Capítulo 1804: Preparations : Onset
With the Position Tournament only taking place every six months, combined with the fact only the top 10% were allowed to advance to the next Floor, it was no surprise that hundreds of thousands of Regulars had gathered to participate in the bi-annual event. Because of this, there were actually two parts to the Position Tournament: the Elimination Competition and the Seeded Tournament.
Though tens-of-thousands of Regulars would pass through the Elimination Competition, earning their right to advance to the next Floor, only the top thirty-two in each Position would be able to advance to the Seeded Tournament. This was the main reason people were eager to form strong teams for the Elimination Competition, as, with very few exceptions, the seeds were chosen from amongst the thirty-two parties who scored the most points during the preliminary event.
Fortunately, individual Regulars could also compete in the Elimination Competition so Vahn had the option of going solo or forming a party with Phae while the rest of Team Wolf Pack was divided into three relatively balanced groups. In the end, it really didn't matter all that much; so, while everyone else was making their preparations, Vahn spent the week leading up to the competition wandering around the Coliseum City. He even took Ryun on a date at one point, an event that seemed to have left a deep impression on the redheaded beauty if the passion she demonstrated after the fact was any indicator.
Now, with less than a day before the Position Tournament, Vahn found himself perched atop the head of a massive stone dragon as he watched the hustle and bustle of the city below. He enjoyed watching people go about their daily lives, and, though the conditions in the Tower compelled the residents to behave strangely, seeing so many people walk around with serious and resolute looks on their faces was rather inspiring. Everyone moved around with a sense of purpose, and, though their reasons might be derived from selfish desire, their convictions were commendable...
Picking up the black cat that was nestled in his lap, Vahn brought his face close to its snout as he mused, "It's almost time for your debut. Are you excited~?"
Though she couldn't deny that she was more than a little excited, Yoruichi responded to Vahn's question with a long and exaggerated yawn before answering, "Don't worry. I'll make sure to put on a flashy performance. Still, I'd rather we get a move on and hurry up the Tower. I'm getting tired of bullying the brats and training with the same people every day. I want to fight a real opponent. I've even considered letting you knock me up just so I have something to occupy my time."
Imagining the scene of a pregnant Yoruichi, Vahn felt a strange sense of incongruency within his mind since she didn't exactly strike him as the motherly type. Rather, her kid was bound to be even more rambunctious than she was...
Interrupting Vahn's thoughts, Yoruichi curled up her back paws to use his face as a springboard for a feline backflip. She didn't know exactly what he was thinking but her women's intuition told her it was something very rude.
Chuckling lightly in response to Yoruichi's antics, Vahn slowly rose to his feet before extending his hand so she could deftly transition to his shoulder. Then, while scratching behind her ears in just the way she liked, he softly muttered, "I'm sure you would be a great mother..."
Giving Vahn the kind of look that was reserved for unrelated people looking at mental patients, Yoruichi plainly remarked, "You're an idiot. I was just joking when I said that. Seriously, you think I want to compete with my own brat for affection? Maybe in a few hundred years, sure, but not right now."
Though he suspected she was just joking about, Vahn was still at a loss for words in response to Yoruichi's rebuttal. Fortunately, she didn't really seem to take his words to heart, following her own by licking the ridge of his ear before rubbing along the back of his head as she transitioned to his opposite shoulder. Then, with the side of her head rubbing against the fringe near his sideburns, she added, "You should only worry about spoiling me and finding strong opponents to beat up. I'm a simple woman. Give me headpats and something to punch and I'll be happy."
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn promptly retrieved Yoruichi from his shoulders, holding her to his chest as he reclined against the stone dragon's back. Then, for the better part of an hour, the only thing he focused on was stroking and caressing the pampered cat until her purring could be heard near street level...
---
With the Elimination Competition only a few hours away, Khun was discussing various battle plans with Shibisu and Gandr. They had been selected as the leaders of the other parties, and, for the last week, they were gathering as much information as possible pertaining to past Tournaments.
Though there were rare cases where the event would be something completely different, the vast majority of preliminary events were, as the name implied, Team Deathmatches. This was necessary to keep the population of the 10th Floor under control, but, fortunately, there was no requirement that you actually kill your opponent. Everyone was given a saucer-sized badge they were required to wear on their chest, back, or shoulder. If this badge was destroyed, you would immediately be teleported outside of the participation grounds.
