Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With his business largely complete, Vahn emerged from the Grand Gallery with Elaine following silently in his wake. He was, honestly speaking, tempted to just leave her behind, but, knowing this was the same as sentencing her to death, he ultimately allowed her to accompany him.Fortunately, while her presence made him feel a little uncomfortable, her delusions weren't nearly as potent as someone like Helen. She still acted like he was supposed to be the one claiming her, but, rather than looking down on him for entirely contrived reasons, her heritage as a member of the Grey Wolf Tribe meant she held his strength in high regard. He had both defeated and killed her, so, while it was a little perturbing, it was hard to miss the glimmer of admiration contained in her gaze as she made sure to follow at a close yet respectable distance.Noticing said glimmer almost instantaneously, Fenrir, in particular, couldn't help squinting her eyes as she began scrutinizing Elaine's expression and demeanor. Before she could make any headway, however, Alphine was the first to speak out, concern visible in her countenance as she asked, "Is it over...?" in an uncertain tone.Despite the unspecific nature of her words, Vahn could guess what Alphine was trying to ask, his voice calm and steady as he said, "I did not steal your Master's name. Her decision to follow me is entirely her own. I'm guessing that means you're going to want to tag along as well, right?"Not expecting Vahn to be so direct, Alphine found herself at a loss for words, eyes slowly moving between the former and Elaine as if to determine the veracity of his statement. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't much help in this regard, as, due to her masquerading as Kaiser for the last thousand years, she had developed an extremely taciturn and moderately cold demeanor.Though she felt a considerable amount of concern for their future, Alphine ultimately suppressed a sigh as she bent a knee, lowering her head and placing one hand atop her heart as she said, "Please allow me to follow you...I vow to dedicate my everything, my mind, body, and soul in the service of your goals..."Due to the nature of the Tower and the administration of the Guardians, Alphine's pledge could be considered a binding oral contract if Vahn wished to take advantage of it. Instead, he just shook his head ever-so-slightly, saying, "I require none of those things. If you want to follow your Master, I'm not going to stop you. It's not like you could betray me in any meaningful way so I don't need your forced loyalty. Do what you want..."With that said, Vahn bypassed the still-kneeling Alphine to caress the heads of Fenrir and Mash, his expression relaxing as he said, "It's still a little early, but let's return to the others. Things are going to get a little hectic pretty soon."Nodding their heads in affirmation, Fenrir and Mash stayed relatively close to their Master as Vahn initiated the long and leisurely walk back to the Hell Express. This made things a little awkward for Alphine and Elaine, but, with the former loyal to the latter and the latter trapped inside of her own delusions, Vahn wasn't particularly concerned with pandering to either. If anything, he was far more interested in their peculiar, highly pettable, Shinheuh...---Once per year, precisely twenty-four hours after the arrival of the Hell Express, a Grand Festival was hosted. The main objective of this festival was to pit the Named and Unnamed against each other in various contests that helped to determine their value during the Grand Auction that occurred at the end of the day.Though there were a number of Unnamed who had absolutely no interest in being sold off, it was considered a great opportunity for those who had been trapped in the Name Hunt Station for long periods of time. Some had been imprisoned on the relatively small island for hundreds of years, so, while it was a little disheartening to consider, it was understandable that some would do everything in their power to make a positive impression on the people purchasing them.So long as they could appeal to one of the Ten Great Families or join one of the major factions of the Tower, there was always a chance that they could eventually earn their freedom. This wasn't too likely, but, at the very least, it was better than staying cooped in a prison-like facility for the rest of their lives. This was especially true for any female Regulars, as, due to their relative sparsity, being trapped in the Name Hunt Station could, at times, be a fate far worse than death...Fortunately for some, Vahn's sudden arrival and subsequent takeover of the Name Hunt Station had effectively freed them from their fates. For others, this was an extremely troubling affair, as, similar to Elaine, they had been installed there as the representatives of various factions. This was the true purpose of the 'Ten Bosses', and, though some had been hand-picked by Elaine herself, others had only risen to power because she was ordered to allow it.Now that their merchandise had effectively disappeared, including a number of Regulars that the Ten Great Families had intended to erase, nearly every Ranker that frequented the Auction House was, as could be expected, thoroughly incensed. Some of the more extreme representatives