Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2007: Exasperation : Intermission

While he wasn't 'the' Genzo Shibata, Hero of a Record known as Kemono Michi, the Template Vahn had created possessed a near-identical personality and appearance. The reason for this was rather simple. Genzo loved animals to such extremes that even the mention of harming one was likely to get you suplexed into the ground.

Though his fondness for Beast People and Demi-Humans was heavily influenced by their overall 'fluffiness', Genzo possessed a righteous and incorruptible character that was perfectly suited for settling disputes. He was also what some referred to as a "true champion of gender equality", so, regardless of whether they were man, woman, or something else entirely, he would love and punish everyone without bias. This, combined with a competing degree of charisma and 'density' allowed him to be an extremely likable, albeit strange, protagonist.

As the concept of anime wasn't really a thing in the Tower, the members of the Lo Po Bia obviously had no idea who Genzo Shibata was. All anyone knew for certain was that he radiated the aura of a 'Beast King', and, despite a powerful barrier existing to protect them, those who managed to retain their consciousness didn't feel safe. Some, particularly those with inordinate amounts of fluff, even broke out into a cold sweat, as, even without him looking in their direction, they could feel Genzo's intent linger over them like a predator that had been starved for weeks...

Noticing a small amount of drool flowing from Genzo's mouth, Vahn felt an overwhelming urge to smack the man in the back of his head. As a result, the mask-wearing man was sent tearing through the landscape, his burly body smashing into the barrier surrounding the area with a loud thud. This was purely instinctual on Vahn's part, but, from the perspective of the people in the crowd, it was a demonstration of the fact he was exponentially stronger than the muscular man they were quickly learning to fear.

Further emphasizing this notion, Genzo casually pushed aside a few large boulders before rubbing the back of his head and saying, "Sorry. I guess got a little excited..." while lowering his head in an ingratiating manner.

Though he was the one who decided to keep the original Genzo's personality, Vahn couldn't help shaking his head in mild exasperation before shifting his attention to Lo Po Bia and stating, "Your move. You can send one at a time or all of them at once. It won't really make a difference."

Hearing Vahn's words, Lo Po Bia tore his eyes away from Genzo, brows furrowed as he answered, "It will take an hour or two to gather the Elders and decide the fighting order. While it is true we spent the last few weeks preparing for your arrival, only a few of our fighters have gathered to witness the battle between the Elders of the Snow Leopard and Forest Cat Families. For the time being, it would be my honor to play host to the Sage Dragon Emperor and his entourage..."

As he had spent a fair amount of time analyzing the structure of the 'fleet' outside, Vahn was well aware of the fact that the Lo Po Bia Family wasn't prepared to receive him. Unfortunately, Lo Po Bia had made the mistake of listening to Gustang's advice, and, as a result, tensions between the Snow Leopard and Forest Cat Families had been inflated unnecessarily. They had effectively forced him to come out, so, while he would normally have no problem with a brief intermission, Vahn's expression hardened as he answered, "Your Elders will have as much time as you can buy them..."

Without bothering to explain, Vahn's figure disappeared from within the arena before reappearing in front of Lo Po Bia in an instant. Then, before the man could so much as widen his eyes in shock, he found the collar of his leaf-green kimono being drawn with overwhelming force before his body crashed, hard, into the arena's floor. Immediately thereafter, the section of the barrier between the VIP viewing stands and the arena shattered like glass, silencing the audience and stunning Tu Perie Tperie.

Ignoring the tense atmosphere he had created, Vahn landed on the outskirts of the massive crater formed by Lo Po Bia's union with the earth. The man had never been known for his power, so, while he was ultimately unscathed by the sudden assault, he had a difficult time climbing to his feet due to the overwhelming aura pressing down on his body. He was far more susceptible to such pressure than most people, so, with Vahn's existence qualifying him among the highest classifications of True Dragons, Lo Po Bia felt like a field mouse that had been encircled by a seemingly infinite number of voracious predators...

To the surprise of everyone, Vahn included, a figure appeared in front of the downed Lo Po Bia with arms spread wide. This was none other than Genzo, and, though he had been the one to create the man, Vahn's serious expression turned into a wry smile as he remarked, "You can't be serious..."

With an expression that demonstrated just how serious he was being, Genzo crossed his arms in a defiant manner, explaining, "Attacking someone after they have sincerely extended their hospitality is behavior unbecoming of an Emperor. If you are going to judge people based on their capacity as a leader, you need to be willing to set the best possible example. Dismissing propriety just because you are in the dominant position is the act of a tyrant. If you insist on throwing away your-"

Before Genzo could finish speaking, Vahn, having adopted a deadpan expression, pointed towards the man's lips and said, "Don't lecture me whilst petting someone and drooling..."

