When everything was said and done, a total of three-and-a-half months had passed since the time of Vahn's shift in mentality.
Though he could have significantly reduced the amount of time, at least from the perception of the people outside the Little Garden, he no longer felt like he needed to rush things. Instead, he found himself spending a fair amount of time simply listening to the world around him, as, even in a place like the Little Garden, the world was 'very' eager to be heard.
Of course, as was often the case, the vast majority of Vahn's time was spent simply bonding with his family, friends, and loved ones. Reuniting with everyone had removed a substantial burden from his heart and mind. This was especially true in regards to his children, as, prior to their release from the Little Garden, they had been tucked away within the Emerald Grove.
Now that a small city had emerged, practically overnight, Naruto and Hana could safely explore the outside world. The former had grown incredibly close to Xerneas due to spending most of his time in her forest, so, with Latias having taken a shine to him ever since he was born, there were very few places Naruto couldn't explore. As for Hana, she was the official protege of Madara, and, though he would never admit it, Izuna often watched over her from the shadows alongside Yoruichi and Angri.
With virtually all of his Templates doting upon them, for obvious reasons, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Vahn's children were safeguarded twenty-four-seven. They had also received a modified version of the System Template, so, even if something did happen to them, Vahn could always recall them using his Unit Management system. From an objective point of view, this sounded a little odd, but, considering the consequences should he overlook even a single potentiality, Vahn didn't mind being called a helicopter papa...
---
As part of the final phase of their plan to take over the 199th Floor, Vahn was accompanying the trio of Kyurem, Zekrom, and Reshiram as they battled against some of the most powerful Shinheuh in the entire Tower. This included a few god-like beings that eclipsed mountain ranges in sheer size, but, unfortunately for them, they were no match for the trio consisting of a handsome young man, a petite beauty, and, despite being the oldest among the trio, an adorable little loli.
In the original Pokemon, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem made up what was known as the Tao Trio. In reality, they were actually one and the same creature. The original Rishiram and Zekrom could be fused with Kyurem to produce one of the most powerful Pokemon in existence, but, for the sake of simplicity, the Templated versions were effectively a father/mother/daughter trio with the power to amplify each others' attacks.
Though quite a number of stories dedicated Reshiram as a female, Vahn had always found the color black more suitable for women. As a result, his variant of the Legendary Dragon/Fire Pokemon was a young man with windswept white hair and intelligent grey eyes attired in an outfit resembling a frayed white tuxedo with striped, off-colored, orange slacks.
Accompanying the inordinately handsome young man was a petite beauty with raven-black hair and an athletic yet curvaceous figure. Her outfit was basically the antithesis of the young man, as, adhering to the colors of her true form, she wore a black shirt, grey leggings, black boots, and a black blazer with spiked cufflinks. This allowed the electric blue ribbon tied around her neck and hair to stand out, but, the moment you looked past them, the feature that would captivate people the most was her obsidian black pupils, ringed with luminous gold.
Standing side-by-side, the duo, despite their contrasting color schemes, were what many would describe as a match made in heaven. The only incongruency was that they could always be seen following around an adorable monochromatic loli with blue-grey hair, a gothic-style grey dress, dark-grey riding boots, and, of all things, a jagged mask formed of pale ashen-blue ice. This was none other than Kyurem, and, despite being an Ice/Dragon Type Pokemon, she was an incredibly hot-headed young lady.
In terms anime fans might find easier to understand, Kyurem had what some would refer to as an Ojou-sama complex. As for her parents, Reshiram and Zekrom, the former gave off the impression of a stoic and extremely competent butler. Zekrom, however, gave off the impression of someone inordinately kind, caring, and slightly airheaded. Together, the duo did their best to look after their ancestor-turned daughter, but, more often than not, they were simply dragged around as Kyurem set out to conquer the world with a combination of ice, overwhelming force, and cuteness.
