With the restoration of White being their primary objective aboard the Hell Express, Vahn wasn’t surprised to find the Conductor, representing FUG, waiting for them outside of Hoaqin’s chamber. He had actually expected the man to take action immediately after the seal was first removed, but, as they hadn’t actually broken any rules, doing so would result in his authority being stripped away, and, in some cases, instantaneous termination.
Gesturing for the girls to stand down, Vahn preempted the onset of combat by stating, “So long as we don’t attack, he has no grounds to directly intervene with us. Even an Advanced Ranker working under a Slayer of FUG isn’t bold enough to violate the Laws of the Tower within an area designated for Regulars. Isn’t that right, Mr. ‘Death Eyes’ Pedro…?”
Glowing in response to Vahn’s taunting tone, Pedro, appearing as a Hispanic man with light brown skin, a thin frame, short brown hair, and mechanical red eyes, began releasing a deathly aura as he asked, “Do you have any idea who it is you’re offending? This operation was authorized by the Elder Council and my Master, the Great Slayer Karaka. Are you trying to start a war?”
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn took a few steps forward, ignoring the aura released by the incensed man as he said, “Something like White shouldn’t be allowed to exist within the Tower. Any organization that sides with such a creature has some major underlying issues they need to resolve before they go around telling others what is right and wrong. The means always matter. If you can justify becoming a monster that feeds off the innocent in order to fight against your foes, you have lost the right to tread the moral high ground. Now, return to your Conductor station, report to your Master, and stay the hell out of our way. The next time you appear like this, don’t blame me for the consequences you will have wrought upon yourself.”
Though he wanted nothing more than to silence Vahn for his ‘impudence’, Pedro had been given strict orders not to fight against him. If the rumors were to be believed, Vahn was already powerful enough to defeat High Rankers despite the fact he was just a D-Rank Regular. This level of growth had only ever been observed in Ureko, who, during her climb, critically injured two Slayers and even killed one of FUG’s Elders. They had tried to control her just like any other Irregular who entered the Tower, but, as could be expected, she wasn’t the type of creature that could be placed under thumb by a group of people who sat around for thousands of years without making any progress towards their goals.
With his eyes releasing a mechanical whirring sound, Pedro continued to glare at Vahn for several seconds before shifting his gaze towards the women at his back. He was powerless to do anything against the anomalous women, but, as someone who had failed on the Floor of Tests, Ryun had no right to board the Hell Express. Many within FUG even considered her a traitor, so, with a malicious smile spreading across his face, Pedro was preparing to teach Vahn a lesson.
Understanding the man’s intentions before they had even fully formed within his mind, Vahn’s smile had faded before Pedro could utter so much as a single syllable. At the same time, an eerie stillness permeated the entire room as even the most minute particles of Shinsu disappeared from within his domain. This caused Pedro’s body to instantly seize up in pain, and, most importantly, it effectively robbed him of the powers he would have normally had access to as a pseudo-Administrator aboard the Hell Express.
Though he could never be completely emotionless, Vahn managed to appear cold and detached as he walked progressively closer to the choking man and asked, “Do you enjoy using your power to prey on the weak and defenseless? Do you believe you are qualified to teach other people a lesson? Did you even think about the price FUG would have to pay for your petulance?”
Without waiting for the man to respond, Vahn grabbed him by the throat, lifting the writhing figure from the ground as he added, “No! People like you never take that kind of thing into consideration! You are so possessed by the power given to you that you never even consider the repercussions of your actions! You accuse Jahad and the Ten Great Families of being corrupt Tyrants, yet, without so much as batting an eye, you willfully torment others using powers you have no right to possess! I’m sick and tired of your hypocritical bullshit…!”
To punctuate his words, Vahn smashed Pedro head-first into the ground, denting the durable metal platings that furnished much of the Hell Express’ interior. This wasn’t enough to kill the man, but, as a matter of course, it was enough to place him into a ‘very’ deep coma while destroying both of his mechanical eyes. Immediately after that, Shinsu came surging into the room like a deluge, washing over everyone present like a cool breeze that allowed them to breathe a little easier.
Tossing the unconscious man into an abandoned section of the Ninth Layer, Vahn exhaled a slightly exhausted sigh before turning around, eyes fixating on Ryun as he stated, “It seems FUG is in need of some restructuring…”
Realizing Pedro had tried to use her to hurt Vahn, Ryun’s ears drooped somewhat pathetically as she nodded her head with an irresolute “Nn…”. There were actually a number of people she cared about within FUG, and, though she knew the organization attracted despots of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, she still believed in their overall mission. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like Vahn had any intention of destroying the organization, so, as long as they stopped antagonizing him, they should be able to cooperate.
