Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following the ignition of his weapon, a process that wreathed his blade in electrical blue flames, Chunhwa charged towards Endorsi with the greatest speed he could muster. The blue flames allowed him to generate explosive waves of Shinsu, and, when concentrated, into the blade itself, he could cut through most objects. Thus, so long as he could land a single blow on Endorsi, it wouldn't be him giving up his journey on the 2nd Floor...Since Chunhwa had shown off his ignition weapon during their training sessions, Endorsi wasn't all that surprised by its release. She had seen what the sword was capable of, and, due to the man's limited ability to control Shinsu, it wasn't the most versatile weapon. As a result, she didn't even try to evade; charging directly at him as the compression needle in her right hand grew from 8cm to 160cm in an instant. At the same time, the two disks on her chest grew to more than three meters in diameter, acting as a shield that could block the attack of a B-Rank Regular while also providing her a limited form of concealment.As a Princess of Jahad, Endorsi had a number of treasures to make her journey up the Tower easier than that of a normal Regular. Many of these only worked between the 20th and 100th Floors, but, as a precaution against assassination, she had two defensive treasures that were destined to be the bane of any Regular unfortunate enough to face her. Chunhwa was no exception to this, his blazing blue blade impacting against the surface of the shield, wreathing it in flames but ultimately causing very little damage to the surface.Taking advantage of the moment when Chunhwa was recovering from his attack, Endorsi promptly shrunk the disks down to a size that could easily fit in the palm of her hand. At the same time, she thrust her needle forward with the finesse of a fencing master, stabbing Chunhwa's shoulder, bicep, chest, and the area just under his collar bone in a single breath. She held back to avoid causing any permanent damage, but, with her needle being around 2.4cm thick beyond the tip, Chunhwa ended up with a few quarter-sized holes in the muscle groups used to hold his sword.Though he could have continued swinging his sword with one hand, Chunhwa wasn't afforded the opportunity to even try. The moment he attempted to restore his balance and swipe upwards with the blade, Endorsi's disk-like shield came to within a centimeter of his breastplate before expanding to its full size. This completely disoriented him, and, due to being in the middle of a strike, the edge of the shield expanded with enough force to shatter the bones in his arm, forcing the blazing blade from his grasp.With her opponent effectively crippled, Endorsi released a tired sigh before pointing the tip of her needle at Chunhwa's neck and saying, "I'm going to borrow your sword until the end of this exam. In exchange, I will let Baam treat your injuries. Though blood loss might be mitigated by the effects of Shinsu, you shouldn't leave open wounds unattended. Once all of this is all over, I will personally ask Phae to treat your wounds..."Though he understood Endorsi was trying to show him sympathy, it sounded more like pity within Chunhwa's ears. This was something he couldn't accept as a 'knight', so, with the closest thing to a condescending smile he could manage due to the pain, he looked up at Endorsi and said, "You had better knock me out if you want to steal my sword...you Ghost-Pepper Hag..."To punctuate his words, Chunhwa spat at the ground near Endorsi's feet before showing a bloody smile at her expense. This filled the apologetic Princess with quite a bit of indignation, but, knowing what Chunhwa was trying to do, she managed to maintain a relatively cool expression. Then, in the most inelegant way she could manage, she smacked him on the temple with her needle, knocking the man out in an instant before recovering his now-inert sword.With the completely one-sided battle over and done with, Endorsi looked back to see Baam with an indignant frown on his face and tears flowing from his eyes. He was clearly very upset, but, perhaps out of consideration for Chunhwa's previous statement, he continued watching without even trying to interfere. This made Endorsi feel even more guilty, her expression turning sullen as she muttered, "I'm sorry Baam...this is just how the Tower is...As if to punctuate her statement, both Baam and Endorsi were surprised when one of the Observers Chunhwa tossed out suddenly exclaimed, "What the hell is going on with this stupid test!? Hey, can you guys hear me!? If anyone can hear me, return to the Safety Area as quickly as possible! Hoh has completely lost his mind...!"