Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Sensing the threat posed by Enkidu, Adori, somewhat surprisingly, issued a loud war cry as the space around her began to bend and distort. The cannons attached to her Carrier began to fire volley after volley, but, rather than shooting straight, the beams ripped through the void before reemerging elsewhere.Not expecting Adori to incorporate 'Arie Swordsmanship' into a wide-range artillery strike, Vahn couldn't help but admire the woman's resourcefulness as he watched the destructive golden beams form a semi-spherical cage that distorted space-time to such an extent that even Enkidu appeared to bend.Unfortunately, other than forcing Hagipherione, Maschenny, and several others to retreat, Adori's attack didn't accomplish much else. Her attack might have been one of the most destructive Vahn had encountered since arriving in the Tower, but it was fundamentally incapable of 'reaching' him. Her mastery of the Laws was simply too shallow, so, without hitting him with an attack capable of wiping out an entire Realm, this was a battle of attrition she could never hope to win...Despite directing several attacks their way, Adori was shocked to realize that, even with the Golden November, the golden chains attempting to encircle her remained whole. The realization that she couldn't destroy them caused her scalp to tingle as feelings of anxiety began to surge forward for the first time in thousands of years. Then, as if something inside of her had broken, a sour feeling plagued her nose as she directed the blades of the Golden November toward herself, shouting, "I am the blade that strikes down the Empire's foes. I will not lose...!"Though he realized her intentions, there wasn't much Vahn could do to prevent Adori from further escalating things. All he could do was stare in fascinated silence as Adori assimilated the Golden November into her body, igniting it from within rather than allowing its energy to diffuse into the environment. This caused a vibrant golden cross to appear at the center of her chest, and, though her eyes and hair already possessed a golden luminescence before, they now emitted a beautiful, breathtaking, iridescence.As if she could suddenly sense his intent, Adori directed her gaze in the direction where Vahn was viewing her from before blitzing one of the gaps in Enkidu's chains. Under normal circumstances, a Tier 4 would never be able to break free from a region sealed off by Enkidu. Adori, however, didn't seem to care about what others considered to be possible, her body 'compressing' to the size of a child for a brief moment so that she could slip through the gap and stab the area where his intent was emanating.Not expecting Adori to have a Compression License, Vahn was at a complete loss for words as the resolute Princess twisted her blade within the void to create a vortex strong enough to cause the Suspend Ships lingering in the distance to lurch forward. Even the ground below began to rise at a visible rate, almost as if her sword had become a black hole intent on consuming everything.Unfortunately, as impressive as her attacks were, they were still far from being able to affect Vahn in any meaningful way. To demonstrate this, he manifested his body around the point where Adori had stabbed, an unconcerned smile on his face as he reached out to caress her head and say, "You are certainly very powerful, but I'm afraid that simply isn't enough..."Surprised by Vahn's ability to touch her head before she could even react, Adori's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as she darted back at a speed rivaling teleportation. At nearly the exact same moment, her Carrier manifested around Vahn's body, each of the cannons pointing inward as the shielded plates formed a blockade to prevent his escape.Smiling wryly in response, a runic halo appeared above Vahn's head as the golden light emitted from the carrier's cannons enveloped his body. With the plating forming a barrier, this caused the interior to resemble a small, extremely radiant, golden sun. It was so bright, in fact, that, even with the armored plating blocking most of the light, the surroundings seemed to darken considerably as the temperature for several kilometers began to spike at a terrifying rate.Ignoring the fact that the golden cross on her chest was gradually spreading, cracking apart her body, Adori took several deep breaths to calm herself as she stared directly at the phenomenon she had created. As for Hagipherione and Maschenny, they had long-since departed the range of Vahn's domain, their expressions masks of calm as they watched the battle play out from atop the Imperial Flagship.With the light from Adori's attack beginning to fade away, Maschenny took the opportunity to break the silence, half-turning to Hagipherione to remark, "It seems a wave of change is about to sweep across the Tower and the Ten Great Families. What will you do? It's not too late to choose a