章節 1884: Anguish
Though there was a brief moment of hesitation before she took action, Elaine was ultimately able to show why she, of all people, had been selected to rule the Name Hunt Station. She had never been the type to simply 'give up' when her convictions had been questioned, as, even now, the two most important things to her were protecting her family and redeeming herself in the eyes of the people who had once supported her.
After quickly confirming the condition of her weapons and other armaments, Kaiser unsheathed a silvery rapier that glistened with a pale green glow. Then, rather than attempting to overwhelm him with ranged attacks, she charged in with a surprising burst of speed, rapier tracing a difficult to read trajectory that ultimately culminated in a thrust to Vahn's throat.
Similar to when he had been evading the Needles, Vahn simply tilted his head a little to the left, his foot sliding forward at a slight angle that allowed him to shift his weight enough to deftly evade the rapier's point. At the same time, his right hand traced the length of the blade before coming to rest on the hemispherical guard protecting Elaine's hand.
Unlike Inieta, Elaine didn't hesitate for a single moment before abandoning her rapier and pulling out a scimitar-like shortsword from her Arms Inventory. This tempted Vahn to use the rapier he had just acquired to deflect the attack, but, knowing it would only make Laev-tan pout, he ended up just taking a few steps backward, his body seemingly glitching in and out of reality as he evaded Elaine's blitzing blows.
Realizing her speed was lacking compared to her opponent's, Elaine began to increase the amount of Shinsu contained within the muscles. This caused aquamarine bands of electricity to dance across her body, and, much like when Endorsi and Anak pushed themselves far beyond their limits, several tears started to appear in Elaine's sheer black tights as parts of her outfit started disintegrating due to the violent energy she was releasing.
Resisting the urge the roll his eyes and shake his head, largely due to the fact his own clothes had a habit of dissolving, Vahn thrust his hand in Elaine's direction, compressing the Shinsu between them to form a wall of pressure that sent her smashing through one of the Grand Gallery's massive pillars.
Though she felt as though a Suspend Ship had just crashed into her at high speeds, Elaine was able to avoid sustaining any severe injuries due to strengthening her body with Shinsu. Despite this, she made no attempt to pull herself from the rubble. Instead, she used the moment of 'reprieve' to try and organize her thoughts, mind racing in an attempt to come up with a method of defeating her foe.
Unfortunately, by the time she was ready to jump back into the fray, Elaine nearly fell face-first into the ground when she saw the rapidly increasing number of golden Baangs orbiting around Vahn. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, and, to make matters even worse, she could feel the Shinsu in the surroundings rapidly dissipating. Once it had vanished completely, she would no longer have the means to protect herself, as, despite the boons she had received over the years, she had never been provided an ignition weapon.
In a desperate attempt to prevent Vahn from absorbing all the Shinsu in the surroundings, Elaine strained her body far beyond its limits, blood erupting from various muscle groups as she charged forward like a pale-green meteor. At the exact same moment, a phantom figure burst free from the void behind Vahn, it's form resembling a ghostly grey wolf with fierce golden eyes.
Ignoring the wolf entirely, Vahn used his open palm to intercept the spiraling green vortex at the tip of Elaine's attack, dissipating it in an instant. This allowed the ghostly grey wolf to sink its teeth into his left leg, and, due to the unique properties of its saliva, a glimmer of excitement could be seen in Elaine's eyes as she attempted to kick against his body to gain some distance.
Moving significantly faster, Vahn grabbed Elaine's proffered ankle before her foot could even make contact with his body. She responded to this by trying to manifest her Armor Inventory, but, before she could get the plates under control, Vahn had already pivoted on his heel, twisting his body with extreme speed as he flung her sprawling body like a ragdoll.
Though her Armor Inventory sped over to try and cushion her fall, Elaine's body ultimately crashed into the exceedingly durable wall for a second time. This time, however, she was embedded directly into the wall, her arms and legs splayed out as the protective plates formed a protective membrane to try and shield her from any subsequent attacks.
