon Emperor earlier than anyone else, but what of it? Don't tell me you're going to try and use the fact that he is an Irregular against me? We both know he isn't the person our father was worried about, so, unless you're also going to try and get rid of Ureko, you don't really have any ground to stand on. I mean, your Daddy is also an Irregular. Are you going to try and blackmail him next?"With Yuri's reputation as an incurable idiot, Maschenny didn't expect her to come up with anything even remotely resembling a sound argument. In fact, even Evan was absolutely gobsmacked, mouth agape as he pinched his cheek to confirm he wasn't dreaming...Noticing the disbelief in the trio's gazes, Yuri's brow began to visibly twitch, index finger tapping on her arm as she added, "Go ahead and play your little games. It's not like you don't have secrets that would compromise your status as a Princess of Jahad. Besides, you wouldn't be here if you weren't trying to scheme something. If you think you can fool me that easily, you are a hell of a lot dumber than the rumors make you out to be."Hearing Yuri, of all people, call her dumb, Maschenny's expression darkened considerably. If not for the fast-acting sedative she had taken previously, it would have taken far more willpower than she currently possessed to restrain her urge to kill Yuri on the spot. Fortunately, she had the foresight to see something like this coming, so, while it took a considerable amount of effort, she managed to force a smile as she answered, "It would seem that the rumors of your own stupidity were slightly exaggerated...either that or something happened to make you spontaneously 'mature'...I wonder what that could be?"Without putting any thought into her retort, Yuri cracked a smile of her own as she said, "I'm still far from the point of wearing a T-Back. You know, now that I think about it...could it be that you were actually looking forward to having your ass exposed? I mean, why else would you choose to wear such risque panties when nobody is supposed to see them?"Fed up with Yuri continuously mentioning the incident with Ureko, Maschenny bounded to her feet with a start, shouting, "You intolerable ape! Don't act as if you had nothing to do with that blonde bitch's prank! I know you both met with the Sage Dragon Emperor on the 20th Floor...!"Amused by the rise she was getting out of Maschenny, Yuri's smile became even more apparent as she asked, "Yet you still wore such risque panties? I know you weren't the first person Ureko visited. I was just joking earlier, but it looks like you really did want to have your ass exposed..."With a rare blush coloring her cheeks, Maschenny was very close to throwing all caution to the wind and simply attacking Yuri. A growing part of her was even looking forward to the battle with Ureko, but, understanding she wouldn't even be able to make the perverted tyrant serious, she ultimately managed to preserve the last vestiges of her self-control as she said, "Very good, Yuri...it seems like you are beginning to mature into a worthy opponent. Once you're tired of cowering behind Ureko and your Great Grandmother, please, let me know...I'm curious to see how much you'll enjoy having your ass spanked in front of your closest allies..."Completely ignoring the threat contained in Maschenny's words, Yuri couldn't help but raise her brows as she asked, "Wait...does that mean you actually enjoyed it!?"Inhaling a deep breath, potent blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as she shouted, "Lucian! We're leaving!" in a wrath-filled tone. This caused the surprisingly ancient youth to nearly spill his tea, his expression turning flustered as he was caught between bowing to Evan, his superior, and chasing after the enraged Princess Maschenny.Feeling bad for his junior, Evan offered a wry smile and a wave before shifting his attention to Yuri the moment the duo exited the room, remarking, "Princess Maschenny is currently one of the most influential Princesses of Jahad. Though I can't help feeling a little proud of you for actually standing up to her, this might not have been the best course of action. Without interference from Ureko and anomalies like the Sage Dragon Emperor, standing in opposition to Princess Maschenny is the same as choosing death..."With Maschenny having, at the very least, five other 'senior' Princesses on her side, even Yuri could understand the danger of opposing her. With the exceptions of Adori, the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Jahad Army, and Enne, considered by many to be the most powerful Princess of Jahad to ever exist, Maschenny was easily the most powerful and influential among the present Princesses. She had not only participated in the battle to capture Enne after the legendary Princess had gone berserk, but, despite the propensity of Princesses to avoid each other, Maschenny had managed to convince a substantial number to support her.Though there were a few notable exceptions, virtually every Princess of Jahad wielded a substantial amount of influence within the Tower. As a result, Maschenny possessed a degree of influence that far exceeded most other Princesses. This made standing against her extraordinarily dangerous, but, as could be expected, Yuri didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she just laughed off Evan's concerns, cackling like a hyena for nearly a full minute before saying, "You're relying too much on things like common sense. I might have worried about someone like Maschenny in the past, but that is in the past. Now that someone like Vahn has entered the Tower, why should I worry about the schemes of others? I mean, just imagine how many people are about to be royally fucked just by him 'passing through'. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions those ancient monsters will make when all their plans are brought to ruin...!"Surprised by the sensibility of Yuri's words, Evan felt a mix of pride and concern as he cautiously inquired, "Are you really the same Princess Yuri I know...?"Rolling her eyes, Yuri rose from the chair she had been seated in, stretching her rather voluptuous body as she replied, "You're too caught up in the past. I'm obviously not the same person as I was back then. Now that things are beginning to move forward, we need to be ready and willing to do the same. I'll be damned if I'm going to remain the butt of every joke due to my Intelligence stat...!"With a fire in her eyes and balled fists, Yuri seemed to be looking towards a future that Evan, even as a Guide, couldn't see. This made him feel a little uncomfortable, but, thanks to his Innate ability to ascertain whether or not someone was telling the truth, he could, at the very least, confirm this was the same Yuri he had watched grow up over the last hundred or so years...albeit with the added passion of a delusional maiden...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW when you need to take a sedative just to stop yourself from blowing a gasket...','Yuri be like, "That T-Back tho..."','Evan's worries are only just beginning...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he continued to monitor the events taking place outside through the Law of Identity, Vahn had already put the matters of the Name Hunt Station behind him. He didn't care how many people he had upset, and, were it not for the presence of Yuri, he might have even gone out to teach those conspiring against him a lesson. Instead, he had Poe forward a message for him when Evan secretly made contact, promising to meet with her after his arrival at the Last Station.Needless to say, Yuri wasn't enthused by the five-month rain check, so, prior to her departure from the Name Hunt Station, she made sure to pester the Lo Po Bia Family as much as possible. This left the representative of the Snow Leopard Family feeling greatly exasperated, not because of Yuri, but because he would undoubtedly be held accountable for losing control over the Name Hunt Station and allowing the perpetrators to escape. He wanted nothing more than to send a group of Regulars into the Hell Express to smoke everyone out, but, with less than a day to act, combined with the fact it was 'very' difficult to find a Regular capable of defeating Kaiser, this was simply impossible.In the end, the representative of the Snow Leopard Family could do little more than report what had happened to his superiors, embellishing facts as much as possible in order to shift the blame onto others. Specifically, he wanted the Grey Wolf Family to be held accountable for the actions of their progeny, but, with most of their living being unaware of Elaine's existence, this was difficult to achieve. This left him with no choice but to lay the blame on the other Families, specifically pointing fingers at the various representatives who had stood in opposition to them for the past thousand or so years.Though the Elders of the Lo Po Bia Family weren't foolish enough to openly antagonize the other Ten Families, that didn't prevent them from trying to leverage the incident to curry favor with the Jahad Empire. They unhesitantly added to the rumors circulating around Vahn, outright accusing him of rebelling against the Empire and conspiring with FUG to dethrone the King. This compelled the Royal Enforcement Division to take action, as, no matter how unsubstantiated the claim, even a rumor regarding rebellion was unacceptable in the eyes of Jahad's most zealous forces.With the reputation of the Royal Enforcement Division, it was no surprise to anyone that they were ready and willing to take action to protect the reputation and honor of the Jahad Empire. Infinitely more surprising was the fact that, shortly after the accusation was filed, the 1st, 4th, and 5th Army Corps began to mobilize.Since the 5th Army Corps was almost entirely comprised of members of the Lo Po Bia Family, their mobilization was well within the expectations of the various forces monitoring the incident. What none of them expected was that the 1st Corps, headed by none other than Adori Jahad, had been mobilized.As could be expected, the 1st Corps included many of the Jahad Empire's most powerful forces and assets. Adori, in particular, was the current Rank 7 among all the Tower's Rankers, so, while it wasn't too surprising that she would mobilize to pressure someone like Ureko, nobody expected her to be tasked with squashing a 'rumor'. This led many to suspect there was some greater meaning behind her mobilization, and, though he had already garnered the attention of virtually every faction in the Tower, the eyes of every pertinent party had momentarily shifted to Vahn and the Hell Express...