Though his senses were far more attuned, effectively granting him a limited form of omniscience within his domain, Fenrir’s long-range sensory ability far outstripped Vahn’s. Her senses, especially when she was ‘hunting’ something, was on a level that simply couldn’t be quantified. As a result, it wasn’t Vahn or Sis who discovered the location of their ‘prey’, but Fenrir.
Noticing Fenrir’s hair suddenly stand on end, Vahn was about to ask what happened when a frigid chill began to emanate from her body, her voice resembling a murderous snarl as she said, “She’s here…I can smell her…”
Even without asking, Vahn was pretty sure he knew who Fenrir was referencing when spoke in such a manner. She had gotten pretty good at concealing her displeasure regarding others, at least when he was around, so there was really only one person it could be: herself.
Understanding this was something she needed to overcome herself, Vahn responded with an approving nod, saying, “I won’t interfere unless you ask me to.”
Returning a somewhat scary smile of her own, a bluish-black shroud veiled Fenrir’s figure before her speed drastically increased. She was far from the relativistic requirement he had set previously, but, unless they could somehow work around her incomparable instincts and ever-advancing mastery of Devouring Laws, even foes far more powerful than her would struggle to defeat an enraged Fenrir.
Given that the mountain range was only a few hundred kilometers in length, it took no time at all for Fenrir, followed closely by Vahn, to reach her target. Rather than attacking, however, she ended up stopping in mid-air, her expression hard to read as she stared, wide-eyed, at the scene below. As for Vahn, his momentum was also brought to a stop, but, rather than gawking, his eyes narrowed as he asked, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
As if he had only just noticed their arrival, the red-cloaked man who was undoubtedly Jahad turned his head with a completely calm expression on his face as he plainly stated, “You really are a fool…to think you would come directly to me. Very well. I had intended to save this for later, but I’m nothing if not adaptable. Allow me to demonstrate what you should expect if you wish to continue pursuing this futile course…”
Seeing S.E. Jahad extend his hand towards S.E. Fenrir, Vahn’s body moved even before his mind had willed it. At the same time, Laev-tan appeared in his hand, and, though he generally did his best to measure his strength, a black wall reminiscent of Ichigo’s use of the Mugetsu extended for several hundred kilometers from his position.
With his pupils contracting in slow motion, Jahad attempted to pull his hand away from the wall of blackness only to discover that everything beneath his elbow had simply been erased. This was in spite of his efforts to reinforce his body with the Shinsu Black Hole Sphere, so, without attempting to posture, he immediately leaped backward while reaching across his body to draw his weapon, a special Needle known as the Alcedinidae(Kingfisher).
Taking advantage of the fact that the wall persisted long after his attack had completed, almost as if he had cut through the Hidden Floor itself, Vahn briefly shifted his gaze to the Sworn Enemy version of Fenrir to find her looking up at him with what could best be described as puppy eyes. This made him instantaneously question whether or not it was right to delete Sworn Enemies, but, rather than allow himself to get distracted, he had Sis remove the suppressed Vanargandr’s limiters, saying, “I’ll leave the two of you to sort things out…” before blitzing Jahad.
Freed from her compulsory obedience, S.E. Fenrir immediately returned to her nearly-naked human form, charging her true self with fangs and claws bared. This caused an annoyed frown to develop across the latter’s face, not because she was being attacked, but because her S.E. counterpart made no effort to conceal her dignity. This, combined with the fact the data construct looked a lot like her younger self made Fenrir feel very uncomfortable, her expression fixing into a grimace as she easily evaded her feral self’s charge before throwing a spare [REquip] system towards her and saying, “Put some clothes on. We’re not animals.”
Though her first instinct was to chomp on the silvery bracelet thrown towards her, S.E. Fenrir’s ears perked up the moment her counterpart’s message reached her. This caused a temporary lull in the fight as not only did the [REquip] system contain a vast assortment of outfits, several of which were clearly chosen for their appeal, there were also countless other items and accessories stored within.
Causing a tick mark to appear at the real Fenrir’s temple, S.E. Fenrir ended up choosing what could best be described as a ‘sexy schoolgirl’ outfit in lieu of actual combat attire. To make matters even worse, it was one of the outfits that Fenrir had been keeping in reserve. She liked to dress up when her Master was in a bad mood, and, while it consisted of little more than a transparent white sailor top and a short pleated skirt, it was easily one of her sexier reserve outfits when accounting for her fluffy ears and tail.
Noticing the frustration on her counterpart’s face, a rather vicious smile spread across the face of S.E. Fenrir as she huskily remarked, “Your time in the light has come to an end. You’ll never be able to support Master if you keep holding yourself back. I’m a much better choice…!”
Snorting through her nose, Fenrir adopted an expression of disgust as she pinched the bridge of her nose and said, “You are tainted by men who are not Master. Even if you are willing to do what it takes to become stronger, the purity of those closest to him is vital for preserving Master’s mental stability. If you truly understood Master, you would know the thing he needs least is the fanatical support of people he wants to protect. The only reason I seek strength is to remain at my Master’s side. I do not try to make things easier or alleviate his burdens. I am there for the moments when the burden gets too heavy and he needs someone to help pick it back up…!”
