Though he was aware of the decision made by the Empire, Vahn was a little surprised by the fact they didn't even try to send anyone to reclaim the Hell Express. They had concluded that it would be a lot safer to send their people in during the six month period where the train docked at the Last Station. This, combined with the fact they had 79 of the 100 total Express Tickets allowed Vahn and his growing retinue of Regulars to freely explore, collect treasures, and train.
With the addition of Elaine and Alphine, there were now ten inordinately powerful Regulars in Vahn's charge. This included Yura, David, Anna, Vicente, Daniel, and, to a lesser extent, Weiss, Arryn, and Arusha. As for Angel, she had already found someone to settle down with among the residents of the Second Layer, and, though she was still determined to obtain her revenge, it was far from her primary focus.
Since even the weaker members of the group were capable of clearing the challenges of the Hell Express, Vahn had given everyone permission to wander about individually but encouraged them to travel in small groups. Instead, everyone decided to travel in one large group. More specifically, they wanted to follow along with him, as, compared to traveling alone, it was always better to be close to the person with a portable 'resort' and a seemingly endless supply of delicious food.
Though he would rather they become independent, much like Team Wolf Pack, Vahn knew the situation of people like Weiss, Elaine, Alphine, Arryn, and Arusha didn't exactly allow it. The same could also be said for the Arie siblings, so, while it was a little inconvenient, he decided to watch over them until he could find a place to safely deposit them. Given the circumstances, this would most likely result in them becoming members of Wolhaiksong. The organization was well known for taking in exiled members of the Ten Great Families, so, with few other options available, Vahn was willing to indebt himself to Ureko if it meant he could ensure their safety while subsequently removing them from his responsibility...
---
With the door to the Hidden Floor firmly sealed until the Hell Express had cleared the 43rd Floor, Vahn decided to focus on the promise he had made with Daniel, Po, and everyone else related to Roen. Unfortunately, this had become considerably more difficult due to the fact that much of her Ego had been absorbed and subsequently destroyed following her self-sacrifice to seal Hoaqin.
Simply put, it was possible to revive Roen, but, due to her Ego having become a part of the billions of fragments that comprised Weiss, she would effectively be a different person. She would have no memories of her previous existence, and, depending on the circumstances, even her Innates would have changed drastically.
Fortunately, while it was impossible to openly discuss, there was still hope. Roen had completed the Hell Express numerous times in the past, so, while it wouldn't truly restore her original self, it was possible to acquire the 'data' of Roen from the Hidden Floor. Said data could then be infused into the resurrected Roen, and, though she would technically be a different person, her soul and memories would be the same as the original.
Since it would require Roen entering the Hidden Floor for the procedure to be conducted, Vahn spent the three-month period between the 40th and 43rd Floors searching for the Hell Express' core and recovering her spirit. The hardest part of this process was purifying the negative energy and filtering through the countless spirits that had died onboard the Hell Express. He also needed to come up with an alternative power source, as, without the negative energy generated by the spirits, the hellish locomotive would be stranded within the 'Dimensional Gap' separating Floors.
In the end, the vast majority of Vahn's time was spent creating a modified 'Spirit Gathering Array' alongside Eva. Despite its name, this particular formation had nothing to do with gathering spirits. Instead, it drew power from the functionally infinite Shinsu provided by the Elemental Pylons used to draw inert energy from the void and convert it into the standard form of energy existing within the Records. This was actually one of the first formations Vahn had ever mastered, but, compared to the version he had installed to power various barriers and wards back in Danmachi, the current iteration made his past attempts seem rudimentary in comparison.
With the Hell Express no longer relying on the negative energy generated by the deceased, Vahn performed a Grand Purification Ritual, penultimately exorcising all the spirits gathered within the Core. Part of him had been tempted to return them to life, but, unlike Roen, he had no particular reason to do so. In fact, were it not for the promise he had made with Aka, Sachi, Boro, Daniel, and Po, Vahn would have simply allowed Roen's soul to move on to the next life.
Fortunately for the bereaved quintet, Vahn was a man of principle who firmly believed in the value and importance of keeping his promises. Thus, while it might have been better to just let her soul move on to its next incarnation, Vahn's final act prior to disembarking on the Floor of Death was to create a Soul Binding Formation to resurrect Roen's spirit into a body functionally identical to her original. This time, however, the body was provided courtesy of Urahara and the Research Division rather than produced from his own flesh and blood...
