章節 1924: Resolution : Reprieve : Retreat

With his arms crossed and the makings of a grim expression on his face, Data Jahad spent hours standing silently within the middle of a vast array of mirrors. These allowed him to view events that were occurring in both Hidden Floors, but, due to his other abilities, this was actually one of the first times he was using them.

Seeing the scenes of multiple Data Humans effectively being erased, Data Jahad's mood continued to diminish as he quietly uttered, "You won't accomplish anything by being afraid to get your hands dirty...a true ruler does not allow their emotions to govern their actions..."

Shaking his head, Data Jahad performed a sweeping gesture to dismiss the thousands of mirrors that had been orbiting his body. Almost immediately thereafter, his surroundings began to darken as a massive tear appeared in the sky above, it's interior blacker than the abyss until several figures emerged from within.

Without saying anything, Data Jahad raised his right hand to create a basketball-sized Baang that resembled liquid gold as five similar Baangs formed an arch behind him. In response, several of the intruders adopted wry smiles as the one standing at the front of the formation raised his hands in a disarming gesture, asking, "Do you need to be so testy each time we meet? Aren't we supposed to be on the same side?"

Though he had no intention of responding to the question, a somewhat raspy and feral-sounding voice cut in before Jahad could reasonably respond, asking, "Why are you wasting words on this idiot? Just get to the point."

Adopting an even wrier smile, the most amicable-looking member of the virtually indistinguishable group rubbed the back of his head, saying, "Hey now...there's no need for such hostility. I mean, we all have the same objective. If we begin fighting amongst ourselves, there's no way we'll be able to defeat the original. Besides, that grumpy look doesn't suit you..."

Issuing a low growl in response to the man's final words, the scantily clad beauty with midnight blue hair and crimson-colored eyes glared, not at the speaker, but Jahad as she grumbled, "You made Master scold me..."

Accompanying the grumbling remark, a tremendous amount of bloodlust began to fill the arena upon which the group stood. At the same time, a layer of eerie black ice quickly spread throughout the area, drastically reducing the surrounding temperature before flaking away and dissolving into the atmosphere. This was the true reason Data Jahad had prepared Baangs, as, whenever the feral-looking woman arrived with her entourage, things never ended peacefully.

In near-perfect concert with each other, the five people surrounding the unhinged beauty called out, "Fenrir...!" in stern yet concerned voices. This caused the aura of the woman to fluctuate quite a bit, the glow in her eyes fading for a brief moment as she shifted her gaze to the closest among the group, asking, "What?"

Feeling a little like a trapped mouse, the version of Vahn facing Fenrir's gaze awkwardly extended his hand to caress her bristly, needle-like, fur as he uttered, "Just leave this to us...you don't need to waste your time and energy on someone like this..."

With her pupils contracting into thin lines, Fenrir flexed her paws open and closed as she resisted the urge to bite the hand currently caressing her. Unfortunately, her restraint didn't hold out long, as, moments later, a growling could be heard from her stomach that caused the Vahn before her to adopt a resigned smile as awkward laughter emanated from his throat...

Returning a too-large smile of her own, all of Fenrir's razor-sharp teeth could be seen prior to her opening her mouth far wider than anyone should be able to. At the same time, anomalous black energy radiated from her body, enveloping the still-smiling Vahn in an instant. Despite this, it didn't obscure his form in the slightest, almost as if the inky-black substance was perfectly transparent. As a result, everyone present was able to see the Vahn, along with the ground he had been standing on, simply 'vanish' the moment Fenrir's jaws snapped shut...

Using her paw to suppress a small burp, the vibrant red glow in Fenrir's eyes began to rapidly fade away as clarity returned to their depths. This allowed the realization of what she had done to wash over her, but, before she could get too stressed out, three more Vahn's appeared at her side, each attempting to console her as their final counterpart turned to Jahad and said, "It is becoming more difficult to evade observation and capture. If we don't do something soon, the battle might be over before it even begins."

Though it was impossible to follow his line of sight due to his three-eyed visor, Jahad continued to closely monitor Fenrir as he calmly replied, "I have already allowed you to seek refuge in the Hidden Hidden Floor. Are you now expecting me to fight at your behest?"