side. At this rate, you are fated to become little more than a sacrifice...be it for the Empire or your Family..."Seeing Vahn emerge unscathed from Adori's attack, a deep-set frown appeared on Hagipherione's face as she shifted her gaze to Maschenny, saying, "I have no interest in becoming a pawn in your games. I already told...if you want my Red October, you can pry it from my cold, dead, hands. That is, assuming you have the power..."Meeting Hagipherione's gaze with her own, an amused smile gradually spread across Maschenny's face as a sadistic glimmer flashed across her eyes. This caused Hagipherione to loosen her grip on the Red October, but, rather than weakening, her aura strengthened considerably as a massive cut appeared across the reinforced hull of the flagship.Seemingly amused by the display, a light chuckle emanated from Maschenny's as she held up the Yellow May, bands of yellow lightning dancing across its length. Rather than attacking, however, she let it return to its base form, an ornate yellow spear that was eerily reminiscent of the Gáe Buidhe. Then, with a slight roll of the eyes, she shifted her attention to the battle between Vahn and Adori before nonchalantly remarking, "Without absolute power, authority and political mindedness are far more important than individual combat prowess..."Snorting through her nose, Hagipherione retorted, "Spoken like a weakling..." before storing away her Red October and returning her attention to the fight. At the same time, though she appeared unperturbed on the surface, sparks appeared in Maschenny's eyes as she balled her left hand into a fist...---With several hours having passed, the golden cross spreading across Adori's chest had expanded to encroach upon her neck, shoulders, and diaphragm. She felt as though her body was about to shatter like glass, yet, in spite of this, she continued to press forward with ever-increasing intensity. It had gotten to the point that a casual sweep of her sword left a massive rift within the void, and, though it placed a heavy strain on her body, her movement speed had increased to the point that the terrain for several kilometers visibly shifted every time she performed an evasive or offensive maneuver.Though he wasn't all that surprised by Adori's power, Vahn was beginning to feel a little helpless in the face of the woman's tenacity. There was no reason for things to have developed to this extent, yet, as if she was fighting for the sake of the entire world, she continued drawing out more power from her body. She had pushed herself so far beyond her limits that it was a little ridiculous, and, were it not for his general immunity to her attacks, combined with the fact he simply couldn't be killed, Vahn knew he would have fallen long ago.As per usual, Vahn was beginning to feel a little guilty about the current situation. Adori was doing her best to defeat him, yet, in spite of all her efforts, the nature of his existence made it impossible for her to succeed. Had their situations been reversed, Vahn knew he would have felt unbelievably frustrated, so, rather than feel any enjoyment from the battle, his mood had become progressively more melancholic...Blocking Adori's meteoric blow with his scale-covered arm, Vahn couldn't help but grimace as he asked, "How long do you intend to keep this up? Can't you see that your body is on the verge of breaking down? What are you hoping to achieve by pushing yourself to such extremes...!?"Rather than immediately answering his question, Adori replied by slipping her hand past Vahn's guard, her fingers now resembling golden crystals as she grasped his throat and said, "My life is inconsequential compared to the survival of the Empire and the perpetuation of peace. Even if it does little more than give you a reason to pause when considering your future actions, I am more than willing to sacrifice everything in order to protect the people who depend on the Empire...!"Punctuating her words, an explosion that seemed to cover the heavens illuminated the entirety of the 40th Floor as Adori sacrificed her left arm as the catalyst for a spell. Had they not retreated to a safe distance long ago, the entire 1st Army Corps would have been wiped out in the explosion to follow as virtually all the Shinsu within several hundred kilometers seemed to ignite in response to the sacrificial attack.When the light began to fade away several minutes later, Adori, now missing half her cloak and the entirety of her left arm could be seen standing stoically within the air. To make matters even worse, the stump of her arm, now resembling the same golden crystal that comprised much of her body, began to flake away as the Golden November continued to ignite within her chest.Detecting no traces of Vahn or his intent, a slight frown marred Adori's face as she began to look around the area for any traces of his existence. She didn't believe for a moment that he had died, as, ever since the strange runic halo appeared above