---With what could only be described as a crazed expression on his face, Hoh could be seen holding a strange knife up to Rachel's neck as he cowered inside the Safety Area. Next to him, lying in a pool of her own blood, Grey could be seen staring into empty space with completely lifeless eyes while, just outside the boundaries of the Safety Area, Quant was glaring at him with literal flames dancing within his eyes.Since there weren't any rules prohibiting Regulars from targeting and killing each other, Quant was virtually powerless to do anything about the current situation. The Safety Area was completely off-limits to the Seeker, and, though he wanted nothing more than to string up the traitorous bastard by his neck, he wasn't willing to sacrifice his own life to do so. The Test Administrator's were bound by all kinds of rules to ensure they conducted the tests 'fairly', so, unless he wanted to be squashed into meat paste by the Floor Guardian, he could only glare at Hoh, promising, "Even if you kill every other Regular on the 2nd Floor, I swear on my pride as a Ranker that you will never step foot on the 3rd..."Having already gone over the deep end, Hoh just cackled sporadically in response to Quant's words before shouting, "It isn't up to you! I haven't broken any rules! So long as I eliminate this girl, Baam will have no reason to continue climbing up the Tower! With all of the other Wave Controllers out of the picture, I'm guaranteed a free pass to the next Floor! There's nothing you can do about it at all!"Even if Hoh's words were true, that didn't stop Quant from releasing a powerful aura, not of Shinsu, but bloodlust. His journey up the Tower, like all who had become before and after, was paved with the blood of others. You didn't become a member of the 1% without getting your hands dirty, so, even without Shinsu, he could easily intimidate those with weaker wills by presence alone. This was especially true when it came to people like Hoh, those who had already completely lost themselves to despair...Feeling as though Quant had suddenly become a giant, Hoh nearly dropped the knife in his hands as an overwhelming urge to both vomit and soil himself spread through his body. If not for Rachel trying to break free at that exact moment, he was certain he would have passed out then and there, losing his chance to climb the Tower.With that thought crossing his mind, Hoh completely suppressed the uneasy feeling in his body, an overwhelming feeling of rage replacing it as he shouted, "Where do you think you're going!?" while grabbing Rachel's wrist and stabbing forward with the knife. This caused the blade to sink deep into her body, her eyes widening in pained surprise before an agonizing scream escaped her lips.Hoh was actually a little surprised by how easily the blade pierced through Rachel's body. Stabbing Grey was like trying to stab through a thick piece of leather with a metal poker. In stark contrast, he felt like Rachel's body didn't even exist, almost like he had stabbed empty air. If not for her scream, combined with the tremendous amount of blood flowing from her wound, he would have thought his attack missed completely...---With every display going dark halfway through the broadcast, Team A was, understandably, in an uproar. They had wanted to witness Team B's performance for themselves, not be stuck in a room filled with static displays. Unfortunately, other than informing them that the issue was being looked into, the Test Administrators were completely mum on what was happening.Though they had the benefit of being in far more comfortable accommodations, Vahn, Phae, Gandr, and Rak were also annoyed by the inactive broadcast. The only person that didn't seem to care was the man simply referred to as Ghost. He only paused for a very brief moment when the broadcast first went silent before shoveling handfuls of chocolate bars and pastries into his toothy maw.At this point, Vahn was almost certain that Ghost was actually another Regular, seemingly one that had been specially prepared by Headon to serve as Rachel's escort. His aura was radically different than any of the Regulars and Rankers he had seen, almost like he was an amalgamation of spiritual energy. Unfortunately, without touching the man directly, Vahn couldn't determine his true nature due to an invisible veil that covered his body, obscuring any attempts to probe his internal energy and track his presence...Just as Vahn was thinking about having Gandr try and make contact with the man, the four of them stared wide-eyed as Ghost suddenly tensed up. The food he had been shoveling into his mouth fell back to the plate it came from as a pained grimace appeared on his face. Then, as if he actually was a ghost, the man spontaneously erupted into a pyre of ghostly purple flames before vanishing into thin air...