With each word spoken, the aura emanating from Fenrir’s body became more powerful. The thing that surprised the S.E. Fenrir most of all, however, was the transformation that occurred along with it.
Rather than turning into a giant wolf, Fenrir’s ears rapidly shrank until her most iconic feature as a Vanargandr had completely faded. At the same time, her fluffy tail began to compress as pointed elf-like ears protruded from the sides of her head. By the time the transformation had completed, her tail resembled that of a cat or a monkey, and, while it wasn’t noticeable at a glance, there was now a thin layer of purple surrounding her glowing red eyes.
Unable to make sense of this transformation, S.E. Fenrir’s brows began to twitch madly before she furrowed them deeply and shouted, “What did you do!? This isn’t us…!”
Though there was still a sleek layer of blue fur covering her forearms and the backs of her hands, Fenrir’s paws now resembled dainty human hands as she raised her right palm and began to gather a phenomenal amount of energy. Then, in a tone reminiscent of a gentle melody, Fenrir smoothly replied, “I am Fenrir, my Master’s most trusted companion. There is nothing I would not become if it means I could be closer to my Master. I have no need for things like pride. The only thing that has ever mattered is that I am able to stand at my Master’s side…”
With that said, Fenrir’s hair became noticeably spikier as it shifted from a midnight blue coloration to a color reminiscent of cyan. Immediately thereafter, her figure turned into a blur that seemed to tear through the space separating her and her Sworn Enemy counterpart. This caught the latter by complete surprise, and, had the original not shown her mercy, her head might have been blown off then and there. Instead, Fenrir’s fist stopped less than a centimeter away from her snout before an irresistible wall of air pressure slammed into her like a thousand-car freight train.
Like a projectile fired from a rail gun, S.E. Fenrir became a blue blur that passed soundlessly through a mountain peak before the entire thing exploded moments later. Under normal circumstances, this would have been more than enough to defeat the befuddled data construct, but, rather than using it to attack, Fenrir had used the energy she previously gathered to produce a mana shroud around her opponent.
Fenrir had never believed for a moment that her Sworn Enemy would actually provide a challenge. Thus, from the moment she entered the Hidden Floor, her only goal regarding her Sworn Enemy was giving the more aggressive version of herself a beating before ultimately handing her over to their Master. It was important to her that he had the final say, and, knowing him, Fenrir had already prepared herself for the addition of a ‘younger sister’. With this in mind, she took a few moments to crack each of her knuckles before popping her neck and muttering, “If I can’t even make myself into a good girl, how can I expect to teach others…?”
—
Unaware of his most loyal companion’s thoughts, Vahn had violated his own orders by moving his fight with Jahad several hundred thousand kilometers from the mountain range. He wasn’t sure of the man’s strength, so, rather than endanger everyone’s lives with the sequelae of their attacks, he moved the battle far beyond the effective range of most attacks.
Though he could see through Vahn’s intentions, Jahad made no effort to break away from the fight. He wasn’t against taking hostages and forcing people to submit to his will, but, more than anything else, he was both a King and a warrior. If his foes were brave enough to face him directly, he would neither run nor hide. His dignity and pride would simply not allow it.
Extricating himself from the ruins of a forest filled with skyscraper-sized trees, S.E. Jahad looked up at Vahn with a snaggletoothed smile as he said, “I understand now. You certainly have the leeway to behave arrogantly with strength like that. It’s a shame you’re my enemy. With your power, we might have been able to usher in an era of true peace rather than peaceful coexistence.”
With S.E. Jahad’s voice passing through the void to emit directly into his ears, Vahn couldn’t help squinting slightly as he muttered, “So even his data can use the power of authority…it’s too bad that Ryun’s imagination and understanding are limited. This might have been an interesting battle…”
Thanks to the power of authority, Jahad was able to ascertain Vahn’s words despite the kilometers that separated them. As a result, the smile on his face gradually faded away as he remarked, “You speak as though your victory is assured. Though this form possesses merely a fraction of my true power, it is more than enough to defeat anyone outside the Top 10. If you underestimate me, you, your allies, and everyone you have ever spoken with is bound to suffer…”
Resisting the urge to laugh, Vahn apologized to Laev-tan before stowing her away within his soul and saying, “If we were outside, those words might actually hold some weight. Unfortunately, your inability to grasp the true nature of my existence puts you at a distinct disadvantage in a place like this. You might possess nigh-indomitable might within the Tower, but power will only get you so far on the path to grasping authority. Out of consideration for the ‘lesson’ you wanted to teach me, I’ll be magnanimous and give you one of my own. Now, come. I’ll give you a glimpse of the power you have failed to obtain even after twenty-thousand-years…!”
(A/N: Alternate Titles: ‘Vahn don’t play o_o…’,’Fenrir is very intelligent (O w O)…!’,’Is this considered cyber bullying…?’)
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