his head, he seemed to become completely immune to Shinsu. This included Shinsu infused into spells, so, while they had proven marginally more effective than most other forms of attack, it was difficult to imagine him being defeated in such a manner...Sensing an almost imperceptible fluctuation in the space to her right, Adori whirled around with the force of a typhoon, sword tracing a magnificent golden arc that seemed to bisect the horizon. To her surprise, what greeted her blade wasn't Vahn but a section of the immaculate golden chains that had caused her countless headaches during their previous exchanges. This caused her scalp to tingle in frustration, not because the chain had impeded her attack but because there was a Pocket floating next to it with the message, 'This is your win. See you around, Princess.' in light blue text.Realizing that Vahn was running away, Adori tore through space at a speed that made the speed of light seem leisurely in comparison. This caused a large 'crack' to appear across her body, but, rather than concern herself with this, Adori pulled out her own Pocket, asking, "What happened to the Hell Express?" in a calm tone that didn't match her current mental state.Upon hearing that the Hell Express had departed in accordance with its original schedule, Adori paused for several minutes to consider whether or not Vahn had somehow returned to its interior or escaped elsewhere. Even High Rankers couldn't enter the Express while it was in motion, and, as far as she knew, Vahn still needed to pass the Tests of each Floor to continue on to the next. Thus, unless he had the ability to be in two places at once, the obvious assumption was that he was still on the 40th Floor.Were it anyone else, Adori would have abided by common sense, ordering the 1st Army Corps to search the 40th Floor for signs of his presence. Instead, she directed her eyes towards an empty point in space, the location where the Hell Express had disappeared between the boundaries of the 40th and 41st Floors. Unfortunately, even she lacked the capacity to trespass the boundary between Floors, so, while it was possible to blockade the station on the 41st Floor, chasing after the train was impossible.Exhaling a sigh, Adori inspected the state of her broken body before shaking her head and saying, "I will let you go this time...if it turns out you were lying to me, I will spare no expense in my efforts to hunt you down...". Then, with her Pocket reappearing next to her, she connected to her Flagship, ordering, "Gather all parties responsible for reports related to the Sage Dragon Emperor..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Adori got no chill...','Maschenny be scheming...','Vahn's greatest weakness is a persistent and sincere woman xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Having expected matters to escalate from the start, Vahn left his 'main' body safely stowed away aboard the Hell Express. More specifically, a version of himself had been lying beneath the canopy of the World Tree with Mordred nestled next to him. She was still resting after their earlier exertions, a contented smile on her face as the tip of her rather plump tail rhythmically tapped against the ground.Seeing the sleeping face of the rather rambunctious tomboy, the majority of Vahn's frustrations immediately melted away. At the same time, seemingly sensing his return, Mordred's eyelids began to flitter, aquamarine eyes not all that dissimilar to his own coming into view before a natural smile spread across her face as she asked, "Did you kick their asses?"Chuckling in response to the rather brash inquiry, Vahn pulled Modred a little closer to him, hand snaking around her waist as he answered, "Though I'm not too surprised, it seems the Empire has some good people serving as its pillars. I met a woman who is equally as obstinate as you and your mother. She was willing to sacrifice everything just to sow doubts in my heart so I couldn't bring myself to kill her...are you disappointed?"Though she couldn't help but adopt a look of consternation, Mordred ultimately shook her head in response to his question, saying, "No. That sounds exactly like something you would do. You've never been the type to simply 'settle' things using your power. Besides, if she is anything like me, I doubt she would consider this a victory. If it were me, I would spare no efforts to track you down and settle things once and for all..."Understanding the truth contained within Mordred's words, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face as he restrained the urge to sigh. Instead, he reclined his head back against the ground, marveling at the canopy of the World Tree until Mordred mounted his lower abdomen, adding, "Unless you intend to take over, you shouldn't concern yourself with the politics of the Tower. Even our Empire isn't perfect, so you should just keep doing whatever you want. You're already fixing some of their problems. You don't need to