Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though he couldn't exactly call their matters resolved, Vahn shifted his attention away from Angel and Elliot, his eyes passing over the other three before settling on the white-haired 'youth' named Vicente. This caused the latter to furrow his brows slightly, but, rather than show any fear, his voice was extremely calm as he asked, "Did you really kill Hoaqin?"Nodding his head without hesitation, Vahn produced a tiny silver crown from his Inventory as he explained, "Your plan to fuse with your siblings and gain control over your combined form would never have worked. The moment you agreed to Hoaqin's plan all those years ago, you had already become a part of him. He sacrificed the four of you, binding your 'souls' to his while superimposing his Ego unto yours. The only reason you were allowed to keep your sense of self was to prevent any hiccups from occurring immediately after the ritual had been performed. Now, it is only a matter of time before Hoaqin overwrites your Ego with his own, becoming the master of your body."Showing the first noteworthy change in expression since the start of the encounter, Vicente's face morphed into a deeply perturbed frown as he asked, "How do you know all of these things? Who, exactly, are you?"Offering a casual smile in response, Vahn performed a very slight bow as he said, "My name is Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the anomalous entity known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. How I know what I know is completely irrelevant in this matter. What matters most is that I'll be exorcising Hoaqin from your body. Your options are to cooperate, freeing you from the burden of your brother's sins, or resisting and joining him in death. What will you choose?"Since he could hardly even move in the presence of Vahn, Vicente didn't need much time to weigh the options he had been given. Being forced to 'sleep' for thousands of years had been unpleasant, so, now that he had the chance to experience the world beyond the confines of his family's floating castle, he wasn't going to squander it in the vain pursuit of a profane power.Having made up his mind, a resolute glimmer flashed across Vicente's silvery-white eyes as he said, "I will choose the former. I have come to learn that there are considerably worse things than living a life where I am unable to surpass my father. Even if I am fated to become a failed product, there are still things I wish to see, experience, and obtain through my own efforts. To that end, I ask you with as much sincerity as I can manage...please, free me and my siblings from Hoaqin's curse..."Nodding his head in approval, Vahn's expression morphed into a slightly appreciative smile as he said, "You can leave it to me. I have a surprising amount of experience with things like this so it will be a simple matter to remove Hoaqin's influence from the four of you. Before that, however, there are a few other small matters that require my attention..."Shifting his attention to the man with dirty-blond hair, Daniel Hatchid, Vahn's brows furrowed ever-so-slightly as he said, "Your plan to resurrect White and have him revive Roen was fated to fail from the start. He has never possessed the power to resurrect the dead, even at his peak. The most you could have hoped for was acquiring Roen's soul, but, without the means to identify it, he could have just given you any soul. Even then, you lack the means to anchor it to a physical vessel or remove it from the Hell Express. In other words, even if White did honor the promise made between you, both you and Roen would have been absorbed shortly thereafter..."Glaring in response to Vahn's words, ghostly purple flames began to spread across Daniel's body as he shouted, "What are you saying!? What, was I supposed to just give up and abandon Roen to her fate!? Do you have any idea what-"Before the man could continue his tantrum, Vahn appeared right in front of him in an instant, index and middle finger pressed against the former's head. This caused the ghostly flames to immediately fade away as he calmly stated, "Relax. Just like I told your former colleagues, I will do my best to try and help Roen. Unlike White, I actually possess the power to revive the recently deceased and those strong of spirit. So long as her spirit hasn't been irreversibly tainted by negativity, reviving Roen is a simple matter."Retracting his fingers, Vahn extracted what appeared to be a fetus-like parasite from Daniel's head. This caused the latter to instantaneously collapse, the tattoos inscribed across his body evaporating as his body seized up from the pain.Incinerating the ghostly parasite using a combination of the Laws of Fire and Purification, Vahn left Danial to seize upon the ground as he returned his attention to the final member of the group, Ha Yura. Her body tensed up in response to his gaze, complexion paling as she averted her eyes to the side with a mixture of indignation and nervousness visible in her countenance.Though it had only been a few minutes, Vahn knew the insincere Idol had been ruminating over his earlier words. She had no easy way to refute them, and, after seeing what he was capable of, a small amount of guilt had been seeded within her heart. At the very least, she realized it was wrong of her to try