The Guild of Gamers - The_Dark_Wolf_Shiro

Chapter 1: The Paladin

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain

The Guild of Gamers: The Paladin

“You may be more like your father than I thought,” Noire says, watching as I make my build.

“I can’t tell if that’s a compliment or not,” I admit, giving the very attractive woman a smile. Seeing that I still don’t have enough points for my build, I take another Drawback with a grin. I’m not one to turn away from a challenge.

“Hm, it’s neither. Just an observation,” Noire replies, a small smile on her lips. “You realise that you’ve made a very difficult start? In that way, you’re very much not like Kei. He spent his entire first year hiding away, you’ve done the exact opposite.”

“I need the points,” I say with a shrug. “And I’m not scared of a little challenge.”

“You realise that while death isn’t the end for you, there will be considerable penalties should you fail. You’re my first Gamer since I joined the council; I will be displeased if you embarrass me,” Noire warns, giving me a dangerous look. “Jin’s first gamer looks to be a very successful one; I expect you to do better than them.”

“I will,” I swear, a confident smile on my lips. Noire’s systems come with very customisable starts, and while I have made life dangerous for myself, it should be worth it.

“We shall see. Are you done?” Noire asks, looking over my build. The White Magic system has many options, but I’ve gone for a Paladin build. I have one hell of a fight waiting for me when I get to my new home, after all.

“I am,” I agree, looking over my choices one last time.

The long list of Drawbacks makes me smile. The gamer in me is ready for the challenge.

“So be it,” Noire says, the screens vanishing as I gasp as my system comes online. “Good look, Nathaniel. Do not fail me.”

“I never lose,” I say, smiling with anticipation as she sends me to the hell I’ve chosen for myself.

– Victoria Dallon (Glory Girl) –

Waiting for the transport, she took several calming breaths. This wasn’t her first Endbringer battle, but that didn’t mean anything. You never really got used to going against these nightmarish monsters.

“Name?” she heard the PRT agent ask, glancing over to see who else was dumb enough to volunteer for this. She paused, as did many of the gathered capes (both heroes and villains alike), seeing a teenage boy likely her age or younger.

“Paladin,” the unmasked boy said, looking entirely out of place in the room full of capes. He wasn’t wearing a cape outfit, dressed only in a pair of slightly torn jeans and a blue T-shirt with Armsmaster’s design on it. The shirt looked a size too small, showing off Paladin’s impressive muscles.

Armsmaster himself looked over at the newcomer with a slight frown.

“Powers?” the PRT agent asked, moving on quickly.

“I have a fairly strong brute rating and an aura that absorbs energy and purifies things. I should be able to deal with the radiation; I can heal as well,” Paladin said, his voice somewhat shaky. “Plus my weapons, they’re projections.”

He demonstrated as he closed his eyes, and a glowing silver sword and shield appeared in his hands. When he reopened his eyes, they had turned from forest green to a softly glowing silver, and his jet-black hair swayed slightly as if the wind was blowing through it despite being indoors.

“Does your healing have any known side effects?” the agent asked, continuing with professionalism.

“No, I don’t think so. I’ve only used it on a dog so far, but I know it works on people as well,” Paladin said, banishing his weapons.

“Is this your first time out?”

It wasn’t the agent this time, but Armsmaster cutting in as Paladin turned to face the PRT hero.

“It is,” Paladin confirmed, making her eyes widen. She figured he was from out of town, coming to the closest gathering point but this was his debut? He had some of the biggest balls she’d ever seen, choosing the Hero-Killer as his first cape battle. “My costume wasn’t ready, but I can’t stand aside during an Endbringer attack.”

The resolve in his voice impressed her, and she wasn’t alone. She glared at the Empire capes, all giving the white teen a covetous look, but before anyone else could speak, Strider appeared. It was time.

Giving one last look at the seemingly unprepared teenage boy, she paused, seeing something in his eyes as they all gathered up. There was no fear in his gaze, which briefly locked with hers as he gave her a small smile; in fact, he seemed downright eager.

Before she could think about that, Strider teleported them all, and she had bigger things on her mind. Much bigger things. In the distance, she could see Behemoth lumbering towards them. They were the first and only line of defence between Behemoth and Atlanta.

– Crystal Pelham (Laserdream) –

She’d f*cked up.

Her entire body screamed in pain as Behemoth’s lightning coursed through her, sending her flying from the sky towards the ground below. She hadn’t noticed the danger until it was too late, unable to dodge as Behemoth sent a blast of lightning her way. She’d tossed up a shield, but her forcefields were the weakest in her family, and she couldn’t stop a normal cape attack, let alone an Endbringer’s blast. It had only clipped her, but it had been enough.

The pain was overwhelming, but she knew she had bigger things to worry about as she landed painfully. Looking up at the approaching monster, she knew two things. She was inside his kill aura, and she was going to die.

Everyone knew that you couldn’t approach the Hero-Killer, or he’d just cook you alive. And yet, as she tried to rise to her feet, she couldn’t feel him boiling her alive from the inside.

Her leg was broken from the fall, making her collapse back down as she watched the massive monster approach her. She didn’t know why she was alive, but she knew it wouldn’t last long as Behemoth walked towards her, a storm raging around him.

No one could get her out, not when she was inside the kill aura, and she felt tears sting her eyes. She didn’t want to look back to where her family were likely watching in horror; her eyes locked onto Behemoth.

Despite her fear, a silver glow forced her to look away as she heard someone rushing towards her, the new boy from earlier charging right towards her into the kill aura. She shouted out for him to leave her, not wanting a new cape to die to the aura he probably didn’t even know about, but he ignored her as the storm reached them.

And yet, the raging lightning didn’t strike her. Each bolt of the storm was redirected towards Paladin, the glow he was giving off growing increasingly bright as he reached her, his eyes now entirely silver.

Reaching down, he placed a hand on her stomach and winced in pain as she gasped. Her leg snapped back into place, utterly painlessly, even as Paladin gave off a grunt of pain, fist clenching. The damage from the lightning bolt faded, the ugly burns along her exposed side healing to reveal pristine flesh as he clutched his own side.

“Can you fly?” Paladin asked through clenched teeth, her eyes wide as she looked up at him. His voice sounded different, with an almost angelic touch to it, as she nodded rapidly, enraptured.

He helped her to her feet, gesturing for her to leave as he stared up at the Endbringer, and after a moment of hesitation, she flew away, noticing finally the slight silver glow around her. The glow faded as she left the kill aura, making her eyes widen in realisation.

Looking back at her saviour, she watched him summon a sword again. Now wielding a large glowing greatsword, he stared up at the Endbringer for a moment; the image of the teenage boy standing before the fifty-foot Behemoth burned into her mind before he charged.

The glow of his sword increased a hundred-fold, the blade seemingly made of the silver light as he leapt forward and brought the blade down in a single great cleave. As it struck, the pair were engulfed in a blast of silver light, making her eyes widen and her heart race as her saviour vanished from sight.

As the light cleared, she felt herself gasp in utter shock at the sight of a single figure still standing there. Paladin, resting against his greatsword that was stuck into the ground, stood alone, with no Behemoth in sight.

Then, the sword vanished, and without his weapon to hold him up, Paladin fell to the floor.

– Colin Wallis (Armsmaster) –

They’d found Behemoth quickly; it wasn’t exactly hard, all things considered, even if the boy who had sent him away was down for the count. Floating in orbit around Mars, Behemoth seemed to be throwing a tantrum as he stirred up the most powerful storm they’d ever seen the Endbringer manage, but it didn’t seem able to really do anything from its current position.

“Who is he?” Alexandria asked, making them all share a look. None of the Brockton Bay heroes had the answers she was looking for.

“Paladin. He says this is his first time out,” Armsmaster answered, making her pause. He couldn’t see her eyes, but he could imagine the shock in them as Panacea looked over the sleeping teen.

“He’s fine, physically anyway. He’s exhausted, and his pain receptors look like he was in a lot of pain, but I can’t find anything wrong with him,” Panacea cut in, making Alexandria nod.

“He was taking our pain; I saw him wince and touch his side when he healed my side,” Laserdream piped up, making them share a look. He had healed a lot of people today, some on the brink of death. If he was experiencing their pain every time, he probably felt like he’d died a hundred times over. It was no wonder he’d just collapsed once the adrenaline failed him.

“He didn’t come with a mask?” Alexandria asked, making him shake his head.

“He said his costume wasn’t ready,” Armsmaster replied, looking over the sleeping teen. This was an amazing fight, for Behemoth at least. Around ten percent of the people who took part had died, which was amazing for Behemoth, and they all knew why. Paladin had been absorbing Behemoth’s heat, his radiation and his lightning into himself as he ran around, barely staying alive as he healed as many people as possible.

Some people had reported taking direct hits that dealt no damage at all, only to see Paladin in pain from seemingly nothing; he could transfer other people's wounds onto himself.

“I know who he is,” someone said, making them all turn to where Shadow Stalker was staring at the sleeping cape. “He goes to my school.”

“Should we be talking about his civilian life?” Glory Girl said, making Armsmaster frown.

“He didn’t wear a mask, and the Empire saw his face. They won’t ignore him,” Armsmaster pointed out. “Who is he?”

“Nathanial Hayashi, he’s in my class, but I’ve never spoken to him. He disappeared at the start of the school year, some medical issues apparently,” Shadow Stalker explained, making him share a look with Alexandria. It was November now; could he have triggered just a couple of months ago?

Before she could say anything else, the topic of their conversation groaned slightly as he started to sit up. Looking around the room, soft green eyes blinked as whatever was causing him to glow was clearly no longer in effect.

“Hey,” Nathaniel said, giving them a tired wave.

…’hey’?

“My apologies for rushing you, but what can you tell me about the power you used to banish Behemoth?” Alexandria asked, making him turn to her.

“Banish is right. I used a Banishing Smite. I just had to absorb a lot of energy first; he’s a big boy,” Paladin replied, moving to sit on the edge of the medical bed he’d been placed on. “I can add energy I absorb into my Smites, and Behemoth puts off a lot of energy.”

He winced as he moved, Panacea placing a hand on his bare arm as she made sure he was okay. Nathaniel’s T-shirt was barely hanging on for dear life, the Armsmaster design on the front barely recognisable, making his lips twitch slightly.

“Are you okay?” Panacea asked, making Paladin nod slowly.

“I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck, then reversed over a few times, but I’ll live,” Paladin said with a confident smile, stretching slightly as he clenched his fist several times. “So, where did the bastard end up?”

“Behemoth is currently orbiting around Mars. Is that not what you were trying to do?”

“Mars? That’s weird, damn it. I was aiming for another dimension,” Paladin said, frowning in annoyance. “Eh, not surprised I couldn’t completely cheese the boss fight.”

They all blinked at his casual attitude, a grin on his face.

“Hey, which Endbringer is supposed to be next?” Paladin asked, making Alexandria’s lips twitch.

“Leviathan was last, so it should be the Simurgh,” she answered, making him nod.

“Right, flying super-master/thinker. Yeah, I can handle that,” Paladin said, stretching as he rose to his feet. “Three months is more than enough time to make a strategy to cheese that. So, same time next apocalypse?”

…what?

– Taylor Hebert – Later –

Banging on the outside of her locker, she screamed for someone to help her as she felt bugs crawling all over her body. The trio laughed from outside, mocking words barely audible through the locker door and her desperate banging.

She barely noticed when the laughter suddenly cut off, but it was more than noticeable when the door to her locker was ripped off its hinges, causing her to fall out of the filth-filled locker and onto the floor.

Hearing it hit the floor, she looked up into the gentle eyes of her saviour as he gave off a soft silver glow.

“I see Winslow is still the sh*thole I left it,” Nathaniel, Paladin, said, reaching down as the glow intensified and the filth and bugs on her were all purged in the silver light. “Are you alright?” he asked, his voice kind as he offered her a hand up.

Instead, in an act that would embarrass her later, she clutched the legs of her saviour, sobbing in relief, which made him kneel down and gently stroke her hair. Looking up at him, she saw that his gaze was elsewhere despite his soothing actions.

Turning to see what he was looking at, she felt a momentary pang of satisfaction as she spotted the trio, all looking pale and panicked, as the Vanquisher of Behemoth glared at them with disgust. Emma went to speak, but her honeyed words died in her throat as Nathaniel just glowered at her.

“What’s going on here?” Mr Gladly asked. Oh, now a teacher has noticed something is wrong? Mr Gladly froze as he saw Nathaniel helping her to her feet. “Pala- M-Mr Hayashi?”

Turning to the teacher, Nathaniel gave him an angry look which practically made the weak-willed teacher cower in place before the look faded to a more reserved look, a dark smile forming on Nathaniel’s lips.

– That Night –

It turned out, as good as Emma was at talking her way out of trouble, as much as the school seemed incredibly hesitant to punish their track star and the daughter of a lawyer… they wanted to piss off the newest big damn hero far less.

Emma, Sophia and Madison were all suspended, facing criminal charges, and Alan had practically turned white when Nathaniel offered her and her father the use of his lawyer. The conversation between Carol Dallon and Alan had been short, but the man she’d once seen as her uncle had come out of it looking like he was considering becoming a heavy alcoholic. All three of the trio were under house arrest, and Madison had already broken and confessed to hundreds of their ‘pranks’.

That was before her dad punched him in the face, which probably didn’t help their case, but at least it hadn’t ended up with her dad being arrested.

Hearing a knock on her door, she called for them to enter, wondering what her dad wanted. They’d just talked for hours, and honestly, she was all talked out after that emotionally draining conversation.

The door opened, and her heart started to pound as she saw a much younger man than she was expecting; Nathaniel, giving her a small wave, entered the room.

“Hey, Taylor,” Nathaniel said, his eyes briefly looking over her. She was acutely aware that she’d just gotten out of the bath, dressed in some embarrassingly childish flannel pyjamas as her hero gave her a small smile.

“N-Nathaniel, what are you doing here?” Taylor squeaked, well aware that a boy was in her bedroom. Not just any boy either, but one of the most wanted men in the world after his hero debut. She’d heard some of the girls in Winslow planning to basically jump him if he ever came back to school.

“You can just call me Nathan,” Nathan said, giving her a smile. “I just wanted to check on you and apologise.”

Apologise? He was her saviour; she didn’t know what he meant because he could do no wrong in her mind. He was perfect.

“What do you-”

“We both know this isn’t a new thing; if someone had stepped in before, if I’d had the balls to stand up to those three before I got super-powers, you wouldn’t have had to go through this,” Nathan explained, but she just smiled softly.

Nobody, not a single student or teacher, had tried to help her. She was accused of lying even when she tried to tell people. Nathan might have waited until he was a world-renowned hero first, but he had saved her. She hadn’t missed the way he’d gone from a skinny geeky boy who hung out with Greg to a complete hunk.

“If you had tried to help, they’d just have bullied you as well,” Taylor said, giving him a sad smile. He went to speak again, but she cut him off with an impulsive move. His eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t turn away as her lips met with his.

– Next Morning –

Stretching as she woke up, she got out of bed with hope in her chest for the first time in a long time. Her body protested, sore in places left untouched before last night, and she blushed slightly as she gathered her clothes.

Nathan was gone, having left late last night (before her father got back from his meeting with Carol, thank God), but she’d see him again soon. She needed to get a mobile. She knew her father wouldn’t like it, but he could deal with it.

Turning on her computer, she returned to her most viewed page as she read the new posts on the Paladin thread of PHO. Looking at his Cape Wiki page, she touched the screen slightly, stroking the picture of Nathan. Her saviour, she’d started to show him her gratitude last night, but she’d spend the rest of her life repaying him for dragging her out of her despair.

– Thomas Calvert (Coil) –

This just wasn’t fair.

“What did I do to you?” Coil asked, his power failing him as he saw the god-damn Vanquisher of Behemoth approaching him, glowing with light and brandishing a large sword. He’d been very carefully avoiding this nightmarishly strong cape that f*cked with his powers, but it hadn’t been enough as Paladin he’d just showed up at his base on a day that he’d had both his timelines be in the base.

“Heya, Coil. You wanna know something funny?” Paladin asked, making Coil blink. “Your power lets you avoid the consequences of your actions, hiding all your worst deeds away in another timeline, but now? Now you’re going to die because of something you didn’t even do. You’re dead because of something someone on another timeline did.”

“W-what are you talking about?” Coil asked desperately, making Paladin grin.

“Lisa sends her regards, but it’s not the one you’re thinking of,” Paladin said, lunging forwards as Coil failed to move in time, the sword piercing his chest and pinning him to his chair. “Sorry, sucks to suck.”

This just wasn’t fair… but nothing he could do would stop him from bleeding out, a sword through his heart.

– Lisa Hayashi (Oracle) –

Her son was a good boy, even if he’d inherited several of her and Kei’s worst traits. Well, he was a better person than his hedonist of a sister anyway (not that she could talk, given what she and Kei got up to). Watching another Coil bleed out, she smirked maliciously. Ruining Coil’s life across the multiverse was a hobby of hers.

