Chapter Text
2 years passed since the Beastkin were liberated from the Lo Po Bia Family, and surprisingly, attacks and operations of the armies of Jahad and the Great Families on his side was reducing. This was quite surprising, as even when the UFH took more and more ground, there wasn't as much of a retaliation as they had expected. While the armies of UFH began to grow more confident, Bam and the other leading figures of the UFH were growing more uneasy. Something was wrong, for sure, as they knew Jahad's Empire still possessed more than enough momentum to push back against them. That meant they were planning something big.
Unfortunately, the UFH didn't have much spies left in the Jahad's Army or the other Great Families, as Jahad had exterminated most of the insiders FUG and the Great Families who turned against him, and the ones who were still alive were laying low, only relaying information through dream-related spells for security. They also weren't high enough in the ranks to know about what was going on. All they knew was that Tu Perie Tperie was planning something called "The Amassment of Power", a suspicious but quite secretive code name.
It was only when Bam was finally sent to spy on a meeting between Tperie and Traumerei that he finally discovered the absolutely stunning truth, Tperie's plan being something so planned out that only now did Bam truly realize just how much Tperie was truly the "smarts" of the Great Warriors. He had managed to remain concealed as he observed them from afar with all the Scout skills he had learned from Yurin and many others, but he almost couldn't keep his teleportation from being caught by the two of them.
Tperie's plans revolved around "The Core of the Tower" and "The Tower Administrator", both being such myths that only Gustang and Masceth themselves knew it existed. The Core of the Tower was said to be a dimension where the creator of the Tower, the true ruler of it, resided, and reportedly the very same realm where Jahad was granted his special contracts by the Tower Administrator. The Core of the Tower was almost impossible to access from the Tower, despite being deeply connected to it, and apparently even Jahad himself could only enter the realm under specific circumstances.
The Core of the Tower contained volumes of shinsu that even the likes of Tperie could only describe as being "otherworldly", beyond even the Administrator's power, so pure that it was said to be the very origin of all shinsu in the Tower. It also had a unique connection to the Outside of the Tower, allowing Tperie to even harness the "air" of the Outside.
Since the war began, Tperie had been researching it particularly, which was why he was scarcely active in comparison to the other Family Heads. He focused all of his genius into building elaborate devices that could harness the strengths of the Core of the Tower through connecting it to various spots of the Floors that had a connection to the Core, having began to develop various almighty war weapons. It was such that Tperie was confident the Workshop would no longer be needed within approximately 10 years, and that he was assured his work could end the war.
Needless to say, when Bam delivered the news, it might as well be the closest to him ever seeing Gustang panic, and Gustang grimly affirmed all the news were very much true. He even stated that if Tperie had tapped into the Core, the only way for them to have a hope at winning the war was to approach Masceth and get the Workshop to be truly on their side.
The Workshop had remained cautiously neutral during the war, providing help to both the UFH and the Jahad Empire. Masceth even still continued to interact with Gustang on good terms, making it clear the Jahad Empire did not have much influence over the Workshop. As such, Masceth welcomed Gustang with open arms when the man requested an audiance, and didn't mind Bam's presence as well, stating he found Bam's exploits to be "commendable, stylish with how you mix more intellectual competence than a reasonable amount of the lot".
That said, when Gustang told Masceth about what Bam had discovered, Masceth turned serious as he made Gustang swear that he was not lying with a spell that could affect even him, crafted personally by the Great Father of the Workshop. Masceth then performed a few hours of "reading the Tower's leylines" before he grimly clarified that it was in fact true: Tperie had been tampering with the Core of the Tower, using it's power for various creations.
And so, Masceth asked for Gustang and Bam to leave for now, as he needed to discuss this matter with his most trusted retainers of the Workshop. It only took a day, however, before Masceth came into the Poe Bidau Family Mothership and asked for Bam to come. Once Bam had arrived, Masceth then stated he and the Workshop's other high-authority had thoroughly discussed the matter, and realizing that they could not overrule the possibility that the Workshop would be opposed by Tperie's usage of the Core of the Tower, Masceth agreed to an alliance, but he attached certain conditions to it.
The first would be that Bam would truly take the position of the King of the Tower after Jahad had been felled, and he would allow the Workshop to continue operating as it had been. Bam was a bit stunned as to why Masceth required him to be the King, but Masceth simply responded by saying he was someone who looked like he would be able to use that power and responsibility well, ensuring a bright future for the Workshop. He also promised if Bam agreed, then Masceth would assist him at first, just as how he had once assisted the Great Warriors.
Secondly, while they are willing to form an alliance and would cut off assistance to the Jahad Empire, the Workshop would still focus on countering the technologies of the Core of the Tower and though they would help in other matters, the UFH could not expect a thorough help on any other form. Finally, Masceth also insisted they would allow much of the handling of the inventions made by the Core of the Tower to them, be it by providing a steady supply of stolen weapons or by gathering the energy, as he also wanted to develop the Workshop more with the power of the Core.
All those terms were reasonable, although Bam felt a bit nervous about the last part, so Gustang and Bam agreed. Masceth in return promised he would map out the series of potential spots where Tperie could be harnessing the power of the Core from so Bam could strike and deprive the Jahad Empire of as much of the resources they could gain from the Core of the Tower as possible.
Afterwards, Bam and Urek shared a talk about how if Tperie, most likely with some backing from Jahad, could access the Core of the Tower that also connected to the Outside, that meant Jahad himself most likely knew a way to leave the Tower too. Bam questioned Urek more about the Outside, and Urek talked very fondly of his home, describing how he came from a town where people were raised to be good people. He talked all about how he was the single son and always the strongest boy in his town, how he didn't really respect the Workshop, and many more.
That said, Urek took a more solemn tone as he earnestly confessed the Outside wasn't all shine and rainbows. He stated that the Outside once used to be so full of conflicts, which Urek supposed was why Jahad had been opposed to returning to the Outside and why Gustang didn't really want that either, and confessed even now, there still was a good deal of fights. Urek did, however, firmly state it was still no worse than the Tower itself was, and was better in his opinion. Bam had to admit he agreed with how he had seen the Tower's capacity for war, but he also wondered about Jahad's reasonings more.
There was still so much he didn't know of, and while Bam saw Jahad as an enemy, he was starting to wonder, over time, if that was really the best course...
3 weeks later, and Masceth finally made contact with them, revealing he had successfully uncovered four of the spots used by Tperie to harvest the Core of the Tower, along with devices capable of absorbing the energies around it to take back for further study. He also revealed that Tperie was able to create an intersection center of the spots where the Floors drew power from the Core to sustain the Floor in order to perform the experiment, and the strongest spot of it all was the 43rd Floor.
It was a simple but ingenious tactic, as there was no need to remain on the 43rd Floor now that the Thorn Fragments had all been evacuated and it wasn't an ideal place for a battlefield. Of course, there were other centers, so the other leaders of the UFH decided to send 4 troops each. Bam, Mirchea, and Baek Ryun would go along with a few dozen of FUG's strongest High Rankers, as the Floor of Death had Tperie, Traumerei, and Han guarding the intersection.
The other 3 troops were comprised of his friends and lovers, and Bam wished them luck earnestly, as he knew this would be a whole other level of difficulty. He could only hope his friends would all survive by the end of it. The girls tried to tease him into "sex for good luck", but Bam decided against it, telling them he would do so only after they all had returned safe and sound.
And so Bam set off with Mirchea and Baek Ryun, along with the Baylord Brothers, as they wanted to slay Traumerei or at least help Bam do so. Before he left, Yurin had told him a few things about Han, as they used to be lovers before. Yurin said she was over him, but she still hoped he would choose a better path for himself, and she knew he was reluctant to fight in the war on the first place, so Bam should be able to persuade him.
As soon as they arrived on the Floor of Death through the secret pathway used by FUG, they were met by several powerful High Rankers who managed to sound an alarm before Bam cut off their hands and cautarized it, leaving them bleeding and incapacitated, but still alive, Bam not wanting to kill unless he had no choice. When Bam stepped out of the pathway, however, it was to be met by an astonishing sight that left Bam silently cursing that the UFH didn't watch over the 43rd Floor.
The Floor had recovered remarkably well, apparently due to the Core of the Tower being channeled allowing the damage caused by Enryu to heal. The blood-red rivers of the 43rd Floor was mostly gone, the shinsu was now stable, and according to Soo-Oh, the power of the Guides were no longer inhibited in the Floor. Bam also checked for the Grand Family, and thankfully they had survived, although they had hid underground, choosing to believe that he would return one day. They had amassed an underground army for the day where he would return and take back the 43rd Floor, and that further supported the UFH's strength, although they were no longer immortal as the harnessing of the Core of the Tower broke the Spell of Immortality, which was they had to run.
