There was no denying it. He was too powerful. This Reflejo, the one we all assumed to be a butt monkey, who existed only to have his plans crushed... he was indeed as powerful as a B-rank Regular. A fact he continued to laud himself over.
"Aha!" Having just reflected Rak's spear shot, Reflejo raised his scythe triumphantly. "You think that'll work on a B-rank Regular?! Fool!"
Rak caught his spear with a snarl. "This turtle is pissing this great leader off!"
"Chill out, Gator." Koon said coolly. "Baam said he's got this."
"Got what?" Reflejo asked curiously, looking over to Baam who was rather far away, screaming at the top of his lungs. "He's been like that for the last 30 chapters, while you two have been failing to defeat this B-rank Reflejo!"
Shaking his head, Koon chuckled, obviously looking down on the metal faced man who needed a mask to cover the face that even his own mother couldn't love. "If you could read the flow of Shinsoo, you would know exactly why he's been like that."
Rak looked to Koon in confusion, then to Baam, who confused him even further. "Just what is the Black Turtle doing? Has he really been at this for so long?"
"All the best things come to those who wait." Koon replied, rather snidely.
Reflejo had been thinking about Koon's earlier dialogue, and finally made his reply. "I admit that I can't read the flow of Shinsoo, but was that description of me necessary? I'm actually extremely handsome beneath this mask. This Reflejo wouldn't have been chosen by Poken, if not attractive."
"What are you talking about?" Koon tilted his head to the side, in confusion.
Rak growled angrily. "Metal Turtle! Get your head out of your ass and get your banana ready! As a true leader of these times, it falls to me to see the Black Turtle's efforts succeed!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Baam was sweating now, unable to stop in mid scream. He couldn't help but wonder if this part of the technique was really necessary, but he knew he'd need a few bottles of cough syrup and a few dozen bags of lozenges after he was done here. Thankfully, the end was in sight.
Reflejo observed Baam curiously, his thoughts wandering. "I should be killing these asswipes for humiliating me, but I can't help but want to see the end result. Even his quotation marks were bolded... surely, he means business."
"Ah, he's done." Koon noted, upon observing Baam. "Alright Gator, it's time to go."
"What?" Rak gave Koon a look of disbelief.
Baam took a deep breath, before speaking, his voice extremely strained now. "Mr. Koon, Mr. Rak... Thanks for keeping him busy. I'm sorry for making you wait so long, but I'll end this fight right now." Holding his hands at his side, Shinsoo gathered densely, in a blindingly bright blue light. "Kaaaameeeehaaaameeeee-"
"BLACK TURTLE!" Rak jumped in front of Baam. "What do you think you're doing?! Using that technique here, of all places!"
"I don't see the problem..." Baam said softly.
Reflejo gasped, staring at the trio. "I see! Now I understand! You were preparing the legendary technique! To think you could use it... I have underestimated you, Mr. Viole. You are a true Irregular..."
Hwa Ryun set a hand on Rak's shoulder. "I know you're scared Gator, but we only have a minute to get out of here. I already confirmed that Androssi took out Mad Dog by draining the blood from his body."
"You?! When did you get there?!" Reflejo asked in horror, having been unable to notice her escape.
Ryun shrugged. "Sometime between the 10th and 25th chapter, while you were going on about being as powerful as a B-rank Regular."
Baam nodded at Koon, Rak, and Ryun. "I'll see you soon, so you should leave now... I don't know how powerful this will be after a 30 chapter power-up sequence."
"Wait... Mr. Viole..." Reflejo slowly set his scythe down, raising his hands above his head as the other three retreated. "I assure you, this was only a joke. Y-yes... Master Karaka was only testing you here... to see your resolve... and such... there is no need to take such drastic measures... think this over... please."
"Mr. Reflejo." Baam's posture relaxed slightly. "I have to tell you something."
Reflejo eagerly nodded. "Yes, tell me anything! Please do!"
Baam cleared his throat calmly. "Ever since I met you, I... have been using Shinsoo to block my ability to smell."
"... What?" Reflejo stared, dumbfounded.
