Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the strongest among them being around the level of a C-Rank Regular, it took very little effort for Vahn to defeat the boarding party prepared by the Jahad Army. This caused quite a stir among the encircling party, but, compared to the events that followed, the defeat of a few Regulars wasn't very noteworthy.Though he could have stayed inside the area assigned to Regulars, Vahn was well aware of the fact that, among Jahad's forces, specifically within the 1st Army Corps, there were a number of methods they could use to simply 'ignore' the Tower's laws. This would result in the unnecessary deaths of a substantial number of Regulars, several of which had fled to the 40th Floor in search of a peaceful life. Thus, rather than turtle up and play the part of a coward, he surprised nearly everyone present by slowly rising into the air, emerging from the invisible dome enclosing the platform with a relaxed smile on his face.Demonstrating a remarkable amount of discipline, none of the Rankers present attempted to attack him. Instead, they actually began a gradual retreat as several High Rankers, a surprising number of which were beautiful women, formed a loose encirclement around his aerial position. This included Adori Jahad, and, somewhat surprisingly, two other Princesses...With his smile turning noticeably wrier, Vahn shifted his gaze from a rather heroic-looking woman with white hair, golden eyes, and a cross-shaped scar running across her nose to a striking beauty with an hourglass figure, pale-blue hair, and electric-blue eyes. The former was none other than the culprit behind White's original defeat, the Ranked 36 Arie Hagipherione Jahad. As for the latter, who else could it be if not Khun Maschenny Jahad?Though there were a number of other beauties present, none stood out in the presence of three of the Tower's most famous Princesses. The only exception to this was a woman with a bushy tail and rounded ears reminiscent of a Snow Leopard, but, other than sending a cursory glance her way, the majority of Vahn's attention was on the golden-haired beauty floating at his front. Her beauty was simply on another level compared to everyone else encircling him, but, most importantly, her power made her stand out like a Sun among various lesser Moons.Doing his best to fix his expression, Vahn's wry simper gradually relaxed into an amiable smile as he remarked, "I wonder if I should feel honored or concerned that the Jahad Empire has deemed my existence worthy of three Princesses of Jahad..."Demonstrating the confidence expected of someone who had been chosen as the Commander-in-Chief of the entire armed forces, Adori showed little change in expression as she smoothly asserted, "We might have ignored you if you were an ordinary Irregular. It is your ability to veil yourself from both observation and prophecy that have necessitated such an extreme response. Your existence is an unknown variable, something that cannot be regulated using conventional means. If you do not surrender here and now, we will have no choice but to eliminate you."As he might do the same against perceived threats to his own Empire, Vahn couldn't help but nod his head in response to Adori's explanation. Part of him was even tempted to surrender since it was virtually guaranteed that he would be escorted higher up the Tower in Imperial custody. This would drastically reduce the time taken to reach the top of the Tower, and, depending on how he played things, he might even be able to undermine the Empire from the inside.Unfortunately, Vahn had been looking forward to battling against the Tower's strongest, so, while turning himself in was always an option, it wasn't at the top of his list. Instead, he adopted a teasing smile, eliciting hateful glares from Adori, Maschenny, and even Hagipherione as he asked, "Are you sure this isn't personal? I know you secretly hold me responsible for Ureko's recent actions. Though I won't deny my responsibility in the matter, do you genuinely believe I have the means to control such an unruly woman?"Answering in Adori's stead, Hagipherione manifested an inordinately long claymore in her right hand as she said, "Enough. I only agreed to come here for one reason. Tell me, what do you know of a man called White?"Despite Adori representing the greatest danger among those present, Vahn shifted his attention away from her, directing it to the swordswoman hovering in his blindspot before answering, "You already know the answer to that question. The fact your father sent you to inquire should be proof enough. After all, it was his sensing of Hoaqin's death that brought you here..."Frowning at the mention of Hoaqin's name, a heaven-defying sword intent began to emanate from Hagipherione's body as she muttered, "I see..." in a surprisingly venomous