While this might sound like an exaggeration, the truth of the matter was that all three of the Tao Trio were Tier 5 beings. Any one of them would be able to conquer the Tower on their own, but, together, they were basically unstoppable. This was especially true for Kyurem, as, so long as her 'parents' were nearby, she could both produce and bend Fire, Ice, and Lightning at will.
What made the trio especially terrifying was that their Realm functioned remarkably similar to a Reality Marble. In other words, they could superimpose their Realm onto reality, and, for a brief moment, their opponents would find themselves trapped in a world of perpetual darkness where the terrain was formed from liquid magma despite a frigid electrical storm rampaging overhead. This had earned their Realm the name 'Fire-Ice Tribulution', and, unless you possessed some form of immunity against Yin, Yang, and Purification Energy, surviving more than a few hours was difficult for even Tier 5s.
With these factors taken into consideration, it wasn't even remotely surprising to see Kyurem, arms akimbo, laughing like a tyrannical imp as a Shinheuh reminiscent of a Long Dragon struggled to so much as raise its head. This was inarguably the most powerful Shinheuh in the entire Tower, but, in the face of Kyurem, a True Dragon that had already stepped into the realm of Tier 5, it was basically just a snake with teeth, claws, ivory antlers, and whiskers...
Though she knew she would get scolded once everything was over, that didn't prevent Kyurem from raising the back of her hand to her mouth, pinky extended as she leaned back and laughed even louder. She greatly enjoyed watching massive creatures freeze to death, and, thanks to the guidance she had received from Eva, she had become remarkably apt at targetting key muscles and joints to debilitate her opponent. This allowed her to draw out the freezing process, and, though it earned her a fair amount of admonishment from Vahn, she was, secretly, quite fond of his chidings.
Fortunately for the Long, the ever-silent Reshiram eventually produced a ghostly blue flame that made short work of the river-sized creature. This earned him a glare from Kyurem, but, before she could say anything, Zekrom hugged her from behind, a gentle smile on her face as she said, "Be a good girl. If you take things too far, there will be no dessert after dinner."
Though her response was to harumph in a rather haughty manner, arms crossed in defiance, the lack of a more vocal reaction was indicative of just how important dessert was to Kyurem. In fact, had she been given the option, the only distinction in her diet would be the varying flavors of ice cream, pudding, and cheesecake she consumed.
Without letting Kyurem escape her grasp, Zekrom turned towards Reshiram, the corners of her smile turning upward as the handsome man habitually averted his eyes. This gave her a sudden and intense urge to tease him, but, deciding to save it until later, she simply smiled even more radiantly as she proposed, "Shall we return home~?"
After quickly adjusting his tie, Reshiram responded with a curt, "Umu..." before creating a fiery blue portal with a wave of his hand. As Tier 5 beings, manipulating their respective Laws to influence the fabric of Space-Time was a relatively simple feat. It was significantly less effective than the variation used by Vahn, but, so long as they used their energy to produce the correct equation, teleportation could be achieved by virtually anyone. The only issue was, unless you possessed godly control skills, accidents weren't simply likely, they were expected.
Fortunately, simply by achieving Tier 5, the world would proactively coordinate with you in order to realize the phenomenon you are trying to produce. This might not seem fair from the perspective of lower-tiered creatures, but, from the perspective of the cosmos, coordinating with Tier 5 beings was necessary for maintaining the integrity of the Universe. After all, Tier 5s were multiversal level individuals, so, were they to make a 'mistake', the consequences would be beyond measure.
In Reshiram's case, he didn't have to worry about making mistakes, as, prior to his creation, Vahn had already completed his stint in the Toaruverse. This allowed Templates produced afterward to benefit from the knowledge he had acquired from countless grimoires, so, while his teleportation gate resembled a portal to Hell, the truth of the matter was that Reshiram, specifically, made it to look like that. He might appear cool, calm, and collected on the outside, but, were you to possess an ability to read minds, this illusion would be shattered in an instant. In reality, he was an extreme Chuunibyou, as, during their creation, Vahn had been thinking about anime stereotypes that might be interesting to observe in real life.