and justify sacrificing the people who had supported her over many years. From an objective point of view, this was an inarguably monstrous thing to do; and, had she gone through with it, she would have become inseparable from FUG since nobody in their right mind would ever place their trust in her again...Understanding that Yura's hatred toward the Ha Family was primarily due to her mother, it was very difficult for Vahn to stay mad at her. She was a product of her environment, and, due to her unique heritage, she had been ostracized, pressured, and coerced countless times. She was forced to make countless sacrifices during her ascent, and, were it not for the power she inherited as a member of the Ha Family and the Asterian people, she would have been consumed by the Tower's degeneracy and corruption long ago...Suppressing a sigh, Vahn maintained a largely neutral expression as he said, "I have some powerful connections within the Ha Family and Wolhaiksong. I will try and smooth things over with them so that you and your mother no longer have to live in fear. You also have the option of retiring from your life as a Regular and living amongst your people, the Asteria Tribe. I have removed their curse and arranged a place for them to live out the rest of their days alongside other Native Tribes..."Having learned about her father's tribe from her mother, Yura couldn't help but feel taken aback by Vahn's sudden mention of the 'formerly' Cursed People. She found it difficult to believe that he had managed to both remove their curse and move them to a secure location without causing massive ripples throughout the Tower. As for his mention of powerful connections within the Ha Family and Wolhaiksong, his status as an Irregular made the former sound completely nonsensical...With the Law of Identity revealing Yura's rude thoughts, Vahn's expression morphed into a deadpan as he explained in a dull monotone, "Unlike FUG, I can prove the veracity of my claims with extreme ease. If you want, I can let you meet with your people here and now. Seriously, what reason would I have to lie about such things?"Though he had asked the question rather offhandedly, Vahn's deadpan became even more potent as the Law of Identity revealed, "She thinks you're trying to deceive her so that you can get into her pants. By the way, she is currently wearing baby-blue panties with a star pattern on them~."As if to prove her point, the Law of Identity attempted to lift her skirt, but, by shifting his attention away from her, Vahn was able to make her momentarily disappear as he said, "I won't deny that you are a beautiful woman, but, as you can see, I'm not exactly wanting in that regard..."Reacting to Vahn's words, Eva's brows perked up as she asked, "Did this brat think you were trying to hit on her?"Gesturing for Eva to remain calm, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he explained, "Just as any other, her expectations have been shaped by the life she has lived. It is difficult for those born within the Tower to believe that there are people willing to help them without expecting something in return. Don't worry, even if I allow them to enter the Little Garden, I have no intention of allowing either of them to stay within the Emerald Grove."Though she wasn't fond of being silenced, Eva just rolled her eyes in response to Vahn's words before crossing her arms under her breasts and muttering, "The women in this Tower are all thirsty little minxes..."Hearing Eva's remark, Yura's already ruddy complexion became even redder as she balled her hands into fists and bit her bottom lip. She realized that the rumors regarding Vahn's ability to read minds were true, so, with a somewhat indignant glimmer in her eyes, she attempted to mentally admonish him. Unfortunately, he was currently ignoring the Law of Identity, so, despite her best efforts, Yura's words ultimately went unheard as Vahn manifested the Little Garden and explained the basics of its functionality...---Without anything to mark the passage of time, Mordred couldn't be sure how long she had been in the Rice Pot. Her best guess was that a month or so had passed, but, without something like a day-night cycle, it was hard to be sure. All she knew for certain was that her boredom had exceeded her usual tolerance, and, though she was still making slow progress, she was starting to wonder if there was a reason to be tearing through the foundation of her own potential. After all, there was nothing preventing her from increasing her potential in the outside world. Rather, with the guidance of her Papa and the presence of several powerhouses in the Little Garden, there had never been a limit to her growth...As this thought crossed her mind, Mordred entered her 'low-power' state, sprawling out across the cold metal foundation before calling out, "How long are you going to keep spying on me? Do you enjoy watching me struggle...?"Reacting to Mordred's words, a juvenile lioness with eagle-like wings appeared out of thin air, its face fixed into a very humanoid expression of annoyance as it replied, "We're one and the same. How can I be spying on you? You're really beginning to lose it, aren't you?"Rather than immediately reply to the lioness' words, Mordred yawned rather loudly before looking over at the golden-furred creature and saying, "Even if