Chapter 1642: Ultimatum
Seeing the remains of Senator Ricardos spread out across the ground, even Vahn couldn't help but feel a little sick to his stomach. He had actually expected the Senator to survive the blow due to his demonic blood so it was a little unexpected to see the man simply split apart...
Shaking his head, Vahn turned his attention towards the projection of the Dictator, who, from start to finish, had remained unnaturally composed.
Noticing Vahn's gaze, Dictator Primulus adopted an almost imperceptible sneer beneath his mask of calm as he asked, "How long are you going to continue this farce? Unless you intend to try and rule over Megalomesembria, I would much rather you just state your demands and leave us be. We have been seeking a compromise from the very beginning. Will you not be satisfied until you kill off half our population as well...?"
Unamused by the man's words, Vahn snorted through his nose before asserting, "Your words might carry some weight if you didn't rule a nation built on a foundation of racial supremacy, slavery, and a complete disregard for the planet you call home. You will know I'm satisfied when you are allowed to live without the threat of my sword cutting you down at any moment."
To punctuate his words, Vahn brandished his sword in a slow and graceful arc that even the weakest Senators present could follow. Immediately afterward, the projection of another Senator sputtered out of existence as his body, bisected at the waist, tumbled over...
So as to remove any doubt from their minds, Vahn waited for the man's figure to vanish completely before adding, "My presence here is a simple courtesy. So long as I am aware of your wrongdoings, no amount of distance will be able to protect you. Hide behind your walls, erect your barriers, raise your armies. In the end, you will still be held accountable for your actions."
Hearing Vahn's remark, the majority of the Senators present fell silent, many considering whether or not they should deactivate their projections and move to more secure locations.
Breaking the graveyard-like silence that had begun to descend upon the Senate Chamber, Dictator Primulus surprised nearly everyone by saying, "There is only one absolute power in this world. You might be incomprehensibly strong but there will always be a limit to your power. Unless you intend to rule over this world and exterminate everyone who contradicts your views, you must be willing to compromise. Your threats certainly carry a considerable amount of weight, but, so long as there are differences between people, there will always be conflict. Your actions will result in the deaths-"
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the man's mutterings, Vahn pointed his sword directly at the Dictator, interrupting his monologue by saying, "Seriously. Unless you've tried to better the system, you really have no ground to stand on. You are part of the problem. How about you correct yourself before you start spewing platitudes and lecturing others. Unlike the majority present here, I am well aware of the consequences of my actions. You can try to pin the blame of me for all the lives that will be lost, but, if your system wasn't so backward, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
Satisfied with the glowering expression on the Dictator's face, Vahn couldn't help smiling as he set Laev-tan on his shoulder, adding, "I will be restoring balance to this world. To that end, you have a year to shut down all factories and production facilities that don't directly contribute to the health and wellness of the environment. All Demihuman slaves will be released from their suffrage and all propaganda that purports the human race as being superior to others will be forbidden. I don't care about the opinions of individual people, but, when the state is purporting a completely bogus claim just to fan the flames of conflict, it is inexcusable. From now on, if you are found guilty of such acts, you will be removed from your posts. Any questions? No? Good."
With his ultimatum issued, Vahn turned his back to the surviving Senators and began making his way towards the exit. He didn't particularly care about their reactions, and, even if they did have a question, it wasn't like he was just going to stand around pandering to them. He had already stated his case, so, regardless of what happened in the future, they only had themselves to blame when he arrived to demonstrate the consequences of their actions...
Noticing the remains of Senator Ricardos still littering the ground, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face before quickly shifting into a more serious look as he looked over his shoulder and stated, "Do not forget my words. I am giving you a chance to prove yourselves, but, at any time, I can take away this chance without a moment's notice. Inversely, if you prove yourselves worthy..."
Though it had nothing to do with a sword technique, Vahn cut down with Laev-tan once again, this time causing a mysterious green hue to spread through the area. Then, causing even the Dictator to show a serious expression, the body of Senator Ricardos, all of the slain magical knights, and even the armored spider-like tanks began to mend at a visible rate. To the observers, it was like time was reversing, and, while this wasn't exactly the case, the end result was virtually indistinguishable...
---
Without sticking around to see the results of his entropic reversal, Vahn allowed his primary vessel to dissipate within the Senate Chamber. This spontaneous disappearance was bound to cause even greater confusion, as, even if they reviewed a recording of the footage during his time in the Senate Chamber, finding even a single frame with him in it was impossible.
Due to his existence as a singularity, even photographs of Vahn wouldn't show his figure, and, while it was possible to remember him, peering into someone's memories would return nothing related to him. This had caused quite a stir within the Inner Sanctum when people realized they could not create Memory Orbs related to him, but, with his own functioning just fine, he was able to recreate the memories they were interested in without issue.
Needless to say, Da Vinci was very interested in this phenomenon, labeling it as Contemporaneous Cognizance, an overexaggerated way of saying that people could only perceive him in the present. They were still able to remember him, describing events with perfect clarity, but, the moment these memories were extracted in a way that could be analyzed, any and all information directly related to him simply didn't exist. The only exceptions to this rule were the Memory Orbs Vahn had created, as, unlike a normal person's memory, his memories were like an archive that systematically 'recorded' everything within his perception, himself included...