Deciding to afford Elaine the opportunity to consider her surrender, Vahn shifted his attention to the ghostly wolf that continued to gnaw at his ankle and calf. He actually felt a strange connection between him and the noble-looking creature, and, though its name was marginally different, Vahn couldn't help but crack a smile when the Law of Identity revealed that its name to be Fenryl.
Ignoring the fact that it was persistently trying to tear his leg apart, Vahn bent down to caress the ghostly wolf's ethereal fur as he said, "Fenrir is going to get a kick out of you..." in an amused tone. This resulted in Fenryl attempting to bite at his hand, but, rather than evade, Vahn just chuckled as he used his free hand to scratch behind its ears...
---
Feeling a strange 'fluttering' in her chest, Elaine emerged from her momentary unconsciousness with a start, eyes wide as she found herself in a world of darkness. Fortunately, this was merely the result of her Armor Inventory covering her body, so, after a brief moment of panic, she was able to calm down enough to realize the pain she was in. It felt like every bone in her body was crying out in protest, and, for the first time in nearly eight-hundred-years, she felt a sudden and intense urge to join them...
Suppressing the urge to tear up, Elaine took a few deep breaths to steady her mind as she used her internal reserves to mend her broken body. At the same time, she began to think about the reasons behind Vahn's actions. If it were another monstrous Regular, she would have assumed he was just tormenting her for the hell of it, but, unlike a typical sadist, Vahn didn't seem to derive any pleasure from his actions. Instead, his mood seemed to become more depressive as the fight continued...
Realizing that Vahn might be attempting to 'tame' or 'help' her, a wave of frustration permeated through Elaine's body as she clenched her teeth in indignation. The former wasn't that bad, as it was simply the 'privilege of the strong'. The latter, however, was something she couldn't stand, as, regardless of what she had gone through, she refused to accept someone's pity.
Though her body was far from fully healed, Elaine manipulated her Armor Inventory aside as she extricated herself from the wall with a pained but resolute grunt. Even if she had to die a hundred times, she was determined to land at least one blow against Vahn before going down for good. He would never break-
Just as she was beginning to form her resolution, Elaine's mind blanked as she saw an absolutely incomprehensible scene playing out before her...
Unlike a normal Anima, Elaine had inherited an inordinately rare trait that appeared only once every thousand or so years within the Grey Wolf Family. This was the origin of her phantom Shinhueh, the 'Legendary Wolf Spirit, Fenryl'.
Though it was classified as a Shinheuh, Fenryl was not a real living creature. Instead, it was the form her Shinsu took once she had learned about Qualities. In other words, it didn't require a Bowl, and, so long as there was Shinsu in the surroundings, Fenryl was effectively immortal. It could be 'killed' any number of times, but, much like mist being scattered, it would invariably reform and continue attacking her opponents. This, combined with the fact that its bite inflicted wounds that only healed with her consent had allowed Elaine to become one of the strongest members of her generation...
Simply put, Fenryl was an intrinsic part of Elaine's very being, and, even if you searched throughout the entire Tower, you would never find another. This made it 'impossible' to tame, as, unlike normal Shinheuh, it simply didn't exist as a biological organism. Unfortunately for both Elaine and common sense, Vahn didn't call himself the 'God of Infinite Possibilities' just to sound cool. Thus, without any consideration for either, he could currently be seen seated on the ground, nonchalantly smiling as he stroked the panting Fenryl's exposed underbelly...
Sensing its Master's thoughts, Fenryl seemingly came back to its senses in an instant, flipping its body upright before attempting to tear out Vahn's throat. In response, the latter just opened his arms like someone about the initiate a hug, an awkward chuckle emanating from his throat as he wrapped Fenryl in his embrace and mused, "I'm afraid that doesn't work on me..." while digging his fingers into the former's dense fur.
Though it was well aware of the fact its attacks had no effect, Fenryl didn't release Vahn's throat from its maw. Instead, it attempted to crush his windpipe, but, no matter how tightly it clenched its jaws, Vahn's skin didn't even indent. It was a phenomenon that made absolutely no sense, almost as if nothing happening had any effect on him whatsoever...