we're the same person, the fact we can talk like this is proof enough that there is 'something' separating us. If I had to guess, you inherited my willfulness. You refuse to become a part of me and simply disappear. I certainly wouldn't be able to accept such a thing, so I imagine we'll eventually become two distinct entities. Who knows, you might even become my Zanpakuto? If that happens, try and become a greatsword or something..."Feeling inordinately sleepy, Mordred punctuated her statement with another yawn before folding her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. This left the lioness staring at her with a rather helpless expression, her voice failing to reach the former's ears as she grumbled, "Selfish brat...just you wait and see. If I do become a Zanpakuto, I'll be so massive that you can't even hope to wield me...hmph...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Casually plucks demonic parasite*','Thirsty little minxes xD...','Poor lioness-chan...that would just make Mordred even happier...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the 'former' members of FUG under control, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Vahn was now in total control of the Hell Express. Unfortunately, this didn't allow him to simply 'ignore' the rules of the unique testing grounds, so, even with Ryun guiding the way, it generally took several days to seek out and discover each of Hoaqin's siblings. Thus, by the time they reached the 37th Floor Train Station, colloquially known as the 'Wooden Horse', they had only found the youngest of the Arie siblings, a quiet and reserved young lady named Anna.Like every direct descendent of the Arie Clan, Anna possessed silvery-white hair, matching eyes, and inordinately pale skin. What distinguished her from her kin was the fact that, despite being from the family best known for their swordsmanship, Anna had very little talent for it. Instead, she had been born with an extraordinary talent for sorcery, specifically specializing in the production of doll-like familiars.Though they were only about as strong as skilled Regulars, Anna was able to create dolls that could learn from and emulate the capabilities of others. Her favorite was the plush rabbit she could often be seen carrying around, but, so long as it had been immersed in her Shinsu for an extended period of time, she could effectively control anything with a humanoid shape. This applied to actual people as well, but, for a variety of reasons, doing so was 'exceptionally' difficult.Unfortunately, despite possessing a remarkable ability with functionally unlimited potential, Anna had been born into a family that couldn't appreciate her talents. This led to her being ostracized by virtually everyone within the family, and, during her training, she was bullied excessively by her own siblings. The only people who were kind to her during this period were Hoaqin, Vicente, David, and Albelda, the same siblings she would later go on to fuse with for fear of being left alone.Anna didn't take kindly to the fact that Hoaqin had been killed, but, thanks to some careful coaxing from Vicente, she ultimately gave up on the idea of seeking revenge. After all, she was a remarkably intelligent young lady, so, while she was heartbroken by the loss of her older brother, she was also aware that someone needed to pay for his crimes. Hoaqin had killed billions in the pursuit of power, and, despite having numerous opportunities to confront their father, the purpose of their fusion, he spent thousands of years just idling about in the Outer Tower.Though he wasn't the only one guilty of such heinous acts, Hoaqin had gone out of his way to raise a Kingdom from the ground up. He united various peoples under a common banner and effectively became a Messiah to more than a hundred million people. Then, once his popularity had reached its peak, allowing him to masquerade as a literal God, he effectively vanished into thin air without selecting a successor.As could be expected, the power vacuum caused by White's spontaneous disappearance resulted in countless conflicts. There was no end to the number of people trying to seize power in his absence, and, as a result, the Kingdom eventually fragmented into a total of seventy smaller fiefdoms before eventually falling under the banner of a single, tyrannical, Empire.While his previously established nation was tearing itself apart, White had been busy masquerading as a sword-saint-turned-revolutionary in a distant kingdom. He worked his way up to becoming the leader of a massive revolution that was intended to tear down the nobility and return power to the people. This resulted in the deaths of countless revolutions, but, in the end, they were finally able to establish a Republic founded on principles such as freedom and universal education.From an objective point of view, White had spent more than a thousand years improving the lives of various people. In reality, his only reason for establishing order within the region was to grow the population and develop two rival superpowers with radically different systems of belief. This would ensure they were constantly at odds, slaughtering each other without end as he put the finishing touches on a massive ritual formation that spanned the entire continent.By the time White's activities were