With Zekrom and Kyurem unable to see his face, a somewhat sadistic smile immediately developed across Reshiram as he stared into his 'Flaming Netherportal' and resisted the urge to strike a pose. While this might lead others to believe he had remarkable restraint, the truth of the matter was that his resistance was just another aspect of his Chuunybyouism. He regarded his Pokemon form as if it were some kind of ancient dragon that had been sealed away, and, every time he 'released' its blue flames, he played the part of someone barely holding the seal together.
What Reshiram didn't know what that Zekrom, thanks to their unique bond, could hear each and every one of his internal monologues. Instead of judging him, however, her inordinately kind nature caused her to find his behavior adorable. This was the reason she was constantly smiling, as, despite their problematic natures, Zekrom knew Reshiram's and Kyurem's true natures. This allowed her to become increasingly efficient at handling them both, and, had it not been for her clumsy and kind nature, she could have easily manipulated the duo into doing whatever she wanted...
Seeing the trio depart through the portal, Vahn emerged from his position within the void to stare down at the half-frozen/half-eviscerated Long. He had actually been against the idea of culling the 'Lords' of the 199th Floor. They were intelligent creatures capable of communicating, and, at least in a few instances, transforming into humans. Unfortunately, they made the mistake of trying to target his children while they were out exploring, so, after a brief period of negotiations, Vahn ordered the execution of every Lord that refused to compromise and sign a contract.
Though it was a tyrannical and arguably cruel act, the 'purpose' of Shinheuh within the Tower was to hinder and eliminate those attempting to reach its peak. It was possible to reach a compromise, but, were it not for the authority and protections afforded them by Gluttony, there would be no end to the number of Shinheuh attempting to attack their settlement. This was, simply put, the way they were made. Thus, while it was ultimately his fault for never officially inducting Naruto and Hana into his Familia, Vahn had never hesitated to eliminate beings who refused to compromise...especially if they were brazen enough to target his children...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tier 5 Helicopter Papa o_o...','Kuh...! Be still, my right arm...!','Vahn don't play when it concerns the safety of his children...')
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Returning to the city, Vahn was unsurprised to find that it had expanded in the few hours he had been away. The theme they were going for something similar to a modernized 'Elven Forest', so, using her Mokuton(Wood Style), Madara had been rapidly expanding the burgeoning city's borders in preparation to accommodate future residents.
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn expanding his domain as an invisible pulse, instantaneously mapping the layout of the entire city. This was becoming the most frequent way in which he used his domain. As for his reasons, well, the most prominent justification he had come to was that he simply wanted to make Sis's job even a little easier. She was against this, but, as she was also the main person advocating he does what he wants, Vahn made the decision for both of their sakes.
Even as far back as Danmachi, using his domain had made him feel detached from the rest of the world. Now, he felt closer to the world than ever before, so, rather than compromising the peace he had found, Vahn intended to make the most of every moment. His power had also increased to the point that using his domain was simply overkill. Thus, at least for the time being, he intended to see and experience the world using his seven senses alone. (Touch, Taste, Sight, Smell, Hearing, Energy, Emotions.)
Having located the person he was searching for, Vahn teleported to just outside his own bedroom before gently knocking on the door. Immediately thereafter, he heard a soft sigh before the voice of Artoria could be heard echoing from his surroundings as she said, "It's your own bedroom...you do not need permission to enter..."
Opening the door, Vahn found Artoria wearing little more than pajamas. She had also let her long and beautiful golden hair down, so, for a brief moment, he found himself rooted to his position as he instinctually remarked, "Beautiful..."
Though she did her best to appear calm, Artoria was unable to prevent a blush from creeping into her cheeks as she combed aside her bangs and asked, "Is it done?"
