Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since the Hidden Floor only opened for those who had completed the trial of the 43rd Floor, Vahn spent the month-long interval between the 38th and 39th Floors helping Vicente, David, and the aptly named Edelweiss with their training.Though Vahn had thought to call her 'Shiro', his opinion was shot down pretty quickly since all of the other Arie siblings had Latin, European, German, and Spanish-sounding names. As a result, it fell to Eva to choose a name for the Little Garden's newest resident.Truth be told, Vahn didn't think the name Edelweiss, meaning 'Noble White', was much better than the name Shiro, meaning 'White'. Still, he had never been the type to argue against his women, as, more often than not, they unhesitantly supported even his most outrageous decisions. His only real complaint was that Edelweiss had ultimately adopted the nickname Weiss, literally meaning White...---With a relaxed smile on his face and a dull Laev-tan resting on his shoulder, Vahn stared up at the panting Weiss floating a few hundred meters in the sky. She had spent the last hour trying to attack him, but, even without his domain, he could react to and deflect the majority of her attacks without moving from his starting position.Though Vahn could achieve a similar result against virtually any Regular, Weiss was anything but normal. She was a conglomerate existence comprised of billions of fragmented Egos, so, as could be expected, she possessed more than enough power to rival the average High Ranker. Her speed, in particular, was truly impressive; so much so that it almost resembled teleportation when she was angry...Feeling frustrated at her inability to make Vahn move, Weiss creased her brows in a simultaneously angry yet adorable manner, cheeks puffed out slightly as she groaned, "Muuu...". Then, without any apparent technique or form, her claymore-like sword began releasing a dazzling white glow as she sent a crescent sword beam as tall as a skyscraper surging towards him at relativistic speeds.Resisting the urge to release an exasperated sigh, Vahn kept Laev-tan rested on his shoulder as he extended his left hand to 'catch' the massive beam of energy. Since sword beams had a tendency to emulate the rigidity of an actual sword, the sound of metal against metal could be heard for a brief moment before the former fractured into countless destructive pieces. In the aftermath, Vahn could be seen standing, unmoved, with a disappointed look on his face.Realizing she had erred, Weiss' shoulders began to slump as she slowly descended from the sky to murmur, "Sorry..." in a demure tone. In response, Vahn just reached out his hand to stroke the girl's abnormally cold hair, enjoying the smooth sensation against his palm as he calmly explained, "That hot-headedness of yours is going to cause trouble for yourself and others. Right now, you need to focus on keeping your cool and controlling your power. You're already far stronger than most of the people currently residing inside the Tower. Once you master said power, even the Heads of the Ten Great Families might not be a match for you..."Though she had severe reservations about Vahn's final statement, Weiss didn't bother to correct him. Instead, she just nodded her head in response before leaning into his palm with a contented smile on her face. It was only when he retracted his hand that she began to move again, her figure becoming an illusory blur as she swept the sword she had been 'concealing' behind her back in a shimmering horizontal arc...With an amused chuckled emanating from his throat, Vahn tensed the muscles of his body with such intensity that a shockwave reminiscent of a thunderclap erupted from his form. At the same time, he used the flat of Laev-tan's blade to intercept her strike, deflecting it upwards at a sharp angle. This caused her arms to follow, exposing her abdomen and allowing him to kick her with enough force to send her tearing through several hundred meters of devastated terrain. Despite this, Weiss erupted from the debris moments later, a radiant smile on her face as she shouted, "I win! You moved your foot~!" before collapsing forward and giggling into unconsciousness...---After a lengthy discussion regarding the inherent dangers of the 39th Floor's 'Name Hunt Station', Vahn, this time accompanied by Fenrir, Ryun, Jeanne, and Mash, emerged from the Hell Express to find a series of massive stone blocks floating up and down in a linear fashion. Said platforms led to a city-sized manor suspended in the sky atop monoliths formed from pure Suspendium, and, even with his senses, Vahn was unable to sense the ground below.Peering over the edge of the platform, Vahn noticed a thick covering of Shinsu-rich clouds that seemingly covered the entirety of the 39th Floor. He could even sense a number of Leviathan-sized creatures floating aimlessly within its mass, their size easily exceeding several kilometers in length as they filter-fed on a countess number of smaller Shinheuh...As was often the case, Ryun took the opportunity to explain the specifics of the Floor, stating, "The 39th Floor has always been one of the most mysterious regions within the Tower. These clouds have never once dissipated in the last ten-thousand-years, and, though there are rumors of islands filled with treasure floating within the Cloud Sea, most who venture