Chapter 11

As I woke up, the absolute darkness outside of window told me enough to figure out this was the stairs area of the Middle Area. It really wasn’t stairs nor did it take even the majority of the middle area of any floor but it was the only way to travel fast between floors unless you had some bullcrap method of transportation.

'Hearing of her father once slashing through space and walking through it’ Yes…unless one has a bullcrap level of power…

Seems like the ritual had finished successfully and was now returning to our floor. Shame…I wanted to see the floor where rankers would reach, where the journey of a regular ends. All I remembered was finishing up the last of the other families, beginning the ritual, immense unexplainable pain before blacking out cold.

*Sigh*

Pulling myself up, I looked around the dark room, my eyes adjusting to the dark. From the size of the room I was sleeping in, this was at least a Capital Arc-Ship. A beautifully delicate silver lined dome shaped room. Actually, duding that it woudl easily fit a swimming pool in here, it was an insult to call this place a room. Sure, I might be the princess now but why would the family use a ship such as this to escort me back…unless…

My memory and suspicions were confirmed as a door opened in the darkness and a rather familiar and well known figure stepped through.

As I tried to get off the bed, all my muscles turned to jelly and burned as a fell onto the marble floor. Still, I somehow managed to do something resembling of a ‘kneeling thing’ as I looked at the floor and tried to keep myself from falling over again.

“Father…”

Arie Hon, my…father, was here…but why? He was never there, never anywhere. He didn’t care about his children like any of the Great Warriors. He was…he was…

“My Daughter. Arie Aria Pandora” The tall man walked over to me as he pulled me up, sat on my bed (AN: where the head part was, jerk) and put me on his lap. Even in this father-daughter posture, I couldn’t stop the shudder that went through me or the way my heart beat…not of excitement or happiness but of fear.

Why was he here? Is he displeased? But…but he should be happy right? I brought honor to the family by becoming the new princess!…right?

His hand brushing through my hair stopped my thoughts. A strong calming sensation flowed through me as I naturally began to lean back into him.

Shinsu? Emotional or external shinsu manipulation?

“I may have been more of a patriarch but I am still your father. There is nothing to fear.”

There was everything to fear. He threw his own children and family into the worst possible places in the tower, exiled those he didn’t like, killed family in the name of tests and reigned as the omnipotent god of the floor…a god who was not often forgiving.

Yet…yet…why did my mind, which was so frightened, feel so different from my heart?

“Don’t try to move away, I’m rather enjoying this moment. For the first time I’m feeling what it means to be a father.” He looked down into my eyes “It’s strange to have something more important than me.”

What…?

“I believe you wouldn’t understand what I mean…not yet” He paused as he looked thoughtful, pensive, before he continued. “You and I are different Pandora. As if you are like…the ones I climbed the tower with, or like Mazino.” He had a look of doubt before he turned to me once again. “Almost as if you’re also from outside the tower…but that’s impossible. You’re my child.”

At his words, I could do nothing other than say “Yes father” Even now, standing in the presences of someone as powerful as he…was not easy. It was not simply his power but rather the memories it brought with it.

“As is tradition, the family gifts the child a sword before they enter to climb the tower.”

Yes, but the sword is mostly ceremonial and only sometimes used as the 2nd blade. Unless the sword was truly amazing, it was not a good idea to throw away the blade you have trained with for so long.

“Usually it would be the elders of the family or your mother who presents this…but I wanted to give you one of mine; Arms Inventory” A floating white rack filled with all sorts of blades appeared next to him as he picked one out…one that was too small for him to use.

“Nearly a hundred thousand years ago, I found this blade. Even as the best swordsman in the tower, I could not figure out what exactly it is…I could tell that it is a truly powerful Ignition Weapon but it never responded to my call.”

It was a thin blade, so thin one might mistake it for a needle if they did not see the edge carefully.

(A.N: Needles are one of the most common weapon type in the tower. A thin spiked weapon used to pierce and stab. Like a Sabre)

It seemed to be a one-handed blade, which I could use perfectly fine, but the design was elegantly a two handed one, fitting the Arie family theme. The blade itself was colorless as if crafted straight from glass, only visible due to the light reflecting off of it in an odd angle.