With the additional support of the Grand Family, the UFH didn't waste too much time as they quickly came up with modifications to the plan. Bam, Mirchea, Baek Ryun, and the other powerful High Rankers would take on the Family Leaders and the main forces, while the Grand Family and part of the UFH's forces would focus on gathering what the Workshop needed as well as plant the bombs capable of destroying the intersection.
And so Bam marched forward along with the army, and was quickly challenged by the three Family Leaders AND dozens upon dozens of High Rankers. The first thing Tperie did as soon as he eyed Bam was to use some kind of a device to warp dimensions, taking Bam into a pocket reality. Tperie then pulled out the Eyes of God and admitted he had been looking forward to this fight, asking Bam not to disappoint him. With a small confident smirk, Bam nodded.
They only had these words to share before finally engaging in their rematch after the previous outward stalemate, technical victory for Tperie.
(
Tell me, Son of Arlene, even if you win, do you think you'll be able to defeat Jahad in the future?
I will. I have the faith of thousands of people on my back, and I intend to honor them. I fight not for just a select few, but for all people in the Tower. The era where the 10 Great Family Leaders could do whatever they wanted was past. In the new Tower, anyone could be judged and made to rule well.
Quite the vision you have for the future, I must say, but that was how we TRIED to rule. Your dreams were similar to that of Jahad's, yet he too changed. Do you think you'll be better, boy?
I will. Because I know what to avoid, what to do. Neither of you started out the way you did, but you've gone too far. I am fair and willing to give anyone second chances, but it doesn't seem like you're willing to take it.
Indeed. I confess, your exploits have intrigued me, reminded me of where times were better, but those days were long past. If you wish to fulfill your dream and challenge Jahad, you must prove yourself by defeating me. Even with all my tricks, I could never truly contend with Jahad, for he was a different kind of a warrior even compared to Yurin, Edahn, and Hon. If you lose to me, imagine what Jahad could do to you.
Well, I won't lose this time. You won technically the first time we fought, but now, I'll be the winner.
Ha, so confident are we? Very well then. Show me, Son of Arlene. Show me the strength of your will, the sharpness of your wisdom and mind, and all that which you have grown in since our last battle.
)
And so the fight began. Neither Bam or Tperie spared anything: Bam used his true shinsu quality, the powers of the Thorn, and threw every skill he had mastered at Tperie, while Tperie used the Eyes of God and unleashed all of his cunning mind and formidable, varying tricks. Tperie was still an extremely deadly opponent, even for Bam after all these years, but this time, true to Bam's words, it would be him standing victorious at the end.
Tperie of course made use of all the techniques he used against Bam 7 years ago, only with a bit more extra kick due to the Eyes of God being slightly superior to the Opera, but he also made use of more equipment now, applying them just as aptly as he used the Eyes of God to ensure those measures were quite capable of affecting Bam, which also supplemented Tperie's versatility in the Positions as those weapons floated around him and were applied with maximum efficiency.
The Eyes of God were already defensive enough that an Armor Inventory wasn't even really needed, but Tperie also had a powerful Armor Inventory to further enhance his defensive strengths. It was named "Aias of Sight", and could rotate around, not only blocking but also deflecting attacks, even having the shield being thrown offensively and returning to Tperie's hand. It even had the unique power of absorbing the shinsu attacks it could block before unleashing it in a singular blast, and was sturdy enough that Bam could only slightly dent and crack the shield with his serious attacks.
A powerful spear named the Spear of Destiny was masterfully manipulated as Tperie threw and altered it's trajectory, keeping it homing on Bam and having his guard up even though he could casually block the spear patterns. Tperie didn't need any other spear as the Spear could duplicate itself, allowing him to somewhat keep Bam on his toes as they were able to resist his shinsu manipulation due to the Eyes of God strengthening them.
An even stronger replica of the Kranos Yuri wielded was also available to Tperie, named "True Kranos", Tperie deciding not to change the name to honor Quadrado's aid back in the Great Journey. At the hands of Yuri, it was a more straightforward type of weapon, but Tperie transformed it into an entirely different level as he was able to harness the Eyes of God and the Kranos's own powers to a tool of almost unparalleled shinsu control.
He applied it as both a wand capable of unleashing devastating shinsu attacks that almost rivaled Bam's own and a sword that, combined with the Eyes of God, even disturbed Bam's control over space with the Second Thorn, piercing even the spatial defenses Bam made and disrupting his spatial control with slashes that affected space itself, correcting the "manipulated space" into normal. Even more disturbing was how Tperie could apply cursed seals on Bam if he hit him when it was glowing a golden blue, which prevented Bam from using shinsu until he was able to dispel it with his own knowledge of spells.
Tperie also challenged Bam to a few "games" using the Eyes of God, and it took Bam a few tries before he could deal with it without much trouble.
He surrounded himself with an impenetrable barrier and scattered the Eyes of God into dozens of Lights, forcing Bam to force the Lights back into the Eyes of God to dispel the barrier the hard physical way as they could resist the normal Lighthouse countering techniques, with a charged attack comprising of several pillars of Shinwonryu if Bam couldn't break it in time. Tperie even turned the whole dimension around them dark while he created two circles of light, in which Bam had to read the shinsu to tell which one wouldn't trap him, or else he would be rendered helpless against an onslaught of spears.
His most devastating one was where Bam would be completely surrounded by thousands of Lights while Tperie was safely secured inside the Lighthouse, launching bullets of Shinwonryu, spells that could poison or paralyze him, spears imbued with shinsu qualities, and more. Bam was fortunately able to find Tperie quick enough and stop him from using whatever attack he had been planning.
In the end, Bam won through a combination of several factors. The first was his black shinsu. Even the Eyes of God were no longer able to provide maximum defense or offense against the disruptive, destructive powers of Bam's true shinsu affinity, allowing Bam to reliably neutralize Tperie's attacks and slowly but surely overwhelm him through "superior quality".
The second was that Bam had improved his close-range prowess even further, allowing him to bypass Tperie's fierce long-range style more effectively as he landed more blow after blow, with even his kick and punch now strong enough to daze Tperie. While Tperie was proficient in healing and could constantly keep it up to withstand Bam's attacks, surviving even techniques that would have killed him various times as he used the Eyes of God to calculate healing techniques repeatedly, it was slowly becoming inefficient as he was forced to expend more of the Eyes of God and his own shinsu to fend off Bam, which eventually became his undoing.
Finally, while Bam still would be lacking compared to Tperie, he had acquired more experience in quick thinking and also had a fair share of experience with Tperie before. All that combined allowed Bam to think just ahead enough to anticipate Tperie's patterns, forming just a sufficiently cohesive analysis of Tperie's style to more efficiently counter his tricky fighting style even as he supplemented it with more weapons, having drilled and trained himself to become even more of an adaptive fighter.
In the end, Bam won through combining 3 of his Transcendental Skill. The first was Twenty-Fifth Bam Spatial Control: Transcendental Skill - Hollowness of the Void, which unleashed a huge void-like energy that disrupted Kranos, causing it to temporarily become inactive. Bam followed it up with Twenty-Fifth Bam Shinwonryu: Transcendental Skill - Luminous Moon of Heaven, creating a mountain-sized baang of Shinwonryu and unleashing several blasts that forced Tperie to completely focus into the defensive, even using the Spear of Destiny, which still destroyed the Spear, damaged his Armor Inventory, and drained the Eyes of God just temporarily.
It was enough for Bam to close in and unleash the same skill his master had used on Kallavan, the Dragon Tiger Gate, now having been truly mastered by Bam. He could have used his own variant, but Bam decided it was unnecessary. By the end of it, Tu Perie Tperie was left dying as Bam panted deeply, heavily exhausted but nevertheless victor.
Tperie praised Bam, wondering if this was what Jahad saw in him. Bam asked Tperie about Jahad, and Tperie hinted Jahad needed Bam for his plans regarding the 135th Floor. That was cryptic, but Tperie refused to answer more. He sent much of his data to Jahad for him to use the Core of the Tower afterwards, but voluntarily left Bam with the broken pieces of the Spear of Destiny and the damaged Aias, telling Bam he had earned enough from him before he self-exploded the Eyes of God with his last breath.
As Bam healed himself, quite worn out from the battle, Mirchea and Baek Ryun were able to put up quite the struggle against the opposing Family Leaders. It was honestly a match of ideals and personalities, to be honest, as Traumerei hated the Grace Family more than anything now and Mirchea fought hard to defend the honor of the Graces, while Han wanted the war to end as soon as possible and had doubts for the war and Baek Ryun also would have preferred peace, but saw he had no choice. They needed Bam to strike the killing blow, but they still fought magnificently.