tone. This caused Vahn's brows to rise slightly, as, prior to this moment, he believed that Hoaqin had actually been 'lucky' to escape Hagipherione's pursuit. Now, even without needing the Law of Identity to confirm, he could see there were 'personal' reasons behind his survival...Shaking his head, Vahn's aura began to surge outward as he said, "It seems the time for talking has come and gone. Such a shame..."Punctuating his words, Vahn raised his hand in an attempt to grasp the silvery blade cutting toward him with earth-rending force. To the surprise of many, this actually worked, but, at the same time, a thin line of blood began to flow from a shallow cut across his palm. This caused the smile on Vahn's face to become even more prominent, an appreciative glimmer appearing in his suddenly gold eyes as he said, "Not bad..."Sensing a tremendous threat, Hagipherione instantly darted back at near-light speed, her sword drawing several impeccable sword beams that seemed to blend into the surrounding space before coming at him from various angles. These attacks were exponentially stronger than her initial strike, and, thanks to the infusion of Shinsu and Sword Intent, there were very few things they couldn't cut through.Without altering the flow of time, a difficult feat due to the number of powerful entities within his domain, Vahn couldn't actually dodge Hagipherione's attacks. He could perceive them rather easily, but, due to her mastery of the Arie Family's sword techniques, combined with the fact she was 'very' close to the level of a Grandmaster, each of the sword beams actively responded to his movements. As a result, several ended up passing cleanly through his body, confusing Hagipherione quite a bit due to the expectations she had formed during their initial exchange.Under normal circumstances, Vahn would have gladly explained the State of Nothingness to aid in Hagipherione's understanding of what had happened, but, before either of them could react, the latter found herself teleported away as a spiraling vortex of Shinsu several hundred meters across enveloped the former's body.Realizing what had happened, Hagipherione's expression became unbelievably cold as she shifted her attention from the red Suspend Ship hovering high in the sky to the golden-haired woman at her side, saying, "I did not require nor ask for your assistance. How could you deploy the El Robina for something like this?"With very little change in her own expression, Adori glanced at Hagipherione from the corner of her eyes as she said, "This is not a private matter for you to resolve as a member of the Arie Family. Our mission is to capture or kill the man known as Vahn Aldrnari Mason before he can become a threat to the Empire. I'm not fond of these kinds of measures either, but, for the sake of peace, I am willing to do whatever it takes. If we fail to deal with him here and now, billions could die in the war that is to come..."Though she felt guilty about the Regulars that would inevitably perish due to the El Robina's attack, Adori did her best to harden her heart and remain composed. The fact Vahn could block the attack of a Top 50 Ranker with his bare hands was all the evidence she needed to ascertain he was a threat to the Empire. Dealing with Ureko was already troublesome enough. The last thing they needed was a second monster roaming around the Tower with utter disregard for the Empire and its policies...Clicking her tongue in response to Adori's explanation, Hagipherione shifted her attention back to the peculiar Suspend Ship designed specifically to eliminate High Rankers. There were only ten of the eerie red weapon platform in the entire Tower, and, due to the contract established during their construction, they were one of the few weapons capable of firing upon areas reserved for Regulars. This functionality was originally intended to deal with High Rankers attempting to hide within areas reserved for Regulars. Now, however, its purpose had been profaned in order to eliminate a single Regular, sacrificing countless others in the process...Feeling severely disappointed with the outcome, Hagipherione was preparing to leave the moment El Robina finished firing. She greatly despised this way of doing things, and, though she understood Adori's reasoning, she couldn't help thinking it was a waste of time to congregate three Princess of Jahad and more than a dozen High Rankers if they were just going to let a machine do all the work.For a brief moment, Hagipherione was hoping to see Vahn emerge unscathed from the El Robina's attack. She was confident in her own ability to withstand its might, so, considering he was able to catch her blade, there was a very real chance he would be able to survive. In her mind, this made the firing of the El Robina even more foolish, as, based on Vahn's behavior, he had been more