"Yeah, you reek. Horrifically. Why do you think Yuto was in such a hurry to switch with Ms. Ryun? Why do you think Novick cooked with so many spices? We did everything we could to try and block it out, but... even Ms. Xia Xia had to drown herself in alcohol to ignore it. Maybe it's just the fact that you've never changed or bathed since the day we met... I don't know, really. But I do think that the Tower will be a better place without you."
"Wait... are you saying that you've been concentrating on blocking your sense of smell, all this time?" Reflejo inquired.
Baam nodded. "Not just me, I taught everyone how to do it. Why do you think you were doing so well? Do you know how difficult it is to fight while blocking your smell with Shinsoo? It's even more difficult than creating and maintaining 6 Baangs at a time."
Dropping to his knees, Reflejo began to shake. "I see... so this is why nobody ever wanted to be touched by me... To think that I had only to bathe or change... why can't I be loved?"
"If you want the answer to that question... it's probably at the top of the Tower." Baam replied, taking one last whiff of Reflejo, in order to remember the scent as a reminder of the smelliest being to ever enter the Tower. "KAMEHAMEHA!"
On the 134th Floor, in the main castle of the King, Zahard. The King was in a meeting with the 10 Family Heads. They were discussing their next big idea... sliced bread. Zahard and the others were amazed, as always, by the "ingenuity" of Po Bidau Gustang. Last time, it was a product that made teeth cleaner when applied via toothbrush. What inconceivable thing could be next? Butter in a container? Their thoughts on the matter were interrupted, when one of the Zahard Rankers entered in a panic.
"Your Grace! Your Grace! Urgent news of the utmost importance!" The Ranker exclaimed, kneeling before his superiors.
Zahard stroked his chin calmly. "Speak."
"It's the 30th floor..." The Ranker said softly, trying to decide the best way to relinquish his information.
Gustang raised an eyebrow curiously. He had been in attendance of the Workshop Tournament, but got bored when the visuals were cut, and returned up to deliver the sliced bread patent he'd come up with, strangely, while watching the Regular known as Boondawan smash his enemies.
"It has been destroyed!" The Ranker shouted in a frenzy. "The entire floor has ceased to exist!"
"Ah..." The 10 Great Warriors exchanged looks.
"Zahard went out for one of his walks earlier, right?" Koon Eduan asked, directing all looks to the King.
Yeon Hana sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "Again? How many times have we told you? That technique is forbidden!"
"I-it wasn't me, this time, I swear!" Zahard shouted defensively, like a child being scolded by his parents.
The Ranker stared in confusion. "May I... ask what you're talking about?"
Ha Yurin shrugged nonchalantly. "Might as well know the truth. There's a reason it's impossible to pass the test of the 135th Floor."
The Ranker gulped nervously, fully aware he was hearing a secret known only to a handful loyal to Zahard.
Eduan shook his head. "The Guardian was an ass, so our beloved Zahard here decided to nuke him with a Kamehameha blast. That was only enough to destroy the whole floor, but the Guardian survived. So our genius decided to gather all the Shinsoo he could, and drop the Spirit Bomb... then, poof. This became the official top of the Tower."
"S-seriously...?" The Ranker's jaw dropped in shock.
Eurasia Blossom nodded calmly. "Headon was pissed. Why do you think Grace Mirchea Luslec formed FUG and turned against all of us?"
Zahard blushed in embarrassment, for it had been a few thousand years since he'd had to soldier through the humiliation of hearing about his greatest fuck up. "Well, yes, but... I haven't left this floor in a long time. I definitely never went to the 30th. Not to mention that the only one who can use that technique is me."
"Hm... is that how it is?" Arie Hon glanced at his colleagues. "If I recall correctly, you were taught that technique by the only being who had known it before." He waited until the expected gasps from the others. "Yes. We don't know why he did this. We don't know where he came from... but we do know one thing... the Night has returned..."
They thought they had seen the last of him. The greatest evil to ever exist... with the power to destroy and rebuild the entire universe, tens of times over... the most powerful being to ever exist. Together, they had once used all their power to seal him in some unknown location. But now, he has returned. And he has only one destination. The top... the Night will drown the Tower in his great... darkness(?).
To be continued...?