even sent their people to surround the Name Hunt Station, effectively sealing every exit until they could send their own teams of Regulars in to investigate.As the de facto rulers of the Name Hunt Station, the response of the Lo Po Bia Family was the most extreme. They immediately sent a team to surround and monitor the Hell Express, and, though they had absolutely no authority to do so, it didn't stop them from attempting to establish contact with the Train Conductor, demanding the names of every Regular inside. This placed Poe in a relatively difficult situation, but, with Vahn promising to allow him to retire to the Little Garden, he resolutely stood his ground, quoting the Hell Express' rules before effectively telling the representative of the Snow Leopard Family to 'fuck off'.Fortunately, the actions of the Lo Po Bia Family weren't simply ignored by the representatives of other Families and Factions. Though there were some who attempted to sneakily make contact with the Conductor themselves, several other Families openly criticized the Lo Po Bia Family for trying to illegally interfere with the affairs of Regulars. The most vocal among these groups were the factions that had been screwed over by the Lo Po Bia Family manipulating prices and forcing them to hand over exorbitant amounts of money in exchange for liberating their people. This, combined with the fact that the Lo Po Bia Family was almost universally disdained due to their perpetual pandering to the Jahad Empire, caused quite a number of people to come out of the woodworks in response to their attempted tyranny.Despite the combined censuring of six representatives from other Families, the representative of the Snow Leopard Family had simply ignored them until the appearance of a sudden outlier. The 39th Floor had been under their control for a long time, so, regardless of how vocal the representatives from the other Families might be, there wasn't really much they could do. They even had the Floor Ruler on their side, and, if necessary, the 5th Army Corp stationed on the 50th Floor could mobilize within hours to come to their aide.What the representative of the Snow Leopard Family never expected was the sudden appearance of, not one, but two Princesses of Jahad. To make matters even worse, one of these Princesses was in possession of two of the 13 Month Series, a status that gave her near-absolute authority over the Jahad Empire's forces. This was more than enough to keep them in check, but, most troubling of all was the fact that the Princess in question was none other than Ha Yuri Jahad, infamous for causing all kinds of trouble throughout the Tower. Fortunately, not that it made them feel any better about the situation, the other Princess was the inarguably more famous Rank 69 Khun Maschenny Zahard, one of the few Princesses actively participating in the contest to collect the entirety of the 13 Month Series...---Though he was aware of the events taking place outside, Vahn had very little interest in the politics of the Tower. He would emerge to help Yuri if she was in danger, but, knowing Maschenny had only appeared due to the message he had sent, the odds of them fighting seriously were slim. She might be one of the most powerful among the current Princesses, but, similar to Adori, there wasn't much she could do about Ureko. Killing Yuri was the same as inviting the monstrous half-dragon to pay her another visit, one that would end with the loss of far more than her dignity and a pair of baby-blue panties...Unfortunately for both Princesses, Vahn had no intention of emerging from the Hell Express unless the situation changed. Yuri was terrible at acting, so, the moment he made an appearance, anyone with a functional pair of eyes would be able to discern that their relationship wasn't exactly normal. As for Maschenny, his message asserted they would meet on the 50th Floor, so, while he was a little interested in the things she wished to discuss, he wasn't going to simply appear at her behest.Fortunately, even without meeting Maschenny directly, Vahn knew what she wanted to talk about, so, while it was difficult to have a cohesive conversation, he could learn the specifics by talking with the Law of Identity. This removed all subterfuge from the equation, and, though he had to make a number of extrapolations, it wasn't hard to figure out what the Princess wanted from him without having to meet directly.In essence, Maschenny wanted to ask him to recover an item contained within the Hidden Floor, something he was already intending after his encounter with Gustang. The only change was that she also wanted him to defeat and kill the 'data' she had left behind, a reflection of herself that was generated the first time she accessed the Hidden Floor. The idea that a younger and more naive version of herself still existed made the proud Princess feel uncomfortable; so, using the justification that he would be releasing them from an eternity of experiencing the same mundane existence, she wanted him to destroy the system maintaining the Hidden Floor.Coincidentally, Maschenny wasn't the only person who wanted to see the Hidden Floor, or, more specifically, have their 'data' destroyed. The same could be said for Ureko and a number of other Rankers who had previously cleared the Hell Express. For the former, this was largely due to