Frowning in response to Jahad's words, the amicable-version of Vahn adopted a serious tone as he said, "The Hidden Floors are your responsibility. The limitations of the system prevent us from using even a fraction of the power we're supposed to possess. At this rate, it is only a matter of time until we lose the ability to even flee. Are you just going to continue idling about here like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered!?"

Without any discernible changes in expression, Jahad smoothly pivoted to face Vahn as he calmly stated, "I do not fear fate. Just as I accepted my destiny as King, I will meet my end with dignity. Tell me, what is it that you are so afraid of? You keep a monster in your midst yet fear the very man you are supposed to emulate? From what I can see, you are a group of cowards fighting against an end you believe impossible to overcome. Rather than shame myself in what might very well be my final moments, I will continue to uphold my dignity until the end. That is what is expected from one with the qualifications to become King of the Tower..."

Snorting through his nose, the not-so-amicable version of Vahn manifested a katana out of thin air before slicing towards the sky and creating a black void more than one-hundred meters across. This caught the attention of his other selves, each in the midst of massaging or brushing a different part of Fenrir's body. This caused the petite beauty to immediately adopt an angry snarl, her contented look fading in an instant as she directed her gleaming gaze to Jahad and asked, "If you aren't going to help, what point is there in keeping you around?"

For the first time since the start of the encounter, Jahad's expression changed to display a snaggle-toothed smile as he remarked, "If you possessed the strength to defeat me, you would not be here petitioning my support. Rather than wasting my time with threats and posturing, why don't you just attack? I am, after all, just one man. You have an army on your side. What are you afraid of...?"

With her hair standing on end and the sharpness of her fangs continually increasing, Fenrir leaned forward menacingly as she asked, "You think Fenrir is afraid of you...? Fenrir...Fenrir fears nothing...!"

Before she could blitz Jahad and attempt to take a bite out of him, shining golden chains appeared to intercept her. This caused the glow of her eyes to become even more prominent, but, before her emotional state could become even more unstable, one of the versions of Vahn suddenly pulled her into a princess carry, his voice calm and soothing as he said, "Come now...there is no need to waste your energy on this fool. For now, why don't we return to the palace and have a bit of fun? Besides, eating this asshole would only cause you indigestion..."

Though she could be extremely aggressive at other times, the Data Vahn's had learned that Fenrir could be remarkably docile whenever she was held like a princess. She would even shrink slightly, her already petite form becoming almost child-like as she obediently nodded her head and said, "Okay..." in a demure tone. In turn, this caused affectionate smiles to appear on the faces of every Vahn present, their expressions softening as Jahad, now bereft of a smile, stood silently at the side...

---

Deciding to take a break from systematically purging the more cancerous elements of the Hidden Floor, Vahn returned to the Little Garden to spend some quality time with his children. This involved playing hide and seek with Naruto, teaching Hana how to inscribe simple runes onto her traps, and, after everything else was finished, retiring to Arceus' Realm to check on its development and spend some time with the most troublesome of his current children...

With Arceus standing stoically in the background with a slight smile on her face, Vahn couldn't help but adopt a wry one of his own as more than a dozen toddlers with pale-pink hair, light-blue eyes, and horns reminiscent of cat ears used his body as a jungle gym. They also had long pink tails, the ends of which were slightly bulbous, that served as both an appendage and a sensory organ. They used said organ to poke and prod anything they were interested in, and, though he didn't mind it too much, Vahn couldn't help by smile wryly as his entire face was covered in the inordinately soft appendages.

Waiting until they had finished their investigation, Vahn pulled out a series of macaroon-like sweets known as Poke Puffs, presenting them to the squealing group of toddlers as he mused, "You'll have to share..."

Before he could even finish speaking, all but one of the pink-haired toddlers vanished amidst puffs of pink smoke as the last remaining representative cupped their hands together with a radiant smile on their face.