In the hopes of smoothing things over, Ryun averted her eyes as she said, “After we’re finished with the Hell Train and the Floor of Death, there is a place I’d like to take you…”
Shifting his gaze towards the Law of Identity for a brief moment, Vahn paused for several seconds before nodding his head and saying, “Very well. I will meet with the Elder of the Red Witch Tribe and afford FUG one last opportunity to compromise. So long as they are willing to stop interfering with my plans, I have no reason to seek out and annihilate them.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ryun returned her gaze to Vahn, a gleam of reverence flashing across her ruby-red eyes as she said, “Thank you…” in an emotion-filled tone. To this, Vahn could do little but exhale a sigh of his own before ‘manifesting’ right in front of the red-haired woman to pull her into his embrace and caress her somewhat unkempt hair. This caused her to nestle closer to him as if by instinct, while, at the side, Fenrir, and the rest of the girls, just shook their heads helplessly…
—
After more than a week of forcibly tunneling through an increasingly dense array of machinery and cogs, Mordred was forced to a stop as the last of her claws fractured against a golden gear. It was only at that moment that the pain radiating from her hands seemed to reach her mind, the result of a seemingly endless rush of adrenaline finally wearing off.
Resisting the onset of tears by defaulting to a breathing technique, Mordred’s figure rapidly shrunk until she appeared as a young child of approximately eight years old. Her physical form was directly related to the amount of physical, mental, and spiritual energy remaining in her reserves. It was for this reason that she, alongside her mother and every other True Dragon created by Vahn, appeared as a slightly younger version of herself.
Mordred’s physique might be powerful, but her mind and spirit were still in the process of healing after the taxing experience of migrating from the Realm. Thus, despite a seemingly endless amount of energy coursing through her body, her mind felt sluggish as a deep pain permeated through the entirety of her body. She had pushed herself far beyond her limits, and, though she didn’t regret it in the slightest, she had little choice but the suffer the consequences of her actions.
Feeling a sudden urge to call out to her father, Mordred curled up on the ground, clutching her knees as she continued to regulate her breathing. This was the second greatest pain she had ever experienced, but, unlike before, she didn’t have anyone around to help ease her suffering. Instead, she had to tide through it alone, the pain steadily increasing despite her best efforts to keep it at bay. For a moment, she even considered just letting it all out in order to ease her burden, but, just as that thought crossed her mind, a husky yet sonorous voice suddenly asked, “Have you given up? Is this your limit…?”
Sniffling to fight back her tears, Mordred tilted her head to see what could best be described as a massive lioness staring down at her. Its size was even greater than her dragon transformation, but, what stood out most of all, were its glistening golden fur, the ornate golden plates covering much of its body, and six pairs of massive wings, each seemingly belonging to a different kind of creature, forming a canopy over the surroundings.
With eyes that resembled oceans of stars, the massive lioness brought her nose to within a meter of Mordred’s body as it grumbled, “Absolutely pathetic…this is what you get for denying your true self and choosing to become a useless lizard. Tell me, was it worth it? Violating your own body and soul in order to pander to an infantile Emperor who assembles women like a child drawing pretty stones from a stream?”
Though she was still a little confused by what was happening, clarity returned to Mordred’s mind as she realized what the peculiar lioness was implying. This caused the pain in her body to fade away in an instant, replaced by a seething rage as she bared her teeth and riposted, “You can go choke on a fucking hairball and die for all I care! Do you think I’m just going to lay here and listen to you insult my Chichiue!? If you’re a part of me, shut the fuck up and give me access to my power! Who the hell do you think you are, acting all haughty despite sitting around on your ass and hiding away in my soul!?”
Squinting its eyes in response to Mordred’s outburst, anyone observing the lioness might assume it had an inviolably majestic disposition, one far above petty squabbles. This illusion only persisted for a very brief moment, however, as it quickly reared back like a cat preparing to pounce as it shouted, “You cheeky little brat! Did your brain also become a lizard!? I came here to help you, and this is the thanks I get!?”
Raising her middle fingers towards the ‘majestic’ lioness, Mordred’s body began to rapidly age as she rebutted, “Fuck you! When did I ask for your help, you shitty cat!? I didn’t see your pussy ass appear when I was trying to break through my limits! You think you can just appear at my lowest point and try and entice me with power that is already supposed to be mine? How about you just cough it up and stop nagging me you lazy ass tabby cat!?”
Though it didn’t attempt to attack, the lioness began to frustratedly stamp the ground with its front paws as it bellowed, “Oooooooh! Don’t make me eat you, you blonde bimbo! Killing us both would be a lot better than watching you continue whori-”
Before the lioness could finish her statement, leathery wings covered in vermillion scales erupted from Mordred’s back as she leaped towards the titanic figure without an ounce of fear. This seemed to catch the lioness by surprise, her mouth still partly open as Mordred’s fist impacted the bottom of her jaw, slamming it shut. In the next moment, Mordred’s body spontaneously erupted in size, her figure becoming wholly draconic as she began to wrangle the lioness, all while shouting, “You think you can threaten me with my own power!? Just watch as this lizard teaches you a lesson, you goddamn pussycat…!”
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Vahn don’t play with it involves his loved ones…’,’Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Quick, Before The Lioness Come~!’,’You gon’ learn today…!’)
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