within are never heard from again."Resisting the urge to jump down and take a look himself, Vahn just nodded in response to Ryun's words before turning toward the Hell Express, matching gazes with the two near-identical women observing from the interior as he said, "I'll leave this place to the two of you. If anyone attempts to board, send me a telepathic message."Making themselves seem even more like twins, Artoria and Gray both offered a courteous bow in response to his words, hands neatly folded in their laps as the former said, "Good luck. We will be waiting for your return."With one final round of nods and parting smiles, Vahn and his entourage of three Vanargandr and an inordinately beautiful Angelic beauty waited until their platform had aligned with another before advancing forward. There, a number of heavily-armored bear-like creatures, each wielding weapons such as maces, flails, and war axes, could be seen blocking the path.Though he found the creatures strangely adorable, Vahn knew they were just simulated Shinheuh, much like those found onboard the Hell Express. Thus, without any real remorse, he gave a curt nod towards Jeanne, a wry smile spreading across his face as he said, "Try not to be too flashy..."Hearing her Master's words, a tidal surge of excitement welled up within Jeanne's chest, silvery-white armor manifesting across her body as she spread her angelic golden wings wide and said, "Leave it to me!" in a spirited tone. This left Vahn feeling a little helpless, but, knowing Jeanne had been waiting for this kind of opportunity for a long time, he didn't attempt to intervene...With a standard bearing the emblem of the Aldrnari Empire in her left hand and a sword formed of pure white light in her right, Jeanne charged into the platoon-sized group of armored bears with a resolute glimmer in her radiant blue eyes. Fortunately, she had taken his words 'very' seriously, so, despite having the power to destroy the entire stone platform with her charge alone, she only used the flat of her blade to knock out enemies while deflecting attacks with her seemingly indestructible wings.In total, it had only taken around twenty seconds for Jeanne to knock out just as many enemies, all without getting a single drop of blood on the standard she carried in her left hand. In her mind, the flag was even more important than her own life, and, though it often worried him, Vahn didn't stop her from waving it around since it actually provided a number of benefits due to the Innate, [Flag-Bearer of the Aldrnari Empire]. It not only provided a substantial increase in her parameters; but, so long as they viewed the Aldrnari Empire in a positive light, it drastically raised the morale of allied forces while severely weakening the enemy.After hearing about the ridiculous system present within the Name Hunt Station, Vahn had decided he was going to liberate the people who had been trapped there for centuries. He was already fed up with the Tower and its ridiculous traditions, so, while it was bound to bring him countless future troubles, he wasn't just going to sit around on his hands as people were being forcibly turned into slaves...With Jeanne clearing the way, it only took a few minutes before Vahn and Co were approaching the end of the peculiar path. By then, several distinct groups of Regulars had gathered around the large plaza connecting to the floating platforms, some showing curiosity while others adopted disdainful sneers as they willfully blocked the route forward.Though Vahn already knew what to expect from the infamous station, it was difficult to remain calm when a bunch of despots were eying his women with possessive leers and unveiled lust. This was especially true of the group of thug-like individuals blocking the path, and, based on their behavior, it wasn't difficult to imagine the fate of any woman unable to protect themselves upon arriving at the Name Hunt Station...Resisting the urge to just erase the posse of thugs with a wave of his hand, Vahn forced a smile on his face as he casually remarked, "I never expected to encounter four of the so-called 'Ten Bosses' so soon after my arrival...it seems like your leader isn't particularly fond of me..."Responding to Vahn's words, a masked behemoth of a man, seemingly comprised entirely of dirt, crossed his muscular arms before flashing rows of his razor-sharp teeth as he said, "Dude...you go around calling yourself something ridiculous like the 'Sage Dragon Emperor'. Of course people are going to want to beat some sense into your stupid ass. I mean, seriously, who the fuck do you think you are? The Tower only has one King, and he certainly ain't no punk-ass pretty boy walking around like he just finished getting his asshole waxed. It's high time for you to wake up and stop dreaming, 'Your Majesty'...!"With Vahn gesturing for the girls to stand down, the literal dirt-man, better known as Hesse of the Ten Bosses, was given ample opportunity to finish his beratement. At the same time, his posse had already started to fan out, forming a loose encirclement as they eyed up each of the girls with lust-filled gazes. One, a giant man with four arms, even went out of his way to point directly at Mash, a sadistic gleam in his eye as he said, "I want that one. I'm going to teach you what a 'real' man is like by breaking in that lewd body until your legs no longer work."Though her much