With Fenryl's teeth unable to find any purchase, the wolf spirit ultimately fell away from his body as Vahn rose to his feet and began wiping away the drool from his neck with a hand towel. This caused Fenryl to try and bite at his ankle, but, without paying it any mind, Vahn directed his attention to the stunned Elaine, asking, "Ready for round three, or would you like me to heal your body first?"
Coming back to her sense in response to Vahn's words, Elaine's expression hardened as she pulled out two swords and said, "I don't know what your aim-"
Cutting her off before she could finish, Vahn exhaled a tired sigh before saying, "You know exactly what my aim is. I literally explained it to you before our fight began. My only goal here is to destroy the Name Hunt Station and erase its influence from the Tower. This requires me to either defeat or kill you. Since I have no desire to do the latter, everything happening right now is a direct result of your obstinancy and your unwillingness to believe that the people using you always had the intent to do so. They took advantage of your natural instincts, pitting you against someone much stronger in an attempt to forcibly sway your heart. The only way you could have avoided that situation was by completely ignoring your instincts, something that is impossible for a girl who spent her entire life being pampered and praised by others. You were set up to fail from the very beginning,..."
Though she wasn't sure why she had waited, Elaine allowed Vahn to finish speaking before charging at him with tears streaming from her eyes. This time, however, the latter made no attempt to dodge her attacks. Instead, he just stood there like an immovable statue, sympathy visible in his gaze even as Elaine attempted to skewer his eye with the tips of her swords. Unfortunately, even this couldn't phase the current him, and, though it took a considerable amount of effort to suppress the urge to blink, Vahn managed to appear unperturbed as the point of Elaine's sword deflected off his sclera.
Despite the apparent futility of her actions, Elaine didn't stop swinging her swords at Vahn even as blood began to pool from the edges of her elbow-length gloves. Even the breaking and bending of the blades weren't enough to deter her. Instead, she just tossed them to the side before procuring a new set from her Arms Inventory and releasing a feral scream filled with the pain and anguish of someone who had suffered futilely for more than a thousand years...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "I'm fast a fuck boiii~!"','Don't worry, Common Sense-chan is a Masochist (O w O)...','Release...')
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章節 1885: Resolution : Solution
Down to her last weapon, a dagger-like parrying blade with a hooked end, Elaine's assault gradually slowed to a stop. It had taken her several minutes to reach this point, and, as a result, the tears from her eyes had largely ceased. Instead, a glimmer of conviction could be seen burning in their depths as she asked, "What do you want from me...?"
Resisting the urge to sigh, Vahn closed his eyes for a brief moment, shaking his head as he said, "If anything, the only thing I would ask of you is that you live. Be a better person than the monster the Lo Po Bia and Po Bidau Families forced you to become. As for matters such as revenge...honestly, it would be better if you put them behind you. Though I can help you obtain the power you seek, my journey cannot be delayed for every individual seeking revenge. I have more than enough power to bring about an end to the suffering caused by Jahad and the Ten Great Families. Let me take care of it. You have already wasted more than a thousand years of your life at their behest. Don't waste the rest of it arbitrarily chasing revenge."
Expecting Vahn to try and convince her to join his cause, Elaine didn't know how to respond to him telling her to simply move on with her life. She had spent more than a thousand years locked away inside the Name Hunt Station. She had no direction or purpose beyond her identity as Kaiser, and, even if she did leave, her Family would hunt her down as a traitor. The orders of the Family Leader were absolute, so, even if she never took any action against them, all twenty branch families would seek her out for daring to abandon the duty assigned by their 'God'.
As this thought crossed her mind, Elaine pointed the parrying blade in her hand towards Vahn's throat, the light in her eyes gradually faded as the monotonously replied, "My role is to do what the family tells me to do...I am nothing without the purpose they have assigned me...if death is the only option left before me, I would rather spend my final moments fighting to protect my beliefs...even if they are ultimately nothing more than a delusion..."
