บท 1833: Authority
Though his reserves might not compare to the average High Ranker, Vahn's experiences with the Law of Identity had demonstrated just how much he was holding himself back. If he truly let himself go, there was literally 'nothing' that could defend against him, as, even if they were at the absolute pinnacle of the Record, they wouldn't even be able to sense his energy in its purest form.
The only downside to using Source Energy was that it couldn't persist in a stable state after leaving his body. It was constantly trying to transition into other forms of energy, primarily shaped through his intent. This made it remarkably difficult to use against any opponent he wasn't in direct contact with, but, so long as he focused his mind and properly communicated his intent, there was nothing his Source Energy couldn't do.
With this belief guiding his actions, Vahn willed the Source Energy from his body to convert into the purest form of Divine Energy he could manage. This caused his Baangs to gradually resemble small suns, but, rather than radiate heat, they inspired fear and awe in everyone that witnessed them. Not even the two High Rankers who had appeared were spared from this, their awe-inspiringly beautiful countenances marred in expressions of shock and horror as they beheld the thousands of Baangs that had formed into existence.
Smiling up at the duo, Vahn took the initiative to say, "I understand that it is human nature to covet things like beauty and wealth. Prosperity breeds excess, and, in the end, invites us to view even the most heinous of acts as normal. I generally turn a blind eye to things like animal domestication for the sake of consumption. The acts your family has taken against the Zygaena, however, are far too egregious for me to overlook. I will leave you with a light punishment this time around. When this is over, I expect you to inform your Godmother that her sins will no longer go unpunished."
Though they showed a substantial amount of confusion in response to his earlier words, the duo was able to recover from their stupor the moment they heard his words regarding their Godmother. Looks of conviction immediately replaced the fear and trepidation previously visible in their gazes as the stronger of the two shouted, "Who are you to pass judgment on the Yeon Family!? You will pay dearly for this transgression...!"
Before her words had even finished, dozens of Baangs formed from scarlet flames had formed in the air behind the woman. At the same time, though it was only visible to Vahn himself, a pair of slit-like eyes appeared above her as the silhouette of the Three-Legged Golden Crow manifested. This caused a subtle aura of Divinity to spread through the area, but, when it came into contact with his own, the eyes widened as the ghostly silhouette visibly shuddered.
While making a mental note to inquire about this strange phenomenon from the Law of Identity, a confident smile spread across Vahn's face as he made no attempt to defend himself from the pillars of flame tearing through the void. He had bathed in some of the most powerful flames in the Order of Creation, and, though he didn't exactly have immunity against them, his comprehension of the Laws of Nirvana, Fire, and Yang exceeded even the Phoenix and Three-Legged Golden Crow that had blessed the Yeon Family.
With his arms spread slightly, almost as if he was enjoying a gentle breeze, Vahn allowed the fire-infused Shinsu to continually wash over him until the attack had ceased. To the horror of the duo, the only indicator he had suffered even a marginal amount of damage was the fact that parts of his clothes had become singed. Unfortunately for two beauties, his resplendent golden scales and the pale-golden hair flowing from his head were completely unaffected by the destructive flames.
Seeing her most powerful attack do more damage to her own kin than the target, the stronger of the two High Rankers noticeably paled as she pulled out a vermillion Needle and said, "I'll be the Fisherman. You throw the spear..."
Without attempting to argue, the weaker of the duo took to the sky like a rocket as her counterpart charged towards Vahn with horrifying momentum. Before her attack landed, however, a fiery crown appeared over his head as he ignored the Needle aiming towards his heart. As a result, the Needle impacted his left pectoral muscle with tremendous force, but, thanks to his momentary immunity, it didn't even generate a shockwave as he directed his attention towards the sky and muttered, "Allow me to show you what real flames are like..."
Though she had been stunned by the fact her Needle had barely even pierced the fabric of Vahn's tunic, that didn't mean the female High Ranker was incapable of responding to sudden changes in the flow of battle. Her reaction towards Vahn's words was to attempt a second stab, this one aiming for his eye as she manifested her Pocket and shouted, "He is aiming for you! Dodge...!"
Despite knowing he was immune to damage, Vahn couldn't help but flinch as the Needle impacted his eye. At the same time, however, the resplendent golden Baangs in the surroundings became an even richer crimson than the flames produced by the Yeon Family. Immediately thereafter, Laev-tan emerged from his body, surprising the High Ranker enough to send her escaping backward as each of the Baangs emanated black light from their centers.
Taking advantage of the momentary breathing room, Vahn pointed Laev-tan towards the sky, and, though it was a little pretentious of him to make such a claim, he maintained a calm and confident expression on his face as he declared, "Ignite the Heavens. Fire God's Ascent...!"
Though the incantation served no actual purpose, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that words, when spoken with intent, held considerable power. So long as he believed they made his flames stronger, his comprehension of the Laws would bend reality to his will. This was the truest expression of the Law of Authority, and, unless someone with an even stronger will intervened, there was no way for them to override the reality that had manifested through his intent.