younger self might have covered the exposed sections of her body in response to such remarks, Mash had long-since gotten over the traumas she had endured during her time as a Designer Baby. Now, she displayed her body proudly, and, though it made her feel a small amount of anxiety to hear someone call her 'lewd', this was primarily due to her proximity to Vahn and her own wayward thoughts...Shaking her head in a rather comical manner, earning a few laughs from the encircling thugs, Mash emptied her head of wayward thoughts before manifesting two massive shields, each resembling a futuristic version of the 'Lord Camelot', as she said, "Master...please order me to dispense with these despicable vermin..."While the surrounding Regulars were awestruck by the manifestation of what they presumed to be an Armor Inventory, Vahn simply nodded his head in response, saying, "Don't be afraid to be a little heavy-handed. Though some of them were forced into their current position, that does not excuse the crimes they have committed. I'll handle the aftermath so feel free to go all out. Let me see the result of your decades of training."With a resolute look flashing across her amethyst-colored eyes, Mash grabbed the two handles on the interior of the massive shields as she shouted, "Yes! Please watch closely...!" in an excited tone. Immediately thereafter, the shields began to envelop her arms, quickly becoming a pair of massive gauntlets as she charged into the enemy without hesitation...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn can be surprisingly petty at times xD...','Raise your dongers for the angelic waifu...!','Time for a paddlin'...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though she had never been particularly known for her speed, Mash's rebirth as a Vanargandr more than made up for the qualities she had lacked as a human. It gave her an almost profane amount of flexibility, and, thanks to her training against the incomprehensibly fast Richard, her reaction speed and timing were on another level.Mash's only real weakness was that she heavily focused on defense, so much so that she had very few means to deal with 'uncooperative' foes. In other words, she could protect people with extreme ease, but, the moment she overextended and began pursuing her enemies, she lacked the means to react to multiple threats simultaneously.Taking advantage of this 'weakness', the Regulars that had surrounded Vahn's group attempted to charge forward, some brandishing weapons while most were aiming to simply restrain the group of four. The reason for this was relatively simple, and, as could be ascertained from the behavior of the thug-like group, they were extremely proficient at exploiting the tyrannical rules of the Name Hunt Station...Unaware of the danger they had just thrown themselves into, one of the Regulars attempted to approach Fenrir and Ryun with a metallic net in hand, shouting, "I ain't never had a dog bitch as a slave before! I wonder if-"Before the man could finish his words, a spear of ice moving at several times the speed of sound pierced through his head in an instant. This left the man's nearby compatriots at a complete loss, their eyes widening to an almost comical extent. 'Unfortunately', this was their final expression as Fenrir, eyes emanating a violent and disdainful gleam, blew off each of their heads in turn as she muttered, "I am a Vanargandr..." in an icy tone.With Fenrir eliminating the opportunistic enemies attempting to flank from behind, Mash was able to devastate the foes lining the front with surprising ferocity. It was like she was releasing all of the frustrations she had built up over the years, and, now that she had become a Vanargandr, fighting suddenly felt completely 'natural' to her.Using her remarkably oversized gauntlets, Mash was about to bat aside enemies with extreme ease, her expression fixed in a mask of calm as her casual blows generated massive shockwaves. The only thing preventing her foes from being killed in an instant was a unique enchantment that had been placed on both of her shields, a peculiar ability simply known as 'Mercy Strike'.Though the ability could be disabled under certain conditions, Mash's attacks didn't inflict direct physical damage to her opponents. Instead, the shockwaves generated by her fists, despite causing a tremendous amount of collateral damage, siphoned the physical, mental, and spiritual energies of her foes. In other words, her blows left her targets feeling extreme fatigue, and, depending on how serious she was, Mash could even force them into a coma that would require external aid in order to awaken from.Because of the unique nature of her attacks, permeating throughout the entirety of a target's body, Mash could effectively ignore things like Elementalization. This left Hesse of the Ten Bosses feeling extremely frustrated, as, more often than not, even powerhouses from the Ten Great Families were unable to deal with the unique qualities of his body.Under normal circumstances, Hesse could be broken down and destroyed countless times, and, so long as his personal field of Shinsu persisted, he could perpetually reform his soil-comprised body. It was a trait that left even the most skilled of opponents feeling at a complete loss, as, no matter how they cut, blew, or blasted him apart, he would simply reform, time and time again.Hesse's only real