the fact that the Hidden Floor simply couldn't copy her data properly. This resulted in a corrupted version of herself, something that she simply couldn't tolerate. As for the rest, they had changed a lot during their climb up the Tower, so, while they found the idea rather novel at the time, the idea that others might encounter a younger version of themselves made many Rankers feel uncomfortable.Unfortunately, sharing any information about the Hidden Floor erased all knowledge of its existence from a person's mind. This made it exceptionally difficult to come up with measures of erasing said data, even among Jahad and the Ten Great Families.This was where Maschenny's cleverness as a member of the Khun Family came into play. She knew of his ability to 'read minds', so, even without discussing the matter directly, he could ascertain her intentions simply by being in 'close proximity'. To this same end, she had come up with a number of different plans, several of which were intended to entice him to her side. She knew the vast majority of these were pointless, but, by figuring out which ones made him the most uncomfortable, she was intending to discover as much as she could about his nature and personality. Her ability to ascertain the intentions of others was on the level of an Innate, so, while he wasn't exactly afraid of her, Vahn wasn't in any hurry to meet the machinating Princess...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn isn't fond of women who are 'resolute' in their delusions...','Ureko is the MVP xD...','Someone more powerful than Yuri and more intelligent than Khun...*heavy sweating*...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

While tensions around the Name Hunt Station continued to increase, culminating in the arrival of several other noteworthy Rankers, the two most prestigious among them, Ha Yuri Jahad and Khun Maschenny Jahad, were gathered in the most luxurious VVIP Room located aboard 'Kaiser's Auction House'.Under normal circumstances, Yuri would have never bothered to meet with Maschenny, but, due to her penchant for overcompensating whenever she was trying to put on an act, she ended up falling for the senior Princess' goading. As a result, they now sat across from each other, the former with a fed-up expression on her face while the latter maintained an aloof yet calculating demeanor as she silently partook of a cup of tea...Refusing to answer Maschenny's question regarding her tail, something she increasingly failed to keep hidden, Yuri's expression morphed into a taunting smile as she asked, "I heard you had a run-in with Ureko? Is it true you were wearing a t-back when she exposed your bottom in front of your subordinates?"Though she behaved very calm, collected, and haughty whenever she was in control of a situation, Maschenny had never been known for her discretion and patience. Rather, she was notorious for possessing a short fuse and a predatory temperament; so, hearing Yuri make mention of her most recent encounter with Ureko, her expression immediately darkened as she said, "This brat...perhaps it is time this 'big sister' taught you some manners..."Misinterpreting Maschenny's words to be a reference to her figure, Yuri crossed her arms rather proudly under her chest, accenting her rather substantial assets as she retorted, "You might have an hourglass figure, but your arms, legs, and waist make you look as fragile as a twig. And what's with your complexion? Are you actually a ghost or something!?"Momentarily confused by Yuri's words, Maschenny just looked back at the much younger Princess with a look of awe and incredulity. It was only after several seconds that she understood what had happened, a weary sigh escaping her throat as she crossed her arms beneath her significantly less full but notably shapely breasts and said, "Talking with you is like trying to win an argument against a brick wall. How about we dismiss with the 'pleasantries' and direct the conversation back to the main topic...?"Believing Maschenny was trying to 'challenge' her, Yuri puffed out her chest even more, a massive grin spreading across her face as she mused, "You should eat more. I bet even our father likes his women with a bit of meat on their bones."With her brow twitching in response to Yuri's words, Maschenny took a moment to organize her thoughts before asking, "I wonder...what is it that brought you to the Name Hunt Station around this time? As far as I know, you've never bothered to visit before. I wonder...is it truly a coincidence that you keep ending up on the same Floor as the Sage Dragon Emperor? I'm also rather curious about that tail of yours...though the members of the Ha Family have a penchant for behaving like monkeys, I've never met one with an actual tail..."Rather than answering Maschenny's questions directly, Yuri just snorted through her nose before saying, "I'll be sure to tell my Grandma how you feel about the members of her family. It's been a while since the Khun and Ha Families had a war with each other. I'm looking forward to it, Miss T-Back."Unable to fully restrain herself, sparks of blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as her hair began to rise in defiance of gravity. She understood it probably wasn't the best choice to insult the Ha Family in front of one of its most preeminent members, but, rather than backing