Khun's plan was to have all three parties rejoin each other as soon as possible. From there, they would establish a defensive line against other attacking Regulars before sending the Fishermen and Scouts off to attack with the support of the Lighthouses.
Since the only real benefits for competing in the Seeded Tournament were name recognition and bonus Points, Khun had little interest in trying to secure the team's participation. His main objective was ensuring that everyone passed together, so, before anyone could run off to try and ensure their participation in the main event, he wanted to secure a defensive position to protect the entire team.
Though the more fiery members of the group didn't completely agree with Khun's plan, they knew it was the best way to guarantee everyone advanced to the next Floor. He had also promised them a chance to go around and eliminate other teams after the fact so they couldn't really argue against his decision. Instead, they joked about the possibility of facing off against each other in the Seeded Tournament, an event Gandr, Endorsi, and Phae were all but guaranteed to win for their respective Positions...
---
Without bothering to return to Team Wolf Pack's lodgings, Vahn spent the remainder of his day exploring the city and watching various teams prepare for the competition. He, alongside every other participating 'Regular', would be teleported to the participation grounds the moment the Elimination Competition began.
Vahn had ultimately decided he would be participating in the event 'alone' so he believed it was for the best that he give Team Wolf Pack as much space as possible leading up to the competition. This was to allow Khun the opportunity to flex his leadership abilities, as, soon enough, he would be the only voice of authority within the team.
Yoruichi wasn't the only one of his Templates itching for a fight so Vahn had already been making preparations to part ways with Team Wolf Pack. He couldn't continue babysitting them forever, and, thanks to the Law of Identity, he knew just how much further he needed to go in order to reach the pinnacle of existence. Thus, even if it was earlier than he anticipated, Vahn was considering pushing them from the nest so they could finally spread their wings and fly.
Though he was largely to blame, Vahn had noticed that Team Wolf Pack was gradually becoming more and more dependent on the conveniences he provided. Some of them were even beginning to slack off in their training, so, before the problem could get out of hand, he wanted to push them towards independence.
Fortunately, Khun was a very perceptive young man so it only took a few hints from Phae for him to realize they would soon be forced to fend for themselves. From that moment onward, he redoubled his efforts to learn as much as possible from Phae while also taking a far more proactive approach to leading Team Wolf Pack. This involved establishing a loose chain of authority with himself, Gandr, and Shibisu as the representatives and decision-makers for each party. He had also been doing his best to accumulate as much Loyalty as possible by accepting various F~E-Rank Quests that allowed him to stockpile a few hundred points in a relatively short period of time.
Vahn knew what Khun had in mind for his Loyalty but he had never been the type to judge people when it came to matters of the heart and personal preference. His relationship with Da Vinci made him pretty open to most things, so, even if Khun asked to be converted into a woman, he wasn't going to criticize him. Rather, after seeing the life Rachel had been living in the Realm, Vahn felt it would be for the best if Baam moved on with someone else...
Unsurprisingly, Rachel hadn't been able to find true happiness even after being able to observe the stars at her leisure. She was a very needy and petulant woman who liked to complain about fairness whenever she wasn't allowed to have her way. There was even a period where she tried to convince people in the virtual world that she was his secret lover, behavior that immediately got her flagged and subsequently soft-banned from the social hub.
If the only problem was her incurable narcissism, Vahn wouldn't have cared all that much about how Rachel chose to live within the Realm. What really annoyed him was her audacity to complain about the Companion she had been given, whining about how it wouldn't 'properly' obey her. She was the type of woman who didn't want to do anything herself, so, despite being told it wasn't her servant, she was constantly trying to make her Companion perform every menial and mundane task she didn't feel like doing herself. This led to her residence becoming a veritable pigsty before Vahn finally sent someone to clean it up, yet another opportunity Rachel attempted to take advantage of by 'demanding' that she be given a caretaker.
What made all of this exponentially worse was the fact that time within the Realm moved at a rate of 1:10 in relation to the Record. This meant ten days in the Tower equated to only one day back in the Realm. The only exception was when Vahn entered the Realm directly, stopping the flow of time in the outside world so he could spend some quality time with his family, friends, and loved ones.
