20 Slaughter
{1 Year Later}
An endless, untouched expanse of pristine snow stretched as far as the eye could discern. Majestic snow-capped peaks, their lofty summits veiled in billowing clouds. The landscape glimmered in a soft light, and the air was as crisp and biting.
Amidst the frozen glaciers, the Ari family Rankers and Test Director Augusgus were all stationed, like they were waiting for the greatest enemy they are going to face. High above, a blonde-haired woman with piercing blue eyes floated, glaring intensely in one direction. She was none other than Ari Yun, The Ruler of Floor 20, and a Hight Ranker from Ari Family.
*ZAP*
With a thunderous crack, air swept across the endless glaciers as Seven figures stumbled out of an unstable Portal, threatening to close at any moment.
"Ugh, my head is spinning... Can't you open the Portal properly, Sasuke?" Endorsi complained while trying to catch her breath. She sported a stylish green sleeveless top and black tights.
"The Administrator of this Floor interfered with my Portal… But looking at the Welcome we are receiving, I can understand why." Sasuke replied with a mischievous grin, looking dapper in his classic black suit.
"Well, that saves me time... You guys, just hop in the Portal; it'll take you to the Regulars Area over there." Sasuke casually pointed to a floating dot in the distance.
*ZAP*
Shibisu wiped an imaginary sweat from his brow and muttered while leaving, "Thank goodness the Ruler of this Floor isn't a Lo Po Bia." Meanwhile, Ari Yun had a twitch on her forehead at that comment.
'Seriously, this guy's going to be the death of me one day,' thought Sasuke, avoiding the glaring look from Ari Yun.
He then lifted his hands and the Six Tomoes in his Rinnegan rotated with a bright glow,
"Emerge, Shadows!"
*FWOOOO*
And there they were, in front of terrified Rankers and cautious High Rankers. Thousands of Shadow knights and Beasts made their dramatic entrance from the shadows.
*THUD*
"You've summoned us, My Lord?"
The strongest among them, up front and center, knelt with a booming thud. The rest of the Shadows followed suit, like a synchronized Army, awaiting the command of their God.
"Yeah, Cthulhu. You all take care of the small fries here, I'll tango with the beauty up there." Sasuke said with a playful grin, looking at his peculiar Army.
-
[6th Tomoe - Soul - Shadow]
After studying the Souls of the poor fellas who messed with him while ascending the Tower via the Human Path, Sasuke realised, he could manipulate Souls and rule over them. But he didn't revive a skill. Then, in a stroke of thought, he combined all his summoning skills with the 6th Tomoe through Synthesis. The result? A fascinating ability that let him control Souls through their Shadows. He could even merge two beings into a single shadow, creating a super-shadow.
-
"You've got some nerve turning a Ruler from the Lo Bia Family into your Summon!" Ari Yun, still floating up high, commented, her anger evident. She continued, "I've heard you don't take Tests from anyone weaker than you, So you'll have to challenge the Floor Ruler of each level as you climb the Tower. Well, let's see how you handle this. I can't just let a troublemaker like you disturb the Tower's peace."
Out of nowhere, she took a Golden Needle, pointed it at him, and said, "Even though you're an Irregular, you're hardly worth mentioning in front of Lord Jahad. Your little climbing adventure is nothing but a speck on his prestige. And for what you did to Lo Po Bia Muno, trust me, the Lo Po Bia Family's Army will be hunting you down sooner or later. Maybe even the Family Head himself will Descent. Who knows?"
"You sure talk a lot for a Ruler," Sasuke said as he plucked his ears, watching the woman speak nonstop. He looked at the Golden Needle in her hand.
"[Amenotejikara]"
*CLANK*
Suddenly, the Golden Needle was replaced by Sasuke, held tightly in a hug by the woman.
"My, my, you are quite bold. Even if I'm handsome, you shouldn't be rough. Please be gentle; it's my first time," Sasuke turned his head to the side, his cheeks blushing. If an outsider unaware of the situation see this scene, they will think he is a cute boy in love with the bold woman hugging him.
The onlookers below had their faces pale at the sight, especially when Ari Yun's body began to tremble.
"Y-you—"
She stammered, keeping her head down.
"Hmm, what wifey?" Sasuke faced the trembling Ari Yun, with an innocent face.
"DIE, YOU BASTARD!"
*Slash*
She let go of Sasuke and swung the Needle, which had returned to her hand, swiftly. Sasuke easily dodged it, creating some distance. He looked at her with a smile and asked softly, "So, you heard the news from the 19th Floor."
"How do you know that?" Ari Yun widened her eyes. No one knew they were gathering in this place, except maybe the Administrator.
"Haha, it's your weapon... Needle Chan~ told me," he chuckled goofily.
Ari Yun felt her reasoning clouding, her impulse urging her to cut the bastard in front of her into a thousand pieces.
Seeing how much he annoyed her, he sighed and continued to smile.