---Seeing the volume of blood flowing from Rachel's body, Hoh was certain she would bleed out after just a few seconds. Still, he wanted to make sure she died, so, after staring at the blood on his knife for several seconds, the crazed smile returned to his face as he revealed, "You know, I didn't want to have to do this...if you want to blame someone, blame whatever God chooses to give some power while taking everything away from others. I have made more sacrifices than all of you combined...I even lost everything...my family, my friends, my entire tribe...I am not the bad guy here...so, please, die for me...!"Inspired by his own words, Hoh ignored the shouts of Quant as he raised the dagger high into the sky and began stabbing Rachel over and over. He was connected to the same network of Observers and Lighthouses as everyone else so he had heard the broadcast made to the rest of his team. This meant Baam and the others would be on their way, so, before they could attack him, he needed to kill Rachel and retire from the game. They wouldn't be able to attack him back on the Suspend Ship without compromising their own chances to climb the Tower so all he needed to do was retreat to the medical ward or seek asylum from the Test Director.With this thought in his mind, Hoh's smile became increasingly vicious as he buried the knife into Rachel's body over and over. He found it strange that there was actual feedback this time around, but, with more and more blood flowing from her wounds, he didn't really care about anything else. The only thought on his mind was to continue stabbing until she completely stopped moving, tears streaming down his face as the light in her eyes rapidly gave way to an empty, lifeless, darkness...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ghost-Pepper Hag','Tests in the Tower are so fucked','Hoh, Champion of the Comment's Section')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Baam insisting they not stray too far from the Safety Area, both he and Endorsi reached the rather brutal scene in a very short period of time, Hoh's laughter still echoing through the chamber as he continued stabbing Rachel's limp body. This caused Baam to completely freeze in place, but, having seen more than her fair share of bloodshed, Endorsi just sighed before casually throwing her needle, piercing both of Hoh's wrists and forcing him to drop the knife.Despite a startling amount of pain emanating from his wrists, Hoh didn't cry out in response. Most of his senses were dulled at the moment due to his mind entering a state similar to shock. Because of this, he managed to look over to where both Endorsi and Baam were standing, his eyes meeting the grief-ridden gaze of the boy he had once called a friend.Just as Hoh was about to say something to try and justify his actions, everyone present was taken by surprise when Rachel's body was suddenly enveloped in golden flames. In the very next instant, a tiny burning figure appeared on the ground as a pained gasp escaped the previously motionless Rachel. Even her eyes, which had previously been bereft of any sign of life, were suddenly burning with vitality as she unceremoniously kicked the horned-man in his face. Then, showing no signs of hesitation, she grabbed the dagger that had fallen to the ground, a vengeful look in her eyes as she attempted to stab Hoh directly in the chest.With speed he didn't normally possess, Baam managed to intercept Rachel's attempt to stab Hoh with his own body. The blade of the dagger ended up sinking deep into his shoulder, startling the woman enough to release the handle and cry out, "Baam! What are you doing!?"Having successfully pushed Hoh outside of the Safety Area, Baam didn't have to take any further action as Quant unhesitantly appeared next to the man, knocking him out in an instant. Thus, in response to Rachel's outburst, he ignored the pain radiating from his shoulder, tears staining his face as he pleaded, "I don't want to see my friends killing each other...please...this isn't right...none of this is right..."Unable to hold back his emotions, Baam began crying like a child that had been separated from its mother in a crowded venue. This was all he could do to express the conflict whirling around inside of him; the result of pain, sadness, anger, hatred, confusion, loss, and relief all melding together to form a completely indescribable sensation that wracked his body and mind in equal measure...Seeing Baam sobbingly throw himself into the stunned Rachel's embrace, Endorsi couldn't help releasing a tired sigh before meeting Quant's gaze and suggesting, "Let's move this elsewhere. It's impossible to get in the mood in a place like this..."Though Quant had previously been contemplating just taking Endorsi's badge in order to bring this farce of a test to an end, he wasn't able to locate it anywhere on her body. Thus, in response to her suggestion, he did his best to ignore the sound of crying, smiling viciously as he said, "I suppose I can make an exception and let you choose where you want to die. Go ahead and lead the way. So long as you don't try anything shady, I promise not to attack for the next three minutes."Nodding her head in affirmation, Endorsi took one last look at Baam before releasing another sigh and disappearing into the darkness. Her departure was followed very closely by Quant, who, much like the former, took a moment to stare at Baam crying in Rachel's arms before muttering, "If there is a God, he or she is a pretty twisted bastard..."