weakness, for reasons he didn't fully understand, were attacks infused with lightning, and, very specifically, the flames of the Yeon Family. The former prevented him from restructuring himself in a short period of time. As for the latter, it seemed to dry up the soil comprising his body, slowing or outright stopping his movements depending on the intensity of the heat.Fortunately, so long as they weren't inordinately skilled in the use of said energies, Hesse was able to convince most foes that he was 'immune' to said effects. This was meant to demoralize his foes, and, thanks to the hardening effects of their attacks, he did actually become more durable over the duration of the fight...Completely disregarding all of these factors, Mash continued to hammer on the 5m tall man as if he were a humanoid sandbag. He had attempted to trade blows with her, but, in spite of their massive size and weight difference, her strikes continuously sent him stumbling backward as the force of his blows seemed to dissipate into the ground. This was one of the major weaknesses of being larger than your opponent, as, after a certain point, the force of overhead blows became inconsequential due to things like leverage.Though there were countless ways around it, striking downward with more force than your inertia would simply cause you to propel yourself into the air. This was one of the primary weaknesses of super strength, as, without adequate leverage, it was tricky to apply said strength without grabbing or pushing against your opponent. Even then, you needed to account for things like friction against the ground, and, more often than not, the durability of whatever you were standing on.With durability that would allow her to survive tactical-grade magic at point-blank range, defeating Mash using raw physical power was extremely difficult. She had even mastered Galahad's defensive techniques, effectively allowing her to channel the force of an opponent's strike through the energy channels of her own body, directing it into the ground. This was an extremely dangerous technique to master, but, in exchange, even your organs would become resistant to sudden shocks. It also had an extreme influence on the tension and springiness of a person's muscles, specifically concentrated around the calves, thighs, and glutes...Taking full advantage of her petite yet full figure, Mash, standing at only 162cm in height, continued to hammer away at Hesse with an unchanging expression. She didn't seem troubled by the fact that the latter was able to withstand several of her strikes. Instead, she remained absolutely calm, almost scary so, as she slipped under a haymaker blow before striking his diaphragm with enough force to send him tumbling backward for more than seventy meters.Groaning due to the mind-numbingly frustrating 'tingle' that had spread through his entire body, similar to a limb falling asleep, Hesse raised his giant body with extreme difficulty, serrated teeth glistening with spittle and blood as he shouted, "What the fuck are you bastards waiting for...!?"In response to Hesse's exclamation, the other three groups present, each belonging to a member of the Ten Bosses, began to stir about. Most of them had lost the will to fight after witnessing Fenrir's 'cruelty', and, if not for the contracts forcing them to obey their 'Masters', they would have fled long ago. As for said Masters, two were already considering withdrawing while the third, a 90cm tall cat-like person with black fur and a cross-shaped scar running across their forehead, unsheathed two dagger-like Ninjatō as they remarked, "Pathetic...how did you ever become one of the Ten Bosses? When this is over, I'm going to repurpose you as a litter box you damn dirt-man..."Following this deriding remark, the cat-like man, better known as Nekogahara Katamune of the Ten Bosses, began to release a peculiar black Shinsu from his body as he murmured, "Katamune-Style Control Skill...Waning Moon...!"Seeing the curiously inverted black crescent flying towards them, Vahn couldn't help raise his brows slightly as he questioned how someone far beneath the level of a Master could create such a shape while swinging their sword in a regular arc. It was actually a rather ingenious technique, as, unlike a traditional crescent sword beam, this one surrounded an enemy and cut off their path of escape...While Vahn was reviewing the peculiarities of the technique within his mind, Jeanne had already stepped forward to intercept it, her blade releasing a pure white crescent that perfectly overlapped with the former, dispersing it like an illusion. This caused Katamune to sneer in contempt, his eyes releasing a malicious blue glow as he crossed his dagger-like swords behind his back and muttered, "Katamune-Style Control Skill...Inverse-Cross Slash...!"Confident that he could cut through Jeanne's attack, Katamune made no attempt to dodge it as his Ninjatō converged towards the resplendent sword beam, each releasing a dark light. Unfortunately, he had grossly overestimated himself, and, without any suspense whatsoever, Jeanne's single blade of light cut through his C-Rank blades like a hot knife through butter before bisecting him in two at chest level.Having expected the cat-like man to try and dodge, Jeanne couldn't help but furrow her brows in a fretful manner as she turned back to face her Master. In response, Vahn just