than willing to face them without requiring any sacrifices to be made.With the El Robina's massive beam of Shinsu gradually fading away, Hagipherione couldn't help frowning when she noticed the massive spiraling crater where the train platform once stood. Vahn was nowhere to be seen, and, as could be expected, all of the Regulars they had prepared in order to board the Hell Express had vanished alongside him. The only thing virtually unscathed was the Hell Express itself, but, considering it was one of the greatest masterpieces of the Workshop, that was never really a concern.While everyone else's attention was focused on the devastation caused by the El Robina's attack, Adori took a moment to exhale an inaudible sigh of relief, eyes closed as she quietly remarked, "I pray each of you finds happiness in the next life. May your souls find peace beyond the confines of this nightmarish Tower..."Though she had never seen it for herself, Adori had heard countless tales of the world that existed beyond the Tower. Many of these stories ended in tragedy due to the remarkably short lifespans of those who lived outside, but, after living for more than five-thousand-years, Adori found the idea of a short lifespan rather novel. Immortality was not without its shortcomings, and, were it not for her commitment to preventing war and helping to maintain order within the Tower, she might have lost herself like countless other Rankers...Taking a deep breath to help steady her heart, Adori was preparing to issue the order to withdraw when a peculiar green hue seemed to saturate the surrounding space for several tens of kilometers. This caused her pupils to contract, her aura exploding outward as two blades formed from golden crystal manifested behind her like a pair of wings. This wasn't her first time witnessing an ability that could influence the flow of time, so, even though she felt no particular threat, it didn't stop her from igniting her Golden November, the only S-Rank weapon among the 13 Month Series.Before Adori could do something troublesome, Vahn manifested a few meters behind her, his voice calm yet firm as he said, "I will fight you in a moment. For now, you should behave until I've finished restoring this place to its original form. Unless your remorse exists solely to help justify your actions, you will not intervene. I'm being serious here...you don't want to piss me off..."Though it was like resisting the pressure of a mountain range, Adori turned her head to face Vahn without any discernible difficulties, her expression unchanging as she said, "Very well...once you are finished, we will move this battle elsewhere. I trust you have no problems with that...?"Offering a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation, saying, "Of course. Would I be able to call myself man if I could refuse the invitation of such a beauty? I'll keep you company for as long as you want...Princess..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Empire came out to play...','*insert Ea sound effect*','Oh my (O w O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Of all possible reactions, the last thing Vahn expected was for Adori to turn statuesque in response to his words. At the exact same time, the Law of Identity began laughing maniacally, hands holding her stomach as she revealed, "You short-circuited her brain by making her think lewd thoughts. She intends to completely thrash you now~."As if to demonstrate this was the case, a resolute light flickered within Adori's eyes as she said, "You have a glib tongue...it seems you need to be taught how to respect women..."Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn focused on repairing the damage done by the El Robina as Hagipherione and Maschenny gradually liberated themselves from the influence of his domain. This was a testament to their capacities as Top 100 Rankers, but, compared to Adori, they were lacking in a number of ways. Maschenny, in particular, seemed annoyed by the fact she was the last to break free, her expression morphing into a challenging scowl as she brandished her Yellow May, a sun-like spear that caused her characteristically blue Shinsu to resemble bands of golden lightning.Fortunately, with various schemes formulating inside of her head, Maschenny was able to suppress her urge to rush into battle, her scowl relaxing into a mask of amusement as she remarked, "This is quite the scene...three Princesses of Jahad standing around a presumed enemy of the Empire as he resurrects our people and mends the damage caused by Imperial forces...I wonder what our Father would think of this?"Frowning almost imperceptibly in response to Maschenny's words, Adori sent a warning look to the former before shifting her attention back to Vahn and saying, "Though I find her selection of words rather troubling, it would be remiss of