---
Using his ability to view and know everything occurring within the Little Garden, Vahn watched with a thoughtful smile on his face as Daniel tended to the largely unresponsive Roen. She was basically an infantile amnesiac at this point, but, much to his surprise, she had actually reacted positively to Daniel's presence following her revival. This was a positive sign as it demonstrated that, while her Ego was almost wholly erased, a few of the most intrinsic parts of her character had been preserved.
Though it was a little awkward entrusting a 700+-year-old man to take care of an infantile woman, feeding, cleaning up after, and even bathing her, Vahn knew that Daniel's affection towards Roen was sincere. The man had been willing to give up everything just for a chance at restoring her to life, so, while these moments were bound to become awkward memories, he allowed the former FUG member to look after the surprisingly Nami-esque woman in the hopes that it would help to stabilize her Ego in preparation for the transplantation of her Data's memories.
Seeing Daniel patiently feeding the perpetually smiling Roen with a plastic spoon, Vahn couldn't help nodding his head in approval before promptly departing the Little Garden. There, he found Fenrir and Ryun waiting for him, both standing near the open exit of the Hell Express.
Walking over to join the duo, Vahn habitually stroked their heads as he gazed down at the vast sea of blood below. He found it strangely discomforting to consider that several thousand kilometers of the 43rd Floor were dominated by the corpse of a single monstrous entity, the Floor Guardian killed by Enryu nearly ten-thousand-years ago. Despite this inordinately long period of time, there was still a veritable ocean of blood covering much of the Floor, and, according to Ryun, there was an entire civilization living 'within' the Guardian's corpse...
Seemingly sensing his thoughts, Ryun joined him in looking down at the sea of blood, saying, "We will need to jump from here. Though the Guardian has been dead for millennia, its cardiovascular system and several of its organs are still functional to this day. The only way to reach the true Floor of Death is by riding the currents contained within the Sea of Blood. Don't worry. Despite its name, the Sea of Blood is actually comprised entirely of Shinsu. Even if we get stuck in current for several hours, we won't have to worry about suffocating or anything like that..."
Though the idea of breathing in the Guardian's 'blood' was a little disconcerting, Vahn just nodded his head in response to Ryun's words before stepping out of the Hell Express and diving head-first towards the vast sea of energy below. Fenrir and Ryun immediately followed suit, bodies shrouded in vibrant blue and scarlet auras that allowed them to descend into the blood-colored sea without producing a splash.
As Ryun had stated, the interior of the Sea of Blood wasn't simply breathable, it was almost like an oxygen-rich environment. Those entering within would feel extremely invigorated, and, so long as they could resist the powerful current and ever-increasing pressure, it was possible to strengthen both your body and reserves simply by staying immersed.
Unfortunately, unless they were an Irregular or possessed a special ignition weapon, specifically the Thorn, even the most powerful High Rankers wouldn't be able to stay within the Sea of Blood for long. The peculiar red Shinsu was actually the internal reserves of the Guardian, so, unless they had the ability to manipulate the internal energy of a continental sized creature, using any Shinsu-related abilities within the Sea of Blood was simply impossible. Even Vahn was no exception to this, but, unlike the vast majority of people, he had a functionally unlimited amount of energy to make use of within his body.
Thanks to their internal reserves, Vahn, Fenrir, and even Ryun could move about freely within the Sea of Blood. They were not wholly dependent on the Shinsu within the Tower, and, had she been present, even Yuri would have been able to fly around thanks to her elementary mastery of Ki. This was the true benefit of being an Irregular, as, unlike the residents of the Tower, those born outside were aware of the existence of various other forms of energy. Thus, even without Shinsu, they were able to continue fighting, and, in some situations, there were some who became far more powerful in its absence...
---
With Ryun guiding the way, Vahn and Co were able to avoid most of the hazards that generally prevented outsiders from entering the Floor of Death. This included many parasitic organisms, Gatekeepers, and a number of other strange, often immortal, creatures that called the Guardian's corpse their home.