Baek Ryun's fighting style was primarily that of a shinsu-physical specialist, excelling most in Wave Controller while also being very proficient in reinforced hand-to-hand combat. He sported a graceful fighting style as he could seamlessly switch between offense and defense, and his battle abilities were proven to be quite worthy of his Rank as he took out dozens of strong Rankers without much effort whenever he got to fight. He and Bam had gotten along pretty well, as Bam's determination and personality remind him fondly of Urek.
As a Wave Controller, Baek Ryun expertly blended powerful shinsu manipulation in the form of strong defensive techniques, manifesting barriers and reflecting attacks, with the white-winged theme of Wolhaiksong representing his protective skills, and also good offense as he threw thousands of baangs and primarily used nature-related shinsu attacks as fitting the man who had "became one with the greatest forest in the Tower", effortlessly spawning hundreds of sharp wood projectiles, creating huge dragon-like constructs that could fire streams of mud, and so on.
His nature affinities also extended to water, and he applied it with quite the fluidity as he used programmed attacks such as compressed baangs turning into huge torrents of water, even using water shinsu to turn himself invisible by reflecting light off his body while being able to move quickly and unpredictably by applying a layer of water between his feet and the ground to glide instead of running.
Baek Ryun also magnificently incorporated his affinity with nature into his physical prowess. He had a conservative fighting style as he applied one of the strongest forms of Bajiquan there was, taking the shortest route with as minimum of initial movements as possible and using shinsu to ensure each of his attacks were like strong Piercing Techniques. Combine that with how seamlessly the Captain of Wolhaiksong transformed his fists into rocks or focused water into his hands, even able to shape the water into a weightless extension in the form of a sword or a spear, which he could also throw with good accuracy, allowing him to function as both a Fisherman and Spear Bearer efficiently.
In the end, when Bam returned to the field, Baek Ryun had almost stalemated Han, the two of them sustaining considerable wounds, and although Bam still wasn't in perfect shape, he was able to dispatch Han, who was also weakened, with a surprisingly short time of 20 minutes while both of them were at a same level of injury. It was easier than the other fights he went through against the Great Family Leaders, as Han was one of the weaker ones, and it also happened that Han's fighting style was that which he had gotten particularly used to.
Han was primarily a Fisherman and Scout with an uncanny flair for Defender, as fitting someone of his personality, and his fighting style focused on defensive techniques first before retaliating with counters designed to bring down enemy as quickly, which was what made a fighter like Baek Ryun a hard match for him as the man was as capable as he was at defense as he was in offense.
Bam himself was also familiar with this way of fighting, having applied it at first numerous times before during his training against the likes of his master and other Top 100 at the level where he was still "weak" and then against teachers like Urek and Yurin in case he had to survive a pitched fight against either Hon, Edahn, or worse, Jahad himself, so he knew how to best counter it, which attributed to Bam's greater ease in overwhelming Han.
Han was a masterful Scout who focused on stealth strikes, being very agile and quick on his feet as his silent movements meant he could seamlessly disappear if one let their guard down, even including High Rankers beyond Top 100 like him, and also adept at making use of the terrain, but both of those skills, Bam had already mastered himself after having trained under the best Scout herself. His senses were already attuned enough to react to Han's stealth, but it was still a bit of a trouble, so Bam unveiled a skill he reserved for the Scout Position.
He developed the Moonchild Seekers, where he created a circle of butterflies and used them as makeshift Observers with battle abilities beyond even the Observers of the old. Each butterfly was highly attuned to the shinsu and had strong senses, which allowed them to react to even Han's stealth tactics from all directions. He could also replicate all the effects of an Observer with the butterflies, having them project dozens of holograms to confuse the enemy, reflect obscure attacks such as opposing Observer skills and lighthouse techniques.
This mostly rendered Han's stealth approaches ineffective, but he still kept up pretty well as he made use of what he had, using makeshift projectiles of the surroundings such as throwing debris to distract Bam or smashing a nearby shinsu generator to cause an explosion.
Han's bladework were that of tightly-focused motions that could be seamlessly switched as he kept his body as unassailable as possible to deflect all attacks before then swiftly retaliating, which also allowed him to blend in shinsu techniques whenever he saw the opportunity or if he had to in order to create an opening without breaking his focus.
Han's shinsu control was also commendable, as his shinsu defenses and baangs were quite strong, and he could unleash huge needles and control them to home on targets with excellent accuracy. Han also made a somewhat regular use of Shinwonryu, applying the technique in the form of strong repulsive shinsu, infusing it into his weapons, or even creating rays from the back of his enemies.
It was the greatest example of the Ari Style, but Bam was well-aware of it's weaknesses after having sparred with and learned from Jinsung and then also being taught by Yurin on how to better counter it. Bam knew Han was susceptible to "power" types, so he made sure to upkeep a strong Reinforcement while keeping his defenses sharp, slowly but surely overwhelming Han as he left little openings to exploit and managed to both wear down and damage the Ari Family Head as he outdueled Han with his dual-blades. He remained aggressive but also nimble and open to making swift movements, key traits to his victory.
In the end, it wasn't a powerful shinsu technique that beat Han, but a simple victory of Bam when they were locking their blades, with Bam simply forcefully flicking his Sword to disarm Han. Bam had Han in his mercy, but he didn't kill him. Instead, Bam told Han he could leave and not try to oppose the UFH without joining them, but made it clear if he did join the Jahad Empire again, then Bam would kill him. Han looked Bam fleetingly before warping out of the scene.
On the other hand, even though Traumerei also met his end here, he also managed to kill off Mirchea, thus making Mirchea the first and only one of the leaders of the UFH to die.
The Baylord Brothers survival of Traumerei's attack back then was a great feat of it's own, alright, but they were still outclassed and focused their efforts on fighting off Traumerei's Shinheuh while Mirchea fought Traumerei directly.
Yama was now at the Top 50 of the rankings, having mastered Full-Body Transformation to the point where he could retain it all over his body, his body glowing with radiant orange-reddish shinsu as he tore through enemy's ranks using huge shinsu claws and manifesting the External Transformation in various forms, summoning powerful fur beasts that he could add certain inspirations from the powers of other Beastkin for flexibility. With strong hand-to-hand combat skills and such a powerful body, Yama was one of the best Fisherman around.
Doom had finally achieved Full-Body Transformation after years of training, though only on both arms and legs, and over the course of the war, eventually chose to become a great Scout in order to honor his father, as Yama had already taken Wangwang's speciality for Fisherman. He had always specialized more in fighting creatively and calculating ahead, so Scout was a good Position for him.
Paul, on the other hand, chose to specialize as a Wave Controller and Spear Bearer after failing to achieve a Full-Body Transformation for so long, causing him to find other ways of obtaining strength rather than focusing on Transformation. He eventually discovered that his "mother" belonged to a species who had a particular affinity for shinsu, and as he had always been a Wave Controller formally, he decided to improve on his shinsu skills while also developing proficiency over the spear, which caused him to reach his true potential as Paul became one of the Top 200 Rankers.
Mirchea had gave his best, to be fair, and he often came to the aid of the Baylord Brothers still whenever Traumerei turned his attention towards them. The Head of FUG was only a bit weaker than Baek Ryun was, and was known to be a fierce, cunning warrior who fought with an elaborate and unpredictable fighting style focusing on aggression.
He primarily fought as a Fisherman, fighting with both his Great Black Hook and a sword, using what he could of V's swordsmanship style and exceptional skills with the Hook as a Fisherman, once dispatching 100 High Rankers within a matter of 5 minutes with just pure skill with those two weapons, while occasionally making use of proficient Krav Maga skills, simultaneously attacking and defending while targetting the most vulnerable with skillful repeated strikes. Overall, his fighting style suited his Sobriquet, Tiger Fish, with how deadly yet elegant it was.
He also made good use of Shinsu Reinforcement and the Floral Butterfly Piercing Technique that was developed personally by V and taught to Mirchia to make the trademark of FUG, his attacks being the only ones that could actually damage and wound Traumerei while the Baylord Brothers almost got themselves killed when they got close to Traumerei and was swiftly kicked with such force as to break ribs and had their hearts pierced. Mirchea had to come to their aid those times, pushing Traumerei back enough for him to heal them with shinsu.
Mirchea also manipulated shadow-quality shinsu with great skill, using liquid darkness in hundreds of baangs, a tornado of shadows, slicing saucers, and even a tidal wave. It was partially why Mirchea was called the God of Devils, as he manipulated "darkness" with such power and proficiency.