Simply put, all of the problems caused by Rachel had occurred over a relatively short period of time. She had even managed to annoy the Homunculus he had assigned to help her adapt to life within the Realm, a 'laudable' feat considering the average Einzbern Homunculus had an extreme level of tolerance. They could even lose limbs or suffer abuse without so much as flinching but Rachel had still managed to annoy the woman to the point that Vahn felt compelled to compensate her after the fact.
Fortunately, proving that he only really cared about her during specific moments, Baam had yet to request a single meeting with Rachel. Most of his time was spent training, hanging out with friends, and, most notably, spending time with Rak and Khun. His relationship with the latter was especially close, and, though he didn't have any romantic feelings toward Khun, it wasn't difficult to imagine Baam falling for 'her' after his change. Khun seemed to care about Baam to the point that he was willing to lay his life down for the boy so it was only a matter of time before their friendship turned into something 'greater'.
While imagining how Khun would appear as a lithe woman with pale blue hair and electric-blue eyes, Vahn sensed the Space around him begin to distort as the countdown on his Pocket reached 00:00. Immediately after that, he found himself standing in the middle of a massive battlefield that looked like it had been host to countless wars. There were even a number of large craters where the Shinsu of past attacks still circulated destructively.
Catching an emerald-green spear that had been aimed towards his head, Vahn promptly shattered it using raw physical strength before turning to his group of assailants with a smile. This caused the Light Bearer of the group to quickly shout out a number of commands to his party; but, before she could so much as direct the Fisherman to attack, a black cat veiled in vibrant blue lightning zipped between each of them, destroying the badges of five Regulars before sending the Spear Bearer in their group flying with a not-so-gentle tail smack...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yoruichi be like, "Nah, fam, that ain't me..."','Does this count as christening a ship...?','He's lucky she didn't hit him with her panted Billion-Volt Neko-Paw Punch (OwO)...')
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Capítulo 1805: Imminent Danger
With the intention of hastening his climb up the Tower in the near future, Vahn decided to use the Elimination Competition and Seeded Tournament as an opportunity for Yoruichi and his Pokemon to gain some experience. He had Latias and Latios act as Scouts, taking advantage of their ability to turn invisible and phase through objects, while Yoruichi took on the role of a Fisherman to eliminate any enemies they encountered. At the same time, Xerneas and Kyrie followed close beside him, the former commanding several Lighthouses while the latter continued to increase the concentration of Shinsu to the point that it was beginning to appear like they were the eye of a hurricane.
Though she could willfully disable it, Kyrie's mere presence had the effect of causing a downpour in her immediate surroundings. Massive rainclouds forms overheard, and, with the gentle swaying of her oversized sleeves, a pressure vortex was generated in the sky overhead. As for the rain released, it was actually concentrated Shinsu so it wasn't long before the weaker Regulars participating in the preliminaries were forced to quit just because they could no longer bear the increased pressure. As for the stronger participants, specifically Wave Controllers, they had the opportunity to experience a drastic increase in the power of their 'Waves' while the rest experienced a notable increase in their ability to use Enhancement.
Seeing the spectacle overhead, Vahn couldn't help but be impressed by Kyrie's awesome power, even as he manipulated the Shinsu in the surroundings to generate an equally impressive barrier formed from golden light. This made them stand out quite a bit since it was just after midnight so Yoruichi had plenty of opponents to face, her figure flashing like a sapient bolt of lightning as she dashed through the darkness and made short work of any Regulars who wandered too close. It was an extreme example of 'overkill', but, considering he was using the 10th Floor as a platform to show off their strength, Vahn didn't mind so long as she didn't go overboard...
---
Though he had received a forewarning from Phae, Khun was just as surprised as the rest of Team Wolf Pack when he saw the massive storm front forming over the battlefield. There was something about seeing a hurricane form that resonated with a person's most primal instincts, inspiring both awe and fear in equal measure. The fact someone could command such a force was truly terrifying, and, though it might not be as scary as the annual demonstrations performed by his father, Khun couldn't help but tremble at the thought of Vahn's future power.
Shaking his head, Khun turned to the members of his current party: Baam, Rak, Serra, Hatsu, and Tasha. They weren't the strongest members of Team Wolf Pack but they were a very well-balanced group that covered all the Positions competently. The only troublesome elements were Serra and Tasha, the former due to being a battle junkie while the latter had problems following the orders of people she didn't acknowledge. Fortunately, Serra wasn't completely uncooperative, and, so long as Hatsu was around, Tasha fulfilled her duties responsibly.