---Largely unaware of the magnitude of the events he had set into motion, Vahn spent the first ten days aboard the Hell Express earning the right to advance to the next Floor before spending the better part of two weeks attempting to access the Hidden Floor. His instincts were telling him that he might not have as much time as he would like, so, while he always had the option of 'stealing' the entire train, that was a measure he wanted to save until he had no other choice. After all, the Hell Express took him directly to several important locations, and, while they were possible to find using 'conventional' methods, it was the simplest and most expedient way of achieving his current series of objectives.Unfortunately, without outright destroying the door, Vahn had yet to find a way to gain access to the Hidden Floor. The Workshop had put in a considerable amount of effort to effectively make it impenetrable, so, even if they possessed the power of a High Ranker, breaching the door was nigh-impossible. Even if they could, doing so risked compromising the integrity of the Hidden Floor, so, without one of the three Master Keys that had been created, it was beginning to seem like his only option was to wait until he had cleared the Floor of Death...Realizing he was still lacking in a number of ways, Vahn couldn't help exhaling an exasperated sigh as he removed his hand from the deceptively simple-looking metal door barring his passage. This earned him a pointed look from the blonde bombshell standing at his side, followed by a roll of the eyes as she said, "There is no sense in moping around. Aren't you always telling those brats about how sad and lonely it is to stand at the top? To that end, not being able to accomplish something is a blessing. It means you still have room for growth."Chuckling in response to the woman's words, Vahn shifted his attention to the beauty, smiling as he said, "You're right. As expected of my former Master..."Before she could go on about showing her proper respect, Vahn coiled his arms around Eva's waist, forcing her to stand on the tips of her toes as he stole a kiss. This caused her to fluster slightly, not because she was embarrassed by the act, but because there were quite a number of other people present to witness it. Despite this, she made no effort to try and break free. Instead, she returned his embrace with her own, enjoying the moment for several seconds before biting his tongue hard enough to draw a line of blood.Rather than retract the offending appendage, Vahn continued to kiss Eva for an additional minute before finally releasing her from his grasp. This caused her face to turn beet red, but, at the same time, there was a visible 'fire' in her eyes after ingesting his blood. If not for the peanut gallery in attendance, she might have pushed him down then and there. Instead, she balled her hand into a fist, spontaneously condensing a monumental amount of Shinsu into a vibrant blue sphere as she smashed it into his chest with the force of a freight train.Though he had allowed her to bite his tongue, the idea of having most of the bones in his body shattered wasn't very appealing. As a result, Vahn couldn't help but release his domain, a slightly apologetic smile developing across his face as he allowed her fist to impact his chest without any discernible effect. This caused Eva to click her tongue, but, rather than continue the assault, she just sent him a look that conveyed 'prepare yourself' before shifting her attention to Anna, Weiss, and Yura, asking, "What are you brats gawking at...?"Being relatively sensible, Anna and Yura elected to remain silent in response to Eva's inquiry. Weiss, however, possessed the fearlessness of a lamb wandering into the domain of a lion. Thus, without any hesitation whatsoever, she happily chimed, "We were watching the two of you make out! That was pretty intense~!" while performing a thumbs-up gesture.Having gotten a little closer to Weiss over the course of several weeks, Eva wasn't too surprised by her response. That didn't prevent her expression from darkening, however, an eerie laugh emitting from her throat as she asked, "Is that so...?"Though she didn't understand why Eva was 'angry', Weiss instincts compelled her to manifest her sword and adopt a defensive posture as she flew backward at a remarkable speed. To her surprise, this reaction was met with an amused chuckle from Eva, who, rather than attack, mused, "That is a good reaction. If only you had the same discernment when it came to reading a situation..."Confused by Eva's words, Weiss was about to ask for clarification when the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. At the same time, her pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as she witnessed the smiling figure of Eva fade away, a phenomenon that occurred simultaneously with a light poke to the back of her head.Taking advantage of the white-haired beauty's momentary stupor, Eva went on to teasingly remark, "For someone whose swordsmanship revolves around the manipulation of Space, your perception is a little lacking. If you truly believed I was going to attack you, the correct response would have been to charge forward. After all, beyond a certain range, I have an absolute advantage..."Adopting a slight pout, Weiss moved away from Eva's caress before asking, "How did you disappear like that? I couldn't sense you at all."Answering in lieu of the chuckling Eva, Vahn earned himself another pointed look from the former as he explained, "She didn't erase her presence. You were just too focused on the bloodlust coming from your front that you didn't notice her spatial transference. Though her words aren't wrong, the truth of the matter is that you are too reliant on your ability to perceive threats. Against someone skilled in assassination techniques, you are at a massive disadvantage since the best assassins can erase both their presence and killing intent."Understanding Vahn's explanation a little better, Weiss adopted an even more expressive pout as she shifted her attention toward Eva and accused, "You cheated...!"Finished with her telepathic threats to Vahn, Eva turned to meet Weiss' gaze as she said, "Unless they have been stipulated beforehand, there are no rules of engagement. Even then, you should always harbor the expectation that your opponent will do everything in their power to cheat. Don't blame me for your lack of experience. Take this as a lesson and use it to improve."Though she was still relatively naive, Weiss had learned enough about Eva to understand that she was being petty. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could do about it, as, despite possessing far greater reserves, her inability to manipulate external Shinsu meant she became noticeably weaker as a fight progressed. Inversely, Eva had an unparalleled mastery over the manipulation of Shinsu in the environment, so, while her internal reserves weren't anything impressive, she got progressively stronger as the fight dragged on.Emulating Eva's habit of clicking her tongue, Weiss allowed her body to lazily list through the air, arms crossed as she began willfully ignoring the former. This caused Eva's brow to twitch, forcing her to take a few deep breaths in an effort to calm down. Then, demonstrating just how petty she could be, she answered Weiss's action in kind, ignoring the ghostly maiden until Vahn stepped in to mediate between the two...---Due to the presence of numerous fungal colonies dominating the entire Floor, both Regulars and Rankers tended to avoid the 40th Floor. This allowed it to become a safe haven for those seeking refuge, and, thanks to the presence of an individual known as David Hockney, possessing eyes that allowed him to see into the future, those residing on the Floor were able to avoid most dangers.Unfortunately, even with his ability to see the future, there was nothing Hackney could do to help his fellow Regulars prepare for the arrival of an entire Division of the Jahad Army. To make matters even worse, there seemed to be several people within the military who knew about his ability, so, no matter what action he took to prevent it, all futures showed him being captured. Thus, in order to avoid death and buy time for his compatriots, he ended up handing himself over without a fight. Minutes later, he found himself being forced to kneel in front of an indescribably beautiful woman with golden hair and matching eyes, her only flaw being the ice-cold expression on her face as she began asking him various questions about the future...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Politicians are cancer...','Tier 5 Tsundere...','Well, this is escalating quickly...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With his business largely complete, Vahn emerged from the Grand Gallery with Elaine following silently in his wake. He was, honestly speaking, tempted to just leave her behind, but, knowing this was the same as sentencing her to death, he ultimately allowed her to accompany him.Fortunately, while her presence made him feel a little uncomfortable, her delusions weren't nearly as potent as someone like Helen. She still acted like he was supposed to be the one claiming her, but, rather than looking down on him for entirely contrived reasons, her heritage as a member of the Grey Wolf Tribe meant she held his strength in high regard. He had both defeated and killed her, so, while it was a little perturbing, it was hard to miss the glimmer of admiration contained in her gaze as she made sure to follow at a close yet respectable distance.Noticing said glimmer almost instantaneously, Fenrir, in particular, couldn't help squinting her eyes as she began scrutinizing Elaine's expression and demeanor. Before she could make any headway, however, Alphine was the first to speak out, concern visible in her countenance as she asked, "Is it over...?" in an uncertain tone.Despite the unspecific nature of her words, Vahn could guess what Alphine was trying to ask, his voice calm and steady as he said, "I did not steal your Master's name. Her decision to follow me is entirely her own. I'm guessing that means you're going to want to tag along as well, right?"Not expecting Vahn to be so direct, Alphine found herself at a loss for words, eyes slowly moving between the former and Elaine as if to determine the veracity of his statement. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't much help in this regard, as, due to her masquerading as Kaiser for the last thousand years, she had developed an extremely taciturn and moderately cold demeanor.Though she felt a considerable amount of concern for their future, Alphine ultimately suppressed a sigh as she bent a knee, lowering her head and placing one hand atop her heart as she said, "Please allow me to follow you...I vow to dedicate my everything, my mind, body, and soul in the service of your goals..."Due to the nature of the Tower and the administration of the Guardians, Alphine's pledge could be considered a binding oral contract if Vahn wished to take advantage of it. Instead, he just shook his head ever-so-slightly, saying, "I require none of those things. If you want to follow your Master, I'm not going to stop you. It's not like you could betray me in any meaningful way so I don't need your forced loyalty. Do what you want..."With that said, Vahn bypassed the still-kneeling Alphine to caress the heads of Fenrir and Mash, his expression relaxing as he said, "It's still a little early, but let's return to the others. Things are going to get a little hectic pretty soon."Nodding their heads in affirmation, Fenrir and Mash stayed relatively close to their Master as Vahn initiated the long and leisurely walk back to the Hell Express. This made things a little awkward for Alphine and Elaine, but, with the former loyal to the latter and the latter trapped inside of her own delusions, Vahn wasn't particularly concerned with pandering to either. If anything, he was far more interested in their peculiar, highly pettable, Shinheuh...---Once per year, precisely twenty-four hours after the arrival of the Hell Express, a Grand Festival was hosted. The main objective of this festival was to pit the Named and Unnamed against each other in various contests that helped to determine their value during the Grand Auction that occurred at the end of the day.Though there were a number of Unnamed who had absolutely no interest in being sold off, it was considered a great opportunity for those who had been trapped in the Name Hunt Station for long periods of time. Some had been imprisoned on the relatively small island for hundreds of years, so, while it was a little disheartening to consider, it was understandable that some would do everything in their power to make a positive impression on the people purchasing them.So long as they could appeal to one of the Ten Great Families or join one of the major factions of the Tower, there was always a chance that they could eventually earn their freedom. This wasn't too likely, but, at the very least, it was better than staying cooped in a prison-like facility for the rest of their lives. This was especially true for any female Regulars, as, due to their relative sparsity, being trapped in the Name Hunt Station could, at times, be a fate far worse than death...Fortunately for some, Vahn's sudden arrival and subsequent takeover of the Name Hunt Station had effectively freed them from their fates. For others, this was an extremely troubling affair, as, similar to Elaine, they had been installed there as the representatives of various factions. This was the true purpose of the 'Ten Bosses', and, though some had been hand-picked by Elaine herself, others had only risen to power because she was ordered to allow it.Now that their merchandise had effectively disappeared, including a number of Regulars that the Ten Great Families had intended to erase, nearly every Ranker that frequented the Auction House was, as could be expected, thoroughly incensed. Some of the more extreme representatives even sent their people to surround the Name Hunt Station, effectively sealing every exit until they could send their own teams of Regulars in to investigate.As the de facto rulers of the Name Hunt Station, the response of the Lo Po Bia Family was the most extreme. They immediately sent a team to surround and monitor the Hell Express, and, though they had absolutely no authority to do so, it didn't stop them from attempting to establish contact with the Train Conductor, demanding the names of every Regular inside. This placed Poe in a relatively difficult situation, but, with Vahn promising to allow him to retire to the Little Garden, he resolutely stood his ground, quoting the Hell Express' rules before effectively telling the representative of the Snow Leopard Family to 'fuck off'.Fortunately, the actions of the Lo Po Bia Family weren't simply ignored by the representatives of other Families and Factions. Though there were some who attempted to sneakily make contact with the Conductor themselves, several other Families openly criticized the Lo Po Bia Family for trying to illegally interfere with the affairs of Regulars. The most vocal among these groups were the factions that had been screwed over by the Lo Po Bia Family manipulating prices and forcing them to hand over exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for liberating their people. This, combined with the fact that the Lo Po Bia Family was almost universally disdained due to their perpetual pandering to the Jahad Empire, caused quite a number of people to come out of the woodworks in response to their attempted tyranny.Despite the combined censuring of six representatives from other Families, the representative of the Snow Leopard Family had simply ignored them until the appearance of a sudden outlier. The 39th Floor had been under their control for a long time, so, regardless of how vocal the representatives from the other Families might be, there wasn't really much they could do. They even had the Floor Ruler on their side, and, if necessary, the 5th Army Corp stationed on the 50th Floor could mobilize within hours to come to their aide.What the representative of the Snow Leopard Family never expected was the sudden appearance of, not one, but two Princesses of Jahad. To make matters even worse, one of these Princesses was in possession of two of the 13 Month Series, a status that gave her near-absolute authority over the Jahad Empire's forces. This was more than enough to keep them in check, but, most troubling of all was the fact that the Princess in question was none other than Ha Yuri Jahad, infamous for causing all kinds of trouble throughout the Tower. Fortunately, not that it made them feel any better about the situation, the other Princess was the inarguably more famous Rank 69 Khun Maschenny Zahard, one of the few Princesses actively participating in the contest to collect the entirety of the 13 Month Series...---Though he was aware of the events taking place outside, Vahn had very little interest in the politics of the Tower. He would emerge to help Yuri if she was in danger, but, knowing Maschenny had only appeared due to the message he had sent, the odds of them fighting seriously were slim. She might be one of the most powerful among the current Princesses, but, similar to Adori, there wasn't much she could do about Ureko. Killing Yuri was the same as inviting the monstrous half-dragon to pay her another visit, one that would end with the loss of far more than her dignity and a pair of baby-blue panties...Unfortunately for both Princesses, Vahn had no intention of emerging from the Hell Express unless the situation changed. Yuri was terrible at acting, so, the moment he made an appearance, anyone with a functional pair of eyes would be able to discern that their relationship wasn't exactly normal. As for Maschenny, his message asserted they would meet on the 50th Floor, so, while he was a little interested in the things she wished to discuss, he wasn't going to simply appear at her behest.Fortunately, even without meeting Maschenny directly, Vahn knew what she wanted to talk about, so, while it was difficult to have a cohesive conversation, he could learn the specifics by talking with the Law of Identity. This removed all subterfuge from the equation, and, though he had to make a number of extrapolations, it wasn't hard to figure out what the Princess wanted from him without having to meet directly.In essence, Maschenny wanted to ask him to recover an item contained within the Hidden Floor, something he was already intending after his encounter with Gustang. The only change was that she also wanted him to defeat and kill the 'data' she had left behind, a reflection of herself that was generated the first time she accessed the Hidden Floor. The idea that a younger and more naive version of herself still existed made the proud Princess feel uncomfortable; so, using the justification that he would be releasing them from an eternity of experiencing the same mundane existence, she wanted him to destroy the system maintaining the Hidden Floor.Coincidentally, Maschenny wasn't the only person who wanted to see the Hidden Floor, or, more specifically, have their 'data' destroyed. The same could be said for Ureko and a number of other Rankers who had previously cleared the Hell Express. For the former, this was largely due to the fact that the Hidden Floor simply couldn't copy her data properly. This resulted in a corrupted version of herself, something that she simply couldn't tolerate. As for the rest, they had changed a lot during their climb up the Tower, so, while they found the idea rather novel at the time, the idea that others might encounter a younger version of themselves made many Rankers feel uncomfortable.Unfortunately, sharing any information about the Hidden Floor erased all knowledge of its existence from a person's mind. This made it exceptionally difficult to come up with measures of erasing said data, even among Jahad and the Ten Great Families.This was where Maschenny's cleverness as a member of the Khun Family came into play. She knew of his ability to 'read minds', so, even without discussing the matter directly, he could ascertain her intentions simply by being in 'close proximity'. To this same end, she had come up with a number of different plans, several of which were intended to entice him to her side. She knew the vast majority of these were pointless, but, by figuring out which ones made him the most uncomfortable, she was intending to discover as much as she could about his nature and personality. Her ability to ascertain the intentions of others was on the level of an Innate, so, while he wasn't exactly afraid of her, Vahn wasn't in any hurry to meet the machinating Princess...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn isn't fond of women who are 'resolute' in their delusions...','Ureko is the MVP xD...','Someone more powerful than Yuri and more intelligent than Khun...*heavy sweating*...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1887: An Encounter Between Two Princesses