Though it wasn't particularly well-known, largely due to the fact that even those aware of the truth were unable to disclose it, the Elder of the Red Witches had contracted with Enryu to ensure that the prophecy regarding Jahad's death was brought to fruition. Because of this, the 43rd Floor had become an important pilgrimage site for the Red Witches, and, thanks to Enryu's influence, it was one of the few places in the Tower where even Jahad dared not venture. After all, the contract that guaranteed the immortality of Jahad and the Ten Great Warriors was just that, a contract. With the death of the Floor Guardian, the 43rd Floor was one of the few regions in the Tower where Jahad's Immortality simply didn't function.
As one of the daughters of the Red Witch Elder, effectively making her a Princess of the Red Witch Tribe, Ryun was one of the few people that knew about the contract with Enryu. He had promised to free them from the Tower and create an endless number of new and interesting paths for them to view. Thus, for the last several millennia, the Red Witches had worked closely with FUG and it's constituents, patiently awaiting the day when the 'way forward' would be opened.
Were it not for Vahn's unexpected arrival, Ryun would have given up everything, including her own life, in order to allow Baam to kill Jahad. Fortunately, this was no longer necessary, as, even without defeating Jahad, the way forward would be open. It was for this reason that she worshiped Vahn to such extremes, as, rather than devoting herself a prophecy that required countless sacrifices, it was a lot more assuring to follow a God that took matters into his own, inordinately pleasant, hands...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Stay with Aunty Ureko. I'm gonna go out for a smoke..."','The Guardians are some big bois...','Ah, yes, the most pleasant of hands (O w O)...')
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Following Ryun's lead, it wasn't long before Vahn and Co reached the outskirts of a rather pungent region known as Gallstone Village.
As the name made readily apparent, Gallstone Village was just that, a village located inside of a large, mountain-sized, gallstone. It was half-embedded in a ceiling formed from the flesh of the Guardian, and, though most of the region had dried up by now, there were still areas of moisture and an incredibly foul-smelling aroma permeating the atmosphere.
Pausing at the base of a snaking set of stairs, formed from a series of stones that had been piled up to facilitate access to Gallstone Village, Ryun pressed a small indentation, saying, "Though it should be impossible for an outsider to reach this location without the support of a Guide, we have taken a number of precautions to ensure the secrets of the Red Witches remain as such. If you attempted to ascend the stairs without pressing these indentations in a specific pattern, the entire stairway would collapse. In the worst-case scenario, the village itself can be dropped on foes, crushing them before penultimately exploding."
Imagining the massive gallstone dropping on his head, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face as he considered whether or not he would be able to lift the entire thing. He knew it should be possible, but, even to this day, he didn't really have any feats to demonstrate his lifting strength. All he knew for certain was that he could lift several million kilograms even before his ascent to Tier 5. Now, so long as he 'needed' to, he should be able to lift any amount of weight so long as he was given the time to adjust his mental state...
Noticing the thoughtful glimmer in her Master's eyes, Ryun fell silent as she stood next to Fenrir at the base of the stairs. They had become accustomed to their Master's introspective nature, so, with 'knowing' smiles on their faces, they patiently awaited his return to reality with their tails wagging rhythmically behind them.
Sensing the sudden emergence of an unfamiliar presence, Vahn immediately snapped out of his reverie while performing a grabbing motion at the air. This was followed by a girlish exclamation as a rather petite yet well-endowed redhead, garbed in a black vest, grey undershirt, dark-grey skirt, and black jackboots appeared out of thin air.
Recognizing the obvious similarities between the woman and Ryun, Vahn allowed her to stand of her own volition as his own redheaded companion asked, "What are you doing here, Ai? Where is Soo Min?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Ai, who had promptly plopped to the ground following Vahn's release, jumped up with a start as she excitedly exclaimed, "Hwa Ryun? Is that really you!?"
With the petite Ai approaching like a starstruck fan preparing to tackle their idol, Ryun returned the woman to her senses with a crisp smack to the face, stunning everyone present as she said, "I asked you a question. Explain the situation."
Though she had briefly fallen into a stupor, mouth agape with her hand tentatively touching the area where Ryun had smacked her, Ai recovered shortly thereafter, revealing in a melancholic tone, "Soo Min has been killed..."