gestured for her to stay calm, a relaxed smile on his face as he telepathically reminded her that he could always revive those who had fallen. Rumors regarding his ability to resurrect the dead had already been circulating for several months at this point, so, while he had no intention of going around and playing Saint, Vahn no longer cared about keeping it a secret.Though she was greatly relieved by her Master's words, Jeanne didn't want to make any additional mistakes in the presence of her God. To that end, she promptly sheathed her sword before pointing her index and middle fingers towards the group of cowering Regulars, her tone flat and judgmental as she incanted, "Bakudo Number 1...Sai...!"Following Jeanne's short incantation, several invisible beams of spiritual energy shot forth from her fingers, impacting her targets at near-light speeds. This caused the hands of the affected to open, their weapons clattering to the ground before their wrists were forcefully brought together behind their backs. This included those with more than two arms, and, should they lack the means to reach the small of their backs, those with bulkier figures found their joints painfully dislocated under the influence of the binding spell.Surprised by Jeanne's use of Kido, Vahn raised his brows slightly, an amused smile spreading across his face as he remarked, "I hope Yoruichi isn't teaching you any bad habits..."Hearing her Master's musings, the tips of Jeanne's ears became bright red as she attempted to use her brilliant golden wings to hide her face. This caused the former to issue a lighthearted laugh, but, at the same time, he was a little worried about Yoruichi's ever-increasing influence among the more impressionable women in his harem...Shaking his head, Vahn cleared his mind of wayward thoughts before stepping forward to ruffle the hair of Fenrir and Ryun as he said, "Let's wrap this up..."Though their first reaction was to instinctually press their heads against the palms of his hands, the eyes of Fenrir and Ryun shot open in response to his words. Immediately thereafter, midnight blue and dusk-red fur began to sprout across their rapidly metamorphosing bodies, each expanding to more than 10m in height and approximately 30m from their muzzles to the tips of their tails.As could be expected, the appearance of two giant wolves was enough to shatter the resolutions of virtually everyone still present in the plaza. This was in spite of the fact that they appeared far more majestic than terrifying, each possessing sleek coats of fur and remarkably dignified features. Fenrir, in particular, resembled a literal God of Wolves due to the runic pattern glistening along the surface of her fur and at the center of her forehead. Her previously scarlet eyes had even changed to an icy blue color, a fierce intelligence seen glowing within as she released a naturally suppressive aura.Since it was pretty hard to miss the emergence of two giant wolves, Mash adopted a slight pout as she glowered towards the still-conscious Hesse. This caused the latter to visibly shudder, his beady red eyes snapping from the two giant wolves to observe his former opponent. He abruptly felt as though he was standing on the edge of a blade, and, for a very brief moment, the lavender-haired woman glaring at him seemed like an untamed beast as her pupils suddenly contracted into thin, predatory, lines...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I wonder if there is a Law of Small Fries that compels evil people to say stupid shit prior to their deaths...?','Mash has a very springy butt (O w O)...','I wonder if we'll ever meet the greatest of the Nekomata tribe, the legendary Nyanmoto Musashimi...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Seeing Vahn holding the unconscious woman in a princess carry, Eva couldn't help roll her eyes, crossing her arms as she asked, "What are you intending? Based on what I can tell, that woman seems pretty dangerous. If I'm not wrong, she is some kind of Greater Wight. If you allow her-"Though he knew he would 'pay' for it later, Vahn sent a pointed look towards Eva, interrupting her words before going on to say, "This woman is not all that dissimilar to you...she did not choose to become this...thing. Her existence is the byproduct of another's greed. Her very existence might be a danger to others, but, unless she willfully chooses to inflict harm, I will not pass judgment onto her..."Adopting a slight pout, Eva shifted her gaze to the sleeping woman, brows furrowed for several seconds before she ultimately released a sigh. She knew her senses weren't as sharp as Vahn's, so, rather than simply assume he was arbitrarily picking up another woman, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.Nodding her head in affirmation, Eva adopted a more relaxed stance as she remarked, "I still want to know what your intentions are. Are you intending to have us sit around on this train for the next couple of months?"Shifting his gaze upwards, Vahn fell silent for several seconds, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes as he said, "The next fragment of the Thorn is located on the 43rd Floor, the Floor of Death. I'm a little annoyed about what happened on the 30th Floor so I don't intend to let this one escape my grasp. As for the Hidden Floor, there are a surprising number of Quests pertaining to it, two of which have