Chapter 1977: Repudiation, Reminiscence, Resignation
Waiting until Vahn had fully regenerated, clothes and all, Ureko, now appearing much like a Super Saiyan due to her golden hair and aura, asked, "Tell me...do you know why I'm so angry?"
Restraining the urge to adopt his characteristically wry smile, Vahn maintained a solemn expression as he answered, "I didn't lie to you...I just...changed..."
Furrowing her brows, Ureko surged forward to grab Vahn by the collar, a wrathful expression on her face as she shouted, "And that's the problem! It hasn't even been that long since our first meeting! I believed you when you said you wanted to grow stronger without pressure! You pretended like you wanted a challenge, yet, whenever a real threat appears, you simply overcome it on a fucking whim! You made me wait for you, and for what!? If you wanted, you could have conquered the Tower back when you first entered! Instead, you're taking your sweet time, needlessly complicating the lives of people you supposedly care about just because you want to experience a challenge? Well? Where's the challenge!? Are you having fun!?"
Recalling his past experiences with Ureko, an apologetic expression developed across Vahn's face as he averted his eyes and uttered, "The situation has changed since then...I..."
With her grip on his collar tightening, Ureko interrupted Vahn's words, her tone venomous as she growled, "You name yourself the God of Infinite Possibilities and think you can get away with using 'change' as an excuse? Of course the situation has changed! Decades have passed since then! Time is constantly moving forward! The problem, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, is that you're moving forward on your own! Stop pretending to stand with the people around you when you're the only one allowed to do whatever the fuck you want! Either give them legitimate hope or man the fuck up and handle your shit before it becomes a problem for the people around you! You need to make a-"
Before Ureko could continue any further, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a hand came to rest on her shoulder. At the same time, an expression of abject shock appeared on Vahn's face, his mouth opening but unable to offer any words as the figure standing behind Ureko said, "I thank you for attempting to educate my younger brother, but you're overlooking too many things and using violence to try and prove a point. There are women far more qualified than you to lecture him. With that in mind...please, shut the fuck up."
Feeling a cold chill pass through her body, Ureko spontaneously 'blinked' away, brows furrowed as she stared at what appeared to be a feline woman with bronzed skin, yellow-green eyes, and large breasts. Under normal circumstances, she would have found the woman fairly attractive, but, seeing the unconcealed 'contempt' in the woman's gaze, Ureko's frown deepened as she asked, "Who the hell are you supposed to be?"
Ignoring Ureko completely, the cat-eared woman immediately turned to Vahn, her voice steady and gentle as she said, "I won't say you haven't done anything wrong. What you need to keep in mind is that you moved forward with the knowledge that you 'would' make mistakes. Never let anyone guilt you into second-guessing the path you have chosen. Just make better decisions moving forward."
With that said, the olive-skinned woman extended her hand to gently ruffle Vahn's hair as her body vanished from the feet up. Then, moments before she disappeared completely, she looked over at Ureko and added, "Nobody is forcing you to get with Vahn..." with a noticeably hostile look in her eyes.
Feeling another shudder run through her body, Ureko's anger mounted as she shouted, "Where the hell are you running off to, you damn cat!? If you have something to say, I'm all ears! Don't tell me you're going to run off after talking all that good shit...!?"
Shifting his gaze towards Ureko, Vahn was surprised to see the tell-tale signs of fear within her aura. This was a surprisingly common response among women with heightened instincts, not because Sis was particularly dangerous, but because an aura of 'absolute certainty' seemed to linger around her whenever she emerged. It was almost like she was an immutable existence, an intrinsic truth, that, if challenged, would completely undermine everything you thought you knew about yourself and the world around you.
Extending his hand towards the topless woman, a relaxed smile developed across Vahn's face as he asked, "Can we talk? Preferably without fighting..."
Frowning in response to Vahn's words, Ureko's first instinct was to refuse, but, seeing the apologetic look in his eyes, a weary sigh escaped her throat as she crossed her arms and said, "If you give me a massage and explain who the hell that woman was, I might consider hearing you out..."
Though he couldn't help developing a wry smile, that didn't stop Vahn from manifesting a massage table and answering, "It's a long story..."
Nodding her head, Ureko practically teleported atop the massage table, a serious glimmer in her ruby-red eyes as she said, "Good. That gives you plenty of time to deal with the tensions in my back and shoulders. For some strange reason, I've been under a lot of stress as of late..."
Choosing to withhold comment, a dry laugh escaped Vahn's throat as he deftly flexed his fingers in a manner reminiscent of a pianist. Then, for the better part of three hours, his fingers danced across Ureko's body as he recounted his past, and, most importantly, his aspirations for the future...
---
With her muscles relaxed to the point that she could hardly even move a finger of her own accord, Ureko allowed Vahn to hold her in his warm embrace, back pressed against his chest as she stared off into the distance with unfocused eyes. There, under the influence of Vahn's power, a projection of his battle against a being known simply as 'The End' was playing out over a distance of several hundred kilometers.
As the strongest being in the Toaruverse, The End stood very near the pinnacle of Tier 5. It was so powerful, in fact, that Vahn had needed the assistance of several Magic Gods and an entity known as 'The Beginning' just to be able to seal it. This was really the only thing they could do, as, so long as the concept of an 'ending' existence, so too did 'The End'.
