Though he could have resolved everything himself, Vahn knew the girls would be disappointed if he didn’t give them the opportunity to act. Thus, rather than accepting Asensio’s assistance as a guide, his counterpart back at the Town of the Wandering Minstrel gave Scathach’s butt a light smack as he said, “We should regroup with the others. After a bit of rest, we’ll be heading out.”
Exhaling a hot and contented sigh, Scathach accepted Vahn’s assistance in sitting up, her naked body glistening with a combination of sweat and massage oil as she softly replied, “Thank you…it was very pleasant…”
Noticing the expectant glimmer in the buxom beauty’s ruby red eyes, a smile spread across Vahn’s face as he affectionately caressed Scathach’s. In response, she leaned into his touch, her lips parting ever so slightly to allow his tongue easy access. This was an invitation he simply couldn’t refuse, so, rather than immediately departing the fragrant room, Vahn elected to punctuate Scathach’s reward on a positive, sonorous, note…
—
With the dawn of a new day, Vahn gathered alongside Theo, Musashi, Scathach, and Index to enjoy a rather extravagant breakfast alongside their would-be guide, Mi-eum. This resulted in him getting a little messy, entirely the result of Index choosing to sit in his lap, but it was still a refreshing way to start the day. He especially enjoyed how bashful Scathach was in the face of Musashi’s teasing, and, though she didn’t actually need to eat, Mi-eum’s reaction every time she tasted a new dish caused quite a number of laughs.
Unfortunately for the native Data Human, her day was about to get infinitely more hectic as Vahn wrapped up breakfast by saying, “Our first destination is the Fruit of Good and Evil. It serves as a Quarantine Area for corrupted and otherwise problematic data. Though I doubt they will provide much of a challenge, the interior should be filled to the brim with Hidden Floor Soldiers and Data Constructs. There is also a chance your Sworn Enemies will make an appearance so stay on your toes.”
Hearing Vahn’s final remark, Theo and Musashi perked up quite a bit, excitement visible in their gazes even as Mi-eum nervously remarked, “Um…I’m not sure where you heard such a thing, but the Fruit of Good and Evil isn’t anything like a Quarantine Area. I would suggest accepting one of the D or C-Rank Quests so we can move on to the next stage. Even approaching the statue is highly dangerous, so I must insist you rethink the decision to investigate…”
Though he was a little worried about leaving her behind, Vahn had Sis modify the line of code that compelled Mi-eum to follow after them, saying, “You are free to remain here until we return. As for the Quests, we have no particular interest in such things. We entered the Hidden Floor for entirely personal reasons. Sorry, but your services are no longer required. It was a short journey, but thank you for your assistance thus far.”
Demonstrating a remarkable amount of confusion, Mi-eum found herself stuck in a feedback loop of sorts as part of her felt as though she ‘should’ follow after them while another part of her feared the consequences of doing so. This latter half was something she had never experienced before, so, while she wanted to say something she ended up freezing in place for several minutes as Vahn and Co departed the restaurant…
—
With the interior of the Fruit of Good and Evil effectively existing as an isolated sub-dimensional plane, entering and exiting weren’t a matter of simply cutting through the walls and boring your way inside. Fortunately, there was a single entrance serving as a bridge between the Quarantine Area and the Hidden Floor proper, one Sis had no difficulties locating and opening.
Though the exterior sphere was only a few hundred meters across, the interior was, as could be expected, exponentially larger. It was also structured similarly to a maze, one that was constantly changing shape to make life more difficult for the Data trapped within.
Having been designated the leader in Vahn’s stead, a wide smile spread across Theo’s face as she marveled at the dungeon-like surroundings and said, “I’ll protect Master and provide support from the rear. Musashi will take point. Be on the lookout for any traps. As for you, Scathach…well, I don’t think you need to be told what to do. Just don’t disappear without telling me.”
While Scathach simply nodded in response, Musashi adopted a notably sly smile as she asked, “So, you think I need to be babysat? I’ll have you know I’ve explored countless Layers and used to jump through time more than some people change clothes. Don’t make me educate you in your Master’s stead…”
Though she couldn’t prevent her tail from twitching slightly, Theo managed to appear calm in the face of Musashi’s threat, her smile persisting as she said, “Stumbling through time like a homeless vagrant doesn’t equate to experience conquering dungeons. Since I have been placed in charge, I will be expecting you to follow my orders. If you are going to cause problems, please return to the village or wait inside the Little Garden.”
Seemingly amused by Theo’s bravado, a lighthearted laugh escaped Musashi’s throat as she eyed up the once and future Empress. Before she could say anything to further tease her, however, Vahn sent a telepathic message into her mind, saying, (“Don’t make me confiscate your private stash.”)
Like a career soldier, Musashi left Theo feeling at a loss when she suddenly saluted, her expression a mask of seriousness as she exclaimed, “Understood! It is my privilege to serve!”
Realizing what must have happened, Theo sent an accusatory look towards Vahn, who, like a tourist visiting a landmark, pretended to gawk at the surroundings while Index, sitting in the carrier on his back, tilted her head to the side to ask, “What are you looking at? These chips are mine…”
With a light chuckle escaping her lips, Theo shook her head in mock exasperation before returning her gaze to Scathach and Musashi, saying, “Let’s not dawdle. There is only one entrance to each of the floors, so keep your eyes peeled. This place seems to be shaped like a multi-layered sphere, so I imagine it will be on the ceiling. Still, there is no way to be certain. There could be something like a teleportation ward located in a hidden area.”