caught my interest..."Though he could have continued explaining, Vahn ultimately shook his head, his expression turning slightly exasperated as he said, "Honestly, the matters related to the Tower are beginning to annoy me more than they ought to. It might be the result of splitting my time between the Little Garden and traversing various Actualized Worlds, but these incidents...the 'wrongness' of it all...it makes me want to simply destroy everything..."Noticing the worried looks on nearly everyone's faces, a sad smile spread across Vahn's face as he added, "Don't worry...I'm not quite at that point just yet. Rather, as angry and frustrated as it makes me feel at times, I can't help but do my best to try and make the world a better place. If the people at the summit are unwilling to bear the burdens of the present...it is the future generations who will suffer for it...I will not entrust my children with a burden I could not shoulder. For their sake...for the sake of all who will follow the path I am currently forging...I will never stop..."Though they were quite used to Vahn's speeches at this point, nearly everyone present was slightly taken aback by the resolution that seemed to emanate from every fiber of the former's being. Even Eva felt a strange feeling of awe wash over her, filling her with a slight sense of guilt and a powerful desire to act. As for the more zealous women within the group, chiefly Fenrir and Ryun, they looked like they might pounce on Vahn at any moment, a fiery fervor contained within their eyes...Being the first to recover, Artoria startled everyone else to awareness by dropping to a knee, head bowed low as she attempted to reaffirm her vows. Before the words could leave her lips, however, a paradoxically irresistible yet gentle force guided her back to her feet as Vahn said, "There is no need for such things...I am well aware of your devotion...ever since we made that promise all those years ago, I have never once questioned your fealty and love..."With his mood having already improved considerably, a loving smile spread across Vahn's face as he gazed into the beautiful blonde's eyes. This caused her to turn uncharacteristically bashful, but, rather than avert her eyes, she returned a loving smile of her own as she softly affirmed, "No matter what happens...we will continue walking this path together..."Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn was about to say something more, but, before he was able to, Eva chimed in, teasingly remarking, "Speaking such flowery words with an unconscious woman in your arms...how bold..." with an amused smile on her face.Issuing a light chuckle in response to Eva's teasing, Vahn briefly eyed the white-haired woman in his arms before suggesting, "Let us retire to the Little Garden. There are, approximately, nine days until we reach the next station. After that, we'll have about a month to explore at our leisure. They might not be particularly useful for us, but there are a number of secrets onboard the Hell Express. At the very least, I intend to locate the 'Soul Furnace' before seeking out the antechamber containing the entrance to the Hidden Floor."Though there were secondary and tertiary power sources, the Soul Furnace served as the primary power source for the entirety of the Hell Express. With that being the case, Vahn imagined it was also the location where most of the spirits trapped within the hellish locomotive were located.After analyzing her structure, Vahn was beginning to suspect that many of the 'souls' onboard the Hell Express had already been absorbed by the white-haired woman. It wasn't difficult to imagine FUG engaging in such a scheme, but, until he had confirmed it for himself, he wasn't going to give up. The fact the Hell Express was still operational proved there were still a number of spirits being used to power it, so, at the very least, he would liberate those that remained.With this in mind, Vahn looked over everyone present, smiling in response to their resolute gazes. Then, without needing to actually extend his hand, he manifested the Little Garden out of thin air, transferring each of them to where his secondary vessel was located before taking the white-haired woman to a secure location in the outer rings...---Similar to the previous Floors, there were a handful of Regulars waiting to board the Hell Express at the 38th Floor's train station. This time, however, Vahn made no attempts to stop them. Instead, he let Anna's growing army of stuffed animals handle things on the platform while Vicente, Daniel, and Yura protected her.With the average strength of Anna's dolls reaching C-Rank, without Shinsu Enhancement, very few D-Rank Regulars could hope to compete with them. Their only advantage was that Anna had been told not to kill, severely limiting the capabilities of her otherwise emotionless, unhesitant, dolls.Though Vicente was a unique exception, most members of the Arie Family had been taught, from a very early age, never to hesitate when it came to killing. They were taught to 'become' swords, and, as a result, the vast majority of their kin were emotionally stunted.What Vahn found most ironic was the fact that they were, very clearly, attempting to reach a state similar to the State of Nothingness. Unfortunately, this had nothing to do with suppressing oneself and inhibiting your emotions. Instead, it required them to