Resisting the urge to laugh, Vahn adopted a smile as he lightly smacked his left thigh, encouraging the playful toddler to take a seat before handing over the box of Poke Puffs and gently ruffling their hair. In response, the androgynous-looking scamp wiggled away from his touch, lying across his lap and giggling with one of the macaroon-like treats held against their mouth with both hands.

Poking their exposed belly, Vahn managed to elicit a few ticklish giggles from the pink-haired youth before they resorted to smacking him in the face with their soft and squishy tail. This caused Arceus to immediately teleport over, but, before she could say anything, he motioned for her to calm down as he said, "They're just playing around...isn't that right, Mew?"

Snickering in response, Mew used the end of their tail to lightly poke his cheek, the bulb of their tail intending more than the flesh of his face. This caused Arceus to release a tired sigh, but, rather than say anything, she opted to take a seat next to Vahn before leaning her head against his shoulder. In response, he planted a light kiss on top of her head before wrapping his hand around her waist and using his free hand to pick up a Poke Puff. Mew seemed to take exception to this, but, with several more Poke Puffs appearing out of thin air, they quickly regained their smile before happily nibbling their current snack in a manner reminiscent of a small animal...

---

With the passage of time in the Fifth Layer being roughly ten times that of Standard Axis, nearly two months had passed since Maschenny began her hellish training beneath Scathach. In that time, she had experienced innumerable near-death experiences, and, though she wasn't completely sure, she felt as though seven of those experiences had actually resulted in her death. Despite this, she would always wake up several hours later, her previous wounds nowhere to be seen as the fragrant aroma of delicious food tickled her nostrils.

Desperate for sustenance, Maschenny dismissed with manners entirely as she used her bare hands to effectively shovel food into her mouth. When it came to her current 'Shishou', everything was a test, so, if she didn't hurry, there was a very real chance she would miss the opportunity to replenish her reserves. This would leave her without the energy to perform well during her training, and, as a result, pain unlike anything she had experienced prior would be her reward.

Waiting until the near-feral Princess had finished her meal, Scathach stepped out of the void with a gleaming red spear in hand. This caused Maschenny to immediately tense up, but, rather than stay statuesque, she promptly scooped up what remained of her meal before dodging to the side and rolling across the ground. Then, like a street urchin fleeing from a market stall, a state emphasized by her poor state of dress, she bolted from the scene with her cheeks puffed out, chewing madly as she evaded numerous strikes without even needing to look back...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mikuni vs Jennifer vibes...','(O w O)!?','*AWOLNATION - Run theme begins playing*')

(A/N: Sorry about yesterday. I think I tried pushing myself a bit too soon. I'll keep aiming for 3 chapters a day, but they will be released over a longer period of time. Also, the first chapters of the EPIC side story will come out on Friday. Shortly after that, the first poll will also be posted.)

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章節 1925: Lurking

With nothing of note happening, even after an entire week, Vahn's interest in the Hidden Floor was rapidly diminishing. He was starting to question why they were even there, and, were it not for the promises he made to people like Daniel and Yura, he might have given the order to retreat. Instead, he did his best to remain patient whilst alleviating his boredom through reinforcing the Town of the Wandering Minstrels and renovating the facilities most commonly used by his people.

Unfortunately, as was often the case, doing 'busy work' ultimately resulted in him feeling even more annoyed during the moments when he had nothing to do.

In an effort to remedy his frustrations, Vahn had been spending an ever-increasing amount of time watching over the progress of the other groups. The eight months he had spent watching over the progress of his Template had primed him to do the same with others; and, compared to looking for vile and despicable people to erase, it was a lot more interesting watching the interplay between his friends, family, and loved ones.

Though he believed he knew them quite well, Vahn found it both strange and refreshing to see how differently everyone acted when he wasn't around. It was almost like they were completely different people, when, in reality, they were simply demonstrating the parts of their characters they generally kept hidden when he was around.

Fortunately, while there were some notable tensions among specific individuals, Vahn was able to see there was no real animosity between them. Instead, they seemed to be silently competing with each other, not for any particular prize, but to demonstrate their capabilities and prove something to themselves.