discovered by the Jahad Empire, his actions had resulted in the deaths of billions, each unwittingly sacrificed for the sake of increasing his power. This allowed his power to increase far beyond the scope of an average High Ranker, and, for a time, he became the public face of FUG, rising to prominence as one of the most prolific Slayers in history. He had even managed to start a number of successful revolutions in the lower floors of the Tower, his popularity exploding to the point that it became common for people to paint red markings around their eyes to indicate their intent to rebel.Unfortunately for the infamous Slayer, his power was far beyond the level required to defeat the true powerhouses among the Jahad Empire and the Ten Great Families. He was able to defeat the majority of their High Rankers with relative ease, but, hidden away within each of the families were powerful Rankers known as 'Blue Holes'. These were former Higher Rankers, who, for a variety of reasons, had faded into obscurity until they were invariably removed from the rankings entirely.During his attempt to conquer the 35th Floor and gain possession of the Hell Express, White had the misfortune of encountering one of the most powerful Princesses of Jahad at the time, his own older sister, Arie Hagipherione Zahard. If it were just her, he might have come out ahead, but, as a wielder of the Thirteen Month Series, possessing the Red October, her importance to the family was too high for her to travel alone. As a result, he found himself pitted against a peerless princess and one of the Arie Families three 'Sword Saints', Arie Orion, the former Rank 29.In the end, White attempted to secure an advantage by remotely activating the ritual formation he had spent more than a thousand years constructing. This was ultimately successful, resulting in the death of billions, but, before he could properly absorb the extraordinary amount of energy, he was struck down by Hagipherione's Red October.The enchantments on the Thirteen Month Series were rumored to possess the power to even slay immortals when ignited, so, in an effort to preserve himself, White was forced to flee at the expense of more than 60,000 of his allies. Even this wasn't enough to save him from death, however, so, as a last-ditch effort to preserve his life and escape pursuit, he used up most of his remaining power to undo the ritual binding him and his siblings before hiding within the Hell Express. His intent was to sacrifice the souls onboard to recuperate and further increase his power, but, the moment he tried to activate the ritual, his plans were interrupted and undermined by a group of inordinately brave Regulars.At the cost of her own life, Roen interfered with the activation of White's ritual, preventing him from absorbing the power of souls onboard the Hell Express. This caused substantial damage to White's own soul, forcing him to flee and ultimately requiring him to use the last remnants of his power to seal himself away for more than five-hundred-years just to heal. It was only after Daniel discovered his chamber that he finally awoke, and, after a brief confrontation, the former agreed to become his proxy, absorbing souls on his behalf in exchange for agreeing to resurrect Roen.In the single-minded pursuit of this objective, Daniel had spent the last forty-years luring the vilest and most despicable people he could onboard the Hell Express before killing them in secret. It was for this same reason that he joined FUG, effectively selling his soul to the 'devil' in order for a small chance at resurrecting the woman he loved. This was how FUG came to learn of White's awakening, and, as a result, Daniel became a relatively important figure within the organization due to the seal allowing him to locate Hoaqin and his siblings onboard the infamously labyrinthine locomotive.Unfortunately, after idling about for more than ten-thousand-years, most of the Elders within FUG had become political 'fence-sitters'. They were apprehensive about making any decision that might introduce great change within the organization, so, despite having the opportunity to revive one of their most prolific Slayers, they were hesitant to do so before they could gain leverage against him.It wasn't a particularly well-known fact, but, due to their propensity to elevate Slayers to the level of Gods within the organization, FUG's Elders had very little control over the rambunctious bunch. The position of Slayer was, by design, the 'highest' within the entire organization, so, unless they could come to a consensus and coordinate with other Slayers, interfering with the actions of another was very difficult.Of the 'seven' Slayers designated by FUG, three were currently inactive, one was 'dead', another had only recently ascended to his position, and the last was rather famous for not giving a damn about the organization's affairs. This put the Elders of FUG into a difficult position, as, without the support of an active Slayer, 'reclaiming' White would be very difficult due to the rules prohibiting them from taking overt action before the 'prophesied time'.Since Slayer Yama had absolutely no interest in anything unrelated to his personal enjoyment and the survival of his people, this left only Slayer Karaka as a potential backer. Unfortunately, the latter had only