Inspecting carefully, on the blade was engraved some runes I could not read.

“An old language that I had to ask Gustang to translate for me. This language is completely different from Macsethian, the tower’s standard…but apparently this translates to Tell-Tale”

“Tell-Tale…”

I gripped the elegant silver and red handle as I twirled it around a couple of times. Performing a couple of basic stances and moves…right in front of my father. Surprisingly, the blade seemed to accept me. A feeling of somehow it was crafted just for me somehow, all those years ago. That it wasn’t just an excellent blade, it was for me.

As I moved more and more, my strength returned…and further still as I felt how monstrous I had become just by taking in the King’s blood. Anything I had thought of as strong…I was way past that now.

With my bare hands alone, I instinctively knew I could rip apart stone and steel without any shinsu. I felt like I could outrun the Divine Fishes that lived on our floor. My senses sharpened that I could feel my father watching me carefully without my eyes or eyes…I simply knew, I felt.

“Daughter, if you would allow me” Father stood up as he picked his own blade (not White Oar) from his inventory as he walked over to me. “Allow me to be your father this once. Let me teach you my style of Swordsmanship”

Swordsmanship in the Arie family was sacred. While the main family learned of the true Arie Swordsmanship, in reality everyone went their own way with the blade. Some developed a style more offensive, defensive, or adapted it to fit their own fighting style altogether.

A family member teaching someone their own style meant more than just a teacher-student relationship…it was trust, oftentimes love. Mothers taught their children, fathers taught their most prized disciples.

I still feared him, I didn’t quite trust him yet…but seeing how both of us were socially awkward, it would never start if even one of us pushed each other away. I understand he couldn’t be available to be a father and honestly I didn’t care…but this chance was simply too good to let go.

Just once…I was tempted to let this monster of a father into my life.

“Yes Father”

“Good. We shall train together until you enter the tower. As an official princess, your authority overrides all but the elders and myself.

10 Years Later…

POV, Headon, The Administrator of the 1st Floor

Many wondered what form he took. Other administrators took the form of gigantic whales, divine sea fish, sometimes celestial elephants the size of great castles…but for him, that was not an option.

It wasn’t that he could not make himself so large or change into whatever form he wished, but rather he had a job to do; two jobs specifically. Jobs no other administrator could take from him…jobs that required him to travel (teleport) all over the vast endless tower and interact with creatures both big and small.

The form he chose, a strange humanoid rabbit with a black slit across the face sharing both the mouth (with sharp teeth) and eyes, was simply a form that fit the job well…as well as gave him some unique features.

For so long he held this form that even those who didn’t realize they lived inside a godly tower knew him as a ‘fairy’. How ironic…as it was also his job to send those chosen to their deaths.

He was the most experienced Administrator in the tower, the first to meet the future King and his companions as they entered the tower. It was also his job to choose who was worthy of climbing the tower…and not.

Of course, there ere exceptions as some simply had the ability to ignore his choice. Irregulars…those who had opened the door of the tower by themselves from the outside were not chained to the rules of the tower nor its policies. The King and his companions surely didn’t ask for permission to climb…they simply proved their worth and conquered floor after floor.

Enyru and my master followed after as the next irregulars. Both showing powers far beyond any dwellers within the tower and breaking rules and reality to go higher, to go above.

Unfortunately, the Enyru spawns seemed to have received his gift of defying the rules set by the tower as well. Failing tests, locking paths, or even killing their kind didn’t seem to deter them in the slightest. Those Red Witches…

The mildest of them all, Urek Mazino, was the craziest and wildest in his own way. As he had once heard from a quirky ranker…

“They legit told the man that Phantaminum was at the top and he Speedran the tower.”

The wide black slit at the side of his rabbit looking head opened as he grinned. Irregulars always brought about blood, war, chaos…but as the Caretaker of the tower, it was his job to make sure that changes happened. Necessary changes.