Mirchea also used the spells Arlene had taught him to great effect, being one of the best sorcerers in the Tower, such as cloaking himself and the three brothers for invisible attacks, conjuring illusions to distract Traumerei and his Shinheuh, weakening Traumerei's shinheuh with cursed seals, replicating elemental attacks, and even creating a draining area where he could absorb energy from Traumerei's Shinheuh and dessicate them to heal both himself and the Baylord.
Mirchea lead the Baylord Brothers well, coordinating their attacks and working together to push past Traumerei's Shinheuh, but while their combined efforts would have won if it had been Traumerei before the war, Traumerei was on another level now. He managed to outfight Mirchea in close-range despite Mirchea's best efforts and his Shinheuh techniques were strong enough to inflict numerous considerable wounds on Mirchea, and while Mirchea's spells gave Traumerei trouble, Traumerei was quite familiar with sorcery as well, so he managed to dispel it.
Combine that with Traumerei's almost unlimited ability to resurrect any of his creatures no matter what, and Mirchea and the Baylord Brothers were slowly cornered and suffered severe injuries. Traumerei also didn't earn his reputation for being better at chess than Gustang for nothing, as he steadily adjusted to fit the situation and managed to figure out most of Mirchea's strategies until he eventually managed to trick Mirchea by luring him in and making him think his Shinheuhs were at their limits before swiftly landing a devastating blow to the heart.
Although Bam arrived soon enough, catching Traumerei completely off-guard and stabbing him in the throat and the heart with his blades, even flowing the Thorn into his blades, ensuringly causing Traumerei to explode in a burst of blood-red shinsu, the damage was done. Mirchea was too heavily damaged to be saved, and with his last breath, he told Bam now Bam was "one of two survivors of the Grace Family" and pleaded for him to take charge over the FUG section of the UFH.
Bam had came to forgive Mirchea over the years, and he was saddened to see the man die, as he realized Mirchea was a well-intentioned extremist who regretted what had to be done. Over the years, he appreciated Mirchea's attempts to be a "big brother" figure, as Mirchea had apparently been adopted by Arlene for him to have the Grace Family name. He made the promise that he would, if only so Mirchea would die in peace.
And so the battle seemingly came to an end. Although they were victorious, it was at an unexpected cost of one of the leading figures of the UFH dying. Those from FUG especially mourned their leader's death, but were willing to accept Bam as their new leader, if only because it was Mirchea's dying wish.
Just as Bam and the others had celebrated victory, only 30 minutes after the battle was seemingly won and shortly after Bam had arranged for Mirchea's corpse to be given an honorable funeral, none other but King Jahad himself arrived into the field, his overwhelming power on an entirely different level compared to what they faced before. His arrival was completely shocking and struck such fear into the hearts of the UFH that most of them were paralyzed by fear. Bam himself also felt the pressure, and for the second time, he felt like all his efforts just wasn't enough, as though Jahad was still far more powerful than him.
Jahad simply retrieved Tperie and Traumerei's bodies, wrapping them in gold-red coffins, and warped it away before using Observers and Lighthouses to scan what remained of the mostly destroyed intersection chamber. Jahad then turned towards Bam. The words he said sent both shivers and sparks of frustration into Bam's being.
You have grown very strong over the years, but it is not enough. Not close. You lack engagement in adversity, the feeling of adrenaline coursing through your veins, the experience of war. For those 7 years, you have been hiding from me, hoping to grow strong enough to surpass me in time. A fool's approach. Strength and skill is not acquired by simple training, even with powerful figures, but through applying your powers in life-death matches and developing from experience.
Not only that, you also haven't embraced... Your true power. You have yet to realize or acknowledge the harsh reality of the Tower. What a shame. You disappoint me, Son of Arlene. I thought you would have learned.
With a shake of his head, Jahad turned his sight into the sky, and with wide eyes, Bam watched as the sky turned red, a man who Bam couldn't mistake for anyone except for the infamous Red Tower looking at Jahad evenly as the King flew to face the Red Tower.
Quite an unorthodox way of making your first impression on him, Enryu. I thought you would have appeared earlier for your nephew.
It was at that moment that Bam realized exactly who the second member of the Grace Family in the Tower was, and why Enryu was the "God's Messanger". The fact that just after Mirchea, the seeming only other Grace in the Tower, died, another "real" member of the Grace Family showed up, one actually related to Arlene by blood, was overwhelming, and Bam had so many questions, but Enryu had turned to Bam and told him he should protect himself and the others until the time came where they could all escape.
That had Bam wary as he realized even Enryu himself seemed to consider Jahad a challenge. If even a man who could kill the supposedly invincible Floor Administrator was like that, then Bam realized just how much he really still had left to go.
The sky turning an interesting shade of pink as Jahad unleashed his full power only furthered that thought in Bam's mind.
Main
Chapter Text
Unbothered by Jahad's unveiled full presence countering that of his own, even as the shinsu felt so thick and dense that Bam trembled and shivered as he realized just how far he truly had left to go, Enryu held such a dazzling red spear looking as though it was made of the very same material and level of pure Suspendium as that of the Eyes of God, the spear decorated with various runic patterns. Jahad responded by calmly manifesting a magnificent golden needle, and of course, it was an equally well-crafted weapon, giving off the same unearthly feeling as that of Enryu's spear.
Bam wondered if those weapons came from materials of the Outside, as he had never seen their composition before. Tperie stated that "The Heavens gave me the Eyes of God", meaning he already had it back on the Outside, and if those weapons were really crafted from the Outside, then-
Without any further ado, they both moved so fast that Bam could just see them moving as blurs of gold and red and clashed, the sheer force of their weapons colliding causing shockwaves that Bam just managed to quell with his shinsu barriers, grateful that he had 30 minutes to regain much of his strength or else he would have most likely been unable to, preventing the forces of UFH from being harmed, as he shouted at everyone to begin preparing a warp, Baek Ryun hurrying to unveil an emergency Warp Device.
Enryu and Jahad exchanged close-ranged blows only for a minute, but it felt unreal to Bam, Enryu wielding his spear with such a finesse that Bam realized why Enryu had the nickname of "Spear-Red Reaper" amongst FUG, his spear work so confident, refined, and proficient that it looked as though every inch of the spear, from the spearhead to the staff part of it, was a formidable weapon of it's own, maneuvering his spear with numerous highly unorthodox techniques and effortlessly switching between spear forms and stances with great ambidexterity.
Jahad, likewise, fought with such mastery over the needle that Han looked like an amateur compared to the King, seamlessly shifting between offense and defense and demonstrating such fluent prowess over numerous forms of swordsmanship, with about thousands of schools Bam could just recognize from his own training with blades and similarities to the Ari and Arie styles, that he could switch between them on the fly.
If Enryu's fighting style was that of fearsome grace coupled with flexible discipline, Jahad's fighting style was that of a combination of brutal aggression and lethal precision, and they seemed fairly matched for the brief time they engaged, their weapons colliding with each other again and again and causing thousands of sparks with each clash, yet somehow controlled as though they focused all their strength against one another rather than letting it out like the way they did before.
As soon as they took some distance, dozens upon dozens of golden needles and red spears emerged from the back of Jahad and Enryu, so large, powerful, and well-made that they gave the impression of being made by gods, and they cancelled each other out in numerous explosions, the shockwaves of the collisions being such that Bam was pushed back a few feet harshly as he strained to completely block the shockwave. To make it worse, Baek Ryun shouted that the warp device would take 10 minutes to fully charge up, with how much shinsu they were using and how being in a spot where the Core of the Tower was harnessed was affecting the shinsu.
Uncaring for the struggles of those below them, the King of the Tower and the Red Tower made their next moves, Jahad unleashing a massive net of shinsu slashes that cut through space itself by just a swift wave of his hand, which Enryu countered by conjuring a massive red Wonsul sphere and throwing it at the net, causing the attacks to cancel each other. Those attacks were fortunately localized, so Bam was able to properly block the results of the attacks without feeling the impact, but the way with which they casually manipulated shinsu still struck deep in Bam's mind.
Jahad's next move was something Bam recognized from his duel with Jahad's data as the "Cosmos" skill. Jahad this time created about 100 suns, 75 stars, 50 meteors, and 20 planets, so many and so powerful that Bam almost wanted to cast a Transcendental Skill just to block the attack. However, Enryu remained calm as he used what Bam recognized as a variant of the Rainfall technique he often used to decimate entire armies, only at an entirely different level as Enryu instantly gathered so much shinsu it was compressed into a small bright red orb that quickly exploded, unleashing thousands of shinsu falls, destroying all of Jahad's Cosmos and saving Bam the need to guard as Enryu precisely controlled his shinsu so it would not affect Bam or the fleeing UFH.