Frowning deeply in response to the sudden revelation, Ryun's ears flattened aggressively atop her head as she grabbed Ai's shoulders and said, "Tell me everything." in a threatening tone.
Though she wanted to inquire about the fluffy ears atop her senior's head, Ai nodded furiously in response to Ryun's threatening tone, explaining, "She was caught and tortured to death by a man named Hell Joe. He wanted to use her to locate the fragments of the Thorn. He refused to believe that her powers didn't function on the Floor of Death so she ended up dying before her time..."
With each word spoken, Ryun's expression became progressively darker as the atmosphere around her become agitated. The thought of someone torturing her kin to death was already bad enough, but, far worse than that, Soo Min wasn't meant to die on the Floor of Death. This implied that Hell Joe was acting in defiance of fate, and, while this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, the actions he had taken were unacceptable. Most Red Witches lived their entire lives knowing when, where, and how they were going to die so it was impossible to imagine how terrified Soo Min must have been upon realizing that her path had been severed...
Liberating Ryun from her downward spiral, Vahn placed his hand atop her head, gently caressing her silky-smooth hair as he promised, "We will make him pay."
Following an affirmative nod, Ryun threw her arms around Vahn's body, face buried in his chest as she allowed him to hold and console her. This surprised Ai quite a bit, but, rather than remark on the peculiarities of the situation, she awkwardly inched closer to Fenrir to ask a few questions...
---
Though he had already made up his mind on the matter, Vahn's anger towards Hell Joe increased to an extreme when he saw the state of Soo Min's body. Ryun had asked him to take a look at the woman, and, if possible, she wanted him to revive her. Unfortunately, Soo Min's spirit had already departed her body. Hell Joe had consumed the energy comprising her Ego, and, to make matters even worse, her vitality had been depleted to the point that her scar-covered body was in a state bordering on mummification, her expression perpetually fixed in a mask of horror...
In the end, the most Vahn could do for Ryun and Ai was restore the condition of Soo Min's body so that those performing future pilgrimages wouldn't have to witness the travesty wrought by Hell Joe's depravity. Any further treatment would depend on whether or not they were able to acquire Soo Min's Ego, but, considering the circumstances, the most likely outcome was that Hell Joe had assimilated it into himself in much the same way as White. Still, he wasn't just going to give up, so, following the treatment, Vahn learned more about the situation from Ai before the four of them made their way to a region in the Floor of Death known as South City.
Contrary to the name, South City was more of a wasteland than anything else. The few residents that were present resembled emaciated corpses with sunken features, ghostly complexions, and soulless eyes. This wasn't a complete exaggeration either, as, in exchange for eternal life, nearly every resident of the Floor of Death had their 'Souls' removed by an Artifact known as the Soul-Stirring Ladle.
As the name implied, the Soul-Stirring Ladle was, quite literally, a spoon with the power to scoop up a person's 'soul'. More specifically, it was enchanted with a powerful spell that allowed it to separate a person's spiritual body from their physical form.
Under normal circumstances, the Ego would generally accompany the spiritual body as the two were intrinsically related to each other. Here on the Floor of Death, however, there seemed to be a spell in place that bound the Ego to the physical body, effectively making its residents immortal so long as they never left.
Though some might consider eternal life a boon, only an absolute fool would consider separating the spiritual body from the physical form to be a viable solution to finality. The spiritual body was the very foundation upon which the Ego was built. Though it was possible to infuse the energy of a person's Ego into a physical object, it would quickly lose its stability unless the material used was spiritual in nature.
Even under the most ideal of circumstances, it was only a matter of time before the Ego began to fracture and dissipate due to the lack of a spiritual body to serve as a proper container. This might not result in death, but, in a way, it was far worse as you would gradually lose all emotions before penultimately losing your sense of self. In the end, the best-case scenario was becoming a husk of your former self that clung to life without a sense of purpose. The more likely outcome, however, was becoming an entity that consumed the vital energies and essence of other living creatures in a vain attempt to compensate for what you had lost...
Seemingly understanding this flaw, the rulers of the Floor of Death had implemented policies that prevented residents from leaving. Anyone entering would also be required to give up their 'souls', not just for the sake of leverage, but to prevent the residents within from attacking.