recently become a Slayer in the last 100 years, and, while his power could rival some High Rankers, he would struggle to break into the Top 500 even with the support of three Elders and his Master, the Rank 71 Ha Jinsung.For these reasons, the 'revival' of White had been stonewalled for decades as Daniel continued his efforts to accumulate souls at Hoaqin's behest. As for why they had chosen to resurrect him at this moment in time, it was largely due to the fact that the 'prophesied time' was fast approaching. This was originally attributed to the emergence of Baam, but, now that the former was 'dead', many of the active Elders within FUG were beginning to latch onto the idea that Vahn was the one they had been waiting for.Unfortunately for the opportunistic Elders, Vahn wasn't exactly 'cooperative', and, due to their past actions and continuing negligence, they were quickly moving their way up to the top of his list of elements that needed to be removed from the Tower. Their only lifeline at this point was Hwa Ryun, and, to a lesser extent, Vahn's understanding that FUG, despite all their flaws, weren't actually the bad guys. They had just become stagnant and corrupt over the course of thousands of years, and, much like the Heads of the Ten Great Families, the majority of the Elders had become desensitized due to their own longevity.Though there were exceptions to the rule, most 'mortals' were unprepared for a life that continued into perpetuity. Unless they had something to drive them forward, most people would simply break after a few hundred years. This is what led to most Rankers developing quirky personalities, as, after a while, they simply 'forgot' how to interact with people normally. Instead, their main focus became increasing their rank, expanding the influence of their families, and pursuing various hobbies.Those who failed to find something they were interested in either took their own lives or ended up latching onto others with a greater drive than themselves. They found meaning in following those who seemed to have a sense of purpose, something most of them had lost even before managing to become Rankers. After all, few people became Rankers without compromising themselves and making countless sacrifices along the way.During the average Regular's climb, they would experience frequent betrayals, witness the deaths of virtually every single one of their teammates, and, more often than not, just as they were beginning to spread their wings, they would invariably fall victim to the Ten Great Families. This was enough to leave the vast majority of fresh Rankers feeling 'extremely' fatigued. As a result, most spent the first hundred or so years after their ascent trying to justify why they had climbed in the first place. They would meander through the Middle Tower to experience all the things they had missed out on; and, in the end, quite a number chose to become Administrators, many searching for themselves amidst the countless Regulars following the path they had formerly tread...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Being born a talented sorceress in a family of sword-machos...oof...','Daniel has ascended 'even further beyond' the realm of Super Simpin...!','The only things that survive the test of time are bureaucracy and sin o_o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After a cataclysmic battle that devastated their surroundings and even caused a cave-in of sorts, a 'chibi' version of Mordred could be seen breathing laboriously with a malcontent-looking lion cub in her arms. The latter had a remarkably humanoid expression, resembling someone who had just eaten a 'very' sour grape, as, no matter how much it tried, it could not liberate itself from Mordred's grasp.Feeling a little annoyed at the writhing creature, Mordred opened her mouth wide before biting down on its fluffy, rounded, ear. This caused the cub to writhe about even more, teary-eyed as it shouted, "Ah! You wretched woman! How dare you bite me! Are you some kind of wild animal!?"Releasing the cub's ear from her teeth, Mordred gave it the kind of look people reserved for times when they heard something completely ridiculous, quipping, "The hell are you on about? You can bite me, but I'm not allowed to bite you? What kind of crap is that? If you're going to start spewing hypocritical nonsense, you can just fuck right off."Grumbling in response to Mordred's words, the lion cub resisted the urge to try and chomp down on her forearm as it mumbled, "This damn brat...how did I end up with such a foolish woman as my host...?"Rolling her eyes, Mordred flipped the lion cub around, holding it up by the pits of its forelimbs as she asked, "What do you mean when you call me your host? I don't recall a creature like you ever existing, so how the hell could you end up inside of my soul? If you were a foreign entity, there is no way my Chichiue would have missed you."Rather than answer Mordred's questions, the lion cub just snorted through its nose before turning its head to the side rebelliously. This caused the former's brow to twitch quite a bit, an urge to give the cub another beating welling up inside of her as dark-red scales began to sprout from the backs of her hands.Sensing the changes in Mordred, the lion cub did something the former never anticipated, pulling up its hind legs