Watching Nathan meet with Alt-Lisa to discuss the aftermath of Coil’s death, she paused for a moment and giggled. Nathan could be a little oblivious to the obvious at times; he was smart, but he had his blind spots. Seeing how he handled a younger version of his mother being so thirsty for him would be funny. She’d have to thank Noire for setting up this screen so they could keep an eye on her son.

Still, her brows furrowed as she checked his settings again. Had he really needed to take that many drawbacks? At least when Kei liked a challenge, he stuck to VR with no stakes, but her son was a bit of a thrill-seeker.

She had faith, even as she looked at the trackers showing the Teeth, Slaughterhouse Nine, Yangban, and more starting to head his way. He could handle it, right?

Author’s Note: This is not a new story, just a one-off for an idea I’ve had. Nathaniel is Kei and Lisa’s son from Tinker, getting a system from Noire after she and Jin become Council Members (Kuro D retired because being on the council was hard work).

Chapter 2: The Chronomancer

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

The Chronomancer

It was interesting how much different a second could make.

For instance, if he’d paused for just a second at the crossing, the speeding car would have gone right in front of him, but he didn’t pause.

Headphones in, he trusted the green little man who told him it was safe to cross the road, and he didn’t even see the car that killed him until it was far too late.

It was partially his fault, his headphones had been on too loud and he hadn’t heard it coming despite how loud they had been, but it was mostly bad luck that killed him.

Bad luck and the dumb blonde bimbo behind the wheel, who looked like she probably earnt her license in the backseat.

Maybe that was unfair, but when he was flying through the air after she hit him, he wasn’t really feeling particularly generous.

Things seemed to move in slow motion as he was sent flying away, his entire body screaming in pain. She looked horrified as she watched him fly through the air like a particular ungraceful chicken.

Good, he hoped she had nightmares about this for the rest of her life. Given her driving, that would probably be a couple of years at the most.

Again, perhaps that was unfair but she did just kill him so he didn’t particularly care.

As his vision finally darkened, he could only think about how much difference being able to see a single second into the future would have made.

A single second? We can do a little better than that.

— Rias Gremory —

Entering the classroom mere moments after the school day ended, getting the attention of the class as she went to speak before she turned her attention to a noticeably empty seat by the window.

…again?

“Is there something I can do for you, Miss Gremory?” the teacher asked, making her blink,

“I’m looking for Lucius Whitehall, he should be in this class, right?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“Ah, he went home early because he was feeling unwell. He did look rather pale,” the teacher said, making her mentally groan.

“How long ago was that?” Rias asked calmly.

“Oh it was only about fifteen minutes ago.”

She decided to ambush him after class fifteen minutes ago.

She had been standing outside the classroom for over ten minutes, he probably left the corridor moments before she arrived.

Again.

Staying entirely calm, she returned to her office in Occult Research Clubhouse, before she slammed her head down onto her desk and let out a scream in frustration.

She had an insanely powerful mage at her school, and no matter what she tried she couldn’t even get him alone.

— Lucius —

Like hell I’m getting dragged into that mess.

I have one goal in my new life, to live happily without getting dragged into all the nonsense that seems to gravitate towards me.

Using clairvoyance, I change my route home as I avoid the four members of Sonia’s peerage waiting to ambush me, pausing before I turn a corner to give her familiar time to fly overhead and miss me.

I’ve already tossed Issei into an alternate timeline since he decided we were friends for some reason, and his protagonist power scared and confused me.

I don’t know the series this world is apparently based on, but I can glimpse into anyones future and Issei was definitely a shounen protagonist with the bullsh*t I saw.

He’s fine, I checked. He’s actually happy about it because I tossed him into a timeline where all men died out, naturally he’s having the time of his life.

My problem is that time magic is insanely powerful, and to even be able to use it the Guild gave me a practically bottomless mana pool.

Which is apparently catnip to devils, fallen and just about every other supernatural being in this world. I’ve learnt to suppress it but that doesn’t change the fact that a lot of people know how powerful I am.

Rias isn’t pulling me into her marital spat, neither is anyone else.

Arriving at my apartment, I freeze as I sense the immensely powerful being inside my living room, who has definitely already sensed me.

Glimpsing into the future, I groan as I see my conversation with Sirzechs, calling on my magic and rewinding back to the moment I left school.

Sirzechs better get comfortable, because I’m going to spend the night at my other house instead.

Oh yeah, I’m stupidly rich. Turns out that being able to see the future is pretty useful at casinos.

Pausing, I glimpse into the future again and groan. Of course Grayfia is waiting for me, these guys just don’t know how to take no for an answer.

Well, I know how to fix this little problem.

Searching the other timelines, I smile as I find one that suits my needs. In another timeline, a feud between two pillar families would keep Sirzechs busy for the next week.

Plucking at the threads of time, I pull that feud into this timeline, killing some time before I head back to my apartment, finding it blissfully empty.

Mere moments before Grayfia would have arrived to ‘request’ I meet with her master, she gets a message that Millicas has fallen ill and hurries home, leaving me to watch some sh*tty horror movies in peace.

Naturally I could solve Rias’s problems with a single alteration to the timeline, make it so Riser was never born, make it so Riser was raised better and actually won her heart, or make it so that her dad died in a violent assassination moments after knocking up Venelana so he wasn’t around to make a marriage contract, but f*ck that.

I use my powers for my amusem*nt and profit, not other people's benefit.

— Rias Gremory —

Lucius was insanely slippery.

It wasn’t just her he was avoiding so successfully, as Sona was getting equally frustrated as they failed to corner him.

Even when they put him in a position where he had to meet with them, something would always come up at the last second which demanded their attention.

It was no coincidence, that much was obvious after the twentieth emergency had distracted them, but they couldn’t confront him about it because they couldn’t confront him at all.

Sona had blatantly admitted she wanted him in her peerage, which had put some tension between them as they both knew why Rias needed a secret weapon, but Lucius’s magic was just too intense for Sona to let their friendship stop her from trying to grasp this opportunity.

That was two months ago, two long months of frustration and constant setbacks.

So when Lucius had literally summoned her, it had come as quite the surprise, a feeling of triumphant overcoming her as she arrived in the home of her target.

He’d even offered to join her Peerage, for a price of course but she was a devil and that was expected.

Kneeling between his legs, her school shirt open and her bra pulled up and over her breasts, she didn’t even feel any shame as she bounced her chest, his co*ck trapped between it.

No devil would miss an opportunity to recruit a mage as powerful as Lucius, and she hadn’t even hesitated despite her blush as he made his offer.

Kissing the tip of his co*ck as it peeked out of her cleavage, she stared up at him happily, sorry Sona but she’d won their little deal, and as Lucius finally released his seed into her waiting mouth, victory tasted somewhat salty.

But with her new Bishop, she had a much better chance against-

Sitting in her office, Rias frowned to herself as she tried to make a plan to catch Lucius this weekend.

His power was definitely related to time, and Sona believed he might actually be able to see the future which was how he was avoiding them so well.

Rubbing her chin with a frown, her eyes suddenly widened as she felt someone in Kuoh trying to summon her.

Following the sensation, she nearly fell out of her chair as she ‘saw’ Lucius waiting for her by the summoning circle.

— Lucius —

Rias is an amateur in bed, but she’s an enthusiastic one if I promise to join her peerage afterwards.

If I push for Akeno and Koneko to join in, she’s less enthusiastic but it’s still fun. Koneko does give the best blowj*bs though.

When you can do anything with literally no consequences, entertainment takes a rather dark turn. ‘Quicksaving’ means I can do anything to anyone and avoid the consequences.

Plus, if I turn back time did it ever really happen?

Sona gives the best buttjobs in Kuoh, but she’s downright cold. Getting her to give up her virginity is always annoying, she’s not as easy as Rias, but her peerage is a lot of fun.

Of course the most fun is to summon them both and have a competition to see who deserves me in their peerage more. Rias always wins, not because she’s better in bed but because she’s desperate enough that when it becomes a competition she’ll do anything to win.

If Rias thinks it’ll help her recruit me, she’ll do literally anything no matter how degrading. Sona still has her pride and limits.

Also if I mess with Sona too much, Serafall shows up and while she’s a lot of fun she also kinda scares me.

Raynare, Mittelt and Kalawarner are freaks, and incredibly easy. Mittelt and Kalawarner don’t even require me to join the Grigori to put out.

Grayfia is amazing in bed, but she’s also obviously angry at having to pleasure a mere human and while that is enjoyable in its own ways, I’ve had to do an emergency quickload several times because I pushed her too far.

I always place a save at the start of the day that I can jump back to in emergencies, plus a couple much further back in case of larger problems.

It gives me literally an infinite amount of time to devote to whatever I deem worth my time, whether it’s learning a new language, an instrument, or a martial art. I can spend months or even years completely devoted to it and then simply revert to an earlier time with all my skills intact. As an added bonus, my mind never forgets a skill once I learn it, a useful trick when you’re trying to master everything.

The enjoyment of toying with the arrogant devils and fallen is only one small benefit to my power.

Of course, there’s plenty of fun human girls as well. Katase from the kendo team is a lot of fun, because she almost never calls for help if she gets molested on the train she takes to school, unlike Murayama who always puts up a fight.

Like I said, entertaining myself gets rather dark but it’s not like they remember it.

The real trick is remembering what you’ve said and done in each save, it gets a bit confusing when you’ve met someone for the first time, a dozen times over.

I know so much about basically everyone, I know exactly what to say or do to get people to act however I want.

In one timeline, Murayama hates me for stealing her first time after beating her in a kendo match after the rest of the club had left, in another she’s my adoring girlfriend who brings the other kendo girls to our bed to please me.

In this one we’ve never even spoken.

But that’s a small issue, and one I wouldn’t change even if I could.

Because when you can see every timeline, every possibility and simply choose whichever one benefits you the most, something as small as that is completely irrelevant.

Besides, I’ll get used to it sooner or later, after all…

Time is on my side.

Heh.

Chapter 3: The Celestial

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

The Celestial

“Where’s Panacea?!” somebody shouted, but she couldn’t see who as the corners of her vision darkened, the unpleasant dampness around her stomach overshadowed by the immense pain she felt as she glanced down, seeing her shirt stained red.

“Panacea’s dealing with a shooting across town,” someone replied, sounding defeated.

She didn’t want to die, but maybe it would be preferable to living with the pain she felt now, her consciousness fading.

“Wait, who’s-“

As her vision continued to darken, she was shocked when the pain vanished and a bright light flooded her vision.

She thought she’d died for a moment, opening her eyes to see a pair of soft blue eyes staring back down at her with a soothing smile.

“Your story doesn’t end here, my friend,” the angelic voice told her as she looked back down, her torn shirt exposing her unmarred flesh, the grievous wound she got in the accident gone as if it had never happened.

Looking back at her saviour, she felt her voice catch in her throat as she saw him in all his glory for the first time.

Blonde, almost golden hair that was styled so perfectly without a single strand out of place sat atop his youthful incredibly handsome face, a sculpted body barely constrained by a simple white t-shirt and a pair of blue denim jeans, his entire body glowing with a soft golden light.

But the part that truly took her breath away was the truly majestic wings coming from his back, covered in brilliant white feathers.

She’d never been religious, but she couldn’t deny that he made her question her lack of faith for just a moment before he rose to his feet again, his eyes flickering over to the side.

“Ah, I see the heroes have arrived. I’m sorry, my friend, but I must depart. I dislike dealing with endless questions,” he said, giving her one final smile before he leapt into the sky, easily clearing several stories before his wings burst into action, flying away with incredible speed.

Staring after her saviour, breathless and awestruck, she didn’t even notice as Armsmaster arrived on his signature bike, a scowl on his face.

— Emily Piggot —

Looking at the report on Brockton’s newest cape, she scowled to herself at his foolishness.

The nicknamed ‘Archangel’ had to be the most reckless new trigger she’d ever seen, he was admittedly powerful, but the boy just flew around the city without even bothering with a costume or mask, his face was already all over the internet.

Looking at the picture, she immediately realised that the Empire would be salivating at the chance to recruit him.

Aside from his frankly bullsh*t powerset, ranging from the Alexandria package of flight, super strength and toughness, he’s also been reported to be able to heal fatal wounds with just a wave of his hand.

To make things worse, he was their perfect aryan poster boy. The handsome blonde haired, blue eyed teen was pretty much their ideal recruit, and they’d already seen the Empire mobilising their people far outside of their usual stomping grounds in search of him.

She wouldn’t let the Empire get their hands on the third and arguably strongest healer of Brockton, even if she didn’t have a certain order coming from the chief director herself.

‘Recruit Archangel into the wards at any cost’

What did the chief director know that she didn’t?

— Gabriel —

Standing atop the tallest tower in Brockton, I stare down at the city with a pensive expression.

I know Kaiser is currently just a few floors below me, frustrated that I’m so close when he can’t approach me with his offer due to being in his civilian identity, it’s a little game I play to amuse myself.

I’m sure some Empire fliers will arrive sooner rather than later, but I’ll be long gone before they show up.

This city, my new home after my death, is corrupted to the very core. My new powers allow me to sense the suffering and misery around me, the evil and corruption that has sunk its claws into every

At first I thought I could just move to a nicer city, but I’ve found that while Brockton Bay is especially terrible it is far from unusual, every city is in the same sickening state.

So I came back, because I’ve realised just why I was sent to this world.

This world needs a saviour, a beacon of hope to drive back the corruption and evil, and I intend to provide it with one.

Starting with this city, I will clean up this doomed world and bring them into a golden age of beauty, progress and justice.

Sensing a dark lust below me, I turn my eyes downwards and watch as a bald tattooed man corners an Asian woman in an alleyway, his foul intentions clear to all.

As he reaches for her, a spear of golden light pierces through his back, pinning him to the ground as it stabs him clean through the heart.

The girl freezes, watching as her assailant's body is reduced to golden strands of light, leaving behind no evidence as we make eye contact despite the distance.

Her fear and tears fade, awe and gratitude replacing them as she spots me looking down at her from up high.

Stepping off the tower, I let myself fall until I’m almost at ground level before my wings burst out in a show of golden light, flying nimbly through the skies as I reach out with my senses.

I will save this world, even if I have to purge every last disgusting unworthy soul from it with my own two hands.

Chapter 4: The Agent of Chaos

Chapter Text

The Agent of Chaos

Sometimes, Kuro grew bored. This was generally seen as somewhere between terrible and apocalyptic as he sought ways to amuse himself.

A bored Kuro was a Kuro not thinking about the consequences of his actions, and many Gamers had been brought into existence thanks to such times.

Including, him.

— Rias Gremory —

Kuoh was under attack.

Who else could she describe the hell that had been inflicted upon them all lately, why else would she be peeking around the corner of her own school in fear that she’d see those black soulless eyes staring back at her.

Seeing nothing but other students, she let out a sigh of relief as she walked around the corner and entirely missed the box that’s been pulled out just enough to catch her shin and while that wouldn’t be enough to make her fall, the mocking taunt of her enemy made her jump and lose her already unstable footing as she, heiress of a powerful devil clan, went flying.

But that wasn’t enough for her foe, which was why she wasn’t even surprised when she landed headfirst in a conspicuously placed bucket of water, the water soaking her as she landed face down ass up, her skirt somehow flipped leaving her bare ass and puss* on display.

Because the f*cker had stolen her panties not an hour ago, and as she pulled her head out of the bucket, she could have sworn she heard the sound of a camera, but all the students were trying to look innocent as they stared at anything but her.

She didn’t even give them a second look as she locked eyes with it. Sona claimed it was male, but she didn’t care. It wasn’t a man or a woman, it was evil given flesh.

“Honk.”

Its mocking cry rang through the corridor as the pure white goose ran towards the window, her lacy panties still in its mouth, and jumped out of the open window, flying to freedom.

She didn’t give chase, she’d already learnt that she couldn’t hurt it. Attacks never managed to hit it, as displayed the time it stole the underwear of every single member of the Kendo in one go, dodging countless swings as it made off with its loot.

Magic wasn’t any better, Sona had lost her temper and practically tried to blow it up after she found her paperwork, that she'd spent hours doing, in the school fountain.

When the dust cleared, the Goose had simply honked mockingly at her before it fled the scene, unharmed. Of course Sona found herself beset by ‘accidents’ and wardrobe malfunctions for the next week as the Goose claimed its vengeance.

You could attack the monster, it only encouraged it to target you, and even the likes of Serafall had fallen victim to its wicked whims.

The one of the sis-con Satans had came to Kuoh after hearing Sona rant about it, thinking a boy had been bullying her precious Sona-tan.

Finding out the boy was a Goose hadn’t stopped her from trying to freeze it, but all that had achieved was Serafall losing her ‘magical girl staff’ as the little bastard avoided all attacks and bit her on the hand, making her drop her favourite prop.

Not even the Satan had managed to reclaim her stolen property, and while doing a live stream as Levi-tan in the underworld the Goose ambushed her and managed to steal her magical girl top with the hundreds of thousands of people watching.

No, they were forced to endure the mischief of this abomination and for some reason, it had it out for her.

With her white shirt completely see-through, she pouted as she walked to class. The monster had stolen all her bras three days ago and now its evil scheme made sense, her breasts on display for all her classmates.

