New Game+

Everyone was startled at the insane man who declared that he was the father of everyone.

"What?! Who are you, and how is it that we have not known of your existence?" A middle-aged man that looked like Andronze challenged.

"Who are we? Andronze used her cells to create you! I'm sure you have noticed this! Look around you! All of you look the same! Can't you tell that you are brothers and sisters?"

"Of course, we know that!"

"Really? Then who do you think your father is?" Lowengren smiled.

"My... father? It can't be you! Presider Andronze would never have sex with a mere Pioneer!"

"Pioneer? Of course, she wouldn't! But her cells were extracted, and it was our sperm that was used to give birth to all of you! And to prove it, our very faces will even spur you to have emotions over us!" Lowengren declared as he slowly opened and quickly shut a small vial that contained one of the most terrifying powers that the Unlocked had.

It was the Tyrant Empress's pheromones. The pheromones of the Tyrant Empress were studied, and after many trials to isolate the terror of her lust, the Unlocked was able to create a strange love empowering bio-weapon. Realm could only trigger it, and only very few could use the Pheromones to follow a certain Realm.

Only Lowengren had succeeded in controlling it and managed to alter the flow of the cells. Lowengren's power constantly improved the borders, and the facts he needed to fool another was slowly decreasing. Lies that required numerous proofs to be believable would suddenly be easily believed as his power in lying increased. And is power in deception has also created a Realm of its own.

The pheromones and Lowengren's control were timed perfectly when all four of them removed their Exoskeleton helmets and revealed their faces.

The moment Lowengren and the rest saw the faces of the four, they felt a strange form of care, and some couldn't even help but tear up.

"We, your fathers, would use our faces to prove that we are who we say you are. Do you feel the familial love?" Lowengren challenged.

Harker's exoskeleton released thick fog as usual as his burly, hairy, and half-naked self emerged.

"We have a lot to do! The battles that you see now should be quickly taken into account. I want everyone ready to analyze the entire battle quickly." Harker ordered. What he said was a clever trick that was true and necessary even for Lowengren's team.

"Fa-father?" One of the youngest members asked.

"Hmm... You resemble me. I see. You are my daughter." Vender smiled.

The rest of the Council were frightened at his sudden declaration.

"I'm sorry. I've lived so busy with things that I couldn't always be by your side. But I... I just did what I did to make sure that you were safe. I had to go out and be gone forever so that you could have more minutes in your life. It's not an excuse, and I'm not defending myself. I just did what I thought I could do because I love you." Vender smiled.

His words somehow created a strange effect, and even Lowengren felt it.

"His hijacking my control?!" Lowengren was amazed.

Harker and Gardo also felt a strange power.

Harker smiled as he realized what Vender did. Vender's daughter had suffered from the plague that Charles was researching. And while his daughter's treatments were now improving, Vender could still not spend time with her.

It was a moment of honesty. Vender's power of Vexation had finally shown its true powers.

"He's so annoying that I forget that his Path isn't just being annoying. It's so much more. He's Off Rhythm. He's the Anti-Zone. I've seen it before, but I keep forgetting it as he would even infuriate me to the limits!" Lowengren cursed. He had recalled the heart-wrenching, time-freezing moments that Vender caused.

He caused trouble upon trouble to Harker and Gardo. But what was strange was that all of those moments somehow worked to their benefit!

"He was always out of his own zone because he was numbing the pain of everything that he had to do to save her daughter, who he could not spend time with. Was he lost in his world, or did he fall into a state where being his off-rhythm self would be his emotional escape to keep up his sanity?" Lowengren finally understood Vender.

The power was so strong that it caused numerous folks to weep as they heard this. Vender didn't need the power of Lowengren to lie or the power of Harker to gain the trust in telling truths. He didn't need to.

Gardo was also tearing up.

"Damn it! That 'which One Piece character test are you' was right. I AM Franky!" Gardo wept. His actions were outside of the plans that they had set. He was moving outside of the 'Zone,' yet his actions only helped them.