Demonstrating the true horror of the Law of Authority when applied to other Laws, the fiery Baangs formed by Vahn spiraled towards a singular point before converging into the figure of a mountain-sized dragon with three pairs of wings. Its entire body was wreathed in flames, and, though she had taken preemptive measures to dodge, the High Ranker above suddenly felt as if she was moving in slow motion as the massive maw of the dragon inevitably closed around her body.
Despite being just as surprised as everyone else, Vahn managed to appear completely calm on the surface. He hadn't expected the 'Fire God' arbitrarily referenced in his incantation to resemble the literal manifestation of the Law of Fire, a Dragon God known as Vulcanus. Fortunately, as he never intended to actually kill the woman attempting to flee, Vulcanus promptly transformed into a cage of flames, momentarily sealing her within.
Shifting his attention towards the visage of the Three-Legged Golden Crow hovering above the stronger of the two High Rankers, an amused smile spread across Vahn's face when he noticed it immediately recoil. It was a creature that was intrinsically related to the Law of Fire, so, while it had never seen Vulcanus with its own eyes, there was a potent spiritual suppression just from witnessing the latter's form. As a result, it soon disappeared from above the woman's head, effectively running away for fear of being subsumed by a far more powerful flame.
Feeling her power suddenly decrease, the heiress of the Yeon Family paled even more as the flames around her body transitioned from a violent crimson to a relatively gentle gold. Her only remaining blessing was the one provided by the Phoenix, but, compared to the one she had received from the Three-Legged Golden Crow, it was almost negligible. Her disposition and mentality didn't allow her to be a proper bearer of Phoenix Flames, and, if not for Hana's desire to protect her family, most of the members would be unable to house the pure and gentle flames.
Not understanding what had happened, the woman clutched at her chest as she exclaimed, "Just who are you!? Why are you doing this to us!? What did we ever do to you!?"
With his expression turning somewhat solemn, Vahn plainly remarked, "This is how your kind always reacts when a situation like this occurs. You rarely even bat an eye when you suppress others, but, the moment the shoe is on the other foot, you act as if some great injustice has been inflicted upon you. Consider this your punishment for the many lives you have adversely affected over the last 925 years. When next we meet, I hope you will have become a better person. If not, expect no clemency from me..."
Taking advantage of the woman's unstable mental state, Vahn used Reverse Flow Control to lock her in place as a link of Enkidu extended from his palm. Then, once it had completely coiled around her body, sealing her power, he manipulated the chain in a perfect arc before slamming her into the ground with enough force to send a visible ripple through the terrain. Immediately after this rather peculiar phenomenon, the area affected by the ripple collapsed to form a crater that was more than 700m in diameter as the woman bound by the chain immediately lost consciousness.
Seeing the woman's sorry state, Vahn couldn't help but exhale a sigh as he returned Laev-tan to his body and allowed Enkidu to dissipate. He had never been particularly fond of harming women, so it was a little disheartening to have to raise his hand against so many beauties. Unfortunately, women were sometimes capable of even greater wickedness than men, so, while he couldn't help but feel a little guilty, he wasn't going to apologize. Instead, he shifted his attention toward one of the many Lighthouses and Observers monitoring the battle, his voice solemn as he stated, "The era where the sins of the Ten Great Family go unpunished is over. This is my warning to those who have deviated from the path of righteousness...repent or prepare to pay your dues..."
Though he probably could have come up with something more meaningful to say, Vahn had no real desire to posture. The only thing that really mattered was that his message was conveyed through the Tower. So long as he was able to make a positive impression on the hearts and minds of those who desired vengeance against the Ten Great Families, he would have achieved his objective. His power would increase in proportion to the amount of belief that was placed in him, and, though there was no way they could compare to someone like Ureko, quantity could eclipse quality when very large numbers were involved.
With his objectives complete, Vahn allowed his vessel to simply fade out of existence, removing all the hidden imprints that had been placed onto him during the battle. He could have removed each of them relatively easily, but, at least for the time being, he wanted to keep his enemies guessing at his capabilities. It would be very difficult for him to defeat a genuine powerhouse, and, if not for his affinity for Fire, the two High Rankers belonging to the Yeon Family could have given him quite a bit of trouble.
Fortunately, at least from the perspective of others, his theatrics gave off the impression of an all-powerful god. After all, he hadn't even tried to evade any of his enemy's attacks from start to finish, and, though they weren't the most powerful, the fact he had defeated two High Rankers stirred the hearts of many. As a result, Vahn's reserves began to increase with each passing day, his growth directly proportional to the amount of hatred and resentment people held towards the Ten Great Families...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "It wasn't a suggestion. It was a decree."','Mastery over the Laws transcends everything else...','Will of the Emperor is OP...')
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