fix them all..."Punctuating her words, Mordred grabbed the sides of Vahn's face with her surprisingly smooth, scale-backed hands. She had a habit of letting her Dragonic traits run rampant whenever she was excited. As a result, vibrant red scales sprouted across several parts of her body as the interior of her chest, similar to a forge, began to glow with an intense red light that pulsated with the beating of her heart.Realizing he had more pressing matters to attend, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he shelved any thoughts related to Adori and her convictions. He had already promised to dote on Mordred for the better part of three months, so, rather than distract himself with things that were largely unrelated to him, pampering his Princess took precedence...---Several days after her battle with Vahn, Adori, now outfitted a mechanical left arm that served as a permanent reminder of her failure, stood before a number of kneeling individuals with animalistic features. These were the Rankers formerly responsible for the Name Hunt Station, so, as could be expected, the majority had greyish-white hair while some, specifically those with more dominant bloodlines, possessed rounded ears and spotted, bushy, tails.Had he been present, Vahn would have recognized the woman kneeling at the front of the group as the beauty he had eyed prior to his battle with Adori, Hagipherione, and Maschenny. Unlike the rest of her kin, she gave off a gentle and approachable aura, but, were to look into her eyes for an extended period of time, those with weaker wills would be overcome by the impression they were a tiny mouse in front of a cat.Wearing a perpetual smile on her face, the woman, representing the Snow Leopard Family as one of its Elders, calmly asserted, "Our actions within the Name Hunt Station were authorized by Lord Lo Po Bia and sanctioned by the Jahad Empire. We also coordinated with the Ten Families to reach an accord regarding how the station should be managed. Though I cannot deny there were some mishaps over the years, the actions of the Sage Dragon Emperor were clearly an act of aggression against the Lo Po Bia Family. We did nothing to overtly ant-"Interrupting before the woman could finish speaking, Adori manifested a large light display, her voice cold and unamused as she said, "These are Pocket logs provided by a reliable source. They have also been cross-referenced and verified by the Workshop. According to these records, your people ordered the then-ruler of the Name Hunt Station, Lo Po Bia Elaine, to attack and capture the Sage Dragon Emperor. You even requested the support of two Princesses of Jahad, effectively treating the 'Swords of the Empire' as tools for your own convenience. Afterward, you attempted to illegally commandeer the Hell Express, disregarding the laws we have protected for more than ten-thousand-years. To make matters even worse, you filed a false report in an attempt to avoid fault and shift the blame elsewhere. As a result, the Empire might have gained an enemy on the level of Ureko, endangering countless lives. What say you in your defense?"Though her expression didn't change in the slightest, the woman, better known as Lo Po Bia Pram, shifted her gaze to a masked man with the characteristic grey hair of the Snow Leopard Family but ears reminiscent of a human's. He, Lo Po Bia Porp, was the representative she had left in charge of the Name Hunt Station, and, were it not for the current situation, she would have killed him on the spot for inviting this calamity upon them.Returning her gaze to Adori, Pram adopted an uncharacteristically serious tone as she said, "There are none among the Ten Great Families who are as loyal to the Empire as the Lo Po Bia Family. We of the Snow Leopard Family have dedicated more than sixty percent of our Rankers to the service of the Empire. I will not deny our fault in this matter. I ask only that you take into consideration our many years of loyal service..."Furrowing her brows almost imperceptibly in response to Pram's words, Adori remained silent for several seconds before saying, "Those directly responsible for this matter will not be able to avoid punishment. The Snow Leopard Family as a whole, however, will not be held accountable. Lord Lo Po Bia has already been informed of this matter and interceded on your behalf. You, High Ranker Pram, have been appointed the task of locating the Sage Dragon Emperor and making amends for this situation. As for you, Ranker Porp, you will be made to answer for the various crimes you have perpetrated over the last eight-hundred-years. If you attempt to avoid punishment by taking your own life, your wives, sons, and daughters will be held accountable on your behalf..."Though he was already kneeling low, Porp nearly collapsed when he heard Adori's judgment. In the end, however, he managed to hold himself steady, his voice quivering ever-so-slightly as he lowered his head even further and said, "I understand