Unamused by Elaine's words, a sullen look spread across Vahn's face as his aura began to permeate the surroundings like a gravitational force. It wasn't that he was particularly angry with Elaine, but, knowing the Lo Po Bia and Po Bidau Families had pushed her to this point, his frustrations with both began to compound. More specifically, he was annoyed with Gustang's practice of always putting the end before the means, and, though he couldn't fault the Lo Po Bia Family Leader for his loyalty, the fact he was willing to sacrifice his own family members in order to pander to the Jahad Empire was...unpleasant...
Reacting to Elaine lunging at him, Vahn deflected her blade to the side before forming a 'gun' using his index and middle fingers. Then, far faster than she could react, he placed the tips of said digits against her mask, saying, "From this moment onward, the being known as Kaiser is dead..."
With those words have left his mouth, everything above Elaine's shoulders simply ceased to be as a directional shockwave ripped through the interior of the Grand Gallery. In its wake, the farthest wall was completely devastated, and, though her Spirit remained, Elaine's physical body collapsed to the ground lifelessly.
Shifting his attention to the ethereal figure that seemed to blend together seamlessly with the void, Vahn continued to frown as he asked, "Are you satisfied with this outcome?"
Before answering his question, Elaine took a moment to inspect her ghostly figure before staring down at her headless corpse and saying, "I won't lie...this outcome is rather unpleasant. Did you really have to blow my head off? With the power you possess, I'm certain you could have used a less extreme method to get your point across..."
Rather than deny it, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation, saying, "There was an infinite number of ways in which I could have ended the fight without needing to resort to violence. Things ended up like this because I wanted to teach you a lesson and afford you the opportunity to forge your own path. You harmed a considerable number of people during your time as Kaiser. Though the fault for this set of circumstances ultimately lies with the Ten Great Families, you would have never been able to move on unless you had received some kind of punishment...at least, that is what I believed..."
Furrowing her brows slightly in response to Vahn's words, Elaine continued to stare at her lifeless body for several seconds before shifting her ghostly green eyes to him and asking, "So, what now? I have heard the rumors of your ability to resurrect the dead. Are you going to offer me some kind of deal...?"
Though he didn't like how things had settled, Vahn ultimately shook his head, explaining, "This kind of ending honestly pisses me off. In the end, however, it was always your decision to make. If this is the outcome you believe you desired, it is not my place to question it. I do my best to try and help everyone I meet, but, regardless of my personal feelings on the matter, I learned, long ago, that you simply can't live for others. I can carry the burdens of countless people, but, no matter how strong I become, the only person I have the right to make decisions for is myself..."
Frowning intensely, Elaine's eyes continued to inspect Vahn's face for several seconds, seemingly searching for any sign that he was trying to deceive her. Despite her earlier 'bravado', she didn't truly wish to die. There were actually a considerable number of loose ends she wanted to attend, and, if Vahn's words were true, her family needed her now more than ever. It had been hundreds of years since she met another member of her branch, so, if it was true that her funds had been going to support her enemies, it was safe to assume that the Grey Wolf Family was currently in dire straits.
Exhaling a sigh, Elaine took a moment to collect herself before adopting a slightly pointed look as she said, "I'm not sure if this is just another scheme to turn me into a tool...but, so long as it allows me to reunite with my family, I am willing to do whatever it takes. Please, allow me to serve you to the fullest extent of my capabilities...that is the least I can offer in exchange for my life..."
Adopting a deadpan expression, Vahn met Elaine's pointed gaze with one of his own as he said, "If I was the type to treat others as tools, why would I charge into battle on my own? I have no problem reviving you, but you are mistaken if you believe I have some ulterior motive for doing so. Don't get me wrong, you're pretty strong for a Regular and your looks are nothing to write off, but...well, let's just leave it at that...you'll understand the truth of the matter soon enough..."
Understanding the futility of trying to convince her with words, Vahn decided it would make things significantly easier if he just let Elaine figure things out on her own. This might result in her having an existential crisis of sorts, but, depending on the choices she made from then onward, she would be able to grow exponentially stronger after a few setbacks...