In particular, Vahn enjoyed watching the interactions between Team 'Saberface', and, to a lesser extent, the interplay between people such as Madara, Yoruichi, and the members of Fenrir's 'pack'. The latter gave off the impression of a very hard-working group, but, due to the quirks of each of its members, watching over them always brought a smile to his face...

Sensing the approach of a guest, Vahn momentarily ceased his spying, saying, "It's open." before the person on the opposite side could knock. This led to a somewhat awkward silence, but, after a few seconds had passed, he was unsurprised to see the face of Mikoto peeking in, asking, "Are you busy?"

Considering he had been lounging in an oversized beanbag whilst spying on the group consisting of Fenrir, Illya, Atalanta, Ryun, and Ai, Vahn could only offer a wry smile as he answered, "No...I was just keeping my eye on a few things. Is there something you needed from me...?"

Seeing Vahn's figure half-buried in a leaf-green bean bag, Mikoto's surprise prevented her from immediately responding to his words. As a result, Vahn's smile morphed into one of amusement as he performed a 'come hither' gesture and said, "If you're bored, we can watch some anime. I'm sure we can find a version of your Record of origin that doesn't involve a version of you being played by Touma."

As was often the case when she was embarrassed, Mikoto's face immediately became beet red, her ahoge releasing sparks as she shouted, "I told you to stop saying things like that! You...you stupid dummyhead...!"

Rather than responding directly, Vahn simply manifested one of the countless Memory Projection Orbs that currently littered his Inventory before adjusting his position in the bean bag. This caused Mikoto to inflate her cheeks and adopt a look that was equal parts indignant and adorable, but, as the purpose of her visit had actually been to see if Vahn wanted to spend some time together back in the Little Garden, she ultimately deflated before transforming into her Pikachu form and running over to his side.

With the adorable pokemon seated in his lap, Vahn adjusted his position a second time so that they could recline back comfortably before surprising Mikoto quite a bit by bringing his left hand to rest on her squishy, soft, and furry underbelly. If not for her bright yellow fur and the red circles coloring her cheeks, he imagined she would be blushing rather furiously right now, but, rather than trying to flee, she just released a mewl-like, "Pika~" as he rubbed both her belly and head simultaneously...

---

Several hours after Vahn had started his anime viewing session with Mikoto, seven other versions of himself appeared alongside several other unique and eccentric-looking individuals atop a mountain overlooking the Town of the Wandering Minstrels. Among them, three people stood out more than the rest due to their style of dress and rather unique appearances. This included a flowery man with inordinately long white hair, a golden-haired beauty garbed in shadows, and, most notably, a giant of a man with golden hair and sharp features garbed in pirestly-looking, blood-red, robes.

A stark contrast to how the situation would have presented itself in reality, the golden-haired man stood at the centermost position with Fenrir, currently resembling a giant wolf, lying obediently at his side. This greatly annoyed both Fenrir and every Vahn present, but, due to the system's inherent bias, they, as well as the two eccentric individuals flanking him, were compelled to obey the golden-haired man's commands.

Had they known this beforehand, they never would have put in the effort to have him summoned. Now, however, it was too late to do anything about it as the system, unable to differentiate things like Soul Tier, automatically placed them beneath the man it identified as 'King Jahad'. It even gave him authority comparable to his younger Data self, and, while this was technically the reason they had summoned him, the man's presence had completely undermined the group's ongoing efforts.

Similar to the actual Jahad, the Data of King didn't care in the slightest about the Hidden Floor or the Data Humans residing within. The only thing he cared about was eliminating the traitors that were conspiring against him and removing a threat to the Tower's stability. As a result, one of the first things he did following his manifestation was attempt to destroy both the Hidden and Hidden Hidden Floors in an attempt to send a message to his true self. This was fortunately opposed by the current Administrator of the system, Data Jahad, who, despite having unwavering admiration for his real-world counterpart, called the Data of the King out for being a coward.