Oddly enough, so focused on her foe, she never actually considered just changing or using magic.

— Issei —

“Will you die for-“

“Honk!”

His would be girlfriends words were cut off as she paused, the spear in her hand stopping as she looked down between them.

The emotionless gaze of the school's mascot stared back at her, and Issei would never hear a bad word against it with how many wardrobe malfunctions it was responsible for.

“I- what? Never mind that, Issei, will you die for-“

Cut off again as the Goose lunged forwards, Issei finally broke out of his shock and decided to run from his crazy date as she desperately tried to fight off the white menace.

Hiding behind a tree, he couldn’t help peeking back around as his eyes widened.

He had no idea what Yuma really was, but she seemed dangerous given the whole spear and wings thing…

So why was the Goose sitting on her unconscious form honking triumphantly?

Unable to stop himself, he slowly approached seeing the black eyes lock onto him.

“I think you just saved my life, little guy,” Issei said, making the Goose straighten up proudly before it hopped off Yuma's sleeping body.

Yuma was laying on her back, seemingly no worse for wear aside from several small bites on her body, which meant as the Goose went to work on her bdsm top, Issei’s eyes widened as Yuma’s breast popped out of the outfit the Goose was somehow skilfully removing.

His stare was interrupted as the Goose honked, having dragged the outfit over to him.

“Are you offering me that?” Issei asked, seeing the intelligence in its eyes as it nodded. “Honestly, the view alone was enough for me little gu-“

Leaping forwards, the Goose bit down on his hand as he yelped in pain and shook his hand, utterly failing to shake it off, and as the Goose finally let go he could have sworn he heard someone screaming in the back of his head.

“Hey, what was that-“

His words trialled off as he spotted the red gauntlet in the Goose’s mouth.

A flash of light drew his attention away as he spotted Rias Gremory literally appearing in a circle, but today had been weird enough that he didn’t question it as she raised her hand before she paused.

Her eyes slowly went from him to Yuma and finally to the Goose.

“…is that Boosted Gear?”

“Honk.”

He had no idea what was going on, but as the Goose once again took off, dashing towards a bush with its new toy in mouth, Rias immediately set off after it.

“Oh, come on! I needed that, why are you doing this?” Rias whined as she dove into the bush the Goose had jumped into. “I know you understand me! Where did you go, at least let me make an offe-“

Her words suddenly cut off as a honk resounded throughout the park.

“Wait- no, not again! Ow! Please, no don’t do th- Oooh~ not there, no wait, please I’m sorry!”

The yelps and moans coming from the bush made his pants quite a bit tighter than they already were and as Rias came stumbling out of the bush, panting and completely naked his eyes widened in shock and arousal.

“Take a good long look, you won’t be remembering any of this.”

What was that supposed to mean, he’d never forge-

His thoughts were cut off as the unseen fist of Koneko smashed into his head, the white haired girl sighing as she stared at her King.

“Idiots.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I couldn’t just let the little menace run away with Boosted Gear!”

— Rias Gremory —

To know that Boosted Gear had been under her nose this entire time, only to be stolen away by her nemesis made her defeat sting all the more.

Her deadline was rapidly approaching and she was out of ideas, she’d spent so long focused on the Goose, secretly enjoying the distraction from her grim fate, that she simply had no more options.

She could challenge Riser to a rating game, but she’d lose. There wasn’t even a chance of them winning as they were now.

She’d have to ‘trade’ her Peerage away, she wasn’t going to let them go under Riser’s control.

Akeno was already here, and as the door opened and Koneko walked in, she turned and prepared herself to tell them that she was trading them to Sona.

Her words died in her mouth as she spotted the pure white feathered menace held in Koneko’s arms as she hugged it to her chest, walking in and taking a seat as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“I- Koneko-“ Rias stuttered, watching Koneko calmly pet the demons head as it stared at her with its soulless eyes. “Why do you have that.”

“Him,” Koneko said sternly, making Rias and Akeno blink.

“Why do you have him?” Akeno asked, blushing slightly.

Akeno worried her, because she acted like she legitimately had a crush on the Goose. Apparently while his appearance wasn’t her type, his personality definitely was.

This was only proven when Akeno reached forward to pet it as well, only for it to lash out at the hand, biting down hard enough to draw blood.

“Ara, ara~”

Ignoring the moaning moron, she turned back to Koneko.

“…found him. He likes pets.”

Staring back at the Goose, she paused for a moment as she spotted the red ribbon nearly tied around its neck.

“…did you decorate him?” Rias asked in bafflement.

“He likes it.”

“Honk.”

Koneko calmly reached into her pocket and pulled out a biscuit, giving it to the feathered menace who eat it happily.

The entire meeting derailed, it wasn’t until they’d both left much later that she realised she’d spent the entire type distracted by that damnable goose.

Going to call them back, she froze as she spotted the Goose now stood on her desk, entirely too close.

“Why do you keep doing this?” She asked, well aware that the Goose was far smarter than it looked.

“Honk.”

“I figured as much,” Rias said with a laugh. “What else was I expecting?” she said with a sigh as it almost shrugged.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do, and I can’t even blame you,” Rias admitted, making it tilt its head. “I’m going to have to send Akeno and Koneko away, and spend the rest of my life spreading my legs for that bastard Riser.”

“Honk.”

Somehow, the Honk almost sounded sympathetic.

“Heh, I don’t suppose you’d join my Peerage? I doubt we’d be able to beat him but at least he’d have to deal with you for the rest of his life,” Rias joked, making the Goose tilt his head.

“Honk.”

Somehow, she knew that was a no.

“I figured as much,” Rias said with a sad smile as she reached out and went to stroke the goose.

She was utterly unsurprised when it lunged forwards and bit her on the breast, making her yelp as her shirt was torn open.

Going to glare at the demon, she blinked in confusion at the empty room.

Where did it go?

— Cao Cao —

“I don’t know who you are, but trying to ambush me was a foolish move!” Cao Cao warned as he summoned True Longinus.

He didn’t know who was stalking him, but he knew there was something out there.

But it didn’t matter who they were, they were no match for the power of-

“HOOOONK!”

With a battle cry, the white blur descended upon him, and hours later the rest of the Hero faction would find Cao Cao curled up in a ball, crying and without his Sacred Gear.

— Riser Phenex — A Week Later —

This would be an easy enough fight, he knew everything Rias’s peerage had to offer and they simply didn’t have anything capable of harming him-

Huh, why was Koneko just walking up to him?

And what was that spear in her hands?

— Sirzechs Lucifer —

He was happy Rias wasn’t going to be marrying Riser of course, but there were some rather large… political issues caused by the particular shocking result of the fight.

In particular the part where Koneko removed Riser from existence with True Longinus.

Which was why he was sitting opposite Rias and her Peerage, his eyes flickering towards the Goose sitting on Koneko’s lap.

“I’m sorry, explain that again,” Sirzechs said, making Koneko sigh.

“Goosey gave me it.”

“The Goose gave you True Longinus,” Sirzechs repeated, making her nod. “And why did it do that?”

He knew about the Goose after all, but this was outrageous even by its standards.

He’d learnt about it when he came home to find the house on fire from Grayfia’s desperate attempts to kill the white feathered menace that had apparently been harassing her.

“Because I’d be sad if Rias had to send me away,” Koneko answered simply, the Goose honking in agreement. “And it didn’t want to join her Peerage.”

“I-“

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as a feeling of pure power interrupted him, a portal opening and a small black haired figure stepping out of it.

He immediately stiffened in fear as he recognised just what had teleported into Rias’s office.

“L-Lady Ophis, what-“

“Not here for you. Silence,” Ophis said bluntly, making him freeze as she walked towards Rias and her Peerage. “You will join me.”

Standing in front of Koneko, she stared down at the Goose as pure power radiated from her.

“Honk.”

“No? I wasn’t ask-“ Ophis started before the Goose made its move, lunging forwards and biting down on her hand as everyone’s eyes widened in shock and horror.

They were all dead, Ophis would wipe out everyone because some lunatic Goose-

“Ow! Let go!” Ophis yelped, trying and failing to dislodge the goose from her hand as they all stared in shock.

As it finally let go, sent flying by Ophis’s flailing hand and coincidentally landing exactly back in Koneko’s lap, Ophis stared down at her hand, a vicious bite mark spilling her blood, she paused for a moment.

And then she started crying, unused to pain.

“He doesn’t like being told what to do. You should head pat him and give him treats to get his help,” Koneko said gently, making Ophis look up at her with teary eyes.

“O-okay… I’m sorry?” Ophis tried, reaching out slowly and fearfully with her uninjured hands hesitantly placing it on the Goose's head, her fear residing as it happily pushed its head further against her hand. “You, devil. I will live here until I can convince the almighty Goose to assist me.”

Her tone broking no argument, Rias could only nod rapidly as Ophis sat down between her and Koneko, immediately asking Koneko for advice on pleasing the goose.

He missed it when the world made sense.

— Later —

After hours of meetings about the newest… development, he finally got teleported home with a sigh.

Nobody was going to give Rias trouble about Riser’s fate, not with True Longinus in her Peerage and Ophis in her house.

He needed a good night's sleep, but at least things couldn’t get worse tod-

“Ooh~ harder, please my lord, harder!”

Grayfia’s voice echoed through the house as he froze. No, Grayfia would never- he had to be misunderstanding somethi-

“f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck! Oh Maou, it’s so big! More, please give me more!”

Opening the door with a scowl, his wife sat up in shock, the quilt falling off her nude, sweaty form as a look of shame and guilt crossed her face.

Huh, she was in bed alo-

As he stared in shock, the quilt moved again as a long white neck slid out and a pair of jet black eyes locked with his.

“Honk.”

“I’m sorry for disturbing, please enjoy yourselves,” Sirzechs said with a polite bow as he backed out of the room, closing the door.

“Wait, not with my husband righ- Ooooh~”

New plan, he didn’t need sleep, he needed booze. Lots and lots of booze.

Chapter 5: The Alchemist

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works, if you recognise it from somewhere else, surprise it isn't mine.

The Alchemist

There are pros and cons of being given a new life, quite literally given the fact that I literally got blown up.

I made a little oopsies at the lab, because working under the influence of a lot of alcohol becomes a little more dangerous when you work with extremely volatile substances.

Naturally I regret absolutely nothing, it was a great party and if I hadn’t accidentally blown up the lab it would have been really funny.

I was the only person in the lab anyway, so all I really did was inconvenience my employers and myself, and I worked for the government so I see that as a win.

Chapter 6: The Celestial Remnant, Ch01

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus Malcolm Tent, Marethyu, Beans, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain

The Celestial Remnant

Chapter 01: Remnant of Divinity

Sighing, I reach up and run a hand through my hair in frustration. Life has never been simple for me, not that I need or even want simplicity. Being an orphan on Remnant is never going to be easy, especially in the poorest kingdom (that’s barely even recognised by the other kingdoms).

My fox ears twitch at the sound of someone approaching, my long white tail swishing behind me. How aggravating, don’t they know I have things to be doing?

Celestial Remnant System Online.

Honestly, I figured that I’d just lost the plot when this nonsense popped up. Remnant? Celestial? A remnant of what? I doubt it means the name of my world.

Pre-existing traits, [Faunus], [Aura], [Semblance], [Colour Scheme], [Base Proficiency], [Little Red] and [Silver Eyes]

have been added to the character sheet.

Why else would boxes appear in my mind's eye, explaining Aura and my race? The only one that stood out was Silver Eyes, which I didn’t think was worthy of any real attention. After all, it’s just an eye colour, right?

[Silver Eyes]

You... have silver eyes. Well, isn’t that an interesting development? You are now one of the Silver-Eyed Warriors. These figures are Warriors of Legend and are incredibly rare. Not much is known about them except their origin seemingly being linked to the God of Light. They embody his desire to preserve life and, as such, are in opposition to Destruction, which is embodied by the Grimm. Through your silver eyes, you are able to emit great blasts of silver light, capable of pulverising and/or turning Grimm to stone. They react to the desire to preserve and protect life, as such, positive emotions will probably help you master them. To begin, your eyes will be difficult to use and extremely draining, but with enough practice, all Grimm shall fear you.

This power only works on Grimm and those who are bound to them. After this world you will be able to use them on any being similar to Grimm in nature as beings of malevolence and Destruction. Any biological descendants of yours will also inherit the power of this Perk.

Yeah, turns out it might be a little more important than I first thought. All my life, the Grimm have hated me with a passion that seemed downright personal. I’ve seen Grimm run past Huntsmen and Huntresses exclusively to try and kill me. Turns out I didn’t imagine it. I’m trying not to think too hard about the casual ‘after this world’ in the description. I don’t know how to use my eyes, as strange as that sentence may be.

I’m not even going to touch the claim that they came from the God of Light. I’ve never been one for religion.

There’s also another issue. Little Red and Base Proficiency.

[Base Proficiency] - Free

Things are about to get heated around here, with the Kingdom-spanning conflict on the horizon. It’s for the best if you can actually hold your own in a fight. As such, here is a bit of a start to make it easier to keep yourself alive. With this Perk alone, you're roughly as capable in combat as Jaune Arc at the end of Volume 1, alongside knowing how to use your own weapon and the basis for your own unique style. Training will, of course, see you improve, but you at least won’t be a burden at the start.

[Little Red] - 200cp

You are roughly equal to Ruby Rose during Volume 1 in combat abilities. This is a fair bit above the normal student, not quite the peak, but a good way towards it. The acrobatic fighting style of Huntsmen and Huntresses won’t be far out of reach for you, nor will creating your own style of combat.

Requires Base Proficiency to Purchase

Jaune Arc? Ruby Rose? Volume 1? The first two are obviously names, but for whom, I have no idea. A brief investigation showed me that they both exist. Ruby Rose has a social media profile where she exclusively posts pictures of her family and her weapon, a Scythe/Sniper. Jaune Arc doesn’t seem to have one, but I found that the Arc family are farmers from Vale, and I was able to track him down as one of their seven kids.

Volume 1 is just… strange. And ‘Kingdom-spanning conflict?’ How foreboding. I suppose my hopes for an easy life are already dead in the water.

Starting Rolls complete, rolls blended into character background.

It all started last night when I had the strangest dream I can remember. Four glowing motes of light danced through the night sky, showing me flashes of impossible things before all four rushed into my chest, and I woke up. Nothing has made sense since.

[Secular Skills]

Through growing up in a society in which religion tried to stem the natural instincts of the cat people towards vanity and good looks, you learned to craft amazing clothes and outfits from the most basic materials and tools, and don't worry, they all will look fantastic.

See, last night I was not a clothier. I didn’t know how to sew or the first thing about designing clothes, and yet now I have some basic tailoring equipment around my small apartment and memories of me using my ‘skills’ to make a bit of money on the side, fixing and making clothes for my fellow Faunus. I’m somewhat renowned around the Menagerie for it.

The small drone beeps as it sees my annoyance, barely visible on my features.

[Tower of Fantasy: Couant]

A small drone that follows its master, shielding them from damage. When the shield is broken, it lets out a shocking burst that damages and knocks back all nearby enemies. This can also stun weaker enemies for several seconds.

I suddenly remember making Couant, piecing it together over the years. The small silver orb hovers in the air, its screen showing a neon blue smiley face as it beeps encouragingly at me. I give it a soft smile despite my confusion. It has Xs for eyes and a small upturned triangle for a mouth; honestly, it looks somewhat adorable despite its power.

[Psychic Abilities - Clairvoyance (Two Dots)]

In the World of Darkness, psychic abilities and mythic sorcery are, at first glance, completely different. However, both manipulate the same powers, albeit in very different ways and are both considered forms of linear magic. While a sorcerer utilises numerous tools and ceremonies to harness supernatural powers, a psychic makes do with lots and lots of willpower. Furthermore, the majority of psychic powers are innate and can be improved, but not gained, without outside interference, in stark contrast to sorcery.

Clairvoyance is the psychic power to perceive a location of choice without being physically present. Unlike astral projectors, clairvoyants remain aware of their physical surroundings while using their abilities. Familiarity with a given locale makes this power easier.

[1] - The psychic sees some images of their target location, but they are hazy and indistinct. They can be no more than a mile from it.

[2] - Images of the target location become clear, and the psychic can now faintly hear through their clairvoyance. Furthermore, they may now be up to ten miles distant from their target.

I don’t know what my semblance is; I’m a late bloomer in that regard. Yet, people think my Semblance is ‘Farseeing’, letting me project my mind to distant locations. That’s what the two Huntsmen currently making their way up towards my apartment are coming to fetch me for. It’s a useful trick and one that I’ve been asked to make use of regularly for the safety of Menagerie.

Finally, the biggest and most confusing one of them all.

[Dragon Lair]

An attachment to your pocket dimension that adds a large cavern. About once a month it spawns a large amount of gold coins and gems inside of it. If you have a companion who has a draconic form or is a dragon themselves, they may take up residence inside the cave.

