Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2021: Cull

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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