Shortly after the private exchange between the two Jahad's, the Data of the King gathered each of the other Sworn Enemies, picking and choosing the more 'useful' among them before eliminating the rest alongside many of the Data Humans they had painstakingly rescued from the Hidden Floor. This left a bad taste in the mouth of virtually every Sworn Enemy, as, not only did Jahad proactively choose to undermine their efforts, he had ordered them to carry out the deed. Fenrir, in particular, had been used to dispose of both Data Humans and Sworn Enemies, an action that greatly stressed her out, but, much like everything else, Jahad didn't care about her mental state, only that she was useful.

Seemingly oblivious to the heavy atmosphere surrounding him, Jahad silently observed a number of displays that only he could see, his expression a mask of apathy as he monotonously declared, "How pathetic...your ineptitude has provided the enemy an opportunity to circumvent the system's authority and secure a defense position. Had you done your duty from the start, this situation could have been avoided. Instead, you wasted your time trying to save the lives of beings who are little more than illusions and collections of data. Now, both the Hidden and Hidden Hidden Floors are in jeopardy. What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Glowing in response to Jahad's words, every Vahn present looked like they wanted nothing more than to tear his throat out as the one set upon by the King's gaze unhesitantly replied, "You're an entitled piece of shit. You literally tried to destroy both Hidden Floors and you're trying to give us shit for preserving its people? Get over yourself, you fucking hypocrite."

Showing no signs that he cared about Vahn's remark, Jahad remained completely expressionless as he walked past each of them to get a better view of the town below. Then, in an authoritative voice, he said, "Begin making preparations for an assault. We will besiege the town at sunrise and lure out the traitors lurking within. Your primary objective is to capture the Guides accompanying the group. Should that prove impossible, capture or kill as many of that man's companions as possible. If he is anything like you clowns, we can use that as leverage to issue an ultimatum or force him into doing something stupid. Either way, our penultimate objective is eliminating as many enemies as possible in order to lure out their leader. Once we've defeated him, things can finally start going back to the way they once were. That is our duty as Sworn Enemies..."

Though they hated every fiber of the man's being, each of the Vahns immediately set out to make preparations for the coming conflict. This left only Jahad, the wolfish Fenrir, and the two eccentric-looking figures atop the mountain's peak. As for the reasons why, Jahad had a very different set of plans for them, his expression turning severe as he commanded, "The two of you will do everything in your power to recover the Command Key. As for you..."

Setting his gaze on Fenrir, earning a low growl in response, a somewhat vicious smile spread across Jahad's face as he said, "You are the key to this mission's success. Let us hope your precious Master is as reliable and considerate as you believe him to be. I don't normally get excited about things like this, but I'm quite looking forward to his reaction. That fool genuinely believes he can defy fate and seize my throne. Let's see how he reacts when something precious is taken from him..."

Growling with increased intensity, the hairs across Fenrir's body stood on end as their tips became finer than the sharpest of needles. Despite this, her aura hardly leaked out, as, prior to their arrival atop the mountain, Jahad had forbidden her from using any of her stored power. The only reason she was able to increase in size was due to her emulation of [Chainbreaker], an unbelievably useful skill that Jahad intended to exploit as much as possible.

Showing no signs of fear or trepidation, Jahad approached the prone Fenrir before placing his hand atop her snout and musing, "You would even prove useful to my true self...once this is over with, I'll make sure he learns of your existence. Your potential is completely wasted serving a fool who limits your growth for the sake of his own enjoyment. You should be able to roam free and unfettered like a natural disaster. Until then, however, I'm afraid you must remain nothing more than a convenient tool...what a pitiable creature..."

With her claws digging into the ground, Fenrir continued to growl with even greater ferocity, but, no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible to overcome her programming without the power to destroy the Hidden Floor itself. Jahad was well aware of this fact, so, with his counterpart in the Hidden Hidden Floor refusing to accede to his demands, he decided to take matters into his own hands by causing as much stress to the peculiar blue wolf as possible. He also knew how close she was to their primary target, so, while it would do little to remedy his past trauma, a part of him was tempted to see how Vahn, a man directly compared to himself, would turn out after experiencing a similar setback...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is slowly becoming a voyeur...','Mistakes were made...','Bruh...you can't even comprehend how badly you're about to fuck up...')

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