Enryu took the initiative this time as he gathered intensive amounts of red shinsu and then unleashed about 50 bubbles of shinsu, each of them melting the very air and gathering more shinsu as they swarmed Jahad, a completely different level of shinsu bubbles than anything Bam had ever seen before, feeling like they could force him to use 5 Shinwonryu Orbs to completely dispel the attack. Of course, such an attack was nothing to Jahad as he simply summoned dozens of golden red crystals that seemed to draw in the shinsu bubbles before suddenly exploding, leaving Jahad unharmed as the crystals took the bubbles with them.
Enryu didn't waste any time, however, as he launched 3 spears that soon split each into 30 more smaller spears, which revealed itself to be incredibly explosive as just 6 stray spears could shake the ground and the explosion of those 6 spears combined into 2 groups reached the sky. Jahad actually focused this time as he amassed massive amounts of his shinsu along with also gathering some power from the external shinsu before blasting a wave of mist-like shinsu that seemed to turn those spears into dust.
Fire and wind coated Enryu's hands as he slammed both hands into a thin laser of fire that forced Jahad to dodge and tore through mountains like childplay before exploding into an inferno. Jahad retaliated by waving his hand downward, causing huge earth spikes to emerge from the ground. Of course, that meant the spikes were heading towards Bam, but Enryu had acted quickly, manifesting a huge whip of roots and shattering the spikes before they could even come close, causing Bam to breathe deeply.
Enryu really was there to protect him and the others... But without Enryu, would they have been doomed?
Jahad next cut his own hand, circulating the blood and seemingly multiplying it as he unleashed a massive golden fire at Enryu. Enryu blasted torrents of water to disperse it, but he actually took a step back this time. The drops of blood were swiftly turned into jeweled daggers that caused Enryu to manifest a huge shield around him as the daggers approached him, managing to block the attack, albeit causing a deep gong-like sound.
Jahad formed a few hand signs that Bam recognized as a means to enhance his shinsu. As soon as he had finished, the result was a massive golden orb that seemed to attract everything around it, crushing and pulling everything into the debris as the orb seemed to grow bigger. Enryu formed his own share of hand signs before he formed a thick bow made of his red shinsu and fired a singular huge arrow that struck the center of the orb, causing it to explode, Enryu swiping up all the debris the orb threw out and launching them as a storm of debris at Jahad, who casually slashed at the storm to disperse it.
Bam turned to Baek Ryun and found the machine was only halfway charged, that only 5 minutes had passed. Bam was so awe-stricken by the duel between the two strongest humans in the Tower his perception of time stilled, and he watched with dread as Jahad launched various projectiles of his golden Shinwonryu that Enryu effortlessly destroyed with a powerful wave of his own Shinwonryu.
As the wave proceeded closer to Jahad, Jahad used the same Internal Shinwonryu Bam had seen him use as a data and unleashed a much more massive explosion that matched Enryu's wave, creating a tornado-like burst of shinsu that actually brought Bam to his knees as he shielded his allies with all that he had. Enryu manifested a wall of blood-red shinsu crystals that easily passed through Jahad's bolt of lightning and walls of fire, but just as Bam thought this attack would finally connect with Jahad, Jahad infused intense amounts of shinsu into his needle and stabbed it at the wall, causing it to combust.
Jahad didn't waste any time as he used what Bam recognized as a powerful spell that his mother classified as being capable of wiping out entire armies, conjuring a black hole and throwing it at Enryu. Imagine Bam's stupefied expression as Enryu simply manifested sigils in thin air and blasted it at the black hole, seemingly causing it to vanish entirely.
Enryu then raised his hand, causing about ten dozens of the ruined weapons used by both the UFH and the Jahad Army during the previous battle to be thrown at Jahad, who simply made a swipe of his hands, causing all the weapons to be slashed with Enryu immediately clenching his hand, catching what seemed to be an invisible focused slash of shinsu before he manipulated space to throw back the slash at Jahad, forcing Jahad to dodge as the slash cleaved a good portion of the Floor around him.
For a moment, Bam believed that Jahad had fled, but then Enryu raised both arms and Bam was shocked as Jahad attempted to slash at Enryu with his Needle, only for his attack to be frozen in place as Enryu held him still with Fast Skip before gathering much more power and managing to push Jahad back with a violent thrust of his hand forward. He didn't even see Jahad move, and Enryu then unleashed some kind of blast aimed solely at Jahad's needle, causing it to be stuck on a wall. Of course, Jahad didn't hesitate as he landed a kick on Enryu's spear that disarmed Enryu of his weapon as well.
Jahad then launched dozens of punches and kicks that Enryu astonishingly managed to parry and return with his own, using a methodical fighting style that seemed to focus on grappling and gracefully precise attacks while paying a special focus on defense in comparison to Jahad's brutal fighting style that focused on deadly precision. They kept at it until Enryu fell back, seemingly pressured, but still having not taken any hit, as they both summoned their weapons again.
It was then that Enryu and Jahad shared a few words that had Bam shivering.
(
You do not seek to kill me, Enryu? We both know you are far from being above such brutality, as you slaughtered all those loyal to me on this Floor. We've been trading what might seem to be super moves, but are actually casual for those of our caliber.
There are other ways of destroying a man, Jahad, and someone like you cannot be defeated just through death. I know you've been planning things that even meant you would risk potential death at the hands of the Son of Arlene. Besides, I know you too are not fighting to kill.
Ha! I wonder what happened to Arlene, if you could act now so freely to aid her son. I can't imagine she would be happy with it-
I don't care about it, anymore. I can no longer stand by and watch. It is time for me to step in. I assume over the years, you've grown stronger?
Of course. You might have been able to kill a Floor Administrator, but over the years, I've reached my truest peak which grants me the power to do the same. Arlene must have spoken how much of a warrior I was, but now I am even greater. If it was the me back then, you would have killed me, but now, it seems we're quite matched.
Are we?
It seems neither of us can go all-out, so this might have been a good first fight in the field after so long, but I think I have had enough. You're not here to kill me, but to protect your nephew, so I suppose we can end this in a draw.
)
With that, Jahad levitated above the ground, but not before he gave Bam one last look.
I admit your desire to remain true to your ideals is commendable, but force yourself to adapt in the face of reality. You will not defeat me, otherwise.
And so Jahad simply vanished, leaving Bam to stare at the spot he used to be with clenched fists, until a hand placed itself on his shoulder. It was none other but Enryu.
You did well on your own, so do not be ashamed. Come now, we should leave this place. There is nothing left for us here.
With that, Enryu raised his hands into the sky and a flash of light surrounded Bam and all the UFH. They departed the 43rd Floor.
Most of the UFH were relieved that they survived after believing they were doomed when Jahad himself arrived into the field, while Baek Ryun wanted to study what they gathered of the Core to further Wolhaiksong's goals of going to the Outside of the Tower, but Bam could only think of how he did nothing as Enryu protected him, how he would have most likely been killed if it hadn't been for Enryu.
Just how much more did he need to grow before he could have a shot at Jahad?
On the 43rd Floor, Enryu approached what remained of the humble home of his sister and brother-in-law. He had protected it from his rampage, but years had left the once good-looking hut rusted, even though it did not collapse.
Enryu manifested the coffin that held his sister and laid it beside the grave Arlene had built for V. He had no choice but to kill her, as Arlene went mad when Enryu proclaimed his desire to help Bam find a better future for all. She stated she wanted the Tower to collapse for supporting Jahad and for only "the worthy" to be taken to the Outside, but Enryu had made up his mind. He had seen his nephew's strong ideals, and knew he was worthy of it. And so Enryu ended his sister's suffering.
He laid them both in the grave, and then left without any other word. There was nothing here left for him.
Bam's thoughts about Jahad soon became the least of his concerns, however, when he returned to the UFH's Main Headquarters and saw his friends, all of them injured from minor to moderate, but every single one of them looking despondent or even crying. When Bam asked Aguero about what happened, the outcome of this whole mission turned out to be that much more pyrrhic for him.
The Red Light District unit had been sent to the 52th Floor, but the odds there were on a whole other level compared to anything they experienced before. The Army had already constructed various weapons using the Core of the Tower, and they pushed back against the Red Light District as dozens of soldiers were killed. It was only Horyang, Cassano, and Beta sacrificing themselves to destroy the weapons AND the intersection center that allowed the harnessing of the Core's power that saved them, and they failed at their mission to obtain the sample of the Core they additionally were sent to.
