บท 1640: Storm
Not expecting Vahn's sudden proposal, the members of the Megalomesembrian delegation found themselves at a loss for words. Some of them had long discarded the possibility of ever escaping their situation, so, even if they had heard rumor of Vahn's exploits, years of conditioning prevented them from answering expediently.
Vahn understood he had put the eleven Demihumans on the spot, but, unless they had the resolve to reach out and take control of their fates, there was little he could do for them. Thus, after waiting several seconds for their response, he lightly shook his head, saying, "I pray you will not regret your decision to remain silent...remember, you were given a choice..."
Without waiting for the group to respond, Vahn began to walk past them as Fenrir, having received his mental command, released a soul-shaking howl. The temperature in the surroundings began to rapidly decrease, and, though it was drastically weakened by Asuna's presence, she was still able to freeze her surroundings due to the Source Energy present within each of her abilities.
Though Fenrir's wolf form was terrifying in its own right, the combination of [Apex Predator: SS] and [Freezing Roar: SS] came together to produce a virtually unblockable crowd control effect. Everyone who heard it experienced a momentary paralysis, and, much like someone unleashing Conqueror's Haki, the aftermath of her roar was marked by the collapse of thousands. At the same time, several Airfish began to veer from their initial positions, crashing into each other after their pilots collapsed at the helm...
Surprisingly, the Megalomesembrian Militia still refused to attack even after Fenrir issued her howl, so, with a deadpan expression on his face, Vahn pulled out Lave-tan in her sealed state. At the same time, much like how Tiamat had forcibly teleported him against his will, he began moving everyone who had lost consciousness from one side of his domain to the other. He could teleport them much further away, but, by limiting the transfer to within his domain, he could effectively mitigate the cost in its entirety.
As the group nearest to him, Vahn moved the eleven ambassadors to an isolated area. He wanted to give them a second chance to take control of their destiny, so, after dropping them off, he set a small bag of Drachma and some simple weapons nearby. What they chose to do after waking was ultimately up to them. He couldn't be held personally responsible for each person he saved, so, with his eyes focused on the front, Vahn began his march towards Megalomesmbria without sparing the eleven an additional thought...
---
Hearing the reports coming in through his earpiece, Dictator Primulus had a dour expression on his face as he muttered, "Humans are always so incompetent..."
Following his utterance, Dictator Primulus swiped in the air, dispersing several futuristic displays of pale-blue light, many of which showed the data regarding the ambassadors sent to greet the Sage Dragon Emperor. Then, with another tap of his fingers, a high-quality display appeared out of thin air before breaking into twenty-three smaller panels, each showing someone in full military dress.
Surprising each of the senior officers present, Dictator Primulus had a resolute expression on his face as he reiterated, "Do not engage. Shift to disaster relief protocols and allow the Sage Dragon Emperor to pass freely. Trying to fight him will only result in greater casualties. Anyone found guilty of ignoring this order will be tried with high-treason against the Confederation."
Though there were a considerable number of people who didn't agree with the Dictator, the simple fact of the matter was that Primulus had uncontested authority when it came to military affairs. His orders were absolute, so, unless they wanted to be publically executed and burden their family with accusations of rearing dissidents, they had no choice but to obey...
Removing any possibility of counterarguments, Dictator Primulus immediately dismissed each of the displays after relaying his order. Then, with his hands behind his back and a mildly disgusted glower on his face, he looked towards the expanding ice flower in the distance, muttering, "These people are helpless...now, let's see how much you are able to uncover you golden-scaled bastard..."
---
Seeing the remaining fleet and militia parting to allow his passage, Vahn's expression became even dourer. Though it was inarguably better for there to be no conflict, it was indescribably annoying to prepare yourself for a battle that never came.
With everyone refusing to attack, Vahn was put in an awkward situation that made him seem like a villain. Some people even threw down their arms the moment he turned his attention toward them, and, though there were many who radiated auras of hostility, even those with brackish auras raised their hands in spite of their indignity.
Feeling his brow begin to twitch, Vahn decided to up the ante by setting his sights upon one of the tallest buildings in Megalomesembria, the location of the Megalomesembrian Senate. It stood out like a palace amongst the surrounding buildings, and, even though it currently exceeded the reach of his domain, Vahn could sense numerous powerful individuals holed up inside. A few even made his draconic blood boil, tiny golden scales spreading across his arms, hidden beneath his clothing.
Vahn knew 'someone' was messing with him, so, curious to see how far they were willing to go, he extended his hand towards the gloomy skies above.
Though there was very little elemental energy present within Megalomesembria, a complete lack of the life-giving energy would make the region completely inhospitable. Vahn could sense a number of nascent Air, Water, and Earth Elementals present, and, though it rapidly depleted his reserves, he could use his Creation Divinity to produce even more.