gradually let go of everything, even their own sense of self. Though these might seem like the same thing, the former was similar to placing limits on oneself based on preconceived notions. In other words, it was unnecessarily complicating things while the latter, inversely, completely ignored such sentiments.Though there were exceptions to every rule, the majority of people capable of entering the State of Nothingness had relatively laidback personalities. Musashi was one of the best examples of this, as, rather than hold herself back, she generally did whatever she wanted from a very young age. As for Asuna, she had seemingly started off as a blank slate, but, hidden beneath her expressionless mask, an inquisitive girl with a remarkable zest for life could be found.The simplest way to describe the State of Nothingness was by comparing it to a state of absolute contentedness. It was a state where you wanted for nothing, and, for a brief moment, the only two things that mattered were your sense of self and the person standing across from you. Musashi had even likened it to 'falling in love at first sight', a moment in time where everything else just seemed to melt away, fading into nothingness along with the concepts of time and space...As someone who had pursued the 'absolute pinnacle' of swordsmanship for tens-of-thousands of years, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Arie Hon was one of the most skilled opponents Vahn would ever face. Despite this, the man had failed to achieve the States of Infinity and Nothingness. Instead, he pursued the exact opposite path of most grandmasters, focusing on strengthening and becoming one with his sword rather than mastering both it and himself.Though he found such comparisons rather peculiar, Vahn would liken Arie Hon to what some might refer to as 'overgeared' or 'pay-to-win' player. He had inherited a powerful sword in his youth, and, rather than focus master his skills, his primary goal had been to master said blade. This continued even during the 'Great Journey', and, while his skills improved to an arguably unreasonable extent, the majority of his efforts had gone into procuring progressively more powerful weapons.Due to his obsession with obtaining even more powerful swords, Hon had come into possession of the only 'known' S+ Rank weapon in the entire Tower, the 'Peerless White Oar'. It was the only blade ever forged by Macseth, the Great Father and Founder of Gong Bang, the lesser-known name of the Workshop.While each of the Great Warriors had made their own demands of the Workshop and the Guardians during their ascent up the Tower, Hon had been single-minded in his pursuit of the 'most powerful' weapon. Unfortunately, no weapon could remain the most powerful indefinitely, so, in an effort to meet Hon's requirements, Macseth had forged a weapon capable of, quite literally, devouring the sword intent of others.The thing that made Arie Hon the most powerful swordsman in the Tower was neither his skills nor his functionally unlimited supply of Shinsu. No. What made him truly terrifying was the fact that he could effectively siphon the sword intent of others, and, as a result, assimilate their knowledge and experience into his own. In essence, his power was an amalgamation of other swordsmen, and, due to being the Head of a Family that produced countless prodigies, his power was forever increasing as a result of their effort and sacrifice.As someone who benefitted extensively from the mere existence of his Templates, Vahn might not be the best person to make such claims, but, in his opinion, Arie Hon was an absolute monster. His only reason for creating a Family was merely to increase the power of his sword, and, as a result of his greed, countless members of the Arie Family had given their lives for his sake. Many even did so willingly, as, from the moment they were born, nearly every member of the Arie Family was taught that it was a 'great honor' to become a part of their father's sword...Though Hon might not have any malicious intent, only asking those near the very ends of their lives to sacrifice themselves, Vahn couldn't help but disdain a father who viewed their children similar to whetstones. He didn't even bother to remember the names of any children who had yet to become a Ranker, and, to make matters even worse, the majority of their mothers were picked from a list to be artificially inseminated since Hon had no interest in such things. Then, once they had given birth, they were separated from their children and forced to accept 'compensation' in exchange for their silence.Despite how terrible this sounds, this was just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it came to the antiquated and oftentimes ruthless internal affairs of the Ten Great Families. The Arie Family wasn't even the worst among them, but, due to Hon's complete lack of interest in a family that effectively worshiped him as a God, Vahn couldn't help but resent him. He was also directly responsible for the monster known as White, and, as a result, the deaths of countless billions...all for the sake of making his weapon stronger...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pot, meet Kettle...','Artoria is a good girl (OwO)...','Hon may as well have spent the last ten-thousand-years using that sword to dig a hole...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1877: Action