I am not rich; I’ve made enough money with my tailoring to keep myself somewhat comfortable, but I’m still a teenager with no family living in Menagerie. Why, and how, did I get a secret pocket dimension that is simply a large cave filled with solid gold coins and precious gems? That’s not even mentioning the name, or the suggestion that I befriend a dragon to live in it.

It’s obscene. Gold isn’t used as a currency anymore, but it can still go for a damn good price, and gems are also a good source of wealth. Not that I could sell them without having to answer some particularly pointed questions.

[Little Red] and [Psychic Abilities - Clairvoyance (Two Dots)] both have upgrades available. Would you like to lock them in?

Sure, why not? I’ll pretend I know what is going on because I don’t really have any other choices at the moment.

System Startup Complete. On behalf of your sponsor, enjoy yourself!

Sponsor? Well, isn’t that a lovely implication?

A knock on my door makes me mentally dismiss the mental pop-up, calling for them to enter as my hands skillfully work on a torn shirt.

“Mr Akari? The High Leader wishes to see you,” the man says, watching as I slowly finish up what I’m doing and rise from my seat.

“Very well,” I say sedately, knowing I can’t afford to say no. I am not White Fang, but that doesn’t mean much when Sienna Khan requests my time. They aren’t surprised by my simple, indifferent response; I am not someone who shows emotion easily, and the two White Fang agents lead me out of my apartment.

The White Fang may be seen as terrorists in the other kingdoms, but they have a different reputation on the Menagerie. For one, they supplied the materials for me to make my weapon, as they do for all aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses. It isn’t required for us to join the Fang; in fact, in many cases, they prefer we don’t, but it’s very clear that they expect us to remember that they helped us when we become full-trained Huntsmen.

It’s a simple but effective way of ensuring that any Huntsmen from the Menagerie feel like they owe the Fang, especially the very rare ones like me. After all, it is exceedingly uncommon for an aspiring Huntsman from the Menagerie to get accepted into Beacon, the most prodigious huntsman academy in the world.

In fact, there have only been two others in the last decade. Last year, a rabbit Faunus called Velvet Scarlatina was picked, and she was the first in eight years. Vale isn’t particularly pleasant for Faunus (though it is better than Atlas, at least) but Beacon’s reputation is undeniable.

The Chieftain himself paid for me (and several others) to travel to Vale and attend their initial tests, though I still need to pass their actual initiation when I get there. I was the only one who passed the first round, and I am expected to pass the initiation and represent our people.

But first, they still can squeeze a little extra use out of me before I leave for Vale.

– Sienna Khan –

As Akari was led in, she gave him a small smile in gratitude for his quick response. He didn’t return it, blank, tired eyes staring back at her.

“Miss Khan, you called for me?” Akari asked, tail swishing behind him. It gave away his irritation at being pulled away from whatever he had been doing, complementing his twitching ears.

Akari was a rarity, a Faunus with two traits instead of one. It wasn’t unheard of, but it was extremely rare. Some Faunus held an almost superstitious belief that it was a sign of that Faunus’ potential or destiny, but she didn’t. It was just a tail.

“I did, Akari. As I imagine you already suspect, I’d like your help in scouting the Grimm around Kuo Kuana,” Sienna explained, making him nod, utterly unsurprised. Why would he be? He went through this several times a month. “We’ve had reports of unusual activity, strange movements. I’d like to use your Semblance to gather as much information on them as we can before you leave us.”

Akari nodded, silver eyes clearly tired as he took the seat she gestured to. She wasn’t pleased that Ghira had arranged for him to attend Beacon despite the potential benefits. Scarlatina had practically gone native from her time in Vale, and it was a waste of Akari’s talents.

She wanted to bring him into the Fang, but Ghira had beaten her to it. Akari was a decent fighter, nothing amazing, but he had potential. The real talent lay in his Semblance, which made him the ultimate scout.

Akari crossed his legs, looking at the map she brought up. As always, she pointed to areas she wanted to survey, and he simply closed his eyes and started to speak. It wasn’t necessary for her to do this part herself; she could have had someone else take over, but she was invested in Akari and didn’t want him to forget where his loyalties should lie after he started attending Beacon.

Some things required a more personal touch.

They’d long since worked out that Akari could see anywhere in a ten-mile radius, and her compound was on the edge of the city, so he could do a lot from her home. Sometimes, they took him out of the city, but Grimm seemed to have it out for him. Some of her men had joked about using him as Grimm bait since it wasn’t uncommon for Grimm to ignore them to go for Akari. The best idea they had was that despite his often expressionless features, he had strong emotions that were serving as a lure.

She made notes as Akari spotted some unusual, stronger Grimm. They’d have to be dealt with sooner rather than later. It would be unfortunate to lose access to his power when he left, which made a small frown on her face.

After he was done, she had them picked up and took him to the other side of the city, repeating the process again from a different spot. He could scout fast while Farseeing, and with him leaving in a matter of days, she wanted to ensure that she squeezed every bit of use she could out of him. She paid him for his time; of course, she wasn’t going to alienate him by using him as slave labour.

Again, she made notes of the locations of various larger hordes (worrying that they were unusually close to the city itself), Akari helping point them out on the map.

He needed several breaks, it taxed his Aura to use his Semblance for so long, and by the time they were finished, the sun was almost set.

“You’ve done well today; the city is that much safer because of your work, and our Huntsmen will be far safer going on their patrols with this information,” Sienna praised, and despite his lethargic demeanour, she could tell that he was at least slightly happy at her praise. “Have you given any more thought about my offer?”

“Sorry, I’m gonna have to decline. I want to go to Beacon,” Akari said simply, his tone blank as she nodded. It was the answer she’d expected, despite her disappointment. She hadn’t expected him to join the White Fang instead of leaving for Vale, but she had to offer all the same.

“Understandable; Beacon is known as the best academy for good reason,” Sienna agreed easily, moving on and not pushing the subject. “I do hope you’ll return home during the breaks.”

She stressed the word, reminding him that the people of Kuo Kuana had taken him in and looked after him. Nobody really knew where Akari had come from. A patrol found him wandering the wilds outside the city when he was roughly five, and his features were so striking that she would have expected his parents would be easy to identify. Snow-white hair and pale skin, with a pair of remarkable silver eyes, but no other Fox Faunus even resembled him. His features made him look almost Mistralian, but it hadn’t helped find who had left Akari out in the wilds. He’d known his name and very little else about how he’d gotten there or who he was.

He’d grown up in an orphanage, and moved into a small apartment when he became old enough. It was rare for people to actually get adopted. Frankly, most families had enough mouths to feed without taking in more.

“I plan to,” Akari agreed, though she knew plans could change all too quickly. Scarlatina came home because she had family here, but Akari had no close connections. He spoke to few, had no one he saw as a friend, lived alone, and seemed to prefer his own company.

He would be spending the next several years with a new team, and that would likely be the closest relationship he had ever experienced. It would be all too predictable for him to grow attached to his team and decide not to return here. It would be good for him but bad for Kuo Kuana to lose his scouting capabilities.

If he were more naive or co*cky, she’d have considered trying to seduce him to send him off with memories of her. Keeping in contact with him (discreetly) would keep him pining for her and make him all the more eager to come back into her arms. Unfortunately, Akari was rather clever, and she knew he’d see it as exactly what it was: a honeypot.

Still, she had her ways, her thoughts returning to Velvet as she smiled.

“I do think I’ll miss these little meetings, Akari. I hope Beacon lives up to your expectations,” Sienna said gracefully, giving him a small smile, which he returned, if only barely.

– Akari –

Sienna will miss my Farseeing, no doubt. Still, Kuo Kuana has been good to me and I don’t mind using my power to try and help keep them a little safer, and the money is nice.

Feat Achieved: Become useful to the White Fang (100cp granted, 100cp total)

I suppose it’s better than being an inconvenience to them. My power pings in my mind as I walk home, telling me that I can afford one of my locked choices. It’s 100cp to upgrade my Farseeing but 200cp to upgrade Little Red.

In the end, it’s my curiosity at the strange description of Little Red that makes me decide to focus on that. I want to see if it can explain more about why Ruby is so important that my power mentioned her.

Returning home, I stretch and start making some supper, my tail swishing at the smell of my meal. Returning to Ruby’s page, I frown as I notice something rather curious. Her profile picture is her hugging a small dog, smiling at the camera, with a beaming smile on her face.

Happiness is clear in her silver eyes.

Her father is a teacher at Patch’s combat school, Signal Academy, with blue eyes, and her sister has a very active page with lilac eyes. Yang is going to Beacon; she’ll be in my year if we both pass the initiation. I’m very careful not to like anything because I don’t really have an explanation for why I’m stalking their pages.

I do eventually manage to find a single picture of Summer Rose, specifically an old picture of her with Team STRQ. Her silver eyes smile at the camera as she throws her arms around the shoulders of two men, Taiyang and another, who I don’t know the name of, but oddly enough recognise, while a frowning girl stands over to the side. The two I don’t know are definitely siblings, with dark hair and red eyes.

A memory of my first visit to Vale comes to mind: a drunken man with messy dark hair and red eyes harassing me when I was leaving the exam room. At the time, I thought he was a racist, but his jabs seemed aimed at my eyes, and I do recall him bothering me about who my family was before a stern blonde lady dragged him away.

I got my acceptance letter almost immediately, and further investigation into Yang’s inability to not broadcast her entire life online shows that she’s boasting about how her little sister got accepted into Beacon two years early.

I got accepted immediately after someone showed interest in my eyes, and another student got to skip two years and join Beacon, who also happens to have silver eyes.

Special Offer!

Your sponsor is offering you a 500cp bonus if you are willing to accept a challenge!

Again, sponsor? I don’t suppose they want to identify themselves?

Nope!

Fine, what is the challenge? At this point, talking to my power makes as much sense as anything else.

Until Beacon’s winter break, you will be unable to skip anything and must buy whatever you roll if you can afford it.

Sure? I live by a simple mindset of ‘why not’.

500cp granted, 600cp total.

[Invincible Girl] - 200cp, 400cp remaining

Why, hello there, you rising star! You are, frankly put, a prodigy in the arts of combat. Like a certain Nikos, you seem to be made for this profession. On top of fighting being easy for you, you’re already a fair bit above your fellow students, starting out on the same level of skill as her, capable of giving a Maiden a good fight with your technique alone. You’re definitely going to be the powerhouse of your team and most likely have already perfected your own brand of combat.

Requires Little Red to Purchase

Nikos, even I vaguely know that name. Some Mistral champion fighter, if I recall correctly. Allegedly, she’s never lost a fight since her tournament debut. Funny, sounds like even my very power is a fan. The purchase comes with a rush of new knowledge and memories, and even the meeting I just came out of seems to have changed.

Your patron is helping you settle into your new power by adjusting your history to explain any new powers you gain. She will stop once you leave for Beacon.

It’s both helpful and yet unnerving; Sienna was more pushy about me staying on Menagerie in the new history. I think my weapon just became made of better materials as the Fang made several investments in me.

My weapon is special to me, so I don’t mind that benefit. It’s a spear/shield/rifle combination… that is admittedly shaped like an umbrella. I based it on a Mistrailan legend I heard about living umbrellas, which is why it is red with a face on the ‘umbrella’ part.

My power pings me to tell me I can afford to upgrade Farseeing, which I agree to; it’s a useful trick.

[3] - Hearing is no longer faint, and though the psychic cannot affect the viewed location, they can “touch” things, though their sense of touch is dulled, as though wearing thick rubber gloves. Any location within fifty miles can be viewed.

Again, my history changed as Sienna made use of my larger range… but it doesn’t stay that way for long as I purchase the next level.

[4] - The clairvoyant’s sense of touch is now sharp, and strong odours can be detected. The psychic’s maximum range increases to five hundred miles.

I don’t know how long it could take to roll the final level, so when prompted I just keep going.

[5] - All five senses may now be used perfectly, and any location within five thousand miles is fair game.

My power settles, telling me that I have the highest level of Farseeing. Now, we never left Sienna’s office, as she had me explore the island. She also paid me a lot better and offered me a high-ranking position in the Fang if I joined up. My answer didn’t change.

…how far away is Patch?

Eating my supper, I move onto my bed and cross my legs as I focus my mind. Ruby Rose, what makes you so special?

My power works one of two ways. I can either start by leaving my body and moving my senses, no longer confined by gravity or the need for a physical body, or I can jump straight to a location I am familiar with. My time in Vale was short, and I barely paid attention to my surroundings so I’ll have to do this the long way instead of skipping to Beacon.

Patch is just off the shore of Vale, and even at the speeds I can move my mind, it takes me some time to fly across the seas and then over the Kingdom of Vale, looking for the city from up on high. I’ve never bothered looking into how big Remnant actually is, but apparently, the answer is ‘not that big’ as I arrive above the small island. I don’t know if I could reach Atlas, up north of Vale, but I haven’t hit my limit yet as I zoom down to a lesser altitude.

Sienna has no idea how big my range actually is because I stretched the truth, suggesting I am able to cover our island without going much further. If she knew I could see into the other Kingdoms, I doubt I would ever be allowed to leave. The espionage potential would be too much for her to resist the temptation to see what Atlas or Vale were up to.

Patch is small, and my investigations into their social media revealed a picture of their house. It doesn’t take me long to find it. It’s earlier in the day here, showing just how far I’ve actually travelled as it sent my mind into a different timezone.

Moving through the walls of the house, I breathe in the scent of whatever their father is cooking. Honestly, it smells nicer than what I ate.

A barking gets my attention, blinking as I stare down at the dog from Ruby’s profile picture, staring in my direction and barking. Can it see me?

“What is it, Zwei?” a chipper voice asks, my target in sight as Ruby looks around the room in confusion, wide silver eyes looking for whatever has set Zwei off. “There’s nothing there.”

Ruby moves closer, walking through me as I shudder, smelling her floral shampoo as she looks out of the window. She doesn’t react herself because while I can ‘touch’ things, I can’t actually affect them in any way.

“Maybe it’s a ghoOoOst~” another voice jokes, making both myself and Ruby turn to see Yang coming down the stairs with a grin on her face. “Is there anyone in the room with us?” Yang asks in a spooky voice, wiggling her fingers as Ruby laughs (maybe a little nervously).

“Yes,” I say, in a rare moment of levity, knowing they can’t hear me.

Ruby jumps a mile, letting out a shriek as I blink. Huh. Yang and Zwei didn’t react, and Taiyang came running with a frown on his face, running through me.

“I heard it! SOMETHING JUST SAID YES!” Ruby shouts, shivering as she spins around rapidly. “Yang, did you do that? Did you hide a speaker, or-”

“When would I have had time to do that? And Zwei wouldn’t be barking at a hidden speaker. I didn’t hear anything,” Yang waves off, frowning.

“Are you okay, Ruby? Did you drink some bad milk again?” Taiyang asks, watching his youngest daughter take several deep breaths. Hmm, is it the eyes?

“No, I know what I heard. When Yang asked that, someone said ‘Yes’ right into my ear,” Ruby gasps, spinning around as she unknowingly flails her hand through my face. I was right behind her, but that’s because she moved towards me, not the other way around.

Still, this is the other Silver-Eyed Warrior? She’s just a kid, but then again, so am I.

Yang teases her sister about her jumpiness; Taiyang relaxes when he hears that it’s not a threat, just a ghost that’s haunting his daughters. Somehow, I don’t think he’d be so relaxed if he knew the truth. I’m invading a private moment, but my curiosity overcomes me as I walk up and poke Yang in the cheek.

Her cheek doesn’t move, of course, and she doesn’t react as I feel the softness of her skin. I move back to Ruby, poking her in the side. She doesn’t react, making me frown. I was sure she’d feel it; was that a one-off?

“Hello.”

Ignoring the shriek, I scratch my chin. It wasn’t a one-off. How interesting. If anything, I would think she’d be able to see me, not hear me, since the special part is the eyes. And yet, waving my hand in front of her head, I get no response. How curious.

“Boo.”

As she shrieks again, I cancel my power and snap back to my room with a small smile. Entertaining.

My scroll distracts me from potential plans to harass a random stranger from across the world, sparing Ruby any more torment from her ghost.

‘Hey, hun, I know you’re probably very busy getting ready for Beacon (three more days!), but could you pop down to the house tomorrow?’

I send a simple ‘ok’ back, my smile not fading as I reply to Kali.

Kali is the wife of the Chieftain of Kuo Kuana, Ghira, and I’ve known her for years. She would often come down to the orphanage, usually bringing some of her home cooking for us, and she and Ghira paid for my apartment. Ghira also often came to the orphanage; he takes his job seriously and cares for his people.

I know he doesn’t get along with Sienna despite them basically sharing the island's leadership. They have different personalities and ideals, and while they both want what is best for our people, they have very different ideas about how to get that.

Turning in for the night, I check the time zones as a cunning plan strikes me. If I get up early enough, it’d be late night back in Patch…

— Bonus Scene — Ruby Rose

Yang was a big jerk. Her dad, too.

She knew what she heard, it wasn’t her imagination and she hadn’t even had that much sugar. No, she wasn’t getting too excited about Beacon (mentally squeeing about her upcoming start); she had heard a soft, male voice in her ear.