and accept full responsibility for my crimes. No matter what punishment awaits, I will meet it with the dignity expected from a member of the Ten Great Families..."With no other options, Porp knew the best course of action was simply to embrace everything that was thrown at him. Any form of resistance promised unimaginable suffering, so, in the pursuit of a quick death, acceptance was the only path available to him. He was also hoping to relieve some of the Elder's anger, as, better than most, he knew how terrifying she could be. If he made a scene or showed even a trace of hesitation, it would be a mercy if his wives and children fell into the hands of the Empire...Nodding her head approvingly in response to Porp's acquiescence, Pram motioned for the rest of her people to rise before meeting Adori's gaze and asking, "What is the Empire's official stance on the Sage Dragon Emperor? It would also help to know where he is headed. Since you have been in contact with the Workshop, I imagine you have some idea of his destination."Since Pram's mission was a matter related to the Lo Po Bia Family, not the Empire, Adori refused to comment on what they had learned of Vahn's intentions. She did, however, explain, "My father has issued a gag order encompassing all things related to the Sage Dragon Emperor. Unless the latter goes out of his way to antagonize the Empire, our official stance is that he simply doesn't exist. All matters between the Ten Great Families and the Sage Dragon Emperor will be regarded as private affairs from this moment onward. If your Family continues to antagonize him over matters related to your own internal corruption, don't expect the Empire to bail you out..."Losing her smile for the first time since her arrival, Pram demonstrated her considerable shock by widening her eyes, mouth agape for several seconds before she asked, "Are you saying that man is as already viewed in the same light as Ureko? I know he is very powerful, but he seemed to be at a distinct disadvantage during your previous encounter..."With Pram's eyes momentarily shifting to her prosthetic arm, Adori's expression clouded as she balled her hand into a fist and asserted, "That man is far more dangerous than Ureko. He is only a Regular yet he is already capable of fending off the attacks of a Top 10 High Ranker. By the time he reaches the top of the Tower, his power will have grown to such extreme that only my Father and the Ten Great Warriors could reasonably stand against him. To that end, it has been decided that the best course of action is peaceful coexistence. So long as the Sage Dragon Emperor does not openly side with our enemies, our public stance is that all rumors concerning his existence are exaggerated propaganda..."Hardly able to believe what she was hearing, Pram fell silent for several seconds following Adori's explanation. Then, as if a switch had been flipped in the most primal region of her mind, a potent heat spread through her body as she recalled Vahn glancing her way prior to his battle against the three Princesses. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, but, in retrospect, she was pretty sure he had been eyeing her ears and tail...Realizing why she had been given the task of seeking out and making amends with Vahn, the smile returned to Pram's face as she offered a courteous bow, softly musing, "Thank you for the detailed explanation, Princess. It has been very...enlightening..."Noticing the males around Pram beginning to fidget nervously, a cold glint flashed across Adori's eyes as she said, "You and your people are dismissed. Leave."Giggling despite Adori's rather terse dismissal, Pram smoothly spun around on her heels, her thick tail following after her, snaking in a naturally seductive manner. This caused many of the people in her entourage to swallow audibly, but, with her sights set on a far greater prize, Pram completely ignored them as her pace steadily increased.Following the group's departure with her eyes, Adori's brows noticeably furrowed as she realized that even Porp, despite the fact he was still kneeling on the ground, had twisted his neck to follow Pram's departure. She could even hear the sound of his labored breathing, and, though it was very subtle, an unpleasant musk had started to permeate through the command room.Snorting through her nose, Adori gestured to her Royal Guards with her mechanical arm, ordering, "Place this man in a holding cell. Once we have returned to Base, make sure he is escorted to the Torture and Intelligence Division without delay. He is meant to suffer for his crimes. I want to know the full breadth of his transgressions against the Empire."Hearing Adori's words, Porp's expression, hidden behind his mask, became one of stupefaction as two members of the Royal Guards promptly seized him by the arms. He didn't know what he had done to offend the Princess, but, based on the cold gleam in her eyes, she clearly viewed him in an antagonistic light. This realization caused him to briefly shift his gaze to her mechanical arm, a cold shiver running through his body as he realized that death was something he could only pray for at this point...