Nodding his head, Vahn closed the door behind him before making his way over to Artoria's side, joining her on the bed and embracing her startlingly hot body as he explained, "Shen Long was the last of the Lords who refused to cooperate. The trio was able to make short work of him."
Exhaling a hot sigh in response to Vahn's touch, Artoria habitually rested her head against his chest as she distractedly uttered, "That's good..."
Feeling his own body temperature increasing, Vahn used his fingers to comb through Artoria's remarkably soft hair as he asked, "Do you want me to help...?"
Responding with a rare chuckle, Artoria gently nudged Vahn's chest with her head before replying, "It's just a typical Dragon's Heat. Don't worry, I can manage it on my own. Besides, if you decided to 'help' me, you would need to tend to the others as well."
Unable to refute her words, Vahn held Artoria a little more firmly while resting his head atop her own. At the same time, memories of a few weeks prior resurfaced in his mind. At that time, he had humored Mordred's request to demonstrate the Sage Dragon Emperor transformation he had used during his fight against the Great Mother. This ended up being a mistake, as, due to his most recent and drastic increase in power, he inadvertently triggered the reproductive impulses of nearly every woman with draconic features.
At the time, Vahn had attempted to help them quell the fires burning within their bodies, but, much like Terra, the only permanent solution was to fertilize their eggs. This was something he was willing to do, but, as a result of the desires that initially brought them to this world, most of the girls were being remarkably obstinate. The only exception was Mordred, who, being the closest to him at the time, ended up receiving the brunt of his draconic aura. As a result, she could now be seen carrying around a pale-golden egg that was larger than her head, a proud smile blossoming across her face any time someone made mention of its size...
Fortunately, not that he would have minded, Modred was the only one to wholeheartedly succumb to her instincts. Everyone else decided to simply bear with it, as, according to Da Vinci's research, it would gradually fade away so long as they limited the flow of energy from their Dragon Heart and avoided sexual intercourse. This would cause them to experience flu-like symptoms, but, after a few weeks had passed, they would eventually return to normal.
Understanding this, Vahn made no attempts to help alleviate Artoria's symptoms. Instead, he simply held her for the better part of an hour, gently cradling her in his arms until she broke the silence by asking, "When are you planning to confront Jahad? If you're waiting for me to get better-"
Pressing his index and middle fingers to her lips, Vahn prevented Artoria from speaking further as he softly replied, "Let's not mix personal and private affairs...Jahad isn't doing anything right now that would mandate his immediate destruction. Of course, if my beautiful Empress demands it of me, I wouldn't mind dealing with him right this instant..."
While others might mistake his words as simple flattery, Artoria understood that Vahn was 100% serious. If she asked him to wrap things up, he would immediately trespass the Imperial Palace to confront Jahad. This would spell the end of an era, and, from that moment on, the Aldrnari Empire and its collaborators would be the dominant force within the Tower.
Though she was momentarily cowed by the notion that a single request from her could decide the fate of the entire Tower, Artoria quickly recovered. She wasn't an Empress in name only, so, after a moment of consideration, she adopted a serious expression as she said, "You should go. The people of the Tower have been waiting too long for this day to come. We also need to advance beyond the Tower if we want to anchor the Little Garden to the outside world. This place is far too small to hold us..."
Raising his brows, Vahn was tempted to ask if she were sure, but, knowing Artoria, there were very few moments when she wasn't completely serious. Thus, while he had originally been intending to wait a while longer, dealing with Jahad immediately shot to the top of his list of things to do...
---
With Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire's forces having 'vanished' three months prior, many within the Tower, specifically those who had been dreading a personal visit from the legendary Sage Dragon Emperor, were beginning to suspect they had already moved on. Thus, when a strange formation suddenly lit up the entire sky of the 134th Floor, the reaction of the Floors residents quickly went from confusion to absolute despair once they realized the Floor had effectively been isolated from the rest of the Tower.