down, her longing for battle caused her blood to boil as a sadistic smile spread across her face. There were few things she enjoyed as much as fighting, and, due to the abstinence forced upon Princesses of Jahad, it was the only reliable way in which she could release her tensions...With two battle junkies gathered in the same room, one emanating vibrant blue electricity while the other emitted a bloody red aura, it was beginning to look like a battle was unavoidable. Fortunately, they weren't the only two present as every Princess of Jahad, primarily those who had already risen to become Rankers, were assigned a personal Guide to escort them around the Tower and arbitrate on their behalf.At nearly the exact same time, Evan and another Silver Dwarf, a boyish-looking individual named Lucian Edrock, called out, "Princess...!" in differing yet stern tones. This was enough to cause both Yuri and Maschenny to slowly retract their auras, as, despite being the Rank 69 High Ranker, even the latter couldn't simply ignore the advice of her Guide. They were assigned at the behest of the Jahad Empire, and, though she would never admit it, Lucian's advice had saved her life on multiple occasions.Though she was highly tempted to simply throw caution to the wind and see how things play out, Maschenny did her best to control her urge for battle, even going so far as to add a special sedative to her tea before going on to say, "Since you are too slow to understand something like subtlety, I'll just get to the point. Though I have yet to ascertain the particular details, I am well aware of the fact that your relationship with the Sage Dragon Emperor predates your meeting on the 30th Floor. You are a Princess of Jahad, Yuri. Did you really think your movements would go unnoticed when you're doing things like running down to Headon's Floor and spending a full month venturing to the Floor of Tests?"Catching Maschenny by surprise, Yuri made no attempt to hide her 'misdeeds', cocking her head to the side as she asked, "So what? I was following a lead and wanted to check something out. I won't lie and say I didn't take an interest in the Sage Dragon Emperor earlier than anyone else, but what of it? Don't tell me you're going to try and use the fact that he is an Irregular against me? We both know he isn't the person our father was worried about, so, unless you're also going to try and get rid of Ureko, you don't really have any ground to stand on. I mean, your Daddy is also an Irregular. Are you going to try and blackmail him next?"With Yuri's reputation as an incurable idiot, Maschenny didn't expect her to come up with anything even remotely resembling a sound argument. In fact, even Evan was absolutely gobsmacked, mouth agape as he pinched his cheek to confirm he wasn't dreaming...Noticing the disbelief in the trio's gazes, Yuri's brow began to visibly twitch, index finger tapping on her arm as she added, "Go ahead and play your little games. It's not like you don't have secrets that would compromise your status as a Princess of Jahad. Besides, you wouldn't be here if you weren't trying to scheme something. If you think you can fool me that easily, you are a hell of a lot dumber than the rumors make you out to be."Hearing Yuri, of all people, call her dumb, Maschenny's expression darkened considerably. If not for the fast-acting sedative she had taken previously, it would have taken far more willpower than she currently possessed to restrain her urge to kill Yuri on the spot. Fortunately, she had the foresight to see something like this coming, so, while it took a considerable amount of effort, she managed to force a smile as she answered, "It would seem that the rumors of your own stupidity were slightly exaggerated...either that or something happened to make you spontaneously 'mature'...I wonder what that could be?"Without putting any thought into her retort, Yuri cracked a smile of her own as she said, "I'm still far from the point of wearing a T-Back. You know, now that I think about it...could it be that you were actually looking forward to having your ass exposed? I mean, why else would you choose to wear such risque panties when nobody is supposed to see them?"Fed up with Yuri continuously mentioning the incident with Ureko, Maschenny bounded to her feet with a start, shouting, "You intolerable ape! Don't act as if you had nothing to do with that blonde bitch's prank! I know you both met with the Sage Dragon Emperor on the 20th Floor...!"Amused by the rise she was getting out of Maschenny, Yuri's smile became even more apparent as she asked, "Yet you still wore such risque panties? I know you weren't the first person Ureko visited. I was just joking earlier, but it looks like you really did want to have your ass exposed..."With a rare blush coloring her cheeks, Maschenny was very close to throwing all caution to the wind and simply attacking Yuri. A growing part of her was even looking forward to the battle with Ureko, but, understanding she wouldn't even be able to make the perverted tyrant serious, she ultimately managed to preserve the last vestiges of her self-control as she said, "Very good, Yuri...it seems like you are beginning to mature into a worthy opponent. Once you're tired of cowering behind Ureko and your Great Grandmother, please, let me know...I'm curious to see how much you'll enjoy