me to ignore the unusualnesses of the current situation. Tell me, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, what are your true intentions? Are you truly an enemy of the Empire? Will you not join hands with us to help ensure the peace and prosperity of all the Tower's inhabitants?"With most of the damage undone, Vahn shifted his gaze to match Adori's, an accusatory glimmer in his eyes as he remarked, "An interesting thing to say considering the widespread corruption present within the Empire and abroad. Why is it that the same people who establish systems that suppress and exploit others always mention things like protecting everyone and ensuring peace? Are you just completely ignorant of your own faults and the lack of oversight in your administration? Other than ensuring your personal prosperity and maintaining a system that allows those in power to act with complete impunity, what are you doing to actually make the Tower a better place?"For the first time since the start of their encounter, Adori's expression changed drastically, her calm and unperturbed countenance morphing into a resolute grimace as she said, "I cannot agree with such poorly considered sentiments. Though I can't deny the existence of corruption among Imperial officials and members of the Ten Great Families, your words ignore the larger issues and the tireless efforts we make to weed out such troublesome elements. Have you ever given any consideration as to why the Inner and Middle Towers were established? What about the Ranking Administration that allows even our enemies to be classified in accordance with their power and authority? If you truly possess the power to read people's minds and know their most profound secrets, you would be a fool to question my commitment to the Tower and its inhabitants. I don't pretend to be perfect, but I've dedicated the last five-thousand-years to preserving the peace and bettering the lives of those who respect Imperial rule. What are you doing to make things better other than selectively helping the people you deem worthy whilst destroying systems intended to monitor and regulate people who, by virtue of being chosen as Regulars, have already proven themselves as self-centered and greedy individuals?"Surprised by the fervor of Adori's words, Vahn, Maschenny, and even Hagipherione couldn't help but raise their brows. She was known to be one of the quietest and most cool-headed among the Princesses, someone with very little care for worldly matters. Now, however, she was giving off the impression of someone who had worked hard only to have all their efforts looked down upon by others. For a brief moment, they even thought she might tear up, but, rather than show any signs of weakness, Adori's aura continued to surge outwards like an endlessly gushing geyser...With the platform and all its inhabitants returned to normal, Vahn allowed his influence over the flow of time to slip away as he turned to Adori and said, "I will not deny your perspective and the efforts you have made over the years. The problem is, regardless of the number of people working towards a solution, nothing will change without influencing how things are run at the top. There is also the matter of the Tower's purpose, something that has been profaned and forgotten by all but a few of the most influential people within the Empire. Things cannot continue like this indefinitely. Even the most resolute individuals within the Tower, yourself included, will eventually be consumed and swayed by the passage of time. The only way to prevent the encroachment of stagnation is to continue moving forward...change is necessary in order to ensure true prosperity..."Though Maschenny couldn't help but smile in response to Vahn's words, Adori held firmly to her resolute frown as she asked, "So you would see the Tower thrown into turmoil so that the most powerful among us can move forward? Before my Father became King and paved the way for the Era of Peaceful Coexistence, millions died on a daily basis. There were people running around with no regard for the people beneath them, freely exhibiting their power and behaving like Gods. Now, there are groups in the Outer Tower who have never even heard of the Inner and Middle Towers. It might not be a perfect system, but it is infinitely better than the chaos that came before...!"Restraining a sigh, Vahn shook his head, his expression softening slightly as he calmly explained, "If those were my intentions, I would have joined hands with FUG and flaunted my power long before now. Instead, I limit myself to only taking action when injustices occur right in front of me. The only reason we stand in contention with each other is that I refuse to ignore the injustices committed by the Ten Great Families. I don't care enough about the politics of the Tower to stand in opposition to