"Sigh, if it were any other time, I'd have liked to dance with you, but you see, I'm dead tired from the previous floor massacre. So—"
"[Susanoo]"
*BANG*
With a burst of immense purple-colored Shinshu, a gigantic purple humanoid titan with four arms, two wings, and armor of the same color appeared, reaching heights even the tallest snow peaks in the surroundings couldn't reach.
"Allow me to end this quicker," Sasuke said indifferently from within the Susanoo.
Everyone watching, whether from the lighthouses or the Rankers present in the field, felt deep terror in their hearts. They remembered this demon that had mercilessly massacred an entire Branch Family of Lo Po Bia on the 10th Floor - 'Susanoo.'
"Commence the Slaughter, Shadows!"
Standing within the Susanoo, Sasuke gave the order, and chaos erupted below as Chthulu directly engaged with Augusgus, and the rest of the shadows fought the Rankers. Watching Rankers from her family getting incapacitated like moths drawn to flames, Ari Yun let go of her reasoning and used her strongest move against the giant in front of her.
"[Guardian Sword: Cloud Fairy Swords]"
*Swish* *Swish* *Swish* *Swish* *Swish*
Hundreds of white, large needles surrounded by clouds of smoke descended upon the Susanoo from above. The sheer speed caused the eardrums of the Rankers to ring in agony.
*Boooom!*
When all the swords descended and blast subsided, the smoke settled to reveal an unscathed Susanoo, and the despairing Rankers.
"Too much, Shinsu," the colossal Susanoo said, nonchalantly brushing dust off its shoulders. "It is good etiquette that I return what I received."
"Shit," Ari Yun felt her instincts screaming at her as she quickly used her B-rank Reel inventory to defend herself.
"[Kusanagi]"
Two large purple swords formed in the arms of the Susanoo. He crossed the swords in front of him and pulled them back, sending a massive slash.
*Swish!*
The pristine white surroundings suddenly turned purple as a massive slash of purple Shinso sliced across the mountains as far as the eye could see. In the wake of destruction, a crater formed for miles.
Sasuke disabled his Susanoo and descended onto the crater slowly. He could see the heavily injured Ari Yun, struggling to stay conscious.
"Heh... Y-you might have defeated me and passed this floor. But if you show this same audaciousness on the next floor... You will be burned aliv—"
Mid-sentence, she passed out. Sasuke tilted his head stiffly and remembered a name,
"Yeon Hana"
…
Within the bustling streets of the Regulars Area, a group of seven figures strolled, taking in the sights of the 20th Floor. While Sasuke had been busy dealing with the Floor's Ruler and their Rankers, the rest of the team had successfully completed their tests and became E-Rank Regulars.
"I'm hungry. Food," Anaak chimed in, pointing enthusiastically at a noodle stall as they passed by.
"Sure thing, I'm starving too," Sasuke patted her head and led the team into the bustling stall.
The place was crowded, operated by a grandmother and a little boy. They scoured for an empty table but could only find one occupied by a yellow-haired boy.
"Mind if we join you, Bro?" Shibisu asked, flashing a friendly smile.
"Yep, just don't expect me to cover your tab," the boy replied bluntly.
"Thanks," Sasuke acknowledged as they all dined in silence, mindful of the unspoken rule that they were guests at someone else's table.
As the meal concluded, Sasuke offered to pay for the yellow-haired boy's food. However, what happened next was unexpected. The boy burst into tears and made a heartfelt promise.
"Bro… I'll pay you back for this. Remember my name... it's Wangnan Ja. When I become the King of the Tower, I'll gift you this shop—no, the entire Floor."
"Uh, yeah, sure, thanks," Sasuke replied with a forced smile.
After this odd encounter, they left the stall, deciding to move on to the next Floor since there was nothing else to do here.
….
{Floor 21}
On a picturesque seashore, Endrosi wearing a bikini, reclined on a deckchair, savoring the pleasant climate of the 21st Floor.
"Ah, what a lovely climate this Floor has, warm and sunny," she remarked with faint blush.
"Any idea where my servants have gone?" Endorsi inquired, her gaze fixed on Anaak, who was sipping coconut water and enjoying the cooling breeze.
"They headed to the Regulars area to buy something," Anaak replied casually.
_
"Hey, Sasuke, didn't you have an appointment with Princess Yuri on the 20th Floor? I think you forgot," Shibisu reminded him as they strolled through a bustling market area.
"Nah, she messaged me, saying she had to meet one of her sisters on a Higher Floor and that she'll catch up with me later," Sasuke explained. He was focused on checking his new pocket, in the shape of Red Cloud. He received it from the 15th Floor Administrator for passing his test.
As he innocently activated the Pocket's blindingly bright "Flashlight Mode," he inadvertently collided with a stranger completely decked out in black attire, looking like a ninja in disguise.
Sasuke wondered perplexed, 'Who in the world is this dark knight wannabe?' But, With a polite tone, he said, "I apologize, I didn't see where I was going."
"No worries, Baby~ everyone stumble for me."
.
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