before releasing a spritz of steamy golden liquid directly at her face. The fragrance was the worst thing she had ever smelled, and, due to her mouth being partly open, a sudden and almost irresistible urge to vomit welled up from her stomach as she threw the cub like a ragdoll.Free from its captor's clutches, the cub adopted a haughty expression, chin raised as a slight sneer spread across its face. Before it could say any taunting words, however, a crimson aura surrounded Mordred's body as she slouched forward and said, "You really fucked up this time...I was going to let you go after asking you a few questions. Now, just watch as I skin your ass and turn you into a pair of lion-hided britches..."Feeling the hairs on its back and neck stand on end, the lion cub attempted to turn tail and flee, but, the moment it did so, Mordred was already looming over it, hand reaching out to grab the scruff of its neck. This caused it to tense up, and, for the first time since their meeting, it began to shiver in fear as the incensed draconic princess glowered at her with sun-like, golden, eyes...Seeing the tiny creature scrunch up into a fetal position, a frown immediately developed across Mordred's face as an uneasy feeling filled her chest. She didn't know where the notion came from, but she suddenly felt as though the cub represented something 'very' important to her, something she had been keeping suppressed for a very long time...Exhaling a sigh, Mordred set the lion cub down on the ground, her expression appearing bored yet thoughtful as she said, "Just go...be free and do whatever you want. Run amok or idle about in my soul for a thousand years. I don't care what you do, just stop appearing so pathetic...it's not like I'm going to force you to become a part of me or lend me your power. Besides, we're already one and the same, right? Papa...I mean, Chichiue, said it best...we have no right to enforce our expectations onto others when we can't even accept or understand ourselves. I get that you're supposed to be the part of me that wanted to rebel against my 'Father', opposing her draconic heritage, right? Well, you can just give up on that. That version of me died in Camlann thousands of years ago. You need to stop living in the past and start looking toward the future. Dragon? Chimera? Human? Things like race don't mean a damn thing. It's our struggles in the present and our aspirations for the future that shape who we are. I'm not going to betray the people I love in exchange for power...I might be the daughter of Morgan, but my parents are Vahn Aldrnari Mason and Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon..."Finished with her improvised speech, Mordred ruffled the bristly yet soft fur atop the lion cub's head before turning around and walking to the center of the massive clearing formed from their prior battle. Then, with her forearms turning into rather fierce-looking draconic claws, she began to work away at the durable foundation, slowly and steadily increasing the depths of her potential as the lion cub eyed her in the distance...---Though the Hell Express's route was decided by an automated system, it's speed, acceleration, and deceleration were all manually controlled by the Conductor. This was what allowed it to stop at the various stations between the Floors, so, with Pedro in custody, the only one qualified to operate the Express was, curiously enough, a Regular named Poro Poe.The notion that a Regular could operate something as important as the Hell Express was more than a little strange; but, rather than concern himself with such things, Vahn hacked the Pocket of Pedro in order to contact the stout fellow, startling him quite a bit. Fortunately, the not-so-young Regular, Poro Poe, just so happened to be a former colleague of Sachi, Aka, and Boro. More specifically, he had fallen in love with the same woman as virtually every member of the ill-fated team, a lively and vivacious woman named Roen Yuia.Similar to the other members who had become infatuated with Roen, Poe had spent the last six-hundred years doing everything in his power to find a way to both eliminate White and resurrect their former comrade. Thus, by explaining the situation in greater detail, including Pedro's affiliation with FUG, they were able to convince him to continue operating the train at their behest. This would ensure it arrived at each station on time, and, most importantly, allowed Ryun to use her powers as a Guide freely.As a Special Testing Area with countless hidden secrets, the powers of Guides were highly restricted for the sake of ensuring 'fairness'. This could be circumvented through the use of certain items, but, as could be expected, such tools only allowed them to see a very specific route. Now, however, the Hell Express had effectively become a region without an Administrator, so, for the time being, Ryun had unrestricted knowledge of every path present aboard the notoriously labyrinthine locomotive...With Ryun guiding the way, it wasn't long before Vahn and Co reached the residential car housing the team associated with FUG. There, they encountered a group of five people, the leader of which seemed to be a man with dirty-blond hair, striking blue eyes, slightly pointed ears, and a noticeable snaggletooth. His companions were a vicious-looking man with spiky purple