---In an effort to calm herself down, Endorsi ended up using the full three minutes to reach an area far from the sound of Baam's wailing. Just being around the boy filled her with an overwhelming sense of guilt, an emotion she thought she had discarded more than a hundred years ago. There was just something about him that made others feel like they were 'dirty', causing them to doubt everything they thought was 'common sense' within the Tower...With the figure of the crying boy still present within her mind, Endorsi turned around to face Quant, a somber expression on her face as she asked, "Before we begin, can you answer me something...?"Since his own mood was pretty dour right now, Quant decided he might as well humor Endorsi's request, adopting a relaxed stance before saying, "Just ask. Just keep in mind that I'm not really in the best of moods right now. If you say something to offend me, there is a good chance you'll be leaving this arena on a stretcher."Chuckling in response to Quant's words, Endorsi almost habitually combed back her bangs before stopping once she noticed a few flakes of blood staining her fingernails. This caused her mood to decrease even further, but, as someone who had lived for more than three-hundred-years, she was adept at concealing her emotions when necessary. As a result, she managed to hide her depressive state behind a neutral smile, asking, "Do you regret the years you spent climbing the Tower...?"Understanding what Endorsi was truly asking, Quant made no attempt to hide his true feelings on the matter, his expression turning serious yet melancholic as he answered, "To achieve our dreams, we must be willing to crush the dreams of others...that is the nature of the Tower...that boy...he isn't normal..."Though there wasn't any hidden meaning contained within his words, Endorsi's mind wandered the moment she heard Quant mention that Baam wasn't 'normal'. Immediately after that, three people with remarkable power came to mind, each possessing monstrous capabilities and an unparalleled ability to manipulate Shinsu. Everything about them was exceptional, and, though it seemed to fade into obscurity with the passage of time, she could vividly remember them claiming to be Irregulars, people who had opened the door from a world beyond the Tower...With the image of Imperial Trio appearing within her mind, so too did the scene of Baam shrouded in golden lightning. She had never even considered back then, but, now that she looked back on all the events leading up to the present, everything about Baam and Rachel screamed 'Irregular'. There was also the fact that Baam had appeared with the Black March, a weapon belonging to one of the most famous Princesses of Jahad, Ha Yuri Jahad, despite having no knowledge of the Jahad Empire, Princesses of Jahad, and the Thirteen Month Series.Now that she thought about things clearly, Endorsi couldn't help but question whether or not she had been under some kind of mind control over the past month. It was so obvious that Rachel and Baam were Irregulars that she felt like an idiot for having made the connection this late. There was even a time when she felt an 'otherworldly' aura from Rachel, the very thing that had prevented her from attacking the annoying blonde during the first day's Deathmatch.Feeling extremely annoyed all of a sudden, Endorsi surprised the uncharacteristically patient Quant by stomping on the ground a few times before pointing Chunhwa's sword towards the man and shouting, "Let's just get this battle over with! I'm too tired to think about all this complicated stuff right now...!"Finding the Princess' remark rather amusing, Quant couldn't resist laughing at her expense before leaping back in response to a electric-blue wave of Shinsu enveloping the area where he had been standing. Endorsi's power and control were leagues above Chunhwa's, so, while she had very little experience wielding the peculiar ignition weapon, she could, quite literally, brute force things using her overwhelming strength.With a simple swing of the blazing blue sword, an area more than three-hundred-meters in length and eighty-meters wide was enveloped in a destructive wave of Shinsu. This caused a small amount of sweat to appear on Quant's brow, as, despite being a Ranker, there was no way he could receive such a blow without reinforcing his body with Shinsu. Fortunately, even with her strength, there was a