Sensing the disturbance even before the massive spell formation had appeared, Jahad rose from his throne before turning towards a spatial ripple that had appeared nearby. He half-expected Vahn to step out, but, instead, he came face-to-face with none other than Headon. Unlike the white rabbit most people were familiar with, however, this one had multiple mouths superimposed onto various parts of his body, each snickering as the entity in question declared, "It would appear your time has come...Your Majesty..."
Seeing Headon grit his teeth near the end of his statement, a faint smile appeared upon the face of Jahad as he remarked, "I always knew you hated me. Tell me, are you the one who invited the Sage Dragon Emperor into the Tower? I suppose I should have anticipated that a monster like you would eventually discover a loophole to circumvent our contract..."
Unable to suppress his laughter, the mouths all across Headon's body began snickering as Headon spread his arms rather theatrically and announced, "That's the beauty of this situation! I didn't have to raise a single finger! The Sage Dragon Emperor entered the Tower of his own accord. So you see, my dear King, this has nothing to do with any secret plot. No. It is fate that has betrayed you...!"
As Headon continued to cackle like a pack of hyenas, Jahad simply turned away without bothering to continue the conversation. He was someone who had manipulated the fates of countless people, so, even if this was fate's hand, he had no intention of running away. Not only would his pride not allow it, but, more important than even that, he simply refused to bend the knee to fate. He would keep fighting until the very end. After all, long before he became a King, he had been both a Hero and an Adventurer...if he feared what lay beyond the horizon, he never would have left his home in the first place...
---
With the dual-purpose spatial seal/teleportation ward in place, Vahn used his authority to teleport anyone below a certain level of power to the 2nd Floor of the Tower. This would prevent them from returning any time soon, as, without their Suspend Ships, they would need to travel to each Floor's Warp Gate. As for everyone else, they were prohibited from leaving until Jahad had been dealt with.
Though he knew there were a fair number of earnest and kind people amongst the Empire's upper echelons, the majority of residents who lived on the 134th Floor belonged to the Jahard Family and its forces. They were many of Jahad's most zealous supports, so, once the King fell, they would most likely serve as the backbone of the 'resistance'. After all, Jahad actually had a substantial number of clones spread throughout the Tower, so, even if the man himself was killed, it was only a matter of time before they rallied behind one of his "sons".
As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn briefly considered whether or not he should go ahead and deal with Karaka once he was finished with Jahad. He was among Jahad's eldest 'sons', so, once the Empire lost its figurehead, the Elders of FUG would undoubtedly support him as the 'rightful heir' to the throne. This was the reason Karaka had been chosen as the Slayer to kill Jahad, as, the moment the King fell, a new one would need to take his place. If this person just so happened to be one of the former King's illegitimate children, a lot of the social and political resentment associated with a sudden change in power could be mitigated.
Fortunately, Vahn was aware of at least two other candidates that could easily replace Karaka as the rightful heir to the throne. If he took them under his wing and raised them to be peacekeepers, not tyrants, there was a fair chance the Jahad Empire could be converted into a Republic. This might not be the most ideal outcome, but, so long as he left behind a few Templates to preserve the peace, he should be able to leave without having to worry about some opportunistic 'assholes' stepping in to make life difficult for everyone but themselves...
Sensing a presence, even without his domain active, Vahn ceased thinking about which Templates would be best suited to long-term observation of the Tower. He had other things to worry about right now, and, though Jahad didn't pose a threat, he felt he owed it to the man to send him off with a bit of fanfare. After all, despite his innumerable flaws, Jahad's original reason for becoming King was to help people. He was simply an idealist who had lived far too long, and, as a result, he experienced the trope where a Hero lived long enough to see themselves become the villain. Thus, in response to the meteoric golden rods converging on him from all directions, Vahn smiled as he mused, "A waning candle shines brightest the moment before it is extinguished..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'OwO...','I kind of feel bad...the only time Karaka is mentioned is when he is about to be bullied xD...','Time to snuff him out...')
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