hair, two remarkably beautiful women, one with flowing orange hair while the other was most assuredly a member of the Asterian people considering she had inordinately blue hair, matching eyes, and several stars floating around her.Though the aforementioned four were quite interesting, it was the final member of their entourage that stood out the most, a young boy that resembled Hoaqin to a startling degree. Anyone could tell the two were related, but, unlike Hoaqin, the intelligent-looking youth safeguarding an ancient-looking tome possessed distinctly male features. They could clearly be identified as a boy from the structure of their face and body, and, a stark contrast to the pristine white locks that cascaded from Hoaqin's head like a waterfall, their hair was cut short and neatly styled.With the Law of Identity providing commentary, Vahn smiled disarmingly at the unperturbed bunch as he remarked, "I never expected that FUG would be able to recruit someone as famous as Ha Yura into their ranks...ah, I see, you were intending to use her status as an idol to attract large crowds of Regulars in order to use as sacrifices? Quite the devious plot for someone who relies on the support of the people to evade persecution by the Ten Families..."Frowning in response to Vahn's words, the Asterian woman, better known as the pop idol, Ha Yura, adopted a troubled expression as she huffily remarked, "Those people don't really care about me. If they could, any number of my so-called fans would happily whisk me away and have their way with me. I did what I had to in order to survive. If not for my fame, the Ha Family would have killed me a long time ago...!"Adopting an accusatory deadpan, Vahn met the blue-haired beauty's eyes directly as he said, "Your mother might have been cast out by the Ha Family, but that was largely due to her breaking of the taboo prohibiting members of the Ten Families from becoming involved with descendants of the Native Ones. Even then, the only members of the Ha Family hunting her down were those directly involved with the Jahad Empire. With the reputation they enjoy, do you really think your little play as an Idol would have protected you from the notoriously unruly Ha Family if they really wanted to kill you? While I can understand your bias towards them, the hatred and resentment you inherited from your mother can't be used as an excuse to step on the lives of those who supported you. You need to grow up and accept accountability for your own actions before you start laying the blame onto others."Though she wanted to interrupt Vahn's words numerous times through his long lecture, Ha Yura, along with every other member of FUG, could do little more than remain statuesque. It was like an irresistible force, something fundamentally different from Reverse Flow Control, was locking them in place and preventing any interruptions. This caused everyone present to pale slightly, the only real exception being the white-haired youth, who, from start to finish, showed absolutely no change in expression.Shifting his attention away from Yura, Vahn shifted his attention to the man with dirty-blond hair, the last of the group of four-man group infatuated with Roen Yuia, Danial Hatchid. Vahn wasn't actually sure how to deal with this particular fellow, as, though he had wandered down a very dark road, Daniel's reasons for doing so were actually to eliminate White and rid the Tower of one of its greatest monsters. Most of the people he had killed were pretty vile individuals pursuing their own interests, and, while he wasn't devoid of flaws, the man was even willing to condemn his own soul to an eternity of torment in exchange for a minuscule chance at resurrecting the woman he loved...Shaking his head, Vahn's momentum began to gradually diminish as he explained, "The task given to you by FUG can no longer be completed. Hoaqin has already been killed, and, once I exorcise the remnants of his spirit from his remaining siblings, the monstrous entity known as White will become just another footnote in the Tower's dark history. As for you lot...well, the best I can do is offer you a bit of advice, hoping you'll wisen up before you get yourselves killed on behalf of people who don't give a damn about you or your dreams. Even though some of their so-called Slayers are more than ten-thousand-years-old, they have yet to even injure a single one of the Ten Warriors. All they do is sit around and pester the weaker members of the Ten Great Families, fearful of committing to any meaningful action for fear of the repercussions it would invite...these are the people you want to lay your lives down for? People who won't even bat an eye even if your entire group was annihilated?"Unable to say anything in response, the four members of FUG showed varying degrees of conflict and frustration on their faces. They all had very good reasons for hating the Ten Great Families, but, just as he had pointed out, the most they could do was follow orders in the hopes that their dreams would be achieved by people infinitely more powerful than them...people who, despite the passage of more than ten-thousand-years, had yet to make any headway towards eliminating the seemingly insurmountable Jahad Empire...Taking advantage of their silence, Vahn directed his attention to each of the group members in