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pampering a Princess (O w O)...','The Empire be like, "Don't go digging your own grave and expecting us to lower a ladder..."','Pram on the prowl...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Stepping in before Adori could take action, Hagipherione brandished what appeared to be a set of blood-red shortswords. In actuality, they were a set of bladed Needles, and, similar to the crystalline blades floating behind Adori's back and the sun-like spear clutched in Maschenny's hand, they were yet another one of the 13 Month Series, specifically the Red October.Though the Black March was considered the most powerful Needle among the Thirteen, the Red October was far more famous due to the fact it had been in circulation for a much longer period of time. It was also the only 'Dual Ignition' weapon among the legendary series of weapons, and, if the rumors were to be believed, they were the 'fastest' among the entire series.Before Adori could speak out, Hagipherione adopted a serious expression as she said, "If you dare to interrupt my fight a second time, don't blame me for the consequences. I didn't climb my way to Rank 36 to have other people intervene in my battles. That goes doubly for you Maschenny...if you get in my way..."Rolling her eyes in response to Hagipherione's threat, Maschenny shouldered the Yellow May as she said, "By all means, feel free to go first. I'm rather curious to see how you'll fare after your previous two attacks proved utterly ineffective."Demonstrating greater emotional range than the average member of the Arie Family, Hagipherione adopted a hateful glower in response to Maschenny's taunting. Before she could offer a rebuttal, however, Vahn drew the attention of all three Princesses by clearing his throat and saying, "Can we just start? It doesn't matter whether or not you come individually or together. No matter what you do, the end result will remain the same."Though the remark earned him an amused smile from Maschenny, Hagipherione's response to his seemingly brash words was to appear next to him, stating, "Impudence...!" as she attempted to stab the Red October into his body. Rather than using the State of Nothingness, however, Vahn eyed the two blood-red blades with a thoughtful glimmer as both pierced into his body.While there were a few fundamental differences, the Ignited versions of the 13 Month Series were functionally similar to Zanpakuto. This drastically reduced the effectiveness of a pseudo-spiritual form like the State of Nothingness, but, at the same time, it meant their damage was predominately spiritual in nature. This was what allowed them to 'kill' beings such as Immortals, as, under normal circumstances, protecting and preserving the Ego were inordinately difficult.Unfortunately for Hagipherione, there was an unbridgeable gap between a middling Tier 4 weapon and someone with a Tier 5 Soul. In fact, so long as he linked his external manifestation to his Realm, Vahn could disperse the vast majority of attacks into the infinite space contained within. This might allow a sufficiently powerful entity to invade, but, due to the disparities between the Laws, anything foolish enough to try would experience having their existence effectively erased. Thus, while it was far from absolute, he was effectively immune to any attack lacking a sufficient understanding of the Laws.Demonstrating this was the case, Vahn completely ignored the Red October piercing into his body, his expression largely indifferent as he extended his hand towards Hagipherione's head. This caused her pupils to shrink, as, from her perspective, there was no danger present within his palm. Because of this, she had to force herself to evade, as, at the highest level, instincts and intuition were two of the most important factors that determined a person's competency in battle.With Hagipherione's speed exceeding his own, Vahn could do little more than chuckle as she took nigh-instantaneous evasive maneuvers. Then, with a relaxed smile on his face, he briefly shifted his attention to Adori and Maschenny, saying, "Feel free to step in whenever you think it's necessary..."At nearly the exact same moment as his words had finished, two vibrant blades of blood-red energy cut through Vahn's neck and torso. Unfortunately, much to the chagrin of Hagipherione, there wasn't a single sign of injury in the wake of her attack. Even the turbulent Shinsu accompanying the strike seemed to simply fade away, swallowed by the functionally infinite space constituting Vahn's Realm.Returning his attention to Hagipherione, Vahn's expression became slightly more serious as he said, "Let's see how powerful this technique truly is..."Following his utterance, several golden Baangs of Shinsu began