the Jahad Empire. I merely take action against those who exploit and suppress others for things like entertainment and their own convenience. If there wasn't corruption appearing virtually everywhere, you might not have even heard my name until I reached the top of the Tower. It's as simple as that."Seemingly confused by Vahn's words, Adori tilted her head almost imperceptively to the side as she asked, "What about your actions at the Name Hunt Station? You have been accused of brutalizing a Princess of Jahad and kidnapping a member of the Lo Po Bia Family. There are also reports attesting to the fact you have hijacked the Hell Express in an effort to resurrect the infamous Slayer known as White. Last but not least, you stand accused of killing the Zygaena, mounting an attack on the Yeon Family's Floating Castle, and assailing numerous females on the 21st Floor...do you intend to tell me these accusations are without merit...?"Unable to restrain himself, Vahn issued a light chuckle in response to Adori's interrogation. This earned him a pointed stare, but, having experienced such glares countless times in the past, he ultimately managed a relaxed smile as he explained, "Princess Maschenny here should be able to clear me of any crimes mentioned regarding other Princesses. As for the rest of the matters at the Name Hunt Station, well, they are obviously being embellished by the Lo Po Bia Family. In fact, the person I am being accused of kidnapping chose to follow me of her own accord. All I did was seal off the station until someone worthy enough to rule over it appeared. As for the accusations of me attempting to resurrect White, that should have been cleaned up by my conversation with Princess Hagipherione. Though it is true that I commandeered the Hell Express, this was necessitated by the fact that it was under the control of the organization known as FUG. They were the ones attempting to revive White so I was forced to deal with the Conductor when he attempted to interfere. As for the matters related to the Yeon Family...don't even get me started...if I really wanted to harm them, they would have been killed. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Jahad Army, do you expect me to believe you are unaware of the schemes of Yeon Ilarde?"Though she didn't take Vahn's account at face value, Adori couldn't readily refute his words after seeing Hagipherione and Maschenny nod their heads. She hadn't mentioned it, but there were also reports of him destroying a FUG base, and, though he had been accused of an ever-growing list of crimes, there were very few casualties. In fact, most of the people who had encountered Vahn had come out with relatively light injuries, the only exceptions being a number of unconfirmed deaths connected to the Lo Po Bia Family.Realizing that she might have jumped the gun due to the reported connection between Vahn and Ureko, Adori couldn't help but avert her eyes as she fished for reasons to justify the mobilization of three whole Divisions of the Army. Her Father had tasked her with investigating, and, if necessary, eliminating Vahn before he could become a threat to the Empire. Now, however, it seemed like the Lo Po Bia and Yeon Families were the ones at fault while Vahn was cleaning up a mess that should have been arbitrated by the Administration of Internal Affairs or resolved by the Royal Enforcement Division...With the Law of Identity narrating Adori's thoughts, Vahn couldn't help thinking that the legendary Princess was surprisingly naive. This made her rather scary as there were few things more terrifying than a naive person who was resolute and powerful enough to effectively erase continents from the map. The fact she instantly resorted to using a weapon like the El Robina showed just how detached she was from common sense, so, before she could reach a conclusion on her own, he stepped in to suggest, "Look...why don't we just fight and settle things directly? It will make things a lot easier for me once your side has a better understanding of my power. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind resolving things peacefully. Unfortunately, this requires mutual respect and a willingness to compromise from both parties. Right now, you still think I'm some upstart that might become a threat to your Empire. The truth of the matter is that your Empire would cease to exist if I got serious and truly committed to wiping you out. For now, I'm content with moving at my own pace and affording you the chance to fix things from your end. If things continue like this...it is only a matter of time before your side does something that results in your destruction..."Hearing Vahn reference the destruction of the Empire in such a casual manner, Adori, Hagipherione, and even Maschenny all adopted expression of disbelief and moderate disdain. They knew just