Pouting, she wished her dad luck in the haunted house when they went off to Beacon. With her nightlight on, she glared around the room challengingly. Zwei was fast asleep, no use at all as her guard dog, but she dared the ghost to come for her now that she had Crescent Rose.

“Heh, that’s what I thought,” Ruby gloated, smiling proudly. “Stupid ghost’s too scared of me.”

‘You sure?’

Jumping out of the bed, she shrieked at the top of her lungs as she grabbed her weapon, swinging it wildly before taking aim at the bed. It had been right there with her?

“Really, Rubes? Aren’t you a little old for nightmares?” Yang asked tiredly as she opened the door, making Ruby glare at her dumb sister even harder.

“I wasn’t asleep! I taunted the ghost, and it spoke back to me,” Ruby swore, shaking as she spun around.

‘Heh.’

“Don’t you laugh at me!” Ruby demanded, realising something. The ghost wasn’t dangerous; it was just a jerk!

“Huh, I wasn’t?” Yang blinked. “Ruby, are you sure you haven’t eaten something funny?”

Pouting, she sat down on her bed with her arms crossed as she switched between glaring at Yang and the last place she’d heard the big dumb ghost from.

Author’s Note: Ya boi is back at it again. I’ve had a lot of fun with the Celestial System and wanted to try it with another character and world (yes, I know it is laughably overpowered for RWBY, but bear with me; I sometimes know what I’m doing).

f*ck that one trait thing; I’ll happily make more lore just to give me an excuse for fluffy tails.

As a Kitsune, mischief is in Akari’s nature, no matter how serious he tries to be.

Marethyu’s Note: god f*cking damnit shiro…

Beans’ Note: Aw sh*t, here we go again. I continue to know nothing about RWBY besides these fics, honestly it could be completely different than them and I’d have no idea.

Old man’s note: I give up, there is no stopping to this madman’s infinite void.

Written: 31/05/2024

Chapter 7: The Celestial Remnant, Ch02

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Priapus, first of the Horny, Beans, Mike God of Lore Malcolm Tent, Old man of the mountain, the oldest horny

The Celestial Remnant

Chapter 02: Cougar

– Akari –

100cp gained, 200cp total

Gained from what? Well, it doesn’t seem interested in telling me, and I’m not one to turn away a prize just because I don’t know where it came from.

[False Eyes of Death Perception] - 600cp

Technically, the true name for these is ‘Mystic Eyes of Life Perception’ or would be along those lines if it was properly identified. You are able to perceive the ‘life force’ that sustains a living being, appearing as lines and points around said living being. By cutting along or damaging these lines and points, you can greatly damage the being in question as their life force is burned away, likely killing them if enough damage is inflicted. However, you cannot truly see ‘death’, and as such, cannot actualize it upon a living being or even an unliving or inanimate object - thus, rather than instantly killing the target, it merely critically damages them until their bodies cannot take much more. In short, all these Eyes can do is inflict damage upon that which lives, the same as any weapon or method of murder.

A part of me considers locking this in, saving up to acquire this admittedly very dangerous power. I do seem to have an affinity for eye-based powers, don’t I? After a moment, I let it slip away.

I don’t know how fast I can acquire the extra 400cp, and I’d rather have something cheaper that I can use immediately than potentially wait some unknown amount of time. I don’t even know if this would work on the Grimm. I suppose it should, but would those abominations even have ‘life force’?

I have the initiation coming up soon; I’d rather have something to help me with that than have my power locked in. I should be fine, given what Little Red and Invincible Girl claim about my current skill level, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

[Speculative Spectacles] - 100cp, 100cp remaining

What a nice pair of glasses! Stylish and yet effective in what they do. Even if you already have perfect eyesight, this pair of glasses assists you with memory retention when you're reading various writings and documents, ensuring you will always be a repository of knowledge. You'll even find that while wearing them, you can read significantly faster than normal with no loss of study effectiveness!

Hm. Well, I am about to be attending a school that’s known for being very demanding academically. With 100cp left, I shrug and roll again. What is it with me and eye-related rolls?

[Bustling City] - 400cp

Why would you be limited to a single home when you could own an entire city? You may take any city, from Windlem to Mournhold to the Imperial City to Falinesti, or even one of your own design. It will have access to everything you'd expect from your average city, like shops and inns, all of which will find their stocks replenishing weekly. You will also see a sizable and steady stream of money going directly towards your coffers. All of the citizens within will see you as their ruler and will act as followers.

Huh. I’m somewhat glad not to be able to afford this one; it would be rather strange to have an entire city looking to me for leadership. I dislike leading; I find the concept of people relying on me troubling.

[Brawler] 100cp, 0cp remaining

You are now an expert in punches, kicks, grapples, and feints. If you prefer, you may instead gain mastery of a form of martial arts style demonstrated in Super Smash Bros., such as boxing, pro wrestling, or Shotokan. However, if you choose to do this, you will not gain any spiritual or supernatural abilities associated with the chosen martial art. You will not be learning the Hadoken by purchasing this perk alone. For some reason, taking this perk also gives you a talent for Shot Put. Maybe you can find a use for this?

Well, now I have less to worry about if I get disarmed, I suppose? At any rate, it isn’t bad, and my mind filters through a dozen fighting styles as images of fights pass through my mind. A muscled man in a white martial arts outfit and a red headband settles in my mind, and his knowledge becomes mine.

Sponsor Offer!
Your sponsor will grant you 500cp; however, until the Winter Break, you will be unable to reroll and must purchase anything you can afford and lock in whatever you cannot.

My sponsor seems to be enjoying the show. Where was this five minutes ago? The city makes me pause, unsure what I’d do if something like that got locked in, but 500cp is a considerable amount. I’d like to go to Beacon with as much power as I can gather.

I’ve already accepted a deal not to be able to skip, removing rerolls as well means I’d be forced to lock in every single thing I roll…

Well, if I roll something troublesome, I’ll just have to shrug and deal with it.

[Precognition] - 600cp
You’ve got your very own Spidey Sense in the form of precognitive abilities; by tapping deep into your senses, your body recognizes danger before it happens, automatically moving to avoid it. You can choose whether you dodge everything or just the stuff that can hurt you.

See, that was more than worth any trouble. It locks in, and now I only need to earn a 100cp to start my monster-hunting career with danger precognition. That sounds more doable than 400 since I doubt my sponsor is going to keep throwing offers at me.

Shaking my head, I set off with a small smile. I’m actually looking forward to Beacon, and my growing skills will only help me make a name for myself while out in the larger world.

– Kali Belladonna –

The guards told her that Akari was languidly making his way up to the Belladonna estate, making her smile. He approached life with a certain tranquil peacefulness that she respected, rarely rushing into anything and seeming unbothered by whatever happened around him.

Akari was frankly amazing. His skills were already equal to some of the Fang’s stronger members, having mastered his fighting style with an ease that almost frightened her for his sake. Sienna had been drooling over Akari before he’d even awoken his Semblance, becoming the ultimate scout (and spy), and she and Ghira had had to put work into making sure Akari didn’t get dragged into the Fang by force.

Sienna had no shame when it came to preying on orphans, just one of the many ways that she and Ghira differed.

Akari entered with a slow walk, soft, incredibly fluffy tail swaying behind him. It always showed more emotion than his face; she’d long since learnt to watch his tail and ears for his reaction to anything.

“Akari! Thanks for coming so quickly, hun; I know you must be busy getting ready for your big adventure,” Kali said happily, giving the young man a tight hug.

“Mrs Belladonna,” Akari replied softly, making her sigh.

“I’ve told you to call me Kali; I’m not that old, am I?” Kali teased. Any other young man might sputter at her hurt look, but Akari just stared at her blankly, making her giggle. “Thanks for yesterday, by the way. Sienna says you found several dens we didn’t know about. Your Semblance is a gift from the gods themselves.”

“Hm, you’re welcome,” Akari replied as she guided him into the living room, getting him to take a seat on the couch as she sat next to him. “What did you want?”

As blunt as ever, but she didn’t take offence. This was how he was; she’d known him since he was first discovered wandering the outskirts. If she ever found out who dumped such an adorable child in the wilds of their island, they’d deeply regret it.

“So, a couple of things. Ghira was going to be here, but he’s busy organising some extermination missions to wipe out the dens before they can become a real threat,” Kali explained, making him nod easily. “As you know, it is rare for one of us to get accepted into Beacon. I’m sure you’ve been told this a dozen times, but you will be representing all of the Menagerie while you’re there. Velvet is doing the same, but the poor girl is just so… shy she doesn’t like to stand out.”

“Hm,” Akari replied. Akari wasn’t a people person, but he wasn’t shy either. “I’ll do my best.”

“I’m sure you will, hun,” Kali said proudly. Maybe it was motherly bias , but her Blake was a good fighter, and before the silly girl had run off to join the Fang (over a boy, no less), Akari could have beat her nine times out of ten. “Vale can be an unfriendly place for a Faunus, and your skills will make you stand out. I hope you don’t have to deal with any racist fools at Beacon, but I’m not that naive. Don’t rise to their taunts, but don’t let them walk all over you, either. You’ve always been too… passive, just going with the flow. I don’t want you to let people abuse you just because you thought it would be too much trouble to stand up for yourself,” Kali scolded, seeing his lips twitch briefly. Yeah, she’d called it.

His plan was just to ignore things that he found annoying.

“Okay,” Akari said simply. He did like his short answers.

“Now, the next thing is a bit more personal. You remember Blake, right?” Kali asked, making him blink and give her a raised eyebrow.

“You made me spy on her training with the Fang every night until she deployed,” Akari said in a deadpan tone, getting a slightly flustered look from her.

“Well, she was deployed to the Vale branch with that brute of a boyfriend of hers. Honestly, you should have seduced her before she got infatuated with that bullheaded fool,” Kali complained, but Akari just stared at her. “Anyway, she’s run away. Reports say she had a falling out with Adam and abandoned him on a mission.”

“The Fang don’t normally like it when someone runs away,” Akari deadpanned, making her scoff.

“They do not, but Blake has never been the best at long-term planning. Sienna called off any hunt for her in exchange for some favours from Ghira, of course, but the problem is that that silly girl doesn’t seem to be in a rush to come home,” Kali sighed, rubbing her forehead. “She’s somewhere in Vale, unless she’s managed to smuggle herself across the border without the Fang’s contacts. I know it’s a big place, but can you keep an eye out for her? I’m sure she’s gotten herself into some trouble; I almost want to go and tear the place apart myself to find the daft girl.”

“If she’s in Vale, I’ll find her,” Akari replied, his tone blunt but honest as she beamed at him. She placed her hand on his leg, giving him a grateful smile.

“If you find her, and she’s not in danger, just tell her to call me. Actually, call me yourself and pass her the phone. I don’t know what she’s doing, but you know what she’s like. If she is in danger and won’t come home, manhandle her and stuff her in a crate, then ship her back home,” Kali half-joked, making his ears twitch. They always did when he was amused.

“Understood,” Akari said simply, a slight smile touching his lips.

“Thanks, hun. Honestly, you've become such a reliable young man. I don’t suppose you’re into cute but flighty catgirls? Blake could use a proper young man to ground her instead of an angry brute,” Kali teased, getting no real reaction. “Honestly, I have no idea what was going through her head.”

“That’s easy. ‘I can fix him’,” Akari replied, making her laugh. Ah, he was probably right. “She’s cute but a little too troublesome for me.”

“Give it some thought. Us cat Faunus can be a bit wild, you know; it’s worth the trouble,” Kali teased, but Akari just gave her the same blank look. She enjoyed teasing the younger men, but Akari was her favourite because it had become a game to try and get him to react.

“Is that everything?” Akari asked, ignoring her unsubtle innuendo.

“No, there is one last thing,” Kali said. “I know you’re very busy, but I hoped to commission one of those lovely Mistralian-style dresses you made for Mrs Scarlatina.”

“...I leave in three days,” Akari pointed out, making her giggle.

“Oh, don’t worry, hun; I don’t expect you to finish it before you leave. It’s not urgent; you can work on it while you’re at Beacon when you have the time. I’m a patient woman, for some things at least,” Kali joked, making him pause before he nodded.

“Sure, I can do that,” Akari agreed, getting a beaming smile from her in response. He made such lovely clothes; he was rather well-known across the island for it. He’d patched up and adjusted some of her outfits for her, but this was the first time she’d commissioned him for something.

It was good to see that he had prospects beyond fighting, unlike so many others who only knew how to make a living through violence.

“Do you know your measurements? And what material and design do you want?” Akari asked, a hint of interest in his tone now that they were discussing his passion. You didn’t get as good at tailoring as Akari was without enjoying it.

Even now, he was dressed in a lovely black and red robe with intricate patterns. Apparently, they were based on traditional Mistralian garb, something he’d found out when looking up his ‘heritage’, though that was just a guess based on his appearance.

“Oh, I haven’t got a clue about my measurements. We don’t do much individually tailored clothing here, do we? Don’t worry, I’m sure there’s some tape around here we can use…” Kali said excitedly, hearing him sigh as she hopped up.

– Akari –

…Kali Belladonna is a massive flirt; everyone on the island knows this.

Carefully taking another measurement, I do my best to stay professional and expressionless as my hand brushes against her bare flesh. Naturally, she wants it perfect, which naturally means she decided to have the measurements done in just her incredibly lacy black underwear.

The infamous Bellabooty is right in front of me, barely restrained by the lacy prison, and Kali is well aware of how attractive she is. Making another note, I take pleasure in keeping my face utterly blank as she looks down at me. She seems mildly disappointed to see that I’m not drooling over her ass.

I am a teenage boy with a very hot MILF in front of me. Despite my passive expression, I am very much affected, but I’ll be damned if I let her see that.

“I don’t suppose I can convince you to reconsider Blake? She’s gonna grow up to look like me, after all~” Kali jokes as I try to focus on the job. I don’t give her the satisfaction of knowing that I genuinely do reconsider whether it would be worth dating Blake if she ended up looking like her mom.

“I don’t have time for relationships; they’re effort,” I sigh, my hand brushing against her breasts as I take her chest measurements.

“That’s what you always said about friends. What exactly is your plan for when you have an entire team that you have to dorm with for the next few years?” Kali laughs, making me shrug aimlessly.

“Casual indifference and cold professionalism have worked pretty well so far,” I reply, making her sigh. I am immune to drama because I just don’t deal with people when I don’t have to.

“Honestly, you were probably right to keep to that with Sienna and the Fang, but you really should consider actually socialising. This is a wonderful opportunity for you,” Kali encourages. “Just try not to use your Semblance to spy on all those beautiful trainee huntresses~”

Switching from caring mom to teasing cougar in an instant, she giggles at my tired sigh.

“Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never thought about it,” Kali nudges. “A hormonal teenage boy getting the power to spy on anyone without them ever knowing? Have you spied on me?”

“No,” I lie, thankful for my blank face as she gives me a searching look.

“Hm. I’d spy on people if I had your Semblance,” Kali shamelessly admits. “Ooh, do you prefer muscled huntsmen instead of curvy huntresses? No shame in it.”

“...I like girls; I just don’t use my semblance for voyeurism,” I sigh.

Some noise distracts her from her teasing, heavy footsteps approaching, but I focus on the task at hand.

“Ugh, dealing with Sienna is always a pain in the neck,” a deep, rumbling voice says as Ghira walks in, pausing at the sight of his half-naked wife almost being embraced by a younger man. “Ah, she’s managed to grab you about her dress, eh Akari?”

“Yup. Hello, Mr Belladonna,” I say, making a note.

“Ha, you’ve known me since you barely reached my knee, Akari. You can call me Ghira,” Ghira says, giving me a pat on the back as he gives his wife a scolding look. “Did she tell you she didn’t know her measurements? Because she made me take her measurements last night.”

I stop what I’m doing, looking at the shamelessly smirking face of Kali.

“You might have gotten them wrong, and Akari is going to be all the way in Vale where he can’t make adjustments easily. Measure twice, cut once,” Kali says unapologetically as I grieve for the last hour of my life I won’t be getting back.

“I measured twice, and you were wearing even less then. Honestly, Kali, stop teasing the poor lad,” Ghira scolds, uncaring that his wife is a flirt. They’ve got a healthy relationship; I’ve never seen them argue so much as once. “She’s asked you about Blake, right?”

“She did. If she’s still in Vale, I’ll track her down,” I agree easily, getting a proud smile from the much larger man. Ghira is a beast of a man, standing a head over basically everyone else in Kuo Kuana. “She was just busy explaining why I should use my Semblance for voyeurism.”

“That’s not what I said, Akari,” Kali defends. “I said I’d use your Semblance for voyeurism if I had it.”

“That’s not better,” I deadpan. “You understand why that’s not better, right?”

“Not everyone is as perverted as you, Kali. Akari’s a proper young man, not some pervy teen. Honestly, I wish Blake had gone for him instead of that Taurus boy,” Ghira says, patting my shoulder. Man, they do not like Adam. Unsurprising. Very few people do. “Are you staying for dinner?”

“He is,” Kali answers for me. “And I was just saying he should date our Blake; maybe it’d help keep her on the straight and narrow.”