having your ass spanked in front of your closest allies..."Completely ignoring the threat contained in Maschenny's words, Yuri couldn't help but raise her brows as she asked, "Wait...does that mean you actually enjoyed it!?"Inhaling a deep breath, potent blue electricity began to dance around Maschenny's body as she shouted, "Lucian! We're leaving!" in a wrath-filled tone. This caused the surprisingly ancient youth to nearly spill his tea, his expression turning flustered as he was caught between bowing to Evan, his superior, and chasing after the enraged Princess Maschenny.Feeling bad for his junior, Evan offered a wry smile and a wave before shifting his attention to Yuri the moment the duo exited the room, remarking, "Princess Maschenny is currently one of the most influential Princesses of Jahad. Though I can't help feeling a little proud of you for actually standing up to her, this might not have been the best course of action. Without interference from Ureko and anomalies like the Sage Dragon Emperor, standing in opposition to Princess Maschenny is the same as choosing death..."With Maschenny having, at the very least, five other 'senior' Princesses on her side, even Yuri could understand the danger of opposing her. With the exceptions of Adori, the Commander-in-Chief of the entire Jahad Army, and Enne, considered by many to be the most powerful Princess of Jahad to ever exist, Maschenny was easily the most powerful and influential among the present Princesses. She had not only participated in the battle to capture Enne after the legendary Princess had gone berserk, but, despite the propensity of Princesses to avoid each other, Maschenny had managed to convince a substantial number to support her.Though there were a few notable exceptions, virtually every Princess of Jahad wielded a substantial amount of influence within the Tower. As a result, Maschenny possessed a degree of influence that far exceeded most other Princesses. This made standing against her extraordinarily dangerous, but, as could be expected, Yuri didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she just laughed off Evan's concerns, cackling like a hyena for nearly a full minute before saying, "You're relying too much on things like common sense. I might have worried about someone like Maschenny in the past, but that is in the past. Now that someone like Vahn has entered the Tower, why should I worry about the schemes of others? I mean, just imagine how many people are about to be royally fucked just by him 'passing through'. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions those ancient monsters will make when all their plans are brought to ruin...!"Surprised by the sensibility of Yuri's words, Evan felt a mix of pride and concern as he cautiously inquired, "Are you really the same Princess Yuri I know...?"Rolling her eyes, Yuri rose from the chair she had been seated in, stretching her rather voluptuous body as she replied, "You're too caught up in the past. I'm obviously not the same person as I was back then. Now that things are beginning to move forward, we need to be ready and willing to do the same. I'll be damned if I'm going to remain the butt of every joke due to my Intelligence stat...!"With a fire in her eyes and balled fists, Yuri seemed to be looking towards a future that Evan, even as a Guide, couldn't see. This made him feel a little uncomfortable, but, thanks to his Innate ability to ascertain whether or not someone was telling the truth, he could, at the very least, confirm this was the same Yuri he had watched grow up over the last hundred or so years...albeit with the added passion of a delusional maiden...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW when you need to take a sedative just to stop yourself from blowing a gasket...','Yuri be like, "That T-Back tho..."','Evan's worries are only just beginning...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Down to her last weapon, a dagger-like parrying blade with a hooked end, Elaine's assault gradually slowed to a stop. It had taken her several minutes to reach this point, and, as a result, the tears from her eyes had largely ceased. Instead, a glimmer of conviction could be seen burning in their depths as she asked, "What do you want from me...?"Resisting the urge to sigh, Vahn closed his eyes for a brief moment, shaking his head as he said, "If anything, the only thing I would ask of you is that you live. Be a better person than the monster the Lo Po Bia and Po Bidau Families forced you to become. As for matters such as revenge...honestly, it would be better if you put them behind you. Though I can help you obtain the power you seek, my journey cannot be delayed for every individual seeking revenge. I have more than enough power to bring about an end to the suffering caused by Jahad and the Ten Great Families. Let me take care of it. You have already wasted more than a thousand years of your life at their behest. Don't waste the rest of it arbitrarily chasing revenge."Expecting Vahn to try and convince her to join his cause, Elaine didn't know how to respond to him telling her to simply move on with her life. She had spent more than a thousand years locked away inside the Name Hunt Station. She had no direction or purpose beyond her identity as Kaiser, and, even if she did leave, her Family would hunt her down as a