Regardless of how and why it worked, Vahn found solace in the fact that, even if people could spy on him, they were unable to actually record anything related to him. It didn't matter if they used photos, videos, magic, or other methods of surveillance, as, unless they were observing him in the present, he simply didn't exist. It was for this reason that most of the people hunting for him didn't quite take his actions above Lake Argyre seriously, as, even if they reviewed the footage, they would just see a few incomprehensible scenes playing out without any rhyme or reason.
Fortunately, even if he was functionally 'invisible', the effects of his attacks, especially if they used Elemental Energy as a basis, could still be seen. This was enough to horrify the average person, as, from their perspective, it was almost as if an invisible deity was passing judgment upon both the Empire and Confederation; a surprisingly apt reaction considering Vahn's triplicate Divinities...
---
With his main vessel destroyed, the remaining Vahn's, which had been spread around the city to increase the effective range of his attacks, began to converge. The only exception was the version of himself relaxing in what appeared to be a rather exorbitant fortune teller's hut.
Located a few meters from where Vahn was seated upon a chaise lounge, a large reflecting pool with eerie black water could be seen producing countless ripples, almost as if invisible raindrops were hitting its surface. Even more eerie was the fact that, if you put your ear close to the water, it was possible to make out the almost inaudible screams of countless people...
Though others would feel nervous just being inside the heavily veiled chamber, Vahn was able to relax without showing any sign of perturbation. The reason for this was rather simple, and, as if to demonstrate this point, a beautiful figure emerged from the shallow pool as if it was was actually much deeper. She had dark-green hair tied in a loose ponytail, and, similar to Vahn, albeit a shade darker, her eyes glistened with a deep aquamarine glow.
Seeing the woman emerge from the pool's 'depths', Vahn rose to a seated position, an affectionate smile on his face as he said, "I couldn't have done this alone. Thank you, Fairy Xuan."
Hearing her Master's praise, Fairy Xuan issued a very womanly laugh, her voice carrying deep and sultry undertones as she answered, "Our life is given meaning by being able to serve Master."
Agreeing with Fairy Xuan's words, a rather large snake emerged from the water, it's voice incredibly deep as it added, "Indeeeeeeed. Eliminating Master's enemies brings us the greatest pleasure..."
Finding her perpetual companion's words amusing, Fairy Xuan began to gently caress its head, her nails glistening with a dangerous light as she gingerly ran them across the snake's scales, it's purple tongue flickering contentedly in response...
Seeing the interaction between the 'two', Vahn issued a light chuckle before rising to his feet and approaching the duo's side. This caused the snake to break free from the woman's caress as it lifted itself further from the water, revealing the fact it was directly attached to the woman's lower back.
Unperturbed by the snake's actions, Vahn allowed it to rub its head against him as he dutifully ran his left hand along it's glistening black scales. At the same time, he extended his hand to the other half of Fairy Xuan, the female form that lulled prey into a false sense of security.
After helping Fairy Xuan to her feet, Vahn helped to warm the duo's body by holding her female half close and allowing the snake to loosely coil around his body. Then, for the better part of an hour, he repaid their diligence by leading the naked Fairy Xuan around the room, slowly dancing to the tune of an enchanted zither. They had always been rather fond of dancing, and, while it wasn't something he partook of very often, Vahn actually enjoyed it quite a bit...
---
Though Vahn had killed a number of Senator's using his own methods, the person responsible for the instantaneous deaths of nearly a third of the entire assembly was Fairy Xuan.
Using the nigh-cataclysmic storm as a cover, Fairy Xuan was able to infiltrate the personal bunkers and hideouts of various Senators. She could even manifest from a single drop of purified water, so, ever since her departure from Ariadne, Fairy Xuan had been amassing information on every Senator. This included information pertaining to their secret dealings, and, most importantly, whether or not they sincerely believed in the propaganda purported by the Confederation.
In the end, Fairy Xuan had managed to compile a detailed dossier on more than two-thirds of the active Senators. She had invested most of her efforts in vetting the least corrupt among them, so, when it came time for the mass execution, it was the group she hadn't investigated fully that was executed.
While this might not make a lot of sense, the primary reason Fairy Xuan wasn't able to compile a detailed dossier on the final third was due to their close association with Demons. This association limited her observation of them, so, rather than focus on the Senators themselves, she compiled as much information as she could obtain regarding the actions of their family and close associates. It wasn't difficult to find evidence of wrongdoing, and, more often than not, those with close ties to the Demon Nobility of Venus were the most likely to engage in taboo research.
Though he didn't really want anything to do with Venus, that didn't mean Vahn could ignore the presence of Demons in Mundus Magicus. This had nothing to do with discrimination, as Demons actually acted under a very strict set of Laws. Rather, it was because they exacerbated problems by offering power and knowledge to corrupt, malicious, or outright evil individuals.
The only thing that really mattered to a Demon was fulfilling the terms of their contract. The terms of these contracts could benefit both good and evil individuals, but, as the method for summoning a Demon was typically only known to people who dabbled in the dark and so-called forbidden arts, it was very rare to hear about a Demon's power being used for benevolent purposes. Thus, until he could reach some kind of agreement with the Demon King, Vahn was intending to kill anyone that was misusing a Demon's power, even if it meant becoming the target of one of the most powerful factions in the Akamatsuverse...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Bruh..."','Memories of Nobody','I feel like Vahn just wants to fight someone...')
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