Kapitel 1641: Overwhelming
Following a tense standoff that lasted several minutes, Vahn found himself being escorted through the excessively large Senate building by a stone-faced Senator Ricardos. There were also a number of armored magical knights in the surrounding, but, as if they had the presence of air, Vahn ignored them completely as he probed the more secure regions of the building with his intent.
During his stroll through the city, Vahn noticed there was a complex underground network beneath the surface of the city. This was rather common even back on Earth, but, with magical materials and advanced building techniques, several hundred years ahead of 'modern' standards, the complexity of Megalomesembria's underground was simply ridiculous.
Generally speaking, even a simple skyscraper would require an exceptionally stable foundation. This was especially true for buildings over a certain height, and, depending on the conditions of the soil and sub-surface material, some foundations could be nearly half as deep as the buildings were tall.
As an example, the foundation for the Megalomesembrian Senate Building extended nearly three-kilometers deep, but, rather than use a stable raft or solid supports, it was structured to be part of the vast underground network that seemed to span the entire city. This network extended nearly thirteen kilometers beneath the surface in some regions, and, from what Vahn could sense, most of the subsurface city was actually ancient ruins.
It wasn't difficult to imagine a country like Megalomesembria establishing itself atop the ruins of an ancient civilization, but, even after purchasing thousands of historical records related to the Magical World, Vahn had never heard of the ruins located beneath the city. Even Fairy Xuan hadn't informed him of their existence, almost as if they were completely separate from the rest of the world despite the fact he could clearly sense them...
Deciding he would investigate the subterranean ruins later, Vahn entrusted the matter of analyzing the ruins to Sis. He had other matters to focus on right now, but, due to the nature of his domain, it would be easy to go back and 'explore' the ruins from memory alone. There was no need to explore them directly unless they found something of potential import or intrigue...
---
While Vahn had been deliberately making his way through the city, Asuna and Fenrir had remained in their original position. In their surroundings, a palatial structure spanning several hundred meters had gradually taken shape, its structure formed from pure ice elemental energy.
One of the things that distinguished a competent Mage from the general rabble was their ability to affect their surroundings and modify the environment to guarantee themselves greater advantages. This had been true even in the Record of Danmachi, but, after training for nearly a hundred years in the Nasuverse, Fenrir reached a point where her [Aterna Clacies] and [Nihil] were capable of rivaling an EX-Rank [Territory Creation] skill.
Though it took a considerable amount of energy, Fenrir was able to create elaborate architectural structures formed from little more than Ice, Water, Darkness, and Yin Elemental Energies. This was where her sobriquet 'Queen of the Frozen Abyss' came from, as, for a variety of reasons, Fenrir had focused her efforts on developing massive palatial structures. She even had a personal Sub-Space Orb that was filled with more than a thousand different castles, some of which could even rival the Ivory Castle in both scale and beauty.
---
Though she hadn't dropped her guard, Fenrir decided to conserve her energy by laying down in the center of her newly constructed castle. She kept a larger version of the [Pristine Jade Ice Bed] in her collar-turned-interspatial-artifact, so, whenever she had the opportunity, Fenrir would pull it out for the purpose of replenishing her reserves and helping to calm her mind.
If a 'normal' person were to come into contact with the [Pristine Jade Ice Bed], they would instantly freeze as yin-ice toxins invaded their body. Fenrir, however, was completely immune to this effect, and, even if her core temperature inverted, falling into the negatives, she was able to move around without any discomfort.
Asuna lacked Fenrir's constitution, but, with a thin membrane of invisible Ki covering her body, she was able to lay within Fenrir's thick coat of fur, completely disregarding the sub-zero temperatures. Instead, she was focused on the inordinately beautiful gemstone in her hands with a curious and slightly mischievous glimmer in her eyes.
Though he had explained it to her several times, Asuna was very curious regarding Vahn's ability to change form. She had yet to grasp the true nature of the Ego and Intent, so, when Vahn turned into something like 'pure water', Asuna couldn't help but wonder how he was able to move and perceive his surroundings without something physical to process the information. He could even 'feel' things without any nerves whatsoever, a mysterious phenomenon that caused various thoughts to dance across Asuna's mind as she fiddled with the rainbow-hued gemstone...
Unfortunately, with Vahn currently occupied with more important matters, Asuna couldn't conduct any of the experiments that tempted her reasoning. She didn't want to make things too difficult for Vahn, so, even though her mind had been wandering with increasing frequency ever since everyone else left, Asuna was always in control of her actions.
After considering her options for several minutes, Asuna brought the rainbow-hued gemstone to her lips, whispering, "Good luck..." before planting a small kiss on the flattest surface. In response, the gemstone began releasing a gentle pulse, and, though it obviously lacked hands, both Asuna and Fenrir could feel a familiar and comfortable warmth begin to spread through their bodies...
---
With Asuna's words coming just as he was about to enter the Senate Chamber, Vahn couldn't help but issue a wry smile before quickly adopting a more serious expression as Senator Ricardos turned to explain, "You would normally have to relinquish your weapons and have your magic sealed prior to entering this chamber..."