limit to the amount of Shinsu Endorsi could output with each swing. She also needed to take care not to use the ability too close to her own body, lest she risk injuring herself in the subsequent explosion.After dodging two more sweeping waves of Shinsu, Quant decided it was significantly safer to be close to the Princess' body. He had caught a flash of red from her interior vest pocket, so, unless his eyes were starting to play tricks on him, that was the most likely location of Endorsi's badge. All he needed to do was tear away her vest or deal a heavy enough blow to take her out of the fight, both viable options considering how annoyed he was becoming with her increasingly destructive blows.Aiming for the gap in between Endorsi's strikes, Quant surprised the former by dashing through the receding wave of Shinsu. This was a tactic that required more confidence than actual power, as, due to the nature of Shinsu, it caused little to no damage whilst dispersing. This meant, the moment the Shinsu was no longer being directly manipulated, it effectively became 'inert', the only exceptions being when certain Qualities were applied to it.Taking advantage of Endorsi's surprise, Quant extended his hand to grab her vest, a vicious smile on his face as he shouted, "Don't think badly of me, Princess!". Unfortunately, before he could close his hand around the fabric, his wrist was nearly broken when the former's shield-like disks expanded in the blink of an eye.Clicking his tongue, Quant attempted to break through the shield with a roundhouse kick, but, with no Shinsu to support the endeavor, the most he accomplished was leaving the imprint of his foot in the durable surface. This caused him to curse internally before using the shield as a springboard to evade Endorsi's extremely swift and dexterous hook. It had come from his blindspot, so, had he not been anticipating such a tactic, Quant would have lost his badge then and there due to Endorsi's inordinately high mastery of the Reel Inventory.Though she might have the lowest score among the current Fisherman candidates, Anak being the obvious exception, Endorsi was easily the most skilled among the current batch of potentiates. The only reason she was lacking in points is that she spent them almost immediately after earning them. She had been intending to eliminate the other Fisherman candidates from the very beginning, so, rather than hoard her points like a precious treasure, Endorsi used them to buy expensive clothes, valuable items, a variety of compression weapons, and anything else she thought would be of use during the Final Exam.Demonstrating just how much she had prepared, Endorsi pulled out three compression needles from her Reel Inventory, smiling even more fiercely than Quant as she contracted her shield and threw them like munitions fired from a rail gun. One even directly impacted Quant's shoulder due to the fact he was airborne during the counterattack. The other two were easily caught with his bare hands, but, without the ability to use Shinsu, the third was able to slip through.Clenching his teeth, Quant was tempted to 'return' Endorsi's needles to her, but, much like he was unable to enter the Safety Area, he was prohibited from using items. This rule applies to the items used by the Regulars, so, after evading Endorsi's explosive follow-up attack, Quant pulled out the offending needle before throwing it, and the rest, far beyond the Princess' ability to manipulate.Though she was tempted to comment about Quant's pettiness, Endorsi had already started to feel fatigued from continuously swinging around an ignition weapon. The size of the Shinsu wave was directly proportional to her strength due to the fact she had to 'literally' push the wave forward with raw physical power. This meant she was forcibly manipulating tens-of-thousands of kilograms of Shinsu with each of her swings, a difficult feat even for a Princess of Jahad. Fortunately, Shinsu also had the trait of erupting outward, mixing with the Shinsu in the air to create sweeping explosions that didn't require any additional power.Feeling that she was approaching her limit, Endorsi condensed the Shinsu in the blade to cause the entire length to glow with vibrant blue light. Then, rather than wait for Quant to approach her, she charged at him with tremendous momentum, shattering the floor beneath her feet as she launched herself like a projectile towards his position.Seeing the 'enraged' Princess approach him, Quant cockily raised one of his brows, leaping back at the same speed of her approach as he asked, "You're approaching me? Don't tell me you also lost your mind..."Kicking against the ground with even more force, Endorsi's eyes began shimmering with a ghostly light as she shouted, "I can't smash your grubby little face without getting closer! Stop running you match-headed pipsqueak...!"The moment