As Gardo did, the hearts of many were swayed. They saw a father, sympathizing with another and crying out his heart. They felt the compassion, and many more believed him to be his father.

"Is... that my father?" One secretly thought and trembled. Gardo had the same way he would cry.

Lowengren could feel his Zone stopping. He could no longer control and sense what next right step he should take.

"Welp... We've outsmarted Andronze because of this crazy man's many zone-stopping powers. Maybe Alean and Arthur know that this place where Andronze left her greatest treasures will need this power." Lowengren decided to follow Vender.

"When you all were born, we watched you grow! We watched each stage of your life. You could call it selfishness, but you are still our sons and daughters through a Presider. While she doesn't value us, we have learned to value you, our children. This selfish and almost prideful desire led us to constantly check you all. I even know your story, Phil."

"M-me?" A man called Phil was amazed.

"Presider has monitors for your hearts and your feelings. I watched you when you fell into that long depression."

"You-... You saw it all?"

"Yes. And no matter what, I'm still proud of you. You remain here, in the home and prison built to guard her secrets. But no matter what, you never chose to betray."

"Dad... it was... It was so difficult! She was... She was..." Phil cried and began to tell the tale of the death of an ally. A death that could have been resolved if they had gone outside. Andronze didn't care much for the people inside here. She had a way of even forcibly controlling them. But they were all so loyal that she never needed to.

And these 'children' of hers weren't perfect. Accelerated growth caused numerous health issues and would cause many to die.

Lowengren began to use the cheap tactics of con artists in using cold and warm reading. He gave broad statements and listed the names of the people he could see and sense written somewhere in the room or when those nearby would make whispers. Lowengren's vision and hearing were so refined as an Unlocked that this was easy for him.

Many began to weep and believe as Lowengren spoke as if he knew all of them. But Lowengren never tried to recreate a solid Zone. He could feel that Vender might destroy it and decided to save himself any heartache for what Vender would do.

Harker also felt it. The mood in the room had shifted to the point that they never thought it would. They were prepared to use lies and truths to make everyone trust them, and while Lowengren made the first lie, the way things were changing meant that the future steps they had to take would be different.

"I... also feel bad." Harker began.

"You... my daughter... Leyan..." Harker turned to a woman named Leyan. He had heard her name being whispered by a man next to her. This was one of the endearments that Harker once called Alean a long time ago.

"I... had to also do what I had to do. I wanted to keep you safe. In this world where I saw many scary and dangerous things, I just didn't want you to suffer. I would have... even killed you to spare you of the horrors I've seen. But now we have hope. This war, this entire battle, between Presiders and the Lost Primordial... It's hope! It's hope for a future together! I've never seen you so... full of purpose now." Harker smiled as he told the truth.

"...Papa?!" The woman cried and rushed to Harker.

Many others could no longer contain it. The one who Vender addressed as his daughter rushed and hugged Vender.

"Do not be afraid! Follow your heart! It will lead you to your father!" Lowengren declared.

Others soon followed, and many hugged those who they believed were their father.

"Are you... my father?" A woman asked Gardo.

"Yes!" Gardo hugged the beautiful girl.

"Papa?" A tall, muscular man approached and called out to Gardo.

"No. Not really. I'm not sure who's kid you are. Try that guy." Gardo pointed to Lowengren as he kept crying and allowed other beautiful women to hug him.

The man approached Lowengren and was about to hug him.

"You are clearly that guy's kid." Lowengren pointed to Harker.

"You are not my kid," Harker spoke truthfully before the big man could hug him.

"Are you...?" The man moved to Vender.

"No. I think you're adopted. You just look like Presider Andronze but are not part of this family." Vender gave a disgusted expression as the huge man was about to hug him.

"Alright! Enough! Everyone! We love you! But we still have a war to fight!" Lowengren declared before the huge man could react.

"Send me to Seth!" Lowengren shouted.

"Yes, Papa!" Many cried out together.