how incomprehensible their Father's power was so it was difficult for them to even consider him actually losing to someone. Even the combined efforts of the Ten Great Families and Ureko wouldn't be able to defeat him so the notion of someone else succeeding seemed utterly ridiculous.Feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the trio of inordinately beautiful women, the color of Vahn's eyes immediately shifted to a resplendent gold coloration as he added, "Don't worry...even if I win, you won't have to worry about me spanking your bottoms in front of everyone..."As the unfortunate trio designated by Ureko's 'Optional Objective', Adori, Hagipherione, and Maschenny had all experienced being disrobed, having their bottoms spanked, and their panties stolen by the mischievous Dragoness. Adori, in particular, had never suffered such embarrassment in her life, so, upon hearing Vahn's words, her expression immediately darkened as the crystalline blades behind her began resonating with enough force to cause small cracks to appear in the space around their edge...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Maschenny playing the part of Loki...','It's all a matter of perspective...','Vahn over here digging his own grave...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Several hours prior to their arrival at the 40th Floor's train station, known best as the 'Mushroom Farm', Vahn received a rather urgent message from Poro Poe, the Hell Express' interim Conductor. This wasn't anything particularly abnormal, especially considering they were inbound towards the station. The contents of said message, however, were extremely troubling as, even with his current power, Vahn wasn't entirely sure how he would fare against an entire Division of the Jahad Army...Fortunately, while the enemy had come out in force, they hadn't committed to a specific course of action just yet. The main purpose of their presence seemed to be to obtain information, so, rather than blocking the Hell Express from entering the station, they had simply cordoned off the region in preparation for conducting their investigation. The real issue was that several squadrons of Suspend Ships had been sent to intercept the Express, and, as could be expected, they had been demanding to speak with Pedro.Though he could have easily pretended to be Pedro, Vahn knew that the Jahad Army had already been made aware of his connection with FUG. He also lacked the Administrative authority required to abide by their boarding requests, so, regardless of how convincing his performance might have been, it served no actual purpose. The Jahad Empire had already made the determination that the Hell Express had been hijacked, so, in the end, any procedures they came up with were simply ploys to secure an advantage.With few other options, Vahn told Poe to go with the flow and pretend to cooperate with the Jahad Army's requests. So long as they could enter the Mushroom Farm unabated, it would be difficult for the encircling Rankers to take action. Their best course of action would be to stop the express prior to or immediately after its departure. After all, though they were the preeminent forces of the Jahad Empire, they couldn't simply ignore the Laws of the Tower without first reaching a compromise with the Guardians...---Since there was a chance he might not be able to recover the Hell Express and place it into his Little Garden before the Empire intervened, Vahn's first course of action was to recover Mordred from the Rice Pot. She had been inside for the better part of three months, so, while there was still a ways to go before she completed the process of 'Revolution', her power had already increased by several-fold. In fact, thanks to the system interface of his Unit Management, Vahn had been able to view her rather substantial growth in real-time...--------------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Mordred Aldrnari Pendragon], Sobriquet: N/AAge: 335 Days [Ageless](A/N: Don't forget that they were basically 'reborn' into the current Record.)Race: True DragonParameters: [Transcendental Path to Heaven: 1-6]Position(s): Scout, FishermanStrength: B-Rank Regular -&gt; E-Rank RankerDurability: B-Rank Regular -&gt; D-Rank RankerIntellect: D-Rank Regular -&gt; C-Rank RegularAgility: C-Rank Regular -&gt; A-Rank RegularControl: C-Rank Regular -&gt; F-Rank RankerShinsu: [Quality: Sword], [Total: 39,600-&gt;490,600], [Baang: 1], [Myun:198-&gt;2,453], [Soo:198-&gt;2,453], [Tension: 100]Soul Tier: 4 (Divine Soul)Karma: 159Innate(s): [Sage Dragon Emperor's Pampered Princess(Mind): SSS], [Inheritor of the Emperor's Will(Spirit): S-&gt;SS], [War Goddess' Wrath(Emission): S], [Chimeric Queen's Blessed Body(Body): C-&gt;D]Skill(s): [Anti-Dragon Constitution: S], [Dragon Transformation: A], [Aura of the Flame Dragon: A], [Dragon's Breath: A], [Domination: B], [Extrasensory Perception: B], [Enhanced Reflexes(Ranker): B], [Swordsman(Ranker): C], [Cutting(Ranker): D], [Wave Controller(Regular): B], [Flow Control(Regular): B], [Shinsu Enhancement(Ranker): D]--------------------------------------------------Though she still had a long way to go before she could be considered truly powerful, Mordred was well on her way to reaching the pinnacle of power within the Tower. Unfortunately, while she would be more than a match for the average Ranker, her power was incomparable to a High Ranker's. This put Vahn in a difficult situation, as, the moment she emerged from the Rice Pot, he knew she would be eager to test her power.Had the situation been slightly different, Vahn wouldn't have had any problems allowing Mordred to participate in the coming battle. Unfortunately, the markings visible on their 'escorts' indicated that the Division waiting for them was none other than the 1st Army Corps, the most powerful force in the Jahad Army. This was a fight even he might not be able to emerge unscathed from, so, while it was difficult for him to say no to his 'pampered princess', Vahn had already steeled himself to do just that.With this in mind, Vahn had Donar deactivate the spell on the Rice Pot, his expression becoming a mask of sternness as he prepared himself for Mordred's emergence. To his surprise, the only thing that greeted him was silence, so, without asking what the issue was, he immediately leaped to the mouth of the Rice Pot in order to view the interior.Seeing a 'chibi' version of Mordred sleeping near the very center of the peculiar pressure chamber, a relieved sigh escaped Vahn's lips as he dropped down to pick her up. What he never could have expected was that, immediately after his descent, a rather aggressive lion cub extricated itself from Mordred's embrace, hissing at him with blazing, star-like, eyes.Noticing the wings on the peculiar lion cub's back, combined with the fact it possessed scales on its forelimbs, it didn't take long for Vahn to intuit its origins. Despite this, an amused smile immediately spread across his face as he raised the cub by the scruff, ignoring its struggles and attempts to bite his hand. This caused Mordred to stir awake, a loud yawn originating from her throat as she raised her arms, stretching as she asked, "What the hell are you whining about now...?"Shifting her attention towards the direction of the noise, Mordred's body froze, eyes widening as she noticed her Chichiue smiling down at her. For a brief moment, she was tempted to rub her eyes and pinch herself, but, thanks to her enhanced senses, she could tell he was the real deal from his scent alone. This caused her to promptly pounce up, shouting, "Papa~!" without considering the mental damage Vahn would suffer from such an exclamation...---After helping to replenish her reserves, Vahn retired to an area in the outer rings to spend some quality time with Mordred before asking about her experiences in the Rice Pot and explaining the situation outside. Fortunately, this tertiary conversation took place with her sitting naked on his lap, so, while she was eager to join him in the battle, it didn't take too much effort for him to 'convince' her to remain in the Little Garden. He just needed to promise her that he would 'compensate' her for the three months she had spent in the Rice Pot. After that, well...dragons will be dragons...---With his preparations largely finished, Vahn spent the final few hours of his journey meditating near one of the Hell Express' many exits. He was actually looking forward to the coming fight quite a bit, so, before he did something 'foolish', he wanted to get in the proper state of mind. After all, Adori was the current Rank 7. This placed her at a higher rank than some of the Family Leaders, so, while it was nearly impossible for her to defeat them due to their contracts with the Guardians, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she was one of the strongest beings in the entire Tower.If he held nothing back, Vahn was certain he would be able to defeat, not just Adori, but the entire 1st Division with relative ease. More accurately, he could actually wipe them out without having to face them directly, as, much like when he fought against the Olympians and Velbar, exploding his own body was always an option. This, however, always left a bad taste in his mouth, so, rather than resort to 'extreme' measures from the start, he wanted to see how far his understanding of the Laws could take him against a foe whose power also defied conventional reasoning.Exhaling a stagnant breath he had been holding for more than three hours, Vahn opened his eyes just as the door before him began to open. Then, without any hesitation, he stepped out into the surprisingly colorful Floor, his mind wandering to memories of the time Xysteria's power had gotten out of hand as his eyes shifted to the multitude of Regulars grouped on the platform below...Recognizing Vahn as the person they were sent to investigate, the five groups, each representing different Sponsored Teams, immediately became tense. This was especially true for the group at the very back of the formation, as, for a brief moment, Vahn's expression darkened to the extreme as he muttered, "How the hell is this clown on the 40th Floor...?"Though he didn't understand why Vahn was glowering at him, a lanky green-skinned man that was almost indistinguishable from Parakewl, the only exception being several scars on his face, adopted a haughty expression as he shouted, "Y-You trash! Traitorous swing! Get down here this instant and obediently surrender to the mighty Pinnacle! Don't make this harder than it needs to be...!"Hearing the man's familiar voice, Vahn's expression became even darker as he turned to the Law of Identity and telepathically communicated, "Never transform into this guy..." before she could reveal the man's innermost thoughts. Then, with a far more relaxed expression on his face, he directed his attention to a massive flagship looming in the distance, its dimensions large enough to encapsulate an entire city with room to spare.Despite the distance of several kilometers, Vahn could easily see the figure of a truly breathtaking woman with golden hair and matching eyes standing on the bow of the manta-like ship. It wasn't without reason that she was considered the most beautiful among the Princesses of Jahad, and, had he not met even more beautiful women, Vahn might have been smitten by Adori's god-like beauty at first sight. Instead, he just offered her a relaxed smile and a casual wave, actions that earned him a slight frown from the woman with a sobriquet matching the most powerful Shinheuh in the entire Tower, the 'Killer Whale'...Annoyed by the fact that he was being ignored, the Parakewl-like Pinnacle began to stamp his foot in an expression of frustration before pointing his skeletal green finger toward Vahn and shouting, "What are you pieces of garbage waiting for!? Capture this man and string him up so that we can present him to the Princess!"Reacting to Pinnacle's words, the majority of Regulars belonging to other teams looked toward him with expressions of scorn. This caused the man to visibly shrink, his unhealthy complexion turning a shade more sickly as he muttered, "W-What the hell are you guys looking at? Don't tell me...are you planning to betray the Jahad Empire and side with the enemy...!?"Unable to ignore Pinnacle's words, a muscular figure who resembled a bipedal wolf unsheathed an inordinately long katana, saying, "Shut your slanderous mouth. The next time you try and insinuate something like that, I'll shave your tongue into a thousand different slices."Covering his mouth with both hands, Pinnacle took several steps back, cowering behind the other members of his team as the three-meter tall wolfman continued to stare him down. Then, with a very similar expression, he shifted his attention towards Vahn, his voice gruff and challenging as he asked, "Well? What are you waiting for? Your only options are to surrender or fight. Stop dawdling."Moving his eyes away from the wolfman's fluffy ears, the corners of Vahn's smile became ever-so-slightly more prominent as he mused, "I never anticipated I would meet a Lycanthian Swordsman as a Sponsored Regular. Things must be rather dire for the people of Lycanthia for you to sell yourself to your sworn enemy..."Frowning deeply in response to Vahn's words, the muscular wolfman unsheathed his second sword before replying in a dark tone, "I am doing what I must in order to ensure the survival of my people. You have no right to pass judgment on anyone. Now, if you aren't going to come down...I'll just-"Before the wolfman could begin his charge up the long flight of stairs, Vahn's figure appeared right in front of him. This caused the pupils of his golden eyes to shrink, his instincts compelling him to leap backward since it was difficult for him to attack someone so close to his body. Unfortunately, the moment he tried, it was like both of his legs had turned to jelly, forcing him to collapse to the ground as he, just then, became aware of the fist-shaped indentation in his abdominal muscles...Resisting the urge to pet the wolfman's head, Vahn matched gazes with several of the Regulars encircling him, smiling as he remarked, "Don't worry. I can't promise you won't suffer a few minor scrapes and bruises, but I can at least guarantee your lives. Now...come at me..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Resistance is futile...!','Mordred is so spoiled (OwO)...','Barely escaped with his dignity...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1890: Baptism