turn, starting with the inordinately beautiful woman with orange hair and startling blue eyes, frowning as he said, "Lo Po Bia Cheonsa...Angel...you have suffered far more than any person should ever have to suffer...if you so choose, I can liberate you from the situation you have been forced into. You will never again be forced to service vile and detestable people for the sake of a woman you resent and people you abhor..."Hearing Vahn's offer, the seemingly perpetual smile Angel had been forcing since the start of the encounter gradually faded away, her blue eyes radiating a murderous glow as she asked, "I heard you were an Irregular...if I accept your offer, can you grant my wish?"Furrowing his brows in response to the woman's words, Vahn briefly considered his response before saying, "I will not arbitrarily kill at the behest of others. Instead, I can provide you with the means to grow stronger without needing to make any further sacrifices. I can also provide you an opportunity to obtain your revenge, but, rather than dedicate yourself to killing someone you have never met, I would encourage you to reflect; discover the true reasons behind your suffering, and move beyond it...no amount of killing will alleviate the pain you have been forced to endure...only acceptance and a desire to rise above the circumstances of your birth will allow you to find true happiness..."Though she didn't trust Vahn's words, not in the slightest, Angel had even less faith in a group like FUG. Her mother had sold her off at a very young age, forcing her to experience horrors far beyond the capacity of a normal person to bear. If not for her unique ancestry, providing her a strong body and an inordinate talent as an Anima, she would have died long before she had the opportunity to become a Regular. Unfortunately, the Floor of Tests had already fallen under the influence of FUG by then; so, the moment she believed she could 'start over' and live a new life, she was coerced into joining, eventually becoming the personal 'Angel' of one of Slayer Yama's three Mad Dogs, Buelsar Elliot...Shifting her gaze to the half-canine man with spikey purple hair, a sadistic smile spread across Angel's face as she asked, "Can't I kill at least one person...?"Realizing her intentions, Elliot immediately bared his fangs towards Angel, coldly growling, "You damn bitch...I knew you were using me for the sake of your revenge, but I still agreed to let you become my Angel. This is how you repay me after I protected you for the last hundred years...!?"With a smile that could even send chills down the spine of someone like Loki, Angel cocked her head coquettishly to the side as she chimed, "Protected me? Is that what you were doing all those times you ripped my clothes off and forced yourself upon me at your leisure? Gee, I wonder how I could ever harbor any resentment towards such a paragon of gentlemanly virtue~?"If not for the invisible force locking him in place, Elliot wouldn't have hesitated for a single moment to end Angel's life then and there. Unfortunately, other than trembling in frustration, the only thing he could do was run his mouth, shouting, "You ungrateful whor-" before a vice-like grip silenced his exclamation.Dangling the unresisting man by his neck, Vahn's cold expression gradually relaxed into a calmer disposition as he looked towards Angel and said, "I can understand your hatred towards this man, but, in the end, it cannot be denied that he was trying to help you. His treatment toward you was predicated on the fact that you 'belonged' to him. The canine people are bound by an instinctual observation of hierarchies. I won't deny that you were forced to experience countless injustices, but it is also true that you were using him for your own ends..."Unable to refute Vahn's words, Angel just clenched her teeth, averting her eyes to the side as she huffed, "Fine! So long as you keep your promise, I don't give two shits what happens to this damn mutt...!"Responding with a curt nod of approval, Vahn released Elliot from his grasp, meeting the man's dark red eyes as he said, "There is currently no enmity between me and Yama. Once we reach the next station, you will be allowed to depart freely. What you do from there is up to you. However, you should know better than me that Yama has no interest in the affairs of FUG. I would suggest you return to the Cage and resume your training before progressing further up the Tower. Letting FUG treat you like a bloodhound is unbecoming of someone hand-picked by the King of Fighting Dogs..."Though his movements were no longer restricted, Elliot made no attempt to try and attack Vahn. Instead, he just rubbed his neck, eyes glimmering with a mixture of hatred and respect as he said, "I'll remember this...once I become stronger, don't blame me for tracking you down and biting out your throat..."Chuckling in response to the man's words, Vahn resisted the instinctual urge to extend his hand to pet the half-canine's head as he remarked, "Good luck with that..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lioness-chan fights dirty...','Man, Roen must have been a babe for all these fools to be simping even after six-hundred-years...','I can vividly imagine Vahn petting Yama and several other Canine people...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1867: Options