Though the average resident of the Floor of Death was rather weak, their immortality made them extremely difficult to deal with. They also possessed a unique sensitivity to any living creature with a spiritual body, so, unless you were outrageously powerful, it was only a matter of time before the residents within swarmed you like an undead horde. This would gradually result in the degradation of their mental states, so, with very few exceptions, nothing with a 'soul' was allowed to enter the Floor of Death.
Not caring about this restriction in the slightest, Vahn walked through South City with a bundle of Talismans known as Bujeok in his hand. They were derived from a unique branch of mysticism that allowed monks to seal, and, under certain circumstances, control the dead. Since the residents of South City were effectively 'undead', the peculiar paper talismans could be used to completely seal their movements by simply attaching them to the forehead. Even the most powerful among them were not spared this fate, as, rather than simple ink, each of the Bujeok wielded by Vahn had been inscribed using his blood as a catalyst.
Long before he had reached Tier 5, Vahn already had a unique constitution. Even Da Vinci, despite hundreds of years and countless hours of research, had failed to make any substantial progress in understanding the peculiarities of his blood. Instead, it became progressively more mysterious the more she researched it. As a result, even the most simple Talismans inscribed using his blood were graded as B-Rank items, and, depending on the amount of effort put into them, they were capable of reaching much higher ranks.
Though it was a little overkill, each of the Bujeok in Vahn's hand were, on average, A-Rank Sealing Talismans. They could, quite literally, be used to seal away lesser Tier 4 beings, so, while there were a number of strong residents among the undead of South City, each was immobilized the moment his Talismans came into contact with their foreheads. To make the situation even more one-sided, Vahn could manipulate said Talismans at relativistic speeds and teleport them directly through his domain. Thus, rather than inviting a horde to pester them, the group of four moved freely through South City until they reached a massive tower known as the Red Fortress...
Not expecting Vahn to be so 'tyrannical', Ai found herself at a complete loss as she witnessed him deal with Hell Joe's supposedly powerful guards with a simple flick of his wrist. Earlier on, she had tried to give him advice on avoiding a direct confrontation, as, from her perspective, Hell Joe was not a foe just anyone could defeat. Now, she felt like a fool who had tried to caution a God against stepping on an ant nest. To make matters even worse, Ryun and Fenrir would send overtly teasing and borderline haughty looks her way, neither showing any signs of perturbation as they followed obediently behind the ridiculously 'efficient' Irregular.
Fortunately, while his expression remained absolutely calm, Vahn had never been lacking in regard to sensory capabilities. As a result, they stopped just short of entering the Red Fortress, his voice a calm and steady baritone as he said, "This foe is a little on the dangerous side. His aura is the same as the presence lingering within the corpse of the Guardian. For now, it would put my mind at ease if the three of you retired to the Little Garden. Don't worry. I'm not going to kill him before you've had a chance to ask your questions."
With the final few words directed toward her, Ryun nodded her head in understanding before planting a surprise kiss on his cheek and whispering, "Thank you..." in a sincere yet slightly heated tone. She was happy just being able to follow the same path as him, so, with Vahn often going out of his way to help resolve personal problems, Ryun couldn't help but grow increasingly infatuated with him. He also treated her with far more care and affection than she ever expected, so, while it earned her an incredulous look from Ai, she wasn't shy when it came to nuzzling against his chest with a smile on her face.
Chuckling in response to Ryun's affectionate display, Vahn habitually wrapped his hand around her waist before planting a kiss atop her head and lightly musing, "There is no need to thank me. After all, you've been a very good girl as of late..."
Recognizing the familiar term, an amused chuckle emanated from Ryun's throat as Fenrir, keying in on the phrase, nodded her head in affirmation before crossing her arms and saying, "See? What did I tell you? So long as you're a good girl, Master will always treat you well~!"
Though it earned them all an increasingly incredulous look from Ai, both Vahn and Ryun couldn't help but laugh in response to Fenrir's proud statement. This was joined by the latter, and, for the better part of a full minute, the three of them laughed heartily in spite of the dismal atmosphere and the presence of several sealed undead twitching about in the surroundings...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ryun can be surprisingly harsh...','Talismans inscribed with the blood of a Tier 5 being are OP (O ^ O)...!','I kind of feel bad for Ai xD...
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