In accordance with Vahn's intent, intimidating black clouds began to form in the skies above the Confederation's capital. These were far larger than normal storm clouds, and, after several minutes had passed, peculiar pulses of gold and purple began to illuminate their interiors as a phenomenal amount of Lighting and a marginal amount of Space Elemental Energy began to gather within their billowy depths.
Finished with his preparations, Vahn inhaled deeply through his nose before allowing the air escape his lips. Manipulating the weather to cover a metropolis wasn't easy, and, though most of the work was done by the Elementals themselves, creating them took a considerable amount of energy...
With an unnaturally heavy downpour descending upon the largely evacuated city, Vahn, untouched by the rain, casually approached the distant meeting place of the Megalomesembrian Senate. Most of his frustration had faded away during the formation of the rain clouds, so, rather than hasten his steps, he walked with his eyes closed, his intent sweeping through the area.
Though there were bound to be a few who would choose to return, Vahn systematically destroyed the collars of every slave he sensed within his domain. Then, with a 'thought', he transported them from the underground bunkers that currently housed much of the city's population. He couldn't do much for them, but, with food, money, and a few other essential supplies, they at least had a chance to secure their freedom.
Further increasing the chances for a successful escape from the capital, the clouds above the city began to release several pulses of electromagnetic energy. At the same time, thick bands of golden lightning began to strike any weapons platform that shifted its focus towards any of the groups on the periphery.
Vahn was trying to create ideal conditions to allow a mass exodus from Megalomesembria. Being removed from their shelter would make the groups feel exposed, and, with a torrential downpour, combined with the terrifying aura emanating from his body, only those with very strong ties to the city would dare venture back into its interior...
---
With his leisurely pace, combined with the fact he had stopped a number of times along the way, it took nearly two hours for Vahn to reach the entrance to the Megalomesembrian Senate Building. It was an impressive building, spanning more than a kilometer across and six tall. However, compared to the Babel Tower from the Record of Danmachi, constructed by the Gods, it almost seemed like a testament to human greed and hubris more than anything else...
After restraining the urge to simply destroy the ridiculously large building, Vahn ascended nearly a thousand steps in silence before stopping a few dozen meters away from a wall formed from more than a hundred magically armored Knights. Their base appearance was similar to the designs used by the Ariadne Magic Knights, but, rather than pristine white or pale pink, every Knight across from him was attired in an onyx-black armor that was almost twice the size of a conventional model.
Standing at the front of the group of armored Knights, seemingly without any regard for the rain soaking through his expensive garments, a man with a peculiar hairstyle and eyes that glowed with a glimmering golden light smiled viciously as he stated, "You've made quite the entrance, haven't you? Tell me, how should I address you? I'm Senator Ricardos, by the way."
After staring at the man's horn-like hairstyle for several seconds, Vahn shifted his gaze to meet the man's, answering, "How you address me matters very little. Your people have a habit of assigning titles and designations for things without regard for propriety. I already know the Senate does not respect me so there is no need for pretense. Now, I assume you have come to act as an escort...?"
Despite feeling as though he was staring into the open maw of a massive dragon, which wasn't too far from the truth, Senator Ricardos was able to stand firm, his eyes reflecting a fierce resolution as he answered, "Indeed. I've made a few enemies as of late so I'm the lucky bastard who got picked to ascertain your intentions and then escort you to the destination of your choosing...so, what will it be? I can show you to the Senate Chamber or escort you to the Consulate. Either way, I'd appreciate it if you made your decision quickly so we can get out of this damned rain..."
Though the man wasn't exactly polite, Vahn didn't particularly care. He knew the man was actually one of Fairy Xuan's contacts, and, though he was a Senator, he was a member of the minority party that had been pushing for more progressive reforms. He had even joined the Auditing Committee, earning numerous enemies due to his snooping around and attempting to 'fix' the problems of the Confederation from the inside.
Deciding not to make too much trouble for the man, Vahn shifted his gaze upwards, staring directly at the silvery-haired man who had been watching him for quite some time, saying, "It doesn't really matter where you take me. You can lead me to your Senate Chamber or lead me directly into a trap. The only thing that will change is the order and sequence of events. The end result, however, will be the same. I will break the will of your Senators, address the most problematic sources of corruption in your country, and when everything is said and done, you will be given the opportunity for a slow and gradual recovery. Now, please, lead the way Senator Ricardos. I'm anxious to see what path the leaders of this nation have chosen..."
Hearing Vahn's reply, Senator Ricardos' expression became even more serious than before. As for the armored knights behind him, several gripped their magical halberds tighter, ready and willing to lay down their lives for the Confederation at a moment's notice. They didn't care how powerful their foe was, as, from the time they were adolescents, they had been specially conditioned and modified to serve as the sword and shield of the Senate...
Sensing the increasing tensions, Vahn's calm expression gradually morphed into a far more serious countenance. Then, similar to the ambassadors that had previously barred his passage, he repeated a simple ultimatum, stating, "Make your choice...Senator..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'YEET~!','Vahn be like, "Run." -bass drops-','Just fight already')
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