Blinking in surprise, Genzo looked down to notice he was no longer standing in a defiant position. Instead, he had knelt down next to Lo Po Bia, and, due to the man offering no resistance, he had begun to caress and stroke the former's mane-like green hair. This realization would have caused most people to feel embarrassed, but, demonstrating why Vahn had chosen him as a proxy, Genzo's expression became resolute as he shouted, "Fluff is justice...!"

Feeling more exasperated at this moment than he had in several months, Vahn pinched the bridge of his nose, brows furrowed in consternation before replying, "Fine. Even if you were just talking out of your ass, there is still a fair amount of truth in your words. I'll use this time to show Tperie around the Little Garden. Once four hours have passed, we will reconvene here and settle things...once and for all..."

Though he was trying to be serious, Vahn's words began to trail off when Genzo began rubbing his face against the fur-covered cheeks of the very confused Lo Po Bia. This caused him to feel a small amount of regret, but, having long ago decided to live without such sentiments, he ultimately just shook his head before gesturing to the girls and returning to the VIP stands to collect the relieved-looking Tperie...

---

While Vahn was busy dealing with the consequences of his actions, Gustang found himself standing before a massive crystalline structure surrounded by advanced machinery. This particular crystal was the repository of all the knowledge the Po Bidau Family had accumulated since the establishment of the Empire, and, for the first time in his life, Gustang was considering destroying it all.

Though he couldn't be certain of Vahn's intentions, Gustang's intuition told him that Vahn wouldn't allow him to hold on to knowledge and information he had acquired at the expense of others. This just so happened to be the bulk of the information they had acquired over the years, as, more often than not, the use of force and other extreme measures was the best way to acquire new, interesting, and, most importantly, useful information. This was especially true in an environment where people competed for dominance even at the expense of their own life and limb.

Unfortunately, while he could justify nearly every action he had ever taken, that didn't absolve him of guilt. Rather, it implied he carefully considered each of his actions, and, despite knowing he was going to ruin the lives of countless people, he had moved forward with numerous projects. Most of these experiments were carried out for the benefit of 'all' peoples within the Tower, but, as he had demonstrated time and again, Vahn didn't care about such things. He would zero in on all the times people in his family had acted out of curiosity, intrigue, or other selfish desires, and, regardless of the good they had done, he would still hold them accountable.

Thanks to the countermeasures he had developed to prevent Vahn from reading his mind, Gustang wasn't sure if he had done anything to earn the ire of the seemingly unstoppable dragon. It was this uncertainty that caused him to consider whether or not he should just destroy everything and move on. He had never been particularly fond of the Tower, so, as long as he made an effort to 'fix' things, there was no reason Vahn shouldn't extend him the same offer as everyone else. Rather, depending on how he played his cards, there was a chance he might even be able to join the Aldrnari Empire's R&D Division...

As that thought crossed his mind, a resolute light appeared in the depths of Gustang's ordinarily impassive eyes. If he were being honest, it had been a long time since he felt truly passionate about anything. He couldn't remember what had transpired, but he knew it had something to do with the burgundy-haired woman standing next to Blossom, the only woman he had ever truly loved.

Seeing Blossom among Vahn's entourage had caused an indescribable discomfort to spread within Gustang's chest. It had been thousands of years since they were married, but, even now, when most of his memories were sealed away, his yearning for her overwhelmed the loathing he frequently felt towards members of the opposite sex. They were an unwelcome distraction from his research, and, more often than not, conversing with them was like trying to have a serious talk with a farm animal. This had caused him to feel disgusted by most females, but, for reasons he had never been able to truly quantify, Blossom had never given off this impression. Rather, even without his memories, just seeing her made him feel uncharacteristically nostalgic and relaxed...

Shaking his head, an expression of self-admonition appeared on Gustang's face as he pulled out a key and said, "As frustrating as it is to follow that woman's example...perhaps it is time I also move on..."

As those words left his mouth, Gustang turned the key, and, as a result, the gargantuan crystal in front of him immediately shifted from a pale-blue to a frightful red that screamed 'danger'. At the same time, a countdown appeared on every screen in the facility, but, after inputting a few lines of code into the command terminal at his front, Gustang quickly overwrote it before closing his eyes and adopting a rare smile...

---

Though he had been in the middle of showing Tperie around the various communities located on the Second Layer, Vahn's body tensed up as he received feedback from one of his Templates. More specifically, the albino Wailord he had entrusted to Whitebeard had just informed him that a large explosion had just occurred on the 129th Floor, the highest Floor managed by the Po Bidau Family.

Confused by the turn of events, Vahn habitually froze time around him, ignoring Tperie's statuesque expression of surprise as he turned to the Law of Identity and said, "Tell me what Gustang is up to..."

Under normal circumstances, the Law of Identity would have happily obliged Vahn's request, but, even after several seconds had passed, her form remained unchanged. As for the reason, it was due to the fact that the Gustang she had habitually emulated over the last few years simply didn't exist...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fluff is Justice...!','Turn back the pendulum...','O_O...')

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