Goseng, in particular, was hit hard by the death of Horyang, having developed romantic feelings for him and was even pregnant with his child, meaning the child would be left fatherless. Wangnan was blaming himself hard while Miseng sobbed at losing her older brother figure even as Endorsi soothingly comforted her.
Of course, even the Variable Protectors still had their losses. Vespa and Aleksai died just as Hatz was able to destroy the super cannons used that tore through shields that could hinder even High Rankers like paper. Those weapons were so strong that it was only Shibisu being fortunately knowledgeable enough in engineering after working with a few Poe Bidau and reading Gustang's books that he was able to find and coordinate attacks on it's weaknesses. They succeeded at winning the battle, but the loss of two teammates was still lamentable, to be honest.
Shibisu blamed himself for not figuring it out quickly, while Endorsi and Anaak, despite not being particularly close to those two, still felt guilty as they were close to them when the attack occured but had only been able to protect themselves as the attacks managed to pierce through their barrier and strike those two, killing them instantly.
And the Harbingers unit also succeeded at winning the fight, Aguero having already came prepared with various books of the Poe Bidau to deduce any potential weakness if he had to fight against super weapons. It was fortunate that Aguero figured out fairly quickly, and they got out of it mostly unscathed, only losing 35 in comparison to the Red Light District's 100 and the Variable Protectors 75, but the victory still cost them a life of a teammate, and one that Bam mourned most of all.
It was none other but Rak. Rak had acted as the main Defender, managing to protect Aguero and the Spear Bearers as they focused on taking down the weapons with all his might, keeping at bay the attacks of the weapons with all the applications of his rock shinsu, but the Army decided they needed to take him down, focusing all of the power of their weapons on Rak, finally overwhelming and mortally injuring him, but even in death, Rak contributed to the fight by throwing 5 spears to take out the weapons, single-handedly turning the tides of the battle at the cost of his own life.
Bam was numb as he left for his room, his friends giving him space, and it was only when Bam settled down on the floor that it started to overwhelm him. Memories of his time with Rak, how the Alligator would always proudly call himself "The Great Protector", how Bam would treat him to chocolate banana cakes, the cammaderie he had with Horyang, Cassano, and Beta even if they weren't the closest, how he got Vespa and Aleksai to warm up to him, caused him to shed tears for the first time in a long while.
The funeral was held 2 days later, with many of the UFH mourning the losses. They had lost quite a few men, of course, over the years, but this was the first time so many leading figures were taken out in one swoop. Bam attended the funeral silently as he thought about how his worst fears and what Jahad had said would happen had been realized. He eyed his surviving friends, feeling himself fear for their lives more. Was this the right choice? Should he really have involved them into the war?
Even being surrounded by all of his lovers didn't soothe Bam as well as they should, Bam realizing just how much he had grew to genuinely love them more than just a friend. He was worried about them most, even about Yuri and Garam. Enne and Hana might be able to take care of themselves, but how was the others, who may be powerful, but are still really not all that impressive in the larger spectrum, going to fare now that the war was undoubtedly going to become even more intense?
Still, Bam comforted Miseng, Endorsi, and Anaak, assuring them that they did their best and the fallen wouldn't fault them, but he almost found himself feeling like a hypocrite when he was feeling down and blaming himself too.
When the funeral was over, Bam opted to stay behind even as it rained, wondering if he should just-
You're lost, nephew, but I know how to get you back on track.
Bam turned his eyes and saw as Enryu appeared, wearing a surprisingly black-red mourning jacket and a scarf of gold blue. His expression was as calm as it had always been even in the face of fighting someone like Jahad, but he carried a few expensive flowers. Bam watched as he laid them on the graves before turning towards Mirchea's grave, especially honored and decorated due to all that Mirchea had did for the UFH in comparison to his friends. Bam didn't like the difference, but he still didn't fight for it.
Enryu laid a few star-shaped flowers that he said would bloom forever in honor of his adoption into the Grace Family, before he turned towards Bam, stating he had been wanting to meet him for 2 decades, but only managed to get the chance recently once he had "settled his business with Arlene", which had Bam narrowing his eyes.
Enryu then got straight to the point as he offered Bam to train under him, stating that Bam had fared well with all the teachers he had, but he needed someone who was truly familiar and aware of what he was capable of. It was the only way Bam would be able to defeat Jahad in the future, but he warned Bam his training would be more stricter, he would have Bam perfect his skills in all regards, and Bam would go through a lot of difficult training, but it would be worth it.
Bam was admittedly tempted, but asked Enryu how long it would take before the war would end, and Enryu honestly admitted it would take about 5 years at best and 7 years at worst. Bam was about halfway there, but the other half would take more time than the last. It was honestly demoralizing, to hear that it still needed that much time for Bam. but Enryu reminded Bam that he could not expect to hurry.
To compare, Enryu stated that Urek Mazino reached his peak at 50 years, needed 47 years before he could surpass Arie Hon, and 3 more years to be at the same level as his father, V. He encouraged Bam that he could make it, but he would have to be patient. Enryu would provide Bam with ways to experience all-out training and developments, so Bam should be able to grow fast.
Still, Bam was doubtful. He asked Enryu why he was doing this, why he never appeared before, and Enryu responded by warping them into a hut that he revealed to be the very same place where his parents once lived until Jahad killed him as a baby. He pointed Bam towards the graves of his parents, revealing that Arlene had died. This surprised Bam, to be honest.
He was solemn at looking upon his father's corpse, but he thought his mother was still alive, living a miserable existence of only waiting for the day he killed Jahad. He always thought he would be the one to send her to meet his father, but to see her laying like this, looking so harmless, felt unreal. Enryu then revealed that he was the one who killed Arlene, so he could finally step in, revealing he had swore to Arlene that as long as she lived, he would not step in. However, Enryu decided that could no longer do. He had to interfere, as he had grown to accept and respect Bam's dedication for a better future.
Arlene protested, refusing to retract the vow, so Enryu had killed her, choosing Bam over Arlene. He stated that while this might not be enough, he truly wanted to help Bam reach his full potential, fulfill his destiny, and reform the Tower. Enryu told Bam he would give him 3 months before they begin, and vanished, leaving Bam to his thoughts.
So Enryu truly wanted what was best for him, even if it took him so long to just end his mother's misery. Was this it, then? Was this what Bam needed? He could grow strong enough to beat Jahad, but would it be soon enough? What about his friends? Should they still be involved in this war? Or maybe he should just take all the burdens for himself and be away from them all until he could finally ensure their safety and happiness.
For a month, Bam isolated himself, thinking that he had no real choice but to accept Enryu's offer, but also wondering what would be for the best for the people he cared and loved. He meditated and trained by himself, shutting off the door to his room. Of course, there was one who could somehow enter the door, still, one who he happened to not particularly mind.
Jaina Repellista, the one who Tperie gave the Opera to. She had not really climbed the Tower, but she was 300 years older than Yuri and happened to be a prodigy of the Tu Perie Family. By the time Yuri started to climb the Tower, Repellista was already as strong as a High Ranker, and by the time Yuri became a Top 500 High Ranker, she had grown strong enough to be on the level of a Top 300 High Ranker, and had only grown even stronger since then. He still remembered how shocked Yuri was when Repellista overwhelmed her without taking a single scratch in order to show just how powerful she truly was.
Bam had interacted with her pretty regularly, and she was quite the flirt, even managing to make him blush long before he learned to actually be a romantic partner. She had him play video games with her if he could spare the time, and Bam found he enjoyed it, especially as she even made video games retelling his adventures. It was surprising how much of a game master she was, to be able to make such convincing games, even including ones that had him square off against Family Heads. The detail was astonishing, and Bam had to admit she could very well found the "game company" she had dreams of making once all this was over.
Anyway, Bam found it also enlightening, as he could realize more of his flaws from the "strategy guide" she gave him that showed how his skills evolved in time and where he was still weak at. He was thankful to her, and right now Repellista was allowed into his room because of that.
Bam focused on "replaying" his fights with the 10 Great Family Heads after he viewed his memories of the fight with a spell to ensure h could see where he made mistakes and pick up from there, measuring and coming up with ways to improve through fighting them all over again, all with the help of a machine Repellista called "Full Mirage", allowing him to experience a full-blown fight between him and the shadows of the Family Heads as Bam entered a virtual world of some sort from which he could fight to the finish with everyone.
He made some improvements from it, alright, as he became able to finish off Bloodmadder within 20 minutes by the end of the first week, and was able to win a match with Hana within 25 minutes after his previous record of their first fight ending in 40 minutes and then at first winning in 30. Repellista already had good models for Blossom and Gustang, too, allowing Bam to spar with those two shinsu specialists.