Completely ignoring Senator Ricardos' words, Vahn made his way past the man, blasting apart the ornate wooden doors with a burst of Ki before saying, "You're free to try whatever you like. I have no obligation to play along, however..."
Without waiting for the man's response, Vahn walked into the circular chamber filled with nothing but projections. None of the Senators had deigned to show up personally, for obvious reasons, so he had no interest in playing games. Instead, he sauntered into the room with a somewhat bored look on his face as he lazily inspected the complex magical formations hidden within the chamber.
As a measure to prevent people from misusing their magical power within the Senate Chamber, a modified Inverse Sealing Formation covered the entire room. Any attempt to cast external magic would trigger the formation, and, unless you were able to complete the spell instantly, your magic power would be 'forced' back into your body, seriously injuring or even crippling you.
Vahn was actually a little impressed by the magic formation, but, as he would have been able to create something similar nearly two-hundred years prior, it didn't hold his interest for long. After memorizing its structure, he turned his attention to the large podium that overlooked the rest of the Senate Chamber. There, a projection of the same man who had been observing him could be seen, his expression a perfect mask of calm as he looked down with peculiar purple eyes...
Ignoring the outbursts of and remarks from several Senators, Vahn smiled up at the man, eyes blazing with a golden light as he plainly stated, "Judgement has come to Megalomesembria. If you want to avoid a catastrophe, you will begin making the necessary changes to fix this broken nation. Here, let me point you in the right direction..."
Without waiting for anyone to argue against him, Vahn raised his left hand, and, without taking his eyes away from the Dictator and the Consuls surrounding him, snapped his fingers. In response to this simple gesture, nearly a third of the Senators present collapsed, their projections blinking out of existence. At the same time, two of the Consuls seated in their throne-like chairs showed pained expressions, and, much like their Senatorial counterparts, they too collapsed in their seats, this time without flickering out.
Witnessing the rather incredulous sight, even the Dictator was unable to conceal his shock. As for the rest of the assembly, complete chaos erupted within the chamber as the surviving Consuls rose to their feet, shouting various expletives as armored knights and spider-like tanks appeared from a series of transport magic circles that had appeared out of thin air.
Feeling his blood beginning to boil, a battle-hungry look flashed across Vahn's eyes as he pulled out the sealed version of Laev-tan and shouted, "Come! Let me show you the cost of corruption and the interest your actions have accrued...!"
Following his outburst, Vahn's aura surged outward like an explosion, repelling the knights who had attempted to surround him. In the next moment, before even a single one of them could crash into the surrounding walls, Space within the chamber rapidly condensed. Empty air gained a consistency similar to water, greatly reducing the speed of everyone sent flying as Vahn, seemingly immune to the effects, created hundreds of afterimages as his sword glided seamlessly through the reinforced armored plating of the surrounding knights.
Though people within the affected area could have counted several seconds, the actual passage of time, at least from the outside, was only a fraction of a second. Vahn was a God of Space, Time, and Creation, so, while it was a bit cost-intensive, he could freely manipulate Space and Time within his domain. He could even create a 'reference point' to freely reverse Time, and, so long as their Egos hadn't been fractured, he could effectively 'resurrect' the dead by reversing the order of entropy.
The most useful aspect of this 'time-reversal' was the fact that it affected Vahn himself, so, even if he was on the verge of losing, he could basically 'reset' the battle at will. This wouldn't remove any of the mental fatigue, but, unless they had the means to do spiritual damage, he would be able to repeat the battle as many times as it took to ensure the most optimal outcome.
Confident in his abilities, Vahn was unable to hide the excitement in his eyes as Senator Ricardos, unable to just stand idle, attacked from behind. His body was shrouded in a lightning-like aura that caused the robes covering his body to evaporate, revealing an exceptionally toned physique marred with various wounds.
Though not quite the speed of lightning, Senator Ricardos was able to enhance both his speed and reaction time by saturating his cells with lightning elemental energy. This was eerily similar to how the Magia Erebea worked, but, considering the man had Demonic Blood flowing through his veins, Vahn wasn't too surprised.
Demonstrating the vast disparity between their speeds, Vahn was able to deflect or dodge most of Senator Ricardos' attacks with minimal movements as he explained, "That technique is going to ruin your body. Even if your regeneration is better than a normal human, lightning elemental energy has an inherent purification effect. The deterioration of your cells will increase exponentially the longer you keep this ability active..."
As he was well aware of his own weakness, Senator Ricardos didn't show any surprise in response to Vahn's words. Instead, his expression became even more serious as he jumped back and attempted to increase the output of his technique, a dauntless expression on his face as he said, "You're no-"
Without affording the man the opportunity to power up, Vahn's figure seemed to 'glitch' for a brief moment. The surroundings seemed to dim considerably, and, for an almost imperceptible moment, it appeared as though he had eight right arms, each swinging his sword at a different angle without him having to move from his starting position.
Before Senator Ricardos could fully process what had just transpired, an overwhelmingly nauseous feeling spread through his body. Then, preceding complete darkness, his vision began to gradually split, the focal point of his eyes shifting away from each other as his body was split into a series of small chunks.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mundus Magicus has many secrets...','Fenrir takes after Eva; very artistic','One does not become a deterrent through passive action')
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Kapitel 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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