he heard Endorsi's insult, Quant felt like something in the back of his mind 'broke'. At the same time, an extremely wrathful expression spread across his face as he promptly changed the direction of his movement. This caused Endorsi's eyes to widen, her arms instinctually tucking in to protect her body as her shield began to rapidly expand. Unfortunately, after witnessing the shield's rate of expansion just once, Quant was able to adjust his angle and timing, deftly evading the edge of the troublesome item to tear Endorsi's vest from her body. He was so confident in his speed that he completely ignored the hook that managed to snatch away his badge, smiling darkly as he said, "Too bad. And you were so...close...?"For reasons his mind simply couldn't grasp, Endorsi didn't appear even remotely upset by the loss of both her vest and badge. Instead, she turned around with a massive grin spreading across her face before boldly raising the front of her skirt. Quant's eyes were instinctually drawn to the area, but, rather than a tantalizing display, the only thing that entered his sight was the bright red badge that had been pinned to the front of Endorsi's tights...Before the man could recover his senses, Endorsi released the hem of her skirt before recovering Quant's badge and remarking, "You owe me a new vest." with what could only be described as a 'shit-eating grin' on her face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bruh...','When the answer hits you after the test has already ended...','Oh my, how bold (OwO)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

In accordance with Endorsi's 'plan', the rest of Team B gradually formed small groups of their own before promptly splitting up the moment the test officially began. The only person to stay behind was Rachel, as, for reasons nobody could quite understand, she had somehow earned more than enough points to move on to the next floor. As a result, she had the option of completely ignoring the test, but, rather than refuse to participate, she opted to provide support from within the Safety Area. This meant she wouldn't obtain any points from the test, but, so long as she remained inside, neither Quant nor the other Regulars were allowed to harm her.With Rachel's safety all but ensured, Baam ultimately chose to follow after Endorsi. He also had the opportunity to sit out for the remainder of the game, but, ever-eager to help his friends, Baam was unable to sit still while others were working hard. At the very least, he wanted to help Endorsi fight against the Ranker. He knew she didn't have many points due to purchasing a pair of compressed needles so she would need the 2000 bonus points in order to guarantee a passing grade...---Though he wasn't happy about the arrangement, Hatsu had agreed to team up with the two Spear Bearers on his team: Mauchi and Parakewl. Everyone else had avoided the duo after they proposed the idea of their so-called Spear Bearer Revolution. They seemed to believe that Spear Bearers were the most superior Position due to their ability to deal considerable damage without ever needing to approach the enemy.Hatsu obviously didn't agree with the idiotic duo's doctrine, but, if it could increase their chance of victory by even a marginal amount, he was willing to work alongside them. He had enhanced spatial awareness due to his unique style of swordsmanship, so, even if they were to bombard his position with spears, he was confident in being able to dodge them. Thus, so long as he could hold down his Instructor's movements for even a brief moment, there was a chance they could land a blow against him.Surprising the duo of Spear Bearers loudly chanting 'revolution' while linking arms around each others' shoulders, Hatsu's expression became serious as he said, "He's coming. Quick, move to a higher position. I will do my best to hold him here and create an opportunity for the both of you. When the time comes, show me the might of your revolution."Seeing the seriousness contained within Hatsu's eyes, the 'leader' of the peculiar Spear Bearers, a tall and lanky man with sickly green skin that almost made him appear like a zombie, stroked his chin in admiration before saying, "Oho...it seems you understand your place. Very well, while you hold him back, we'll make sure to find the best possible position to hit him from above. If you do well, I might just have a place for you on my team. Together, we will bring about a grand revolution the likes of which this Tower has never seen!"Resisting the urge to punch the man's smug face, Hatsu just nodded as if he agreed before drawing his katana and adopting a defensive posture. He would have liked to have two swords, but, with the average price of a Katana being greater than 1000 points, he didn't really have the funds to replace the one Gandr had shattered. Because of this, he now spent equal