Seeing the cataclysmic battle play out, Ureko couldn't help feeling a little envious. She had always wanted to stand at the pinnacle, not because she wanted to look down upon others, but because she wanted to face others capable of contending for the title. Unfortunately, the existence of Axis Users had made this impossible in her own world, and, now that she was seeing what a true battle at the pinnacle was like, Ureko was starting to realize she had been a little short-sighted.
Though her power was beyond the comprehension of most people, Ureko hadn't even been in the running for 'the strongest' of her own Universe. Even her father, considered by many to be one of the most powerful, couldn't afford to offend the true powerhouses of the Universe. There was even a time, back when she was just a young girl, that she found her father lowering his head to such an extent that the person he was talking to was able to step on the back of his head.
Back then, Ureko had been what many would refer to as a 'sheltered princess'. Many even likened her to a delicate flower on the precipice of a harrowing cliff, something meant to be observed from a distance and never disturbed. Her only purpose in life had been to study and refine her bloodline until her parents had decided upon her spouse. After that, her most important duty was protecting her children and nourishing the next generation, never questioning her place in the 'grand scheme' of things.
Had she never seen her father being trampled underfoot, Ureko would have happily followed the path her parents and clan had laid out before her. She had been led to believe that it was a great honor to dedicate her life to the clan, and, more than anything else, she enjoyed receiving praise from her mother and the Elders responsible for her education. They had treated her as if she was the most important person in the entire world, and, no matter how busy he was, her father would often drop whatever he was working on if she wanted to play with him. He had treasured her more than anyone else, so, after seeing him being trampled upon, Ureko couldn't resist the urge to try and help him.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a mistake, as, the moment she stepped out, her father lashed out at her, shouting and screaming despite the fact his head was still had his head pressed to the ground. Though she would later come to understand his reasons, this event had greatly scarred the young Ureko. For a time, she even resented her father, and, no matter how much her mother tried to convince her, she simply couldn't understand why someone as noble and powerful as her father could lower his head and lash out at his only daughter.
Following this incident, Ureko developed the mentality that the only person she could rely on was herself. She completely lost interest in her education, and, despite the efforts of numerous Elders, she ignored all their advice and became obsessed with gaining strength. She had convinced herself that her father was spineless, so, for the sake of her clan, she wanted to become strong enough to protect everyone and reclaim their shattered pride.
For a while, Ureko believed her decision had been correct, as, shortly after she began training in earnest, even those several-hundred-years her senior had trouble keeping up with her. By the time she had reached adulthood, she could smoothly defeat most of the Elders, and, if they were to fight seriously, she had convinced herself she could even defeat her father. The only thing that prevented her from trying were the feelings of respect, adulation, and love she still felt towards her father. She didn't want to embarrass him, so, despite the efforts of numerous people to try and convince her to take over, most of her effort went toward tracking down the man responsible for humiliating him in the first place...
Witnessing the incomprehensible battle between Vahn and the anomalous entity known as The End, Ureko couldn't help being reminded of her past. She had grossly overestimated her power, and, as a result of the zealotry she had inspired in her followers, more than seventy percent of her clan had been wiped out as a result of their arrogance. They had offended someone counted among the Top 5 of their Universe, and, rather than backing down when he gave them the opportunity, her people made the mistake of overtly offending and even threatening one of the most powerful Axis Users in existence, Phantaminum.
Recalling her powerlessness in the face of Phantaminum's power, a complicated expression spread across Ureko's face until Vahn suddenly held her a little closer. Immediately thereafter, a warm and comfortable sensation spread through her body, instantaneously suppressing any anxiety she might have been feeling as he gently inquired, "Should we change venues? The Little Garden has changed quite a bit since your last visit. I can show-"
Though her body felt unbelievably heavy due to her relaxed muscles, Ureko still managed to elbow Vahn's ribs with enough force to send a ripple through his body as she warned, "Don't remind me...I still haven't forgiven you for effectively treating me as an afterthought. Once we settle things, we're going to have to sit down and have a very long discussion. It might not be my place to tell you how to live your life, but you can't deny things have gotten out of hand. If you're serious about returning to your family, it's only a matter of time before you have to blaze ahead on your own. If your words are true, we can't be there for you when you cross that final threshold, so, rather than holding all of us back, yourself included, you should push ahead without hesitation. If you genuinely believe that everything will be resolved once you reach the pinnacle, why the hell are dawdling here?"
Adopting a somber expression in response to Ureko's words, several answers crossed Vahn's mind, but, no matter how he viewed them, they seemed more like excuses than anything else. All he really wanted was to make the people around him happy, but, the more effort he put into achieving this, the greater the burden he placed on everyone. This was especially true for the 'arbitrary' additions to his harem, as, not only were they comparatively weak, most of them had no real direction in life other than simply being with him. His efforts to make them happy even forced some to develop a dependency on him, and, as time passed, they became progressively less certain about whether or not their life had any actual purpose...
Exhaling a profoundly exasperated sigh, Vahn allowed his chin to rest against the top of Ureko's head, his arms closing around her waist as he said, "It seems we're going to need to have a long discussion...all of us..."
Though part of her was tempted to bump Vahn's chin with her head, Ureko ultimately managed to resist the urge, lightly nodding as she intoned a curt, "Nn..." in response to his words...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Onee-san don't play...','Guren Lagan vibes...','Nn...')
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