Dismissing with her soldier play, Musashi adopted a relaxed stance before unsheathing the shorter of her two swords, a Wakizashi with a sakura-patterned guard known as Mugen-no-Hana. It was the lesser of her twin Zanpakuto, and, much like Asuna’s, it was always in an awakened state. As for why she had chosen to draw it, there were actually quite a number of reasons, the most important being that her senses were infinitely sharper due to Hana’s peculiar ‘Domain of Flowers’.
Though she couldn’t control and manipulate them like Byakuya from the Record of Bleach, vibrant pink sakura petals danced through the area in response to Hana being unsheathed. This might not seem particularly useful, but, due to their sensitivity to all forms of energy, the light-formed petals naturally gravitated towards hidden traps, mechanisms, and, as could be expected, everyone in the vicinity. This included Vahn, who, despite being fully visible, had erased his presence to prevent any enemies from targeting him and Index.
With the feedback provided by the petals, Musashi could confidently say, “Wow. There are a ton of traps and hidden enemies. Want me to take them out, oh fearless leader?”
Rolling her eyes in response to Musashi’s words, Theo raised her hand to produce a golden magic circle that quickly expanded to more than 300m in diameter. This caused some of the hidden foes, many resembling toy soldiers, to emerge from the ground and walls. Unfortunately, before any of them could even begin their charge, laser-like beams of golden light rained down from the magic circle, ruthlessly piercing through their heads and bodies.
Since she had even worse compatibility than Vahn when it came to magic, Musashi emulated Theo’s action of rolling her eyes before teasingly remarking, “Not bad. I bet you would make a great bug zapper. Remind me to invite you the next time I go camping.”
Resisting the urge to send a few beams Musashi’s way, Theo allowed her magic circle to dissipate before saying, “We advance. Please inform me if either of you notices any irregularities. For foes of this caliber, feel free to take action as you see fit.”
Understanding that Theo was no longer interested in playing around, Musashi took advantage of the opportunity to extend her tongue before waving towards Vahn and giggling in amusement. This left the latter feeling somewhat exasperated, not because he was particularly troubled by Musashi’s behavior, but because the ‘aftercare’ was going to be a pain. Theo’s draconic nature made her easily frustrated, and, though she would become stoic and taciturn in an effort to compensate, she would effectively become an untamed beast the moment they were alone together…
—
Prior to Vahn’s group leaving to explore the Quarantine Area, several other groups had already set out to explore other regions of the Hidden Floor. Most of these groups had been given free rein to explore at their leisure, but, with several objectives left to complete before their departure from the Hidden Floor, others had been tasked with locating specific individuals and gathering information.
Though it didn’t help much in this specific instance, Fenrir’s group consisted of the best trackers in all the Empire. This included herself, Atalanta, Illya, and, though their Guide ability didn’t function properly inside of the Hidden Floor, Ryun, and Ai.
Having already completed a number of Quests, Fenrir’s group found themselves standing atop a massive cliff that overlooked a vast, seemingly boundless, plain. It was almost like they were looking down on an ocean of green, and, were it not for the presence of several colossal Shinheuh, it would have been easy to mistake the endless plains as some kind of graphical error.
Misunderstanding the group’s silence as confusion, the Wandering Minstrel standing at the rear, a young woman with four distinct pigtails, explained in a sing-song manner, “Though daunting it may seem, do not let the scene before you hinder your journey~. This verdant plains is known as the Sea of Peace~. While many a Shinheuh wanders the boundless pastures below, only the ruthless Scarlet King is hostile to outsiders~.”
Largely ignoring the Minstrel’s singing, Fenrir turned her attention to Illya, the decision-maker for the group despite, technically, being the second-in-command. In response, without even needing to be asked, Illy calmly outlined a plan of action, explaining, “It seems most conventional forms of flight are restricted in this area. You should make an ice platform to carry us across while the rest of us look for the Scarlet King below. If we can’t find him before lunch, we’ll use the other Shinheuh as bait to lure it out. Either way, there is no sense in just standing here.”
Nodding her head in approval, Fenrir turned to Atalanta, Ryun, and Ai, her voice calm, resolute, and commanding as she said, “We will go with Illya’s plan. Atalanta, you will stand at the front. You have the best eyesight among us so I’m expecting you to locate the Scarlet King. Everyone else will watch the flanks while keeping a close on their Good and Evil Monitor’s. This is enemy territory. We should expect something to go wrong. Laziness will not be tolerated.”
Thanks to her [Queen of the Pack] Innate, Fenrir’s words resonated deeply within the hearts and minds of everyone present. Even Ilya wasn’t unaffected, as, despite being in a ‘higher’ position, she was actually one of the first to join Fenrir’s pack during her fusion with Cath Palug. This provided them with a number of boons, but, most notably, it drastically improved their sense of solidarity by effectively linking their primary senses.
Seeing the resolute light in each of the girls’ eyes, Fenrir responded with another curt nod before creating a platform of ice more than ten meters across. Conventional methods of flight might be restricted in several areas of the Hidden Floor, but they had already confirmed that ‘attacks’ were exempted from this. Thus, with the ability to freely manipulate ice and create countless constructs, Fenrir shaped the platform to resemble an eight-pointed Chinese gazebo before sitting down in the center and controlling it to float across the verdant plains below…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Simply irresistible…’,’Musashi is a troll xD…’,’Mobilize the Good Girls…!’)
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