traitor. The orders of the Family Leader were absolute, so, even if she never took any action against them, all twenty branch families would seek her out for daring to abandon the duty assigned by their 'God'.As this thought crossed her mind, Elaine pointed the parrying blade in her hand towards Vahn's throat, the light in her eyes gradually faded as the monotonously replied, "My role is to do what the family tells me to do...I am nothing without the purpose they have assigned me...if death is the only option left before me, I would rather spend my final moments fighting to protect my beliefs...even if they are ultimately nothing more than a delusion..."Unamused by Elaine's words, a sullen look spread across Vahn's face as his aura began to permeate the surroundings like a gravitational force. It wasn't that he was particularly angry with Elaine, but, knowing the Lo Po Bia and Po Bidau Families had pushed her to this point, his frustrations with both began to compound. More specifically, he was annoyed with Gustang's practice of always putting the end before the means, and, though he couldn't fault the Lo Po Bia Family Leader for his loyalty, the fact he was willing to sacrifice his own family members in order to pander to the Jahad Empire was...unpleasant...Reacting to Elaine lunging at him, Vahn deflected her blade to the side before forming a 'gun' using his index and middle fingers. Then, far faster than she could react, he placed the tips of said digits against her mask, saying, "From this moment onward, the being known as Kaiser is dead..."With those words have left his mouth, everything above Elaine's shoulders simply ceased to be as a directional shockwave ripped through the interior of the Grand Gallery. In its wake, the farthest wall was completely devastated, and, though her Spirit remained, Elaine's physical body collapsed to the ground lifelessly.Shifting his attention to the ethereal figure that seemed to blend together seamlessly with the void, Vahn continued to frown as he asked, "Are you satisfied with this outcome?"Before answering his question, Elaine took a moment to inspect her ghostly figure before staring down at her headless corpse and saying, "I won't lie...this outcome is rather unpleasant. Did you really have to blow my head off? With the power you possess, I'm certain you could have used a less extreme method to get your point across..."Rather than deny it, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation, saying, "There was an infinite number of ways in which I could have ended the fight without needing to resort to violence. Things ended up like this because I wanted to teach you a lesson and afford you the opportunity to forge your own path. You harmed a considerable number of people during your time as Kaiser. Though the fault for this set of circumstances ultimately lies with the Ten Great Families, you would have never been able to move on unless you had received some kind of punishment...at least, that is what I believed..."Furrowing her brows slightly in response to Vahn's words, Elaine continued to stare at her lifeless body for several seconds before shifting her ghostly green eyes to him and asking, "So, what now? I have heard the rumors of your ability to resurrect the dead. Are you going to offer me some kind of deal...?"Though he didn't like how things had settled, Vahn ultimately shook his head, explaining, "This kind of ending honestly pisses me off. In the end, however, it was always your decision to make. If this is the outcome you believe you desired, it is not my place to question it. I do my best to try and help everyone I meet, but, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, I learned, long ago, that you simply can't live for others. I can carry the burdens of countless people, but, no matter how strong I become, the only person I have the right to make decisions for is myself..."Frowning intensely, Elaine's eyes continued to inspect Vahn's face for several seconds, seemingly searching for any sign that he was trying to deceive her. Despite her earlier 'bravado', she didn't truly wish to die. There were actually a considerable number of loose ends she wanted to attend, and, if Vahn's words were true, her family needed her now more than ever. It had been hundreds of years since she met another member of her branch, so, if it was true that her funds had been going to support her enemies, it was safe to assume that the Grey Wolf Family was currently in dire straits.Exhaling a sigh, Elaine took a moment to collect herself before adopting a slightly pointed look as she said, "I'm not sure if this is just another scheme to turn me into a tool...but, so long as it allows me to reunite with my family, I am willing to do whatever it takes. Please, allow me to serve you to the fullest extent of my capabilities...that is the least I can offer in exchange for my life..."Adopting a deadpan expression, Vahn met Elaine's pointed gaze with one of his own as he said, "If I was the type to treat others as tools, why would I charge into battle on my own? I have no problem reviving you, but you are mistaken if you believe I have some ulterior motive for doing so. Don't get me wrong, you're pretty strong for a Regular and your looks are nothing to write off, but...well, let's just leave it at that...you'll understand the truth of the matter