to spontaneously manifest around Vahn's body. Unlike normal Baangs, however, these incorporated the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere and his original Quality before attaining Tier 5, Divine. As a result, they functioned similarly to miniature black holes, far more powerful than conventional Black Hole Spheres due to their ability to suck, not just the Shinsu from the environment, but other people's bodies.'Recognizing' the technique as one functionally identical to their Father's, Hagipherione, Adori, and Maschenny all took evasive action the moment Vahn began forming his Baangs. At the same time, surprising even Vahn, several Suspend Ships in the distance began falling from the sky as the Shinsu supporting them rapidly depleted.Resisting the urge to adopt a wry smile, Vahn was preparing to let his Baangs disperse when several massive explosions occurred around him. A few even sent him stumbling backward as several shells formed from highly condensed Shinsu impacted his body with mountain-destroying force. Almost immediately thereafter, a spear of lightning nearly a kilometer long pierced into his body, half of its length disappearing into his Realm as an intense current spread through his bones and attempted to destroy him from the inside.Gritting his teeth, bands of golden lightning began to dance across Vahn's body as he saturated his cells with elemental energy. This caused his healthy brown skin to become somewhat ashen as the direction of his hair shifted, flowing backward and becoming a vibrant shade of gold as a matching golden tail spontaneously sprouted from his lower back.To the horror of Maschenny, the culprit behind the golden spear, Vahn gripped the energy form of the Yellow May with his bare hands, preventing her from retrieving it. At the same time, the energy emanating from his body seemed to increase by several orders of magnitude, so much so that the Shinsu in the surroundings gained a peculiar golden hue that made it exponentially more difficult to control.Taking charge of the situation, Adori, now flanked by cannon-like mechanisms and a series of wing-like defensive plates, shouted, "Hagipherione! Help Maschenny recover the Yellow May! I will act as the Light Bearer and try to stop his movements! We need to act before he absorbs the Shinsu of the entire Floor...!"Following her exclamation, Adori's Golden November split into a series of smaller blades as several golden Lighthouses deployed from her A-Rank Carrier, one of only ten ever produced. This was a device that allowed a Fisherman to assume the role of virtually every other Position, and, with the exception of a few unique productions of the Workshop, they were easily the most expensive items in the entire Tower. The price of a Carrier was equivalent to the annual budget of the Jahad Army, and, more often than not, they possessed armaments capable of rivaling an entire Fleet of military-grade Suspend Ships.With the Lighthouses emitted by Adori's Carrier breaking down into more than a hundred smaller Lighthouses, Vahn found himself forced into a fetal position as an overwhelming pressure pressed on him from all directions. It was like being crushed by the gravitational force of a star, and, for a brief moment, there was virtually nothing he could do to resist. Fortunately, he had converted his race to a species infamous for its adaptability to high gravitational forces; so, while he was unable to prevent Maschenny from recovering the Yellow May, she wasn't able to retreat very far before he released a pulse of golden energy, impacting both her and Hagipherione as every Lighthouse in the surroundings shattered like glass.Though it made him feel a little like a Malevolent God, Vahn adopted an amused smile in response to the incredulous looks on Adori's and Hagipherione's faces. To his surprise, however, Maschenny had a similar smile on her face, intrigue visible in her gaze as she mouthed, 'That tail reminds me of a certain someone'.Extending his hand toward Maschenny, Vahn 'replied' to her with a beam of golden energy that seemed to divide the sky in two, dimming the surroundings due to its radiance. By the time the beam had faded, Maschenny's smile had disappeared along with it. In its place, a far more serious expression marred her countenance as she unamusedly uttered, "You brute..." as a hazy white mist rose from the various burns across her body.Ignoring Maschenny's remark, Vahn teleported to evade another bombardment from Adori, his figure appearing behind her in an instant. Unfortunately, she was exponentially faster than both Hagipherione and Maschenny. Thus, before he had even fully materialized, the crystalline blades hovering behind her immediately swirled around his emergence point, their edges severing the surrounding space and cutting into his body as she used her personal blade to bifurcate his body from head to crotch.With slightly widened eyes, Vahn did his best to ignore the fact he had been cut in