Ignoring the perturbed glimmer in Elaine's eyes, Vahn began to reverse the order of entropy around her body, quickly restoring it to an uninjured state. This resulted in her Spirit being yanked forward as if it was under the influence of a powerful magnet, a rather disorienting experience that resulted in the masked beauty having to quickly tear away the silver covering in order to expel the contents of her stomach. Then, with a conflicted look that was equal parts frustration and admiration for the strong, she wiped away the astringent residue using her sleeve before bowing ever-so-slightly and saying, "My life is yours to command..."
Since he was literally in possession of her Name, allowing him to order her at his leisure, Vahn just rolled his eyes in response to Elaine's words before directing his gaze towards nothing in particular and saying, "Now that I'm in charge, I want to abolish the rules of the Name Hunt Station. You are free to change them however you want, but, no matter what, I never want anything even remotely similar to what has taken place here to ever occur again. As for the responsibility...you can just leave that to me. If Jahad and the Ten Families have a problem, they can seek me out and attempt to put an end to me. If they succeed, feel free to change things back to how they were."
Though it might seem like he was talking to nobody, the Guardian of each Floor was effectively omniscient in any region containing Shinsu. After all, the Shinsu of each Floor was a part of their body, and, similar to his domain, they could sense everything occurring within without exception.
Rather than answer him directly, the Guardian attempted to pull Vahn into the sub-dimensional space in which it resided. Unfortunately, Vahn was in no mood to deal with the massive angler fish, so, rather than accept the 'invitation', he resisted its pull, adding, "I have no intention of trying to compromise with you. I don't care about the contract you made with the Great Warriors all those years ago. The rules dictate that the person in charge of the Name Hunt Station has the authority to alter or outright annul them. Though I might not be here to watch over things, neither are the Great Warriors. Don't go playing favorites when you're supposed to be objective."
Seemingly realizing it couldn't pull him into its sub-dimension, a massive vortex of Shinsu appeared within the Grand Gallery as a paradoxically thunderous yet gentle voice echoed, "The Great Warriors have always selected a Champion to represent them and help maintain order...if you wish to uphold these changes, you must do the same..."
Frowning in response to the Guardian's words, Vahn briefly entered a contemplative state, eyes cast downward as he considered a number of solutions. It was around this time that Elaine tried to make herself useful by stepping forward and suggesting, "I will stay here as your representative. I cannot escape being branded as a traitor, so-"
With Elaine being close enough for him to reach out and touch, Vahn ended up holding his hand up to her face, silencing her completely as he looked towards the spiraling vortex of Shinsu and said, "Rather than choose a representative directly, I would like to establish a trial to decide the future Ruler of the Name Hunt Station. The Floors exist to test those climbing the Tower, not keep them bound to one place. You trying to force the issue is contradicting the purpose you have been given."
Though it couldn't be seen through the massive vortex of Shinsu, a low grumbling could be heard emanating from the other side as the Guardian replied, "Very well...what kind of trial did you have in mind...?"
Rather than answering directly, Vahn pulled out an elegant sword that looked virtually identical to the Caliburn before stabbing it into the ground and activating the Law of Authority. Then, in a voice that resonated even more so than the Guardian's, he uttered, "This sword can only be drawn by the pure of heart and the righteous of character. Whoever possesses the power to pull this sword from its purchase shall become the true and rightful Ruler of the Name Hunt Station..."
Though it was invisible to people like Elaine, Vahn and the Guardian were able to perceive a peculiar golden shimmer spreading through the area in response to the former's words. This light effectively made the stone in the surroundings completely indestructible, and, so long as they possessed less authority than him, a Tier 5 being, nobody would be able to break the enchantment he had placed upon it.
Satisfied with the result, Vahn nodded his head in approval of his own work before looking towards the spinning vortex and asking, "I trust you have no objections~?" in a discernably proud tone.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Clinging to what remains...','Vahn be like, "You're about a 7..."','Can someone please smack this smug and unoriginal asshole...?')
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