The Tower, while silent and unmoving, was a living organism as far as he could tell. The massive construct would not let these beings in without a reason…no reason a dog would let a flea sit on its back.

Changes were necessary and irregulars brought forth those changes.

What he didn’t expect, however, was to find an irregular among regulars…having not yet been chosen to climb the tower.

“Headon, what are you doing here?” The voice of the Swordsman rang out in the large hall of the 100th floor. Arie Hon, the family head of the Arie family stood next to the irregular. The said irregular was a small girl, most likely not even a 100 in age…an infant compared to most.

A pretty little thing for human standards wearing traditional Arie combat clothing. Strange left eye…ah, I see, so that’s why. As if to show her status as a Princess, she had an eyepatch with the Symbol of Jahad tied to her right arm. Why she didn’t just use an armband or something more normal, it was not his job to find out.

“Lord Arie, a pleasure to see you again.” He bowed deeply as his staff floated and twirled next to him. He raised himself as he brought the staff back into his hands and pointed at the young irregular. No physical body or trick could hide such a soul from his eyes. He had met all the irregulars that entered the tower…one somehow born within the tower couldn’t possibly fool his eyes.

“I have come to choose her…or rather bring the message the Tower told me.” He couldn’t stop his slit from opening again as his sharp teeth was on full display. “Princess Arie Aria Pandora Jahad…while I may be late, I sincerely welcome you to the Tower.” A message to the irregulars.

The young child’s eyes widened in surprise…as if he of all administrators would not be able to tell. They can wear the skin and take in the blood of the tower dwellers, but no irregular would get past his senses. After all, he was the first administrator; it was his job to facilitate and care for the tower…and let the tower change.

He raised his staff high as the space behind him began to split, as if a gate was opening. Space was cut as bright divine light began to pour through the gap, beckoning the chosen one to the Inner Area of the tower. The area for regulars to climb, compete, and kill.

It was at this point the young irregular opened her mouth.

“Is it true…that any wish could be granted if you reach the top?” A rather shy voice, soft as a feather.

“Why of course! Money, glory, power…it is all there.” Dramatically, he gestured upwards with is staff. “Whatever you desire, it lays for your taking at the top.” He twirled around as he motioned and mimed the greatness and the joy of having…everything.

“Can you become a god by reaching the top?”

“Of course my princess!”

“…Can you kill a god by reaching the top?” His movements stopped as he stopped and turned to see the irregular clearly. He inspected her…was she a danger to the tower? Did the tower mistake its choice?

“Can you leave the tower by reaching the top?” Both he and her father froze at the young one’s question…it was true that nobody save for a long lost companion to have found a way out of this place.

Does she want to leave? To return to the outside world?

He was still unable to answer her questions when she delivered her final blow.

“Has anyone ever reached the top?”

…

“No, my princess.” He admitted “Nobody has reached the top of this tower.”

“Why?”

“Beca-“

“Stop” The angered voice of the swordsman stopped him from continuing. To hide the truth of why nobody has, or even can, reach the top anymore. The truth relating to the foul deed of the king and the man in front of him.

“Very well then Lord Arie” He bowed deeply once more before turning to the tower’s new monster. “Child, I cannot answer your questions as I cannot confirm them”

The girl’s face fell.

“But I cannot see how it would not be either.” Confusion spread across her face. “On the top lies all you desire. That is the contract between you and this tower…and so I cannot see why whatever you wish would not be there.”

“I see…” She turned to her father and nodded before running off and giving a woman, assumably her mother, a hug before coming to stand in front of him.

“I’ll climb the tower” A look of determination crossed her face as she stated her desires. “And I will find all that I desire…all that I seek be prepared”

“Of course my Princess.” He replied “On the Top” The two said together.

With that, the new irregular walked through the gap between the spaces to begin her journey.

Unseen to the young irregular and the aged swordsman, the administrator’s slit widened revealing his sharp teeth in a full grin…a sinister one should one look at it wrong.

Change was coming to the tower and he would be there to witness it all.

“Welcome to the Tower, ye who was all blessed and cursed” The first administrator whispered.