With all eyes focused on him, Khun adopted a practiced smile as he said, "We'll go with the basic piercing formation. Tasha and Hatsu will take point to map as much of the terrain as possible using their Observers. If an enemy appears, Serra will be our primary combatant while Rak supports from long range. Baam and I will coordinate to repel any enemies that try to break through or formation and target the Lighthouse. Remember, our primary goal is to reunite with everyone else, not attack enemies. There will be plenty of time to fight once we've established our defensive line. Until then, I need everyone's full cooperation. No mistakes."
Though she wasn't fond of taking orders from Khun, Tasha merely snorted through her nose before transforming into her half-wolf form. This time, however, her clothes didn't tear apart. Instead, they easily adapted to the shape of her body to give her an appearance similar to a bipedal wolf clad in form-fitting scale armor. Then, with two Observers that looked like insectoid spheres with four wings, she took off into the descending gloom alongside Hatsu.
Seeing the duo venture outward without argument, Khun breathed a sigh of relief before smiling at his remaining comrades and saying, "Well, let's not fall too far behind..." in a lackadaisical tone.
---
Staring up at the darkening sky above, Gandr couldn't shake the feeling his Master was about to do something excessive. He could vividly imagine the entire battlefield becoming a flooded plain in the very near future. Before that happened, they needed to reunite with the rest of Team Wolf Pack; so, with a determined look in his eyes, he passed his gaze over Endorsi, Anak, Jung, Chunhwa, and Nare as he said, "We need to hurry. Master seems unwilling to wait an entire month for the preliminaries to end. At this rate, we might not even have a few days before this entire region is submerged..."
Though it was a little difficult to imagine, none of Gandr's party members doubted the veracity of his claim. Even Jung had started to believe that Vahn was a genuine God, and, though she still had her sights set firmly on Gandr, receiving headpats from the former now made her feel a little giddy. As for Endorsi, Anak, Chunhwa, and Nare, they had already been convinced as early as the Floor of Tests, back when Vahn seemed to be in absolute control despite rarely leaving his room.
Being the most vocal member of the group, excluding Jung when she was excited, Endorsi stood with her arms crossed, propping up her breasts as she asked, "Do you have any idea where Khun's and Shibisu's Parties might be? I don't think your sense of smell will do any good if there is no trail for you to follow."
In response to Endorsi's question, Gandr pulled out a ring very similar to the ones they had received from Director Yu prior to leaving the Floor of Tests. The former iteration had been a tracking device that ignored the standard limitations of the Inner Tower and allowed people in the Middle Tower to track the owners without their knowledge. This functionality had been reverse-engineered by Phae, so, while it could be considered cheating, the fact such devices even existed was more than enough reason to simply disregard the rules of the Inner Tower.
After explaining the functionality of the ring, Gandr relented to placing it on Endorsi's ring finger before directing the group to move towards the nearest signal. They didn't know how big the actual battlefield was, only that it would steadily shrink over the duration of a month.
Thanks to a massive barrier of Shinsu that surrounded the entire battlefield, the water produced by Kyrie had no place to go. Rather, as time passed, the water level would continue to increase so they needed to quickly secure a region of high ground near the center of the battlefield if they wanted to avoid spending the final moments of the competition sheltering within a Lighthouse...
---
Wearing a similar ring to the one Gandr had bestowed Endorsi, something the latter was bound to take exception to, Shibisu walked at the very center of his group alongside Alea. As for the rest of his party, comprised of Ohta, Aleksai, Laure, and Yun-Yun, they formed a loose perimeter around him as everyone moved in towards the direction of the strongest signal. Their group specialized in long-range attacks and defense, so, while they moved the slowest of the three, their offensive and defensive might allowed them to eliminate several parties who attempted to ambush them.
Fortunately, though they would normally spend most of their time sleeping, both Laure and Yun-Yun were showing uncharacteristic levels of motivation. They both levitated at the flanks in their respective beddings, the former erecting a dense barrier around the entire group while the latter had numerous spheres of pink Shinsu orbiting around her.
Yun-Yun's Quality, similar to Baam's, allowed her to form stable spheres of Shinsu that required considerably less effort to maintain than usual. This, combined with the methods taught by Vahn, Fenrir, and Madara allowed her to generate far more Baangs than a normal Regular. To make her even more of a monster, she could increase the tension of the spheres until they were several times more powerful without requiring any additional Shinsu. This effectively made her a floating artillery platform, and, though her defensive capabilities were significantly lower than Laure's, her offensive capabilities placed her near the peak of Team Wolf Pack.