Apparently, Gustang was supportive of Repellista's approach, and he provided her with help so she could get it right within the virtual world. He was also responsible for this arrangement so Bam could have some time all to himself. Enne wasn't fond of it, apparently, but Gustang actually sided with him for once, even facing Hana's frustration, albeit with a few complaints. Gustang had sent a short letter wishing him quick emotional recovery, an awkward but fairly appreciated gesture, while Tiara sent Bam a few books of stories about tragedy and how to cope with it.
Of course, letters from others also came through Repellista. Aguero, Shibisu, and Wangnan decided to make just one letter, all three of them expressing their understanding in his desire for some solitude and hoping he would recover soon. They also show records of their training regime, assuring Bam they are doing well.
Miseng also asked Wangnan to tell Bam that she missed him, promising to grow stronger as soon as possible and avoid any more loss of friends, while Hwa Ryun noted through Aguero that she always knew his path would be filled with danger and loss, but she had faith in him, as he "wasn't just a god anymore, but a man with the power of a god and the biggest heart of all". Elaine affirmed she too thought the same as Hwa Ryun, and assured Bam he had saved many people, and what he did wasn't a waste, as he was a true savior.
Urek and Baek Ryun's letter expressed their condolences for his losses, with Baek Ryun assuring Bam he had done his best during the fight and was the MVP for the real fight, as he would have eventually died against Han if Bam hadn't showed up, while Urek comforted Bam, stating he knew Bam would surpass both him and Jahad in time, and even being confident Bam would be able to "hand Hon his ass" within the 43rd year of his climb, 3 years earlier than him.
Aria sent him a letter saying she wasn't exactly close to his friends, but it hurt her to see him like this. She empathized with the feeling of struggling to live, even thouhgh her experiences came from her own nature rather than losing loved ones.
Yurin also sent a letter, stating she understood what he was going through as she had seen V went through the same "depressive periods", and so she hoped he would recover and preserve, stating she had faith he would surpass them all, and Yuri also added her thoughts, admitting she thought of barging into his room until her grandmother explained the problem, so she only asked that Bam remembered he still had more than enough loved ones and they all care for him, which was also what Endorsi wanted to say. The rest, apparently, she would rather say to him herself.
Anaak, on the other hand, was surprisingly being the mature one as she spoke about how she had plenty of experience with having to live forward after losing dear ones, and told him her mother also struggled with the reality of it all sometimes, but she also remained strong because she loved her father and her. She told him through her letter that he should remember he had her and the others, and they would help him.
Blossom sent an enchanted, nice-looking pillow so he wouldn't have nightmares, along with a letter from Enne, expressing her concerns for him and asking him to communicate with her if he ever felt like his mind was about to snap. Bam had taken the liberty to send her a letter thanking her for being concerned, but assuring her he wouldn't snap. Irure gave him a few disks about therapists encouragement.
Hana's letter expressed her understanding of his situation, stating everyone would need some time alone, but also expressing her hope that he would recover soon, equating him to a moon, the one that shone light and brought out the best in everyone. Yihwa, on the other hand, acknowledged she understood the feeling of wanting to give up, but insisted he don't, her letter also including a package of her personally made BBQ.
Repellista still needed a bit more time to create a full-fledged replica of Tperie, though, as she needed some more time to replicate someone of his caliber, and she unfortunately didn't have too much information on the battle abilities of Edahn, Hon, or Jahad himself, meaning she couldn't help with that, but Bam was grateful for her efforts.
Repellista would bring him all the good food and share it with him, somehow moving in herself, stating she wanted to help him, really. Well, Bam didn't see any point in rejecting her, and she was also able to sympathize with the feeling of being locked inside a room for long, trying to do something meaningful.
At the end of the first month, though, that was when things changed between them. Repellista had, after finishing dinner and Bam having finished 3 rounds, finally confessed that she liked him and would like to be one of his lovers.
By this point, you would have thought that Bam had learned just how much of a charmer he truly is, that he could attract women anytime with both his looks and charismatic heart. Hell, even TWO FAMILY LEADERS teased him about it. Still, Bam was a bit shocked. He and Repellista might have gotten along so well, Repellista might have been such a flirt, but Bam always thought it was just her usual teasing way of hanging around with others.
Repellista then admitted she had always flirted with him more than any other man, as she was quite taken by his cute face, even revealing how she was the one who showed Yuri the virtual boy simulation game that reminded her so much of him. Repellista always "stalked" on him a bit more than she would with others, and the more she saw, the more she fell for him.
Bam felt like he owed her, and it wasn't like she wasn't attractive. They had been around each other long enough, so Bam agreed to make her one of his girls, but to his surprise, she jumped him as soon as he accepted her feelings and proceeded to undress. Hell, she was quite possibly the most eager, with even Yuri not quite there.
Bam was really awkward as she smirked at him, even revealing she had spied on him having sex with the other women, causing him to choke as she mock-threatened to expose it if he didn't go through with it after he agreed to make her one of his, especially as she wanted to "catch up" to the others and lose her virginity.
And Repellista was quite the eager spirit as she begged Bam to place his cock inside her immediately, and while she winced when he did so as her pussy bled, she didn't take long to giggle as she encouraged him to take her harder. She knew he was feeling a lot of frustration, and she wasn't asking him to vent on her, but instead just let it out normally and take in what the world still had to give him despite having lost a few of his friends. She proposed that he take her so she could show him how the world still had many things to give to him, to open up again.
That was quite philosophical of her, and Bam remembered how Hana got him to open up after he became a bit more obsessed with his training to defeat Jahad. Still, Bam didn't want to like using a woman, even if that woman romantically liked him, for satisfaction, so he asked her once again if she was really willing to do this and not just to help him regain back his focus. Repellista smacked him in the head as she commented he really was too sincere about things, and affirmed that she was doing this because she really had feelings for him.
Bam could sense she was being sincere, so he decided to keep going. He supposed it felt a bit nice, and she definitely wasn't complaining, even if he felt he might be a bit rougher with her than he usually would. She was quite brazen and sensual, as she spoke more praises than anyone, even Hwa Ryun, as his hands worked around her body, and moaned so loud she would have woken most people up if the walls weren't soundproof. She praised him for still having it even in such a state, and Bam responded, a bit sarcastically, that with the fact he had 13 lovers to please meant his experience wouldn't rust even in this state.
This caused her to laugh even as she continued to orgasm 6 times, shocking Bam with just how sensitive she was, but then again, most of his lovers always seemed so quick compared to him as Bam pushed them to the brink of pleasure with how he was thorough and diligent in making sure they were content, hands caressing, dick fucking inside, and so on. When Bam finally came inside her, despite the fact she looked quite tired, she eagerly started to stimulate his cock, sucking and using her breasts. While she wasn't nearly as skilled as Enne and Hana was, her enthusiasm was commendable and she didn't hesitate to push herself more, stating she wanted to last for at least 3 hours compared to Yuri only lasting 2 hours.
Afterwards, she regularly switched positions from Bam, going from being in cowgirl, missionary, and doggy, all to enjoy the best she could. She had enough of him fucking her in the pussy after he came one last time, and told him to fuck her in the ass next without holding anything back. Bam did so, and he sure made her scream more than she had before, applying particular force on her breasts and even targeting her clitoris, a trick he learned, to show him what he really could do. In the end, she lasted for just 2 hours and a half, which left her disappointed, but Bam assured her she did well.
And he supposed her hopes worked, as he realized he indeed had to keep going, for the sake of the people he loved, and he wouldn't be greedy about it, progressing naturally and not allowing himself to sully his friends in any way in the pretense of honoring them. Before he slept, Repellista told him she also had two more women who wanted to "get under his pants, and because you saved them", and she hoped it would convince him further. Bam was a bit curious, but decided to leave it for tomorrow.
What Repellista teased turned out to be the astonishing confession of two FUG hard-liners who had been with him during the fight. He really didn't expect this, especially as they hadn't spent too much time together, although they had gotten acquainted over the years and developed a solid working relationship. It was none other but the FUG Guide Soo-Oh and FUG Elder Sophia Tan, both of whom Bam had personally saved from stray attacks or the impact of Jahad and Enryu's attacks colliding.
Soo-Oh was easily the most tsunderish about it, as she heatedly started by describing how he once reminded her of Jahad and how his attitude vexed her, but then she grew soft as she admitted over the years, she started to realize how Bam truly was trying to be better than the ones who came before, and his compassion wasn't out of naivety, but genuine heart and hope. She definitely had showed him real respect over the years, Bam admitted, but then Soo-Oh admitted she only realized she had fallen for him after he saved her from the fight between Jahad and Enryu. The fact that he, an Irregular who she once disliked, proved himself to be so concerned for someone like her and risked his own life for her was what made her realize she had developed feelings for him.