half, hands extending to emit two massive columns of golden energy. These pushed Adori away from him, but, as could be expected from someone capable of pushing back Ureko, even if the latter wasn't being serious, a few simple energy beams weren't enough to deter her. Instead, she skillfully deflected the two beams using her wing-like shields, her speed spontaneously increasing to a near-imperceptible degree as she charged 'through' him, this time separating his two halves into four.Though he could have easily reformed his body, Vahn opted to do the exact opposite. Adori was a lot stronger than he expected, so, rather than fighting her directly, he converted nearly every cell in his body into pure Shinsu before dispersing it into the atmosphere. This left all three Princesses at a loss for words, and, for a brief moment, Hagipherione mistakenly believed he had been defeated.Alerting the white-haired maiden to the truth, Vahn's laughter could be heard from every direction as he mused, "In video game terminology, this would be what some refer to as 'phase two'..."Punctuating his words, Vahn began to manipulate the golden-hued Shinsu in the surroundings to create a massive vortex. The resistances of the three Princesses would have allowed them to ignore such an attack under normal circumstances; but, due to the nature of his Source Energy, they found themselves buffeted by the powerful torrent, grimacing as the undetectable energy infiltrated their bodies.Though it was largely unnecessary, Vahn reappeared near the center of the trio, his expression far more serious than before as he made a grasping gesture with his hand. This caused Hagipherione and Maschenny to slump forward, seemingly tripping in mid-air as Adori, demonstrating just how monstrous she could be, saturated her entire body with Shinsu in an effort to resist his pull. At the same time, the crystalline fragments of the Golden November fused with the cannon attachments of her Carrier, drastically increasing their output as four beams of destructive golden energy tore through the surrounding space with enough force to leave a gravitational void in its wake.Unfortunately for Adori, the manifestation she had destroyed was just a part of the current Vahn. As a result, he was immediately able to reform elsewhere, an impressed glimmer in his eyes as he said, "Truly remarkable..."Despite the refusal of her body to cooperate, Adori managed to turn her head to face Vahn without any discernible difficulty, her expression a mask of calm as she asked, "Are you an Axis User...?"Rather than answering Adori's question directly, Vahn just offered a smile as he forced all the Shinsu in his domain to surge outward until nothing remained. This caused the High Rankers spectating in the distance to fall from the sky, their expressions paling as the power they had become dependent on was suddenly denied to them. Only those fortunate enough to possess an Ignition Weapon were immune to the sudden depletion, as, other than serving as powerful weapons, the primary purpose of such weapons was to act as a reserve power source for their users.Sensing the complete absence of Shinsu in the surroundings, Adori's expression gradually darkened as the Golden November began releasing a truly remarkable amount of energy. At the same time, a near-identical figure appeared behind her, the only noticeable difference between them being their choice of garb. To Vahn's surprise, the Law of Identity revealed that this was actually Adori herself, or, more specifically, her 'Soul'. She had agreed to have her physical and spiritual bodies separated in order to provide her an exceptionally potent form of immortality. This explained why the majority of his attacks had been ineffective, as, rather than be bound to her physical form, Adori treated her body as if it was a marionette...Realizing he still had a lot to learn about the Tower and its inhabitants, Vahn allowed the expelled Shinsu to return as he said, "Relax. If I truly were an Axis User, what would you hope to achieve by resorting to such extreme means? I might be able to revive you if you perform a suicide attack, but I'd rather not have to. Besides, we've only just begun our fight. Leave attacks like that until the very end."Frowning in response to Vahn's words, Adori continued to generate an ever-increasing amount of power from her Golden November. This caused a somewhat guilty smile to spread across Vahn's face as his body, once again, dissolved into the surroundings. At the same time, a far more potent golden hue began to permeate the area affected by his domain as several golden speartips, each attached to resplendent golden chains, began to emerge from the void...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Well then...that's a thing...','Adori doing her best (O ^ O)...!','If Vahn is Source Energy...does that mean he has already 'penetrated' all three Princesses...!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1893: Attrition