soon enough..."Understanding the futility of trying to convince her with words, Vahn decided it would make things significantly easier if he just let Elaine figure things out on her own. This might result in her having an existential crisis of sorts, but, depending on the choices she made from then onward, she would be able to grow exponentially stronger after a few setbacks...Ignoring the perturbed glimmer in Elaine's eyes, Vahn began to reverse the order of entropy around her body, quickly restoring it to an uninjured state. This resulted in her Spirit being yanked forward as if it was under the influence of a powerful magnet, a rather disorienting experience that resulted in the masked beauty having to quickly tear away the silver covering in order to expel the contents of her stomach. Then, with a conflicted look that was equal parts frustration and admiration for the strong, she wiped away the astringent residue using her sleeve before bowing ever-so-slightly and saying, "My life is yours to command..."Since he was literally in possession of her Name, allowing him to order her at his leisure, Vahn just rolled his eyes in response to Elaine's words before directing his gaze towards nothing in particular and saying, "Now that I'm in charge, I want to abolish the rules of the Name Hunt Station. You are free to change them however you want, but, no matter what, I never want anything even remotely similar to what has taken place here to ever occur again. As for the responsibility...you can just leave that to me. If Jahad and the Ten Families have a problem, they can seek me out and attempt to put an end to me. If they succeed, feel free to change things back to how they were."Though it might seem like he was talking to nobody, the Guardian of each Floor was effectively omniscient in any region containing Shinsu. After all, the Shinsu of each Floor was a part of their body, and, similar to his domain, they could sense everything occurring within without exception.Rather than answer him directly, the Guardian attempted to pull Vahn into the sub-dimensional space in which it resided. Unfortunately, Vahn was in no mood to deal with the massive angler fish, so, rather than accept the 'invitation', he resisted its pull, adding, "I have no intention of trying to compromise with you. I don't care about the contract you made with the Great Warriors all those years ago. The rules dictate that the person in charge of the Name Hunt Station has the authority to alter or outright annul them. Though I might not be here to watch over things, neither are the Great Warriors. Don't go playing favorites when you're supposed to be objective."Seemingly realizing it couldn't pull him into its sub-dimension, a massive vortex of Shinsu appeared within the Grand Gallery as a paradoxically thunderous yet gentle voice echoed, "The Great Warriors have always selected a Champion to represent them and help maintain order...if you wish to uphold these changes, you must do the same..."Frowning in response to the Guardian's words, Vahn briefly entered a contemplative state, eyes cast downward as he considered a number of solutions. It was around this time that Elaine tried to make herself useful by stepping forward and suggesting, "I will stay here as your representative. I cannot escape being branded as a traitor, so-"With Elaine being close enough for him to reach out and touch, Vahn ended up holding his hand up to her face, silencing her completely as he looked towards the spiraling vortex of Shinsu and said, "Rather than choose a representative directly, I would like to establish a trial to decide the future Ruler of the Name Hunt Station. The Floors exist to test those climbing the Tower, not keep them bound to one place. You trying to force the issue is contradicting the purpose you have been given."Though it couldn't be seen through the massive vortex of Shinsu, a low grumbling could be heard emanating from the other side as the Guardian replied, "Very well...what kind of trial did you have in mind...?"Rather than answering directly, Vahn pulled out an elegant sword that looked virtually identical to the Caliburn before stabbing it into the ground and activating the Law of Authority. Then, in a voice that resonated even more so than the Guardian's, he uttered, "This sword can only be drawn by the pure of heart and the righteous of character. Whoever possesses the power to pull this sword from its purchase shall become the true and rightful Ruler of the Name Hunt Station..."Though it was invisible to people like Elaine, Vahn and the Guardian were able to perceive a peculiar golden shimmer spreading through the area in response to the former's words. This light effectively made the stone in the surroundings completely indestructible, and, so long as they possessed less authority than him, a Tier 5 being, nobody would be able to break the enchantment he had placed upon it.Satisfied with the result, Vahn nodded his head in approval of his own work before looking towards the spinning vortex and asking, "I trust you have no objections~?" in a discernably proud tone.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Clinging to what remains...','Vahn be like, "You're about a 7..."','Can someone please smack this smug and unoriginal asshole...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1886: Tensions : Machinations