parts of his time on mastering a single blade, and, most importantly, himself...With the Spear Bearer duo wasting no time to retreat further up the stairs, Hatsu began regulating his breathing. He was well aware of how fast his Instructor was, so, if he wanted to have any hope of achieving victory, he would need to focus his mind beyond its limits. He needed to be 'sharper' than even the blade of his katana, sharp enough that his intent, alone, could cut through his opponents.Feeling as though the world around him had started to slow down, Hatsu exhaled one final breath before manipulating the flow of Shinsu to fill his lungs. This caused a cold feeling to spread through his body before rapidly consolidating within his mind, drastically increasing his mental acuity. In the very next moment, he perceived a swift figure running low to the ground, their eyes meeting for a brief moment as Quant's expression morphed into a vicious smile.Demonstrating speed he had never shown during class, Hatsu took a half-step forward, a motion that actually carried him several meters in an instant. In the same motion, he swung his sword in a graceful arc towards Quant's shoulder, but, as could be expected from a Ranker, the latter was able to take a quick step back, spinning around before moving into the vacancy left by the blade's arc to strike Hatsu in the chest.Since there was no air in his lungs to expel, Hatsu just felt a sharp pain radiating through his body as the cooling sensation in his mind became more prominent. This earned him an approving look from Quant, who, realizing what Hatsu had done, smiled viciously before saying, "Though I feel like you would have been better suited for the position of Fisherman, I'm constantly impressed by your talent and adaptability. Come, let me see how much you have grown..."Following his complimentary words, Quant fearlessly entered within the range of Hatsu's sword, a calm smile on his face as he gracefully evaded each blow with less than a centimeter to spare. This filled Hatsu with indignation, but, remembering his efforts of the last month, he managed to remain calm as his strikes became noticeably faster, sharper, and more refined. Then, just as his self-taught Shinsu breathing technique was about to wear off, a gleam flashed across his eyes as he sliced at an upward angle, the very tip of his blade catching a few of his Instructor's hairs.Though he felt a bit of rage bubble up inside of him, Quant couldn't help feeling a little proud of the fact that Hatsu had managed to go beyond his limits. This was exactly the type of mentality a person needed to climb the Tower, so, even if the journey wouldn't be easy for someone walking the path of a swordsman, Quant knew Hatsu had what it took to become a Ranker. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time for sentiments, so, the moment Hatsu began gasping for air, Quant grabbed the boy by the face and slammed him into the wall, saying, "It isn't the duty of a Scout to hold the enemy..."Quant was preparing to lecture his student further, but, before he could so much as utter a single additional syllable, a dry laugh escaped Hatsu's throat as he gripped the man's outstretched arm. Then, with the look of someone who was willing to face death, Hatsu stared directly back at Quant as he said, "I've been training in swordsmanship since the day I was born...once I get my hands on something, I don't let go...now, Spear Revolutionaries, hit him with everything you've got...!"Surprised by Hatsu's conviction and subsequent outburst, Quant instinctually used his single Baang of Shinsu to enhance his senses. He could easily break from Hatsu's grip, but, out of respect for the boy's impressive conviction, he intended to evade the coming attacks while allowing the former to continue gripping his arm. What he never would have expected was for absolute silence to descend upon the stairwell in the moments immediately following Hatsu's outburst...Realizing what had happened, Quant slammed Hatsu into the wall a second time, knocking the boy out as he cursed, "Those fucking bastards..." before charging up the stairs at supersonic speeds. His Shinsu-enhanced senses allowed him to sense the Spear Bearer duo running up the stairs, so, rather than assume Hatsu had tricked him, Quant came to the conclusion that his allies had both betrayed and abandoned him. This caused him to, quite literally, see red, as, more than anything else, Quant hated when Scouts desperately fought on behalf of teammates who would readily abandon them...---With their plan revolving around fighting the Ranker directly, Endorsi, Baam, Chunhwa, Full Black, and Des Lion were idling about within an isolated yet open section of the arena. The atmosphere between them had become pretty tense after several minutes of silence, so, in the hopes of easing tensions, Des Lion took advantage of Baam's closeness to justify invading Endorsi's personal space as he asked, "So, Princess, what are your goals in climbing the Tower? Are you aiming to become a High Ranker...?"Feeling a sudden and intense urge to stab something, a smile blossomed across Endorsi's face as she ceased twirling the pen-sized needle in her right hand. Then, before the man could react, she elbowed him in the diaphragm hard enough to send him rolling backward several meters as she plainly remarked, "You must have completely lost your mind. Do you think I'm some hussy from the red light district you can just saunter on over to at your leisure?"Unable to even gasp for air, there was no way for Des Lion to actually answer Endorsi's question. The most he could do was rapidly shake his head as he attempted to use Shinsu to treat the severe bruising on his chest. If she had hit him just a little harder, he might have died on the spot from the shock alone. Now, he needed Shinsu just to prevent himself from suffocating due to the erratic and painful contractions of his injured diaphragm.Deciding now was just as good a time as any, Endorsi didn't even try to temper her rage; surprising both Full Black and Chunhwa when she spontaneously used her compressed needle to destroy both their Lighthouse and Observer. The weapons in the Tower could be manipulated by a person's mind with enough practice, so, almost immediately after Endorsi tossed out her needle, she guided it to make a swift return, piercing through Full Black's chest in the process.With the pained sound of Full Black echoing through the darkness, Chunhwa very quickly realized that Endorsi wasn't 'just' angry. He had actually been suspecting her from the very beginning, so, in response to the sudden attack, he quickly leaped back while tossing out a series of Observers and activating his Reel Inventory. This allowed him to see Endorsi smiling rather viciously at him while Baam cowered behind her, clearly confused by everything that was happening.Saving Chunhwa the effort, Baam eventually gained enough sense to shout, "Ms. Endorsi! What are you doing!? Why are you attacking our allies!? Our friends!?"Though she felt a pang of guilt the moment she heard Baam's words, Endorsi forced herself to keep smiling as she twirled her needle around and plainly stated, "Only four Fisherman will be allowed to move on to the next Floor. Because of my fight against Anak, there is no guarantee I will pass even if we manage to defeat the Ranker. Anak is also struggling due to the debt she accrued during the Crown Game so this is the only way to ensure we both move up the Tower. The Admins don't allow Regulars to game the system by transferring points, so, even if she received handouts from others, her score is, by far, the lowest in the Fishermen class..."Hearing Endorsi's excuse, Baam's expression showed extreme conflict, his brows furrowed deeply as his pupils rapidly expanded and contracted. He understood the point she was trying to make, but, even then, it just didn't feel 'right' to betray people like this. Chunhwa was even part of their group of friends, not some stranger that they could just discard for their own benefit.Feeling even worse after seeing the conflict in Baam's eyes, Endorsi was unable to prevent her own brows from furrowing slightly as she did her best to ignore him, pointing towards Chunhwa as she said, "Sorry about this...I'll make sure your injuries aren't too severe. If you go to Phae later, I'm sure she will treat you without asking for compensation. If you're lucky, the injuries sustained by Green and Dede will be too severe for them to move on. I don't actually have anything against you...there are just other things I want to protect..."Having expected something like this to happen the moment Endorsi suggested that all Fishermen stay together, Chunhwa just released a tired sigh, saying, "Do what you must..." before shifting his gaze to Baam and adding, "We all climb the Tower for our own personal reasons, Baam. You are no exception to this rule so do not avert your eyes or cast blame unto others. Instead, face forward and remember these moments when it comes to making your own decisions. I'm not sure why, but I feel like you have what it takes to bring about change to this Tower...even if I succumb here, know that I will always be willing to call you my friend..."Finished with what he had to say, Chunhwa adopted a confident smile before meeting Endorsi's gaze and musing, "Thanks for giving me a chance to say my final words." Then, with his sword firmly clasped between his hands, he shouted, "Ignite! Narumada...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Viva la Revolution!?','Quant is not amused','When both sides are fighting to protect something important, there is no right or wrong...only tragedy...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1729: Indignation