Sophia Tan, on the other hand, was definitely more casual and respectful about it as she began by calling Bam "My Manly God", which made Bam blush for some reason, before she then admitted spending time training him made her feel an attraction to him that she at first ignored, but over the years, especially as he and her would go on more missions together than most FUG members did, she really couldn't stop herself from truly falling for him. After seeing Bam valiantly risk his life to save her and also being willing to take the mantle of leadership over the Grace Family, that was when she realized he truly was deserving of her love.
Repellista then wisely pointed out while both may see him as their God, they also really like him as a man because he SAVED them. He might not believe himself to be a savior, but the truth was he had saved many, so Bam shouldn't feel like he was lacking. Not all conflicts could be won, but Bam could still do his best. That was why she had fallen for him, just like how those two had grew to love him: He always got back up and kept fighting.
Needless to say, Bam was touched to the point of shedding a few tears as he realized he really did do his best after all. While he hadn't known those two too much, he chose to give them a chance out of gratitude that they reminded him of what he should strive to do.
And so Bam went to the graveyard, where he assured Mirchea he would lead the Grace Family to a brighter future before bowing in front of the graves of Rak, Vespa, Aleksai, Beta, Horyang, and Cassano, promising to fulfill their wishes.
Unbeknownst to Bam, far away, Enryu watched using lighthouses so discreetly Bam didn't knew. It brought the Red Tower to smile.
Who would have thought my sister's son could be such a great "ladies man". From what I could see of his fate, there are still a few more before his "harem" would be complete. I might be the "coolest man" in the Tower, but my nephew dwarfs me when it comes to being cool around women. I hope your soul is at peace Arlene. Your son will thrive now. May you and V rest in peace and be reincarnated as simply good couple.
And so Bam returned to hanging around with his friends more while still training. Since he already had a pretty good grasp of what his teachers were training him, Bam focused on improving his perfomance by fighting and defeating those simulations of the 10 Great Family Leaders for about 5 hours a day until he would then help his friends training. At their own request, he trained them more strictly than ever, even causing them a bit injuries that they were fine with.
Of course, Bam also spent more time with his girlfriends, both old and new.
They were all very much relieved when he finally returned to his normal self, Yuri kissing him for a full minute and shedding a single tear as she told him not to make her worry like that again, Endorsi and Anaak hugging and grabbing his arms while arguing about who should date first, Miseng and Yihwa both just sobbing as they cried on his shoulders, Hana just giving him an understanding pat while Enne was frantically hugging him, relieved he was fine. Even some of the more reserved ones made their relief clear. Both Tiara and Aria gave him a brief but quite sincere hug, Hwa Ryun patted him in the shoulder and told him she always had faith in him, while Irure straight-up kissed him in the cheek, the lips, and the forehead.
The girls didn't protest over the new inclusions, and Hwa Ryun even welcomed them courteously. Apparently, Repellista had told them all about how Sophia and Soo-Oh was partially why Bam regained himself, so they decided to be grateful and not protest his decision. They had other stuff to focus to, particularly getting stronger for the next stage of the war.
Also, while Yuri, Aria, Garam, and the two new inclusions from FUG had all fought in the war in numerous ways, they had decided it was best that they look after the younger girls and their squads. In particular for Yuri, Aria, and Garam, they decided they would need to get even stronger than their original level, as they all needed to become powerful enough to truly survive. They didn't want to make Bam heartbroken, and so they became determined to fight side-by-side alongside their fellows and protect them, choosing to work together and forego any kind of romantic rivalry for the sake of everyone's happiness, especially Bam's.
Yuri took charge of the "Harbingers", Aria decided to join the "Red Light", and Garam chose to be the leader of the "Variable Protectors". Ha Yurin herself was quite willing to train them, just as she was currently also helping Master Jinsung grow even stronger than he already was. His Master had been reluctant, but agreed, if only for his sake. Bam didn't want to lose anyone precious to him anymore.
By the time of the second week of the third month, leaving him with only 2 weeks and 3 days left, Bam had made up his mind that he would be Enryu's apprentice, as Enryu was the only one who he could truly compare to Jahad. He had written a letter to Enryu and cast a spell to send it to Enryu, expressing that he agreed to Enryu becoming his main teacher from now on.
Only an hour later and Enryu appeared, expressing he was glad that Bam had made his choice. He told Bam that he had been keeping an eye on him, and his efforts to improve by himself was noteworthy, but now Enryu offered the "Beyond S+Rank" sparring partner, none other but Enryu himself. Bam had rolled his eyes at Enryu as he admitted he expected him to be better at giving names.
Anyway, Enryu had asked Bam to spar with him right then, creating an alternate dimension for them to have at it. Bam lost, of course, all while Enryu held himself back, and unlike previous spars, Enryu tested Bam's skills in various fields that he thought he had mastered and pretty much schooled him. He had lost sparring sessions to Yurin and Urek, but never as badly as he lost to Enryu. Enryu wasn't kidding as he said he would teach Bam to grow in every specialization possible, and Bam couldn't deny he still had quite much to learn after how he fared.
Enryu dominated him in hand-to-hand combat within 3 minutes as he easily parried all of Bam's hits for a full 2 minutes without retaliating before he then pressed the offense, taking the upper hand swiftly and landing blow after blow as Bam could barely keep up before he grounded Bam by grabbing him in the neck and tossing him down. Bam had even asked how could he be so good at hand-to-hand when he was a Spear Bearer, and Enryu simply stated that he and Jahad were a firm "Master of All", and even Urek was like that, so Bam shouldn't be surprised, causing Bam to grumble at the injustice of clashing wits with the coolest man in the Tower.
Bam didn't even last a minute fighting Enryu as a Spear Bearer as Enryu easily landed 12 hits, 9 blunt blows and 3 cutting attacks, and that was after Bam gave up soon on attacking, focusing much on defense. Archery didn't help much as Enryu disarmed Bam within only 10 seconds more than he had with a spear. Competing accuracy? Bam was pretty much eaten alive by the Red Tower, getting hit 20 times within 30 seconds. Enryu had to heal him up before he could keep going, and at least the man wasn't mocking him.
At least he lasted for 6 minutes when he dueled Enryu's spear with his two blades, although he failed to land a single hit again, as he managed to block an adequate amount of Enryu's spear, albeit with Enryu clearly holding himself back by a few margins, but he was mostly on the defense. At least he could launch a couple of attacks when he wanted to, though, and Enryu at least admitted he was better with dual-blades.
Stealth attacks as a Scout didn't work as Enryu could read the shinsu so well it was hopeless for him to try and be sneaky, all while he could control shinsu with enough subtlety that even Bam's Moonlight Seekers couldn't react to all of his attacks and struggled to read the nature of it. In fact, Enryu could physically sneak behind him even when he was focused too!
His Magnus Core was also inferior to Enryu's own lighthouse control, even almost making Bam mistake the Red Tower for being like Tperie, as the man managed to override Bam's lighthouse techniques, show off a few impressive moves, and even turn a few of his lighthouses against him. Then Enryu revealed he had been controlling lighthouses as his primary method of observing Bam, causing Bam to realize how he really was out of his depth against the Red Tower.
Still, this didn't discourage Bam. He knew Enryu meant well now, so he just gave his uncle a small smile.
I'll keep going, until I surpass you and Jahad! I'll make a better world for everyone, so lend me your strength!
Enryu allowed a small grin on his face at that.
And so we reach the halfway of the story, Jahad. The boy's getting closer and closer to being worthy of the secrets, of challenging you for the mantle of King. He's recovered from the loss of a few of his friends, albeit with a bit of a help from his women.
You might be who you are, but don't you think to give the boy privacy? The Son of Arlene has earned those women, so he deserves to spend his time with them uninterrupted.
Ha! I didn't interrupt them, at all. Yet another one of your former Princesses have joined him. I must say, your blood really seems to be so compatible with the Graces...
I didn't design it that way.
I know. So the story approaches closer than ever to the endgame.
Yes. The endgame, extending beyond simply the duel between me and the boy, but it's still not for at least 8 years or so. How about you just go back to "penning your story", Phantaminum?
I suppose so. I assume you've prepared quite the games indeed for the final clash. You already gathered a few of what you need, but there are still half or more left, right?
Yes. I already have a few candidates as to what they are. How about you just leave and appear at the end, Phantaminum? An Axis like you surely has other business to attend to?
As you wish. Enjoy the remaining years, Jahad. After all, you know better than anyone not to take victory as granted.
Notes