Demonstrating just how ridiculous her power was, Yun-Yun released a volley of five swirling pink pillars of Shinsu towards a large rock formation where Alea had detected several Regulars. These pillars tore through the terrain like a high pressured water-jet cutter, devastating the terrain, and forcing the group out of hiding. If she had wanted to, she could have eliminated the entire group in an instant, but, unless their hands were forced, the members of Team Wolf Pack had been asked to avoid killing as much as possible.
With the enemies exposed, Ohta and Aleksai began to bombard the group's position with spears rippling with electrical energy. This was a pretty common phenomenon when Shinsu was infused into an object, but, while the effects seemed similar, this time the lightning was the direct result of an Ability that was inherent to the weapons: paralysis. Spears weren't exactly ideal for knocking out an opponent without severely injuring or even cripple them so they had both been given weapons capable of paralyzing a target even with a grazing blow.
Like the many teams who had come before them, the unfortunate group of Regulars was quickly dispatched by the overwhelming firepower of Team Wolf Pack. This left Ohta feeling annoyed, as she wanted to face strong opponents, but Shibisu kept her from going on a rampage by casually remarking, "You will have plenty of strong opponents to face during the Seeded Tournament. Rak, Aleksai, and Ran will also be participating so don't do anything that would compromise your own participation."
Though she hated taking orders even more than Tasha, Ohta simply clicked her tongue in response to Shibisu's words before shouldering her spear. She knew she was one of the weaker members of Team Wolf Pack so there was no honor to be found in looking down upon and ridiculing someone who specialized in using their head. If she were to try and bully the weaker members of the team, it wouldn't be long before she was either bullied or outright expelled from the group.
Since even the thought of having her memory erased was unpleasant, Ohta decided to just tough it out in order to see just how far their so-called God was able to go. Vahn's power was something incomprehensible to her, but, most importantly, he had provided her with the opportunity to grow stronger. This was something she could appreciate, so, while she had trouble believing he was an actual God, she still feared and respected him quite a bit.
Seeing Ohta rein herself in, Shibisu nodded approvingly before giving the order to press forward. He knew they were working with limited time, so, before the water level could begin to increase, he was determined to find a suitable location to protect. Regrouping with the other parties was only a secondary concern at this point, as, compared to the other two, his party was the least mobile. This made it a lot easier for Khun's and Gandr's parties to find theirs; so, while he continued to guide his team towards the nearest signal, Shibisu's primary concern was finding a place to shelter from the intensifying rain...
---
With the preliminaries limiting the number of participants on any given team to six, the final two members of Team Wolf Pack; Ran and Yihwa, had been paired with Phae. The former was the type of person who treated virtually everyone as 'troublesome' so he needed a parental figure to keep him in line. As for the latter, she was currently incapable of controlling her flames; so, to avoid any accidents from occurring, Phae had decided to watch over both Yihwa and Ran for the remainder of the competition.
Fortunately, even as a party of three, the trio of Phae, Yihwa, and Ran were rather monstrous. They were able to zip around high above the battlefield thanks to Phae's Lighthouse, and, though she might not be able to control them properly, Yihwa was able to wipe out entire groups of Regulars with a single fiery Baang of Shinsu. As for Ran, he dual-specialized as both a Fisherman and a Spear Bearer, but, for the sake of the competition, he had decided to go all out by assuming the latter. He was a descendent of the 'God of Spear Bearers', after all, so, much like Khun, he had an innate talent when it came to wielding and throwing spears.
With Ran having tired himself out due to overtaxing his Shinsu reserves, Phae was allowing the duo to rest within the confines of her invisible Lighthouse as she systematically mapped the region. She was trying to locate the exact center of the battlefield, as, much like everyone else, she had already realized that Vahn was about to do something drastic. This gave her a strong desire to chastise him the next time they met, but, for the time being, she was more concerned with ensuring the success of Team Wolf Pack. With this in mind, she gradually made her way towards the location of Shibisu's Party, fully expecting them to try and hunker down in what might not be the most ideal location...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "I AM THE DANGER...!!!",'Everyone is working hard~!','TFW even extensions of yourself think you are going overboard...')
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