“If nothing else, he’d be able to find her every time she ran off again,” Ghira grumbles. “I’ve got some good fish, we can celebrate your heading off to Beacon.”

This is why I don’t mind Kali’s teasing. The Belladonnas have been good to me; they don’t treat me like a son, more like a family friend or a distant nephew, I’d guess, but I prefer it that way. They’re caring without being overbearing or getting into my business too much.

“Oooh, lovely. We’ll just finish up the measurements; it shouldn’t be long,” Kali says, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Oh, don’t give me that look, Akari. We’re almost done, anyway. Might as well make sure Ghira got them right; you’re the expert here.”

The people who can get away with wasting my time can be counted on one hand. Unfortunately, both of them are in the room with me.

Ghira is no help at all, going to start dinner as I’m left to finish measuring the barely-dressed cougar. When we finally finish, I take a moment to compare my notes with Ghira’s and realise we both wrote down a different measurement for some places. Kali is unbearably smug about it, suddenly justified in all the time she wasted.

Dinner is nice, and Ghira is a good cook. You’d think Kali would be the one who does the cooking, but Ghira likes fishing and cooking the fish he catches. Kali is better with anything that isn’t fish; Ghira is an expert in cooking fish.

They probe me for my plans and thoughts on Beacon, Ghira repeating what Kali said about me representing our people, but for the most part, it's just a nice calm dinner. I try not to think they’re using me as a replacement for the runaway.

“Thank you for the food, Ghira,” I say politely, wiping my mouth gently as he pats me on the back.

“The least I can do for all the work you’ve done for the island, our Huntsmen are going to have to get used to not having your intel for their hunts, but that’ll be good for them. They might rely on you a little too much,” Ghira laughs.

It’s not unusual for the Huntsmen loyal to Ghira to visit me before their missions, getting me to double-check their destination. To be fair, in my new altered history, the reason I’m so good at fighting is because a lot of those Huntsmen and Huntresses paid for my time with some training. Kuo Kuana survives through everyone helping each other and doing their part; it’s the culture I was raised in.

We tolerate the White Fang because Sienna happens to have a large amount of battle-ready men and women to help drive back the ever-growing Grimm tides and because they minimise their criminal actions on the island itself.

“Come on, Akari,” Kali says, making me blink. Don’t I get to go home now? “Don’t give me that look. You and Ghira got different numbers, so we need to re-measure, and then I want to talk about the design with you.”

I try to pretend I don’t hear Ghira chuckling at me as Kali kidnaps me, her clothes coming back off.

“So, I think we got different chest measurements because I wasn’t wearing a bra for Ghira’s measurements, and I don’t plan to wear one under my kimono,” Kali explains, unclipping her bra as I watch her with carefully blank eyes. “Be a dear and remeasure my chest, will you?”

She stands in the bedroom in just a black thong, which hugs her curves tightly, her large breasts sagging somewhat due to their size and her age. Alluring pink nipples stand proud as she poses, unashamed and smirking slightly as I mentally calm myself.

She doesn’t go this far with her teasing when it comes to anyone else, but then other people actually respond to her. The less I respond, the further she goes to try and get me to react to her. So now I get to measure a topless cougar, determined to get a reaction from me.

Work, work, work.

I stare at her with unamused eyes, getting a teasing smirk from her even as I deliberately look down at her body, taking in her slightly tanned breasts with a long, discerning look. Kali doesn’t try to cover herself, her smirk growing at my ogling.

“Akari, honey, my eyes are up here~” Kali teases with a coy smirk, even as she pushes her chest out more.

“Why are you like this?” I ask with a tired sigh, making her laugh out loud.

“Are you complaining?” Kali asks, watching as I reach into my pocket. I slowly open my scroll, aiming it at her as she raises an eyebrow. Despite my blatant intent, she does nothing to cover herself as I snap a picture of her in nothing but a slightly transparent, lacy black thong.

“Turn around; I want to make sure I have a reference for when I’m in Vale,” I say, getting a smile from her at my cheeky demand. We both know that the pictures won’t help with my work, but she acquiesces all the same, turning around as she sticks her frankly amazing ass out towards me. Before I can take my second picture, she hooks her fingers into her thong and starts to peel it down almost sinfully slow as her truly perfect ass is revealed.

“We wouldn’t want your measurements to be messed up by anything, would we?” Kali asks, kicking her leg to send the thong flying away as the naked Bellabooty waves in my direction enticingly. I catch a glimpse of her naked slit, her legs parting slightly as she looks over her shoulder at me with hooded golden eyes.

I really respect Ghira, I do, but that doesn’t stop my enjoyment of her naked body. Somehow, I suspect Ghira both knows and doesn’t care. He’s not threatened by me, that is for sure. I am sure of one thing: Kali wouldn’t cheat on Ghira. So, she doesn’t see this as cheating, and I wonder if he’d think the same.

I take a picture of her back, getting a nice shot of her ass and a glimpse of her puss* before she turns around again, plump breasts swaying slightly as she does. I take a few more shots for 'reference' before she leans in and whispers in my ear.

“I do hope your ‘reference’ pictures keep you company while you’re in Beacon; I’m sure you’ll be thinking of me,” Kali teases, her hot breath on my ear as I force down a shudder. My face remains stone cold, bored eyes meeting her knowing gaze, not the slightest hint of a blush on my cheeks. “Or maybe you’ll have some beautiful young ladies on your team and forget about an old woman like me.”

Her ears droop as she pouts, fishing for a reaction from me. Her face is incredibly close to mine, her hot breath brushing against me as she gives me a look I can’t quite decipher.

“You never forget your first crush,” I reply, making her gasp at my quiet admittance and slap my chest lightly with a growing smile. Now, can I get on with the measurements? I do have stuff to do today.”

Going back to my usual attitude makes her grin, watching as I start to retake my measurements. She pushes her body forward, my hand brushing against her hefty, tanned breasts, staying in my personal space the entire time.

When the time comes to finally escape, she moves forward and grabs me in a tight hug, naked breasts pressing against my chest as she leans in.

“Take care of yourself, Akari,” Kali whispers, her teasing tone gone. “Vale is a big place, but don’t forget about us, okay?”

I go to reply before I jump in surprise at the feeling of her fingers squeezing my backside, giving her an unamused look as she pulls away with a grin. This woman…

– Later –

Escaping Kali, I sigh as I look up.

It’s nearly sunset. My day is gone, never to be reclaimed. I start Beacon in three days, but the transport ship is in two and sets off early in the morning, so realistically, I just have tomorrow left until I leave Kuo Kuana for the first term (assuming I don’t f*ck up the initiation).

Feat Achieved: Become part of the Belladonna family. 100cp granted, 600cp total

Huh. Maybe they like me even more than I realised? I don’t doubt the words, my power is too great for it to be wrong.

[Precognition] - 600cp, 0cp remaining
You’ve got your very own Spidey Sense in the form of precognitive abilities; by tapping deep into your senses, your body recognizes danger before it happens, automatically moving to avoid it. You can choose whether you dodge everything or just the stuff that can hurt you.

And there it is: my fancy new power. I have no idea what Spidey Sense means, but being able to sense danger is never going to be a bad thing in a world full of angry monsters. Still, my body might be able to dodge automatically, but I should work on my speed; sensing danger isn’t going to help me if my body can’t react in time.

Heading home, I smile to myself slightly.

I do like this city. It isn’t as rich or advanced as Atlas or Vale, but Kuo Kuana is a good place filled with good people (for the most part). I think I’ll miss it while I’m gone. I might even have to have my power ‘grow’ so I can continue to watch Kuo Kuana for threats from Beacon.

I like my privacy, but I’d rather my home and the few people I actually care about be safe even if it means I have to come into the spotlight. With my growing powers, it’s a lost cause to try and blend in anyway.

– Two Days Later –

What did I spend my final day on Kuo Kuana doing? I had a lie-in, went to my favourite street food vendor, wandered the city aimlessly, then watched cartoons. Hey, I’m about to be in a demanding academy, so free time might become a rarity. I also started on Kali’s dress, but mostly, I was packing.

I am not taking that much, but I realised I could sneak a lot of my stuff into my dragon's lair, where I can get back to it easily, no matter where I am. Having a pocket dimension is a useful trick, but it is also by far my hardest power to explain.

My Precognition can be explained as an extension of my Farseeing, seeing attacks coming no matter which direction they come from. Couant is something I ‘built’, the cute drone following behind me as it beeps excitedly. My combat skills are easily explained, but how does one explain the whole opening of a rift in the air that leads to a cave filled with gold and gems?

Leaning against the railing at the harbour, I watch the water with a small smile. I like the sea; I hope Vale’s is just as beautiful.

“Excited, Akari?” a soft voice asks, making me turn. Velvet gives me a soft smile, the older girl looking out towards the sea as well.

“Mhm,” I agree, nodding. I am somewhat acquainted with Velvet. Her mother helps run the orphanage I grew up with, but she also has seven kids, so I never bothered learning all their names. “Happy to be going back?”

“Heh, I forgot just how crowded my house was. I love my family, but I miss my dorm room,” Velvet agrees. “Are you looking forward to having a team?”

My face says everything. I like my personal space and my me time. Having to bunk with a team will cut into both.

“It won’t be that bad,” Velvet says with a soft smile. “I was the same, believe me. You’ll like it, I promise.”

“We’ll see,” I say, my opinion blatant on my face.

“Ha, if I can survive Coco, then you can handle whoever you get put on a team with,” Velvet jokes, making me pause before I shudder slightly.

Her.

“She’s not that bad,” Velvet defends, even as she giggles at my face.

Coco visited Kuo Kuana during one of the breaks since Team Coffee was visiting each other's homes. She loves my clothing.

That is not a good thing.

Two weeks of that fashion-obsessed extrovert bothering me almost twenty-four-seven, peppering me with a never-ending barrage of questions, compliments, and requests. My introverted heart couldn’t take it; my poor, abused social batteries didn’t recover for months.

I like Fox and Yatsuhashi, though, if only because Yatsu literally picked his team leader up and walked off with her when she got a little too much, and Fox distracted her with his teasing.

Anyone who helps me avoid more bother is my friend, as long as they don’t expect me to actually spend time with them. We are good friends; now, never speak to me again.

Chapter 8: The Celestial Remnant, Ch03

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Beans, Priapus, Mike God of Lore, Old man of the mountain, Malcolm Tent

The Celestial Remnant

Chapter 03: Initiation

Listening to Professor Ozpin give a (frankly mediocre) speech, I lean against the wall, shooting a curious look around the room. The massive auditorium is filled with hopeful students, but more than half won’t make it through tomorrow. Beacon is a demanding place, and the initiation will remove the chaff.

Pyrrha gives me a wave from the other side of the room, which I return with a small smile. Apparently, we’ll be sleeping in the auditorium, going straight into the initiation in the morning. I wonder if they’re looking for troublemakers to get rid of before the test even begins.

100cp gained, 400cp remaining for [Widow’s Guidance]

One step closer. I hope initiation will provide a nice boost to my CP, but I’m still in the experimental phase of working out what grants me CP. Looking around the room, I mentally sigh. I dislike sleeping with others around, so the idea of sharing the room with well over a hundred other teenagers makes me groan slightly.

I pretend not to notice Blake watching me from the other side of the room. Pulling out a book, I sit against the wall and feign reading as I project my senses—time to do some scouting. I’m aware enough of my physical location to fake being engrossed in a book, and I want to gather as much information as I can before the initiation.

It’s only cheating when other people do it, after all.

– Ruby Rose –

Despite the packed room (something that made her shudder at just how many people were stuffed into one room) a single person stood out to her as she spotted him leaning against the wall.

Silver eyes…

Back at Signal, some of the other girls had bullied her for having silver eyes, saying she was a freak. Yang beat them up, obviously, but it had made her well aware of how rare her eye colour was. The only person she could even think of who shared it was her mother, but sitting against the wall, the older boy flipped the page, brilliant silver gaze peering through a pair of stylish glasses as he read his book.

“See something you like?” Yang asked, making her jump in surprise. “I don’t blame you; he’s a foxy one, isn’t he?”

“Yaaang,” Ruby whined, kicking her sister's shin, which just made her laugh. “It’s not like that. He has silver eyes!”

“Huh, so he does. Maybe he’s Mom’s secret Faunus son!” Yang whispered conspiringly, making her eyes widen before Yang snorted. “Or maybe he just has silver eyes; it’s not like you're the only person in the world with them, Rubes.”

“I know that!” she muttered, averting her gaze. “It’s just… interesting, is all.”

Yang laughed but didn’t press it, and they settled down next to each other, getting ready to sleep. “Well, if you’re interested, sis, go ahead and say hello. You only get one chance to make a first impression.”

Ruby flinched at the suggestion; approaching a stranger sounded far worse than approaching a Grimm. She knew what a Grimm was going to do, but strangers were unpredictable.

“Go on, it’ll be fine,” Yang encouraged, seeing her reluctance. “This is your chance to make some new friends; you can’t just follow me around for the entire time.”

Ugh…

“Why not?” Ruby whined, making Yang roll her eyes.

“Come on,” Yang said, her extroverted sister grabbing her arm and forcibly dragging her towards the boy who clearly didn’t want to be disturbed! He looked up as they stood in his light, making her freeze. “Heya, foxy. This cutie is Ruby; she wants to talk to you.”

“Hello?” the boy said, and Ruby froze at the soft, almost feminine voice. It sounded so familiar…

“H-hi!” Ruby squeaked, being put on the spot. “You have silver eyes!”

“Hm, so do you,” the boy agreed, raising an elegant eyebrow. His ears twitched slightly, her eyes lingering on the tail that was currently resting next to him… it looked so fluffy. He seemed to be waiting for her to speak, and Yang was giving her an encouraging look.

“I like your tail!” Ruby sputtered out, making him blink. “It looks really fluffy. We have a dog with a super fluffy tail, but yours looks even more fluffy.”

Her mouth moved faster than her brain, rambling as the boy watched her curiously.

“I think that’s kinda racist,” Yang stage-whispered, making Ruby freeze. Oh no, was she being racist?! She didn’t mean to be-

“Nah, it’s fine. It is fluffy; I use a special shampoo for it,” the boy agreed, making her sigh in relief. “Akari.”

“Ruby!” Ruby squeaked, offering her hand, which he took and shook gently. His skin was so soft, but she had successfully engaged her brain and didn’t say that out loud. “Ruby Rose, and this is my sister, Yang.”

Yang gave him a grin, looking proud at Ruby’s ability to only mostly screw up a conversation.

“Is that your weapon?!” Ruby asked, falling back to her old faithful as she spotted the umbrella beside him. Yang sighed, but Akari gave her a soft smile as he reached for it. Weren’t they supposed to put their stuff in the lockers? Was she allowed to go and get Crescent Rose?

“Yeah, this is Kasa-obake,” Akari agreed, giving it a pat. “It’s my spear, shield and rifle.”

“I have a scythe. It’s called Crescent Rose, and it is also a powerful sniper rifle,” Ruby explained, excited as she looked over the weapon. He saw her interest and offered it to her, which made her eyes widen as she took it.

“Isn’t that an umbrella?” Yang asked, making Ruby give her sister a dirty look as she examined the very well-maintained weapon. Someone had put a lot of love into this.

“Yeah, so I can shield myself from rain and bullets,” Akari agreed calmly, uncaring of Yang’s almost mocking words. “It’s tougher than it looks.”

“Hey, if it works, it works,” Yang agreed with a shrug. “Whatcha reading?”

Ruby zoned out, admiring the well-made weapon. He wasn’t wrong about its toughness.

“Rubes? Oi, Ruby,” Yang said, giving her a poke as she jumped. Whoops…

She gave Akari his weapon back, wishing she had Crescent Rose to show off.

“It’s really well made. Did you design it yourself?” Ruby asked, making him nod.

“I did, and thanks,” Akari agreed. A beeping made them blink as Akari sighed and opened his bag. A small, adorable robot floated out of it. “This too. This is Couant, my shield drone.”

The small orb beeped again, its display showing a cute smiley face as it twirled around them for a moment before it returned to Akari.

“It gets jealous if I show off Kasa without showing it off as well,” Akari rubbed his forehead. “I thought it was funny when I programmed it.”

She went to speak before someone called to say the lights were going to be going out soon, making her eyes widen.

“Guess it's time to get some sleep; we don’t want to go into initiation tired,” Akari said, putting his book away. “Good luck; maybe we’ll end up on the same team.”

“Same to yo- wait, team?” Ruby squeaked, making Akari blink.

“We’ll be getting our partners tomorrow, then our teams. You didn’t know?” Akari asked, making her eyes widen in dread. That’s what Qrow was laughing about! They didn’t think she might want a warning about teams.

“Yang-” Ruby started.

“Oh no, this is a good chance for you. You can’t follow me forever,” Yang warned, making her pale.

“I don’t think we get to pick, anyway,” Akari added, fueling her dread. Oh no… “It was nice to meet you, but I’m turning in for the night.”

“Yeah, good night, dude. Good luck tomorrow,” Yang said, taking her hand. “Come on, Rubes, it won’t be that bad.”

As they left, she turned back and gave Akari one last look, seeing him watching them leave. Why did he sound so similar to the ghost from Patch?

– Akari –

Feat Achieved: Befriend Ruby Rose (100cp gained, 300cp remaining for [Widow’s Guidance])

Ruby is definitely a fellow introvert; I can respect that. I’m glad she saw how much effort I put into keeping my tail in such good condition.

As the room goes dark, I change into my pyjamas with a small smile as I get into the sleeping bag. I’m not done scouting yet, they interrupted me, but I was able to listen to two teachers discussing the plans for the test. We’ll be retrieving something from the Emerald Forest so I’ve started exploring the forest and already found the ruins.

Chess pieces, an interesting choice.

– Blake Belladonna –

She wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for long. She was starting to regret using her real name, because while she had avoided Akari noticing her so far, it wouldn’t last once they both passed the initiation.

She could see just fine in the dark, making a note of where Akari was sleeping. He always liked his personal space, and had moved to the corner of the room away from as many people as possible. That would help as she waited for everyone to fall asleep, slipping out of her sleeping bag and sneaking towards where Akari was sleeping.

As she reached him, she froze, seeing a pair of silver eyes staring up at her.

“Blake,” Akari said, utterly unsurprised as he sat up.

“You recognised me?” Blake asked, making him blink before he sighed.

“You’re just wearing an oversized bow; I’ve known you since we were kids,” Akari pointed out. “You didn’t even change your outfit.”

She flushed at his blunt tone, sitting down next to him to not attract any attention as they both whispered. They both had better hearing, even if hers was slightly muffled by the bow.

“What are you doing here?” Blake asked, making him shrug.

“Your dad arranged for me to take the entry test,” Akari replied. “What are you doing here? Got tired of playing terrorist?”

His whispered words made her freeze, glaring at him. They weren’t- Oh, who was she lying to? It was exactly why she’d left. The insult coming from another Faunus made it sting all the more.

“Look, I need you to keep quiet. I used faked credentials to get in, but they don’t know I’m Wh- I used to be White Fang,” Blake whispered, making Akari raise an eyebrow. “Don’t give me that, you work for Sienna.”

“I work with her to scout the island for threats. I didn’t run away to join a bitter psychopath on his mad quest. You know Adam is on the most wanted list of three Kingdoms, right?” Akari asked bluntly, making Blake flinch back. “You’ve been his partner for years; you realise how f*cked you’d be if that gets out?”

“Which is why it isn’t going to,” Blake retorted. “The Fang don’t need to know I’m here, and Beacon doesn’t need to know about my past. I’m trying to do the right thing here, I know joining the Fang was a mistake.”

She constantly looked around, paranoid that someone was listening in to their very quiet conversation.

Akari didn’t look impressed, cold eyes staring at her.

“And your parents?” Akari asked, sending a wave of guilt through her. They must hate her… both of them had told her not to join the White Fang, and she’d ignored them. They warned her about Adam, but she didn’t listen.

“I’ll talk to them when I’m ready,” Blake said, getting a disappointed look from him. “Look, as long as you don’t say anything, then I should be fine. Are you going to expose me?”

Akari didn’t reply, which sent a shiver of dread through her.

“Akari, please. The White Fang would kill me for abandoning them, and Beacon would toss me out if they found out I used to be a member,” Blake pleaded, hating how expressionless he was. She couldn’t read him at all, having no idea what was going on behind those silver eyes. His silence was deafening, sending a shudder of fear through her body. Her plans felt like they were shattering before she’d even had a chance to start on her new path.

She knew Akari didn’t particularly like the White Fang, but he’d worked with them as well. Maybe she’d underestimated how much he disapproved of their actions. She knew that a lot of Faunus thought they were just making things worse, and Akari was such a passive person. He wasn’t the type to fight against the injustice their people faced, but then what did he even know of it? He’d never left Kuo Kuana before. He’d learn, now that he was in Vale.

She placed a hand on his leg and gave him a desperate, pleading look. She and Akari had never been that close, despite how her parents seemed to favour him, so she didn’t try and call on a barely existing friendship.

“Akari, I’m begging you, please don’t say anything,” Blake said.

“I’ll think about it,” Akari said simply, not agreeing to anything as she felt her heart drop. She didn’t appreciate the idea of having to spend every day worrying about if he’d made his decision and told either group her secrets. “You might drop out of the initiation anyway.”

She gave him an unamused look. She had plenty of experience fighting with the Fang, more than any of these other kids. She didn’t like the implication that he thought she wasn’t good enough for Beacon. But then, she hadn’t forgotten just how good Akari could be with his spear, either.

“Just… talk to me before you do anything, please,” Blake said. Akari just stared at her, but as she went to speak again, she heard some movement and froze up. A boy was getting up, walking towards them. He didn’t stop, heading towards the toilets, but paused to see them sitting next to each other, her hand on Akari’s leg.

Muttering an apology, he walked past, and she went silent. This wasn’t the place for this, and giving Akari one last pleading look, she slipped away and headed back to her own sleeping bag.

– Akari –

Feat Achieved: Make Blake Desperate (100cp gained, 200cp remaining for [Widow’s Guidance])

Huh.

I was just tired and didn’t want to deal with Blake and the mess she’d gotten herself into right now. Curious.

Laying back down, I shrug to myself. She doesn’t want me to tell anyone, but I’ve already told Kali where her idiot daughter is. Kali is relieved to know that Blake is here, alive and seemingly well, but she’s also decided not to confront her daughter yet since there’s always the chance Blake will run away again. It does seem to be her default state.

Sienna doesn’t care where Blake is, but I suppose Adam might have taken her decision to abandon him poorly, so her worry about the Fang is fair enough.

Still, that’s a problem for later. I’m tired, and I think I’ve finished searching the forest. I know where the relics are and have a vague layout of the forest. Tomorrow should be easy enough.

– Pyrrha Nikos –

Spotting Akari standing over to the side, she moved away from the pushy Schnee girl to go and stand by him. He looked tired, yawning as his tail swayed behind him agitatedly.

“Good morning, Akari,” Pyrrha said, getting his attention. She’d wanted to talk to him yesterday, but Weiss wouldn’t leave her alone, and then he was reading and she didn’t want to interrupt him. Weiss didn’t mean any harm, but it was clear the rich girl was hoping to get on a team with her so she could use Pyrrha’s skills and fame for herself. It was all too common; most people wanted to get close to her for the same reason.

“Morning, Pyrrha,” Akari yawned, stretching slightly. Before they could say anything (or she could push the idea of working together), Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch started explaining how this would work.

They picked their teammates by eye contact? Wasn’t that a little random? Well, she was hardly the only one who found that strange or distressing, given the sounds the younger girl standing nearby made, a blonde girl chuckling and nudging her. She’d seen those two talking to Akari last night.

“Good luck, and see you on the other side,” Akari said, making her pause as he nodded at their feet. Her semblance had picked up the platforms, but her eyes widened as she felt the mechanics inside. Launch platforms?

The blond guy who was being kind of creepy towards Weiss asked about parachutes. Was that some kind of joke? Akari smiled as she felt the mechanics start to move, and she started to plan.

“Good luck!” Pyrrha agreed, preparing herself as she was launched into the air. Watching the platforms as Akari was also launched, she giggled slightly at the blank look on his face as he was sent soaring through the sky, but he didn’t seem worried.

With a serene calm she almost envied, he simply opened Kasa-obake and spun it, using the umbrella to slow his descent like in that movie about the magical babysitter. She could tell where he was going to land, and while she had no way to slow herself down, she could set off towards him when she landed.

Akari either didn’t know about her fame or simply didn’t care, both equally exciting for her. She knew who she wanted as a partner.

– Ozpin –

It was no exaggeration that Silver Eyed warriors were extremely rare. Once upon a time, they had been more common, but over the years of Salem and her minions hunting them down, they had become rarer than Maidens.

So when Menagerie had sent a young boy with blatantly silver eyes, his record saying he was an orphan, he immediately jumped on the opportunity to bring the young man into Beacon. Even if he had failed the tests, Akari would have been invited to join them (much like Ruby had, despite her age).

Akari had blown through the tests; in fact, he was one of only two aspiring students who had managed to defeat their opponent during the entrance tests. Pyrrha Nikos was the only other one.

Pyrrha, a potential Maiden should Amber not recover. Ruby Rose, the daughter of one of the last Silver-Eyed warriors… and Akari, a Silver-Eyed mystery. What an interesting year.

Akari landed, and he paused in place as he closed his eyes. His Semblance was on record, but Ozpin suspected that the paperwork had understated how powerful it truly was as Akari immediately turned towards the relics and set off in a direct line.

Mr Arc landed, if one could call it that. Ozpin raised an eyebrow as the young man with the falsified records crashed through the trees and hit the ground. He had not even awakened his Aura?

He’d known the records were faked, of course, but he hadn’t expected an Arc to be suicidal enough to try and attend without their Aura awoken. The family was known for producing brilliant Huntsmen, and he had hoped that Jaune would follow his ancestors example.

Jaune wasn’t dead, but that was likely to change if he did not get any aid. He was unmoving, body twisted, in a Grimm-infested forest.

Another initiate came across the scene, eyes widening in shock at the sight. Lie Ren paused, looking around before moving over to Jaune's injured form. Lie was an intelligent young man, already working out that the boy had no Aura, and after a moment of hesitation, Ozpin watched Lie awaken Jaune’s aura. It wasn’t enough to awaken the badly injured teen, but it likely saved his life.

Picking Jaune up, Lie focused as he used his Semblance to suppress their emotions, understanding that he was in no position to fight any Grimm.

Ruby found her partner, and Ozpin chuckled as the girl excitedly hugged her older sister. Raven and Summer’s daughters would be two to watch even if Ruby hadn’t inherited her mother's eyes and there wasn’t the possibility of Yang inheriting a spark of the magic he’d given Raven. The daughters of two of his best students, with Silver Eyes and the possibility of magic made them a pair to watch closely.

Two people, both seeking Akari, encountered one another. Blake and Pyrrha both hid their disappointment, having found each other while looking for their mutual acquaintance. Still, they quickly headed in the direction Akari had gone, Blake using her skills to track him.

It was an interesting pairing; Blake was unlikely to care for Pyrrha’s fame, and Pyrrha would not judge Blake for her race or her past.

“Sir, we should send someone to help Mr Ren. I told you that Arc boy didn’t belong here,” Glynda scolded, making him hum.

“Not yet, but have Peter be ready to head out. If Mr Ren can reach the relics, he has earned his place here. If we send someone in, I’ll have no choice but to fail them both,” Ozpin explained, getting an unamused look from her even as she obeyed.

Hm, Akari was currently on an intercept velocity with two other students. Watching with amusem*nt, he sipped his hot chocolate with a smile.

– Weiss Schnee –

“I made eye contact with him first,” Weiss said, making her decision as the ginger girl made an annoying noise.

“Noooope,” the other girl dragged out. “I called dibs.”

“You don’t get to call dibs on a partner. The rules are simple and-” Weiss said in frustration. She’d heard someone moving and headed towards the sound, only for this orange idiot to do the same.

Essentially, all three of them had reached the small clearing at the same time, and now nobody knew who was whose partner. She was slightly hesitant, the silent male having some very blatant Faunus traits, but she’d quickly come to understand that she wanted to partner with the hyperactive idiot even less.

What a ridiculous way to pick partners; this was utterly absurd. She expected more professionalism from a school as prestigious as Beacon.

“You, who did you make eye contact with first?” Weiss asked, making the white-haired Faunus look at her blankly.

“You both came from the same direction at the same time,” he explained, setting them back to square one.

“So, we’re all partners?” the other girl asked, getting a scream of frustration from Weiss.

“That’s not how this works. Do you want to get kicked out because you couldn’t comprehend something this simple?” Weiss asked, kicking her feet.

“Look, why don’t we just travel together? I know where the relics are, so we can go there and wait for someone else to show up without a partner?” the boy asked, making them turn to her. The other girl seemed to consider it for a moment, looking excited for some reason. “Akari, by the way.”

“Weiss Schnee, as I’m sure you already knew,” Weiss says. “How do you know where you are going?”

“My Semblance lets me see things from a distance. I found the temple the moment I landed,” Akari explained. Ugh, that sounded useful but hardly any good for combat.

“I’m Nora Valkyrie, and that works! I need to find my friend anyway; we came here together. Well, not together together, but you know what I mean,” Nora rambled.

Akari moved suddenly, spinning his weapon around as he opened the ridiculous umbrella and fell to one knee, holding it up as they watched. A single, massive, black feather struck the open shield and bounced off, Akari firing into the air several times as they heard a squawk of anger.

“Nevermore. We’ve argued for long enough. Let’s move,” Akari ordered, making them both nod seriously, petty squabbles forgotten.

“How did you-”

“Part of my Semblance; I can sense danger,” Akari explained, making her nod. She wasn’t arrogant enough not to be able to admit when she was wrong. “This way.”

Sharing a look with Nora, she nodded, and they followed behind as Akari went from moving at a slow, sedate pace to suddenly acting like the Huntsman trainee he allegedly was.

– Akari –

I think I broke the system.

Feats Achieved: Become Weiss Schnee’s Partner, Become Nora Valkyrie’s Partner (150cp granted, 50cp remaining for [Widow’s Guidance])

I spotted them both, and I hoped to lure them into each other so I’d be left with no partner since most other groups had already formed. I misjudged the timing, now I have two partners? Is that even how that works? I figured I’d be able to get away without having a partner since I have the Silver Eyes, but now I’ve doubled my suffering.

I pause, considering going to help the dude whose partner is a crippled coma patient but shake my head. He’s nearly been caught, being chased by some big Death Stalker, but I can also see a teacher nearby. He’ll be fine.

The Nevermore doesn’t take the hint as we move towards the temple, firing sword-like feathers down at us. I think I managed to impress the Schnee girl as I pull her out of the way, knocking the feather out of the air with a jab of my spear. [Precognition] is no joke.

If I let my body react, I’ll automatically dodge or block almost any threat as long as I have the physical skills and attributes to handle it, which [Invincible Girl] is helping provide.

“Damnit, how are we supposed to hit that thing? Myrtenaster can’t go that far,” Weiss curses, her rapier drawn as she uses a wind glyph to make a whirlwind and blow away several feathers.

“You’d think the birdie would have run out by now; it’s going to go bald,” Nora points out, hands gripping her giant hammer. She’s not wrong. The Nevermore is high above us, and while I can hit it, I can’t really damage it with my mid-tier powered rifle.

We’re way ahead of the other groups, courtesy of knowing exactly which way to go (and the haste we are moving at), so we reach the temple first. This is good for our objective, less so for our sudden lack of cover.

“Stubborn bastard,” I mutter, looking up at the Grimm. It glowers back, letting out a screech. “Take a hint.”

Firing several more rounds at it, I watch them barely scratch the tough f*cker. Weiss diverts another series of feathers before they can impale us, but Nora’s grenade launcher can’t reach up there, and I can’t hurt it much, either. It’s an impasse, unable to hurt us but equally safe as long as it keeps its difference.

Movement makes me sigh, looking at the forest as the first Beowolfs come out. Ah, that’s why it screeched. Irritating.

“Weiss, keep deflecting the feathers. Nora, help me handle the Beowolfs,” I order, making Nora nod with a savage grin as she switches her hammer to its grenade launcher form again, firing several times as we both charge in.

The first Beowulf pounces at me from the side, but [Precognition] sees it coming long before it even jumps and my spear strikes true as I don’t even turn to look at the Grimm, piercing its chest. A pull of the trigger causes the dust within to electrify my weapon, ending the Grimm instantly as I switch to shield mode and block a second set of claws, sweeping my leg out as I call on Brawler to take out the Grimm’s legs, knocking it down.

Switching back to spear, I jab down and stab the bastard in the head, using my weapon to pole vault away from the other Grimm trying to surround me. Pyrrha must be amazing, because I do feel almost invincible as I spin through the air and fire twice, striking true as I put down another.

– Weiss Schnee –

Her earlier reluctance to partner with a Faunus vanished as she watched Akari dance between the Beowolf horde, his weapon seeming considerably less silly as he twirled it with grace, ending three Beowolfs in a single sweep.

Yes, it looked like an umbrella, but watching him block several attacks with it made her understand the design a little more.

Nora wasn’t bad either, more of a brute than the graceful fighting style of Akari. She tanked blows, smashing the Grimm with her giant hammer, a fierce smile on her face, each blow crushing a Beowolf into the ground, shattering it with ease.

They were keeping the horde away from her, and she didn’t fail in her part of this either, using wind dust to deflect the aerial barrage, sending the feathers flying away from her partner (and Nora).

“Weiss, move!” Akari shouted; the first time she’d heard him speak louder than his soft, serene tone, making her eyes widen as she spotted him spinning his weapon towards her, firing past her at something.

She dove to the wide, spinning in place as she spotted something large diving toward her, fierce claws dripping with a black liquid lunging towards her as a Grimm she didn’t recognise pounced. She wasn’t fast enough, the four-legged Grimm pouncing onto her and knocking her to the ground, tanking the bullets from Akari as its claws slashed into her Aura.

It snarled down at her, a mouth with far too many fangs dripping down at her as it slashed into her Aura with its claws, her eyes widening as it shredded through her Aura, making the white shield break with a terrifying crack.

Its claw dug into her side, slashing through her dress and her skin like a hot knife through butter as she let out a scream of pain, trying to bring Myrtenaster up to stop the gaping maw from coming down on her neck.

She couldn’t, but as the beast tried to snap at her, Akari rushed forward, umbrella-shield open as he charged straight into it, the shield electrifying as he slammed it into the side of the beast, knocking it back with a snarl.

The creature dashed back into the cover of the forest, and she barely saw as its hideous figure seemed to shimmer and disappear, but her mind was elsewhere as she touched her shredded side with a fearful look, seeing the red staining her dress and hand. Some black pus was already leaking from the wound, her mind racing as she looked up at Akari with desperate hope, watching how his beautiful silver eyes seemed to glow.

“You’re going to be fine,” Akari promised, his voice soft as he looked at her side, giving her a soft smile.

– Akari –

The Silver Eyes react to the desire to protect life, and Weiss is unwell as whatever gunk the new Grimm poisoned her with starts to spread, leaving ugly black lines spreading across her pale skin, visible from where her dress was torn open.

Weiss is arrogant (and a little racist, even if she thinks I didn’t notice), but she’s young and doesn’t deserve to die here. Nora shouts for help, Weiss no longer able to stop the barrage from the Nevermore, and I feel my eyes react as they let out a pulse of silver light, the blackened lines retracting from Weiss’s almost doll-like skin. It doesn’t help the gaping wound, but whatever it was spreading has been purged.

“Buy me a minute,” I shout back, hating raising my voice, even as I send my Couant to help Nora and get to work. I take off my kimono and (with great reluctance) cut it into shreds as fast as I can. I can’t let Weiss bleed out, and I don’t have long to make some makeshift bandages, imbuing the silk with my Aura as I bind her stomach as best I can. She’s pale, far more so than usual, and this is only a stopgap.

My [Precognition] warns me, making me leap to the side as the same f*cker pounces over Weiss, snarling as it flies through the space I was just inhabiting. Once more, it flees into the woods and vanishes again.

Rising, I spin my spear as I block several feathers, all aimed at Weiss because Grimm are dicks. A mental command sends Couant to her, moving to aid Nora as I slash through a Beowolf.

This f*cking sucks, but I just glare up at the Nevermore. Nora was right about one thing: it’s going bald… because it is starting to run out of feathers. It’s going to have to come down to our level.

Feat Achieved: Gain Weiss Schnee’s Love as a Faunus (100cp granted, [Widow’s Guidance] Purchased, 50cp remaining)

My eyes widen, and I feel something deep within me awaken. An icy cold chills my veins as the power within me surges, bursting forth. I couldn’t stop it even if I wanted to, the Lore of Ice flooding my mind.

I underestimated the power of the Celestial Remnant, and my mouth opens in a silent scream as the ice rushes forth.

– Professor Ozpin –

A Lurking Chupacabra, a deadly ambush Grimm found in the jungles of Mistral. It was not native to Vale, and he cursed as he realised what was happening. Salem knew about Akari, and had sent a surprise to try and take him out before he could grow into his powers.

The initiation no longer mattered, the moment that massive Nevermore let out the screech, a horde of Grimm had rushed the temple. Far more than there should be, given that the forest had recently been culled in preparation.

He was already heading towards the temple before it happened, but as his every sense screamed, his eyes widened. He could barely throw together a protective spell as a magical burst stronger than he’d seen since the Age of the Gods was unleashed, forming a blizzard centred right on the temple.

“By the Gods…” Glynda whispered, watching in shock as the entire forest froze over in a matter of seconds, emerald turning to ice as the Nevermore was shredded by a storm of icy shards, ripping it to pieces in an instant.

He needn’t have bothered with his spell, the ice sparing him as it spread rapidly, his eyes locking on the centre, barely visible through the storm. Akari stood there, glowing with power, making Ozpin’s mind freeze.

A maiden? Well, wasn’t that an interesting development?

The storm faded as quickly as it appeared, and he could see the dispersing corpse of the chupacabra, embedded with hundreds of icicles, the Beowolfs having been torn to pieces. And yet, Nora stood entirely unharmed despite being right at the centre of the storm, her eyes wide as she stared at her partner in shock.

Akari knelt, looking at Weiss as he reached down, picking her up as he turned and said something to Nora, who nodded quickly. They paused, grabbing a pair of knights from the frozen pedestals, but they moved on as they headed straight towards him.

“Professor, Weiss requires medical attention,” Akari said, making him nod immediately.

“Of course,” Ozpin agreed, hiding his shock behind a smile.

He paused as they moved back to Beacon, seeing Glynda head to grab the other students, looking over the frozen forest. He’d probably have to rename it, but that was the least of his worries right now.

— Bonus Scene — Ruby Rose

“So, er... did we pass?” Yang asked, still clearly shaken, as they reached the top of the hill. They looked over the forest, which was now a sea of icy blades, frozen trees, and several inches of snow.

They’d been fighting a bunch of jerk Grimm that had come out of nowhere, and then suddenly, all the Grimm were being impaled by giant icicles growing out of the ground; it was snowing, and it was super cold.

“I believe you did, despite the unexpected circ*mstances. You four would have reached the temple had it not been for the unanticipated Grimm horde and other surprise developments,” Professor Goodwitch said, trying to sound calm even as she failed to hide her own shock.

The redhead and black-haired girl both smiled awkwardly at that, and Yang let out a ‘Wooo’ in celebration, but Ruby stayed quiet. Over to the side, she watched as a blond boy was carried out of the forest by an older man with a massive moustache, a badly wounded boy with black hair and a pink streak following behind with a limp.

Well, wasn’t that an exciting start?

Author’s Note: Butterflies have flapped their wings, and everyone ends up in different places. [Widow’s Guidance] is a Warhammer trait, giving a maxed-out Lore of Ice along with some major buffs. It’s an army killer; poor Grimm didn’t stand a chance.

The more powerful things in the Celestial Grimoire can be scary, both for the user and their enemies alike.

Written: 04/06/2024

Chapter 9: The Celestial Remnant, Ch04

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Mike God of Lore, Beans, priapus, Marethyu, Old man of the mountain, Malcolm Tent

The Celestial Remnant

Chapter 04: Awakening

– Professor Ozpin –

Akari awakening such powerful magic, with witnesses, was both an incredible opportunity and also a problem. The Beacon Initiation was streamed to the other students, it was something of a harmless tradition. There were very few deaths in the Initiation because the teachers were also watching the streams and deployed around the forest, ready to assist in the worst-case scenarios.

This meant that most of the student body had already seen Akari's awakening and before he could put a stop to it, it had also ended up online. James had already messaged him about it, and it was inevitable that Salem and her minions would also discover the rapidly-spreading video.

He couldn’t suppress it, and with Salem’s minions having shown the ability to steal magic, it was inevitable that Akari would be even more of a major target for them than his eyes had made him already.

“I take it that you know why you are here?” Ozpin asked, the faunus boy (maybe) blinking at him.

“Because I froze the forest,” Akari agreed, stating it with such casual ease. “Am I in trouble?”

“Oh, most certainly not. I am hardly going to punish a Huntsman for killing Grimm, after all. I do have some questions, however,” Ozpin replied easily, giving him a reassuring smile. “These Ice powers, have you ever used them before?”

“No,” Akari replied, a momentary silence filling the room. “They’re new.”

He was a man (probably) of few words, but Ozpin just nodded.

“You aren’t the first to develop such powers, which is why I have called you here. You may very well be the strongest, and you certainly had the most public awakening. I’m afraid you’ve become a target, my friend, because there are those who will want to either use or slay you,” Ozpin explained grimly. “In addition, you also have Silver Eyes. Most would have missed it, but on the recordings, I noticed you used them to purge Miss Schnee of the Grimm poison. Have you used them much?”

It was surprising that they’d had awoken so early, but between his Silver Eyes and his magic, there was no doubt he would have risen to very near the top of Salem’s list.

“...not really. Grimm seem to target me more when I do,” Akari admitted, shrugging. Ozpin nodded, unsurprised.

“They are a gift from the God of Light; it is no surprise that creatures of darkness would hunt you,” Ozpin explained, watching his young student just nod easily. Akari’s history was a mystery and one he intended to solve. Where had Akari come from? “There are those who would see the Grimm win, cultists essentially, and they have recently attacked someone with similar powers to yours, leaving her in a coma. I fear they will target you as well.”

Akari just nodded, still seeming unconcerned.

“...ok?” Akari agreed. A man (?) of very few words.

How does one politely ask if someone is hiding their gender? Perhaps a young orphaned Akari found themselves facing some unwanted attention from an older man and decided to pass for a man. It would answer one of his major questions and confirm that Akari was indeed a Maiden. Akari’s features were fairly feminine, and he wore robes that would easily hide his breasts if they were bound.

“As it stands, you are safe in Beacon. I’ve been discussing the matter with a friend and ally of mine, and we have come to a decision. We will be getting a transfer from Atlas, who will be joining your team, along with a very talented specialist who will be assigned as your bodyguard,” Ozpin explained.

He’d originally planned to have Lie Ren become Akari’s final team member. The young man had done exceptionally well and shown that he had the heart of a Huntsman by deciding to risk his position in Beacon and his life to protect the injured Mr Arc, but James had had a different idea.

Penny Polendina would be his final team member, and Winter Schnee would serve as a bodyguard for the young magic user. Both could be trusted with the secrets that would inevitably come out.

Lie Ren would get his chance, however. He had too much potential to just be given a fail and let go due to a situation where there was no right answer. If he’d left Jaune, he would have failed because it would not be the kind of behaviour Beacon expected of its students, but by taking Jaune, he’d greatly hindered himself. Fortunately, James had been more than happy to take a transfer to Atlas Academy.

“Okay,” Akari agreed, his face still completely blank.

…that was it?

“So, I passed?” Akari asked after a moment, making him blink before he burst out laughing. Had he passed? He’d slain two powerful Grimm, frozen an entire forest, killing hundreds of Grimm in an instant, all while sparing every single other student, and then got told that he was going to be hunted… and that was his concern?

“Yes, you most assuredly did,” Ozpin agreed, amused despite the serious situation. “Welcome to Beacon, Akari.”

“Nice.”

For the briefest second, Akari’s blank expression changed to show a tiny, fleeting smile.

“So, is that everything?” Akari asked, making him nod.

“Yes, for now at least. I should let you get to your team, both have expressed a certain concern for you. Miss Schnee was rather panicked when she woke up, and you weren’t there,” Ozpin lightly teased.

“Mhm,” Akari replied. “Later, Headmaster.”

Rising, Akari just turned and walked off, having said his piece. What an interesting young man.

Probably.

– Akari –

100cp granted, 100cp total.

Feats Achieved: Slay the Nevermore (50cp), Slay the Chupacabra (100cp), Complete Initiation (100cp), Gain Salem’s undivided attention (250cp). 600cp total.

Salem. So that’s who is coming for me? Ozpin seems to know more than he’s saying, but oh well. The important thing is that I passed, and sure, the newfound fame is unexpected, but I can work with it. Ghira said I was representing our people, so surely the better I do, the better it is for us?

Hm.

Feat Achieved: Drive Sienna Khan to Drink (100cp), 700cp total

Meh.

[Artifice] - 300cp, 400cp remaining

You have a gift for the creation of powerful magical items. As True Artefacts, their magic won't ever run out, or at the very least won't run out for a very long time. What you can make is limited to your knowledge, your imagination, and your resources.

[Fairy Fountain] 400cp, 0cp remaining

Hidden away in various areas of the world, the fairy fountains are

the homes and sanctuaries of all fairies, sacred places few others ever set foot in. Now, you will find one of these fountains connected to your pocket dimension. The waters within will cure all ailments and heal all wounds, as well as give off an aura of peace and tranquillity, letting all know that this is a sacred place not to be tarnished with violence. You will even find a number of fairies have made themselves at home here, willing to obey the master of the fountain.

Huh, neat.

I have a genius idea.

– Ozpin –

“Ah, Akari. Was there something you forgot?” Ozpin asked, making Akari pause as he considered his words.

“I can probably heal the person who got attacked,” Akari finally said, making him blink.

“I’m sorry?” Ozpin asked, blinking.

“The one in a coma, I can probably heal them,” Akari explained again. “Got something new.”

“I’m sorry,” Ozpin repeated. Akari hadn’t even seen Amber. “Can you explain a bit further? What do you mean you got something new?” Ozpin asked, making Akari shrug.

“My powers give me new stuff sometimes. Isn’t that how the other ones work?” Akari asked, tilting his head curiously.

“It is most certainly not,” Ozpin replied, but Akari just shrugged.

“Okay, weird,” Akari said, as if he was not the weird one. “Anyway, I just got a healing fountain in my pocket dimension. Claims it can cure all ailments and heal all wounds,” Akari explained patiently. “So, wanna try and heal them?”

Pocket Dimension?!

“I would like to see this fountain before we attempt such a-” Ozpin started, pausing as Akari just waved his hand and a rift formed next to him.

“Okay.”

…oh f*ck it.

Getting up, he approached the portal curiously before he shrugged. If this turned out to be one of Salem’s traps, he’d congratulate her when he reincarnated for the surrealism involved.

Entering the rift, because it was truly one of those days, he immediately shuddered with pleasure at the sheer magic in the air. It genuinely felt like a place that was saturated with the power of the God of Light, a sense of calmness and serenity that he hadn’t felt in a long time overcoming him as he looked around the beautiful forest glade, in the centre was a deep pool of water that shimmered with magical power. Small blue-winged orbs of energy flew around the waters, approaching them hesitantly before circling them curiously.

“What are these?” Ozpin asked, watching as they circled Akari excitedly.

“Fairies, apparently. Cute,” Akari explained, watching one land on his finger for a moment before it took off. “So, healing water?”

“Hm, I do believe that your power was correct. This place is saturated with magic in a way that I haven’t felt in a long time,” Ozpin agreed, making Akari nod. “We should probably test that- what are you doing?!”

He watched Akari, dumbfounded, as Akari calmly pulled out his umbrella and stabbed himself in the hand with it, his aura deliberately down as the sharp blade pierced his skin. Akari didn’t even make a sound, watching the blade go through his hand.

Then, equally calm, he walked to the pool and placed his hand in the water. Rising up, he looked at where the large hole had been.

“Works,” Akari helpfully added, giving him a thumbs up with the same hand he’d just idly pierced. Oh Gods, Akari was going to drive him mad, wasn’t he?

It was only his many years of experience that stopped him from screaming in frustration as he pushed his glasses up slightly with a smile.

“So it does,” Ozpin agreed easily, smiling at the young enigma. After a moment of thought, he made a decision. Nothing they were doing was helping Amber, to the point where he was looking at the newest batch of students, wondering if any of them could take her place when the time came. Could he really not try this?

He owed it to Amber to try.

“Well then, shall we see just how powerful these waters truly are?” Ozpin asked, making Akari nod easily.

“Sure.”

Akari truly was a mystery, but his power was undeniable. The fact that Akari’s first action upon getting this magical location was to bring it up as a way to heal another was a good sign of the good nature behind that blank face.

– Glynda Goodwitch –

Watching as Ozpin lowered Amber’s comatose body into the pool, she watched with eager but confused eyes. Akari stood next to her, watching one of the ‘fairies’ flying around his head, seemingly uninterested in the proceedings.

What was Akari? He was no mere Maiden or Silver-Eyed Warrior (as ridiculous as that sentiment would have seemed under any other circ*mstances); this was beyond anything that she or even Ozpin had ever seen before.

Her gaze was torn from Akari, who was now spinning in place, trying to follow the fairy, as she heard the sound of a feminine gasp.

Snapping her head to Ozpin, she watched with wide eyes and hope in her heart as Amber’s eyes opened. Her friend looked around in confusion and shock as Ozpin smiled down at her.

“O-Ozpin?” Amber asked, moving out of his arms and looking down at the pool she was now standing in, coming up to her waist. Ozpin was equally submerged but was clearly unbothered by the wetness.

“Welcome back, Amber. You have been sorely missed,” Ozpin said with a smile. “I expect you have questions?”

“Where are we? What happened to my attackers? I remember seeing Qrow, but then- I passed out; I felt like something had been torn from me…” Amber whispered, looking over at Akari, who just waved idly. Amber, seemingly still in shock, mechanically waved back.

“To begin with, we are in the Fairy Fountain that we used to heal you. Our young friend, Akari, gained access to, or perhaps created this place with his own magic. Your attackers unfortunately managed to escape with part of your Maiden powers,” Ozpin explained, guiding her from the waters as she blinked.

“I felt that, but my powers feel fine. What do you mean created this place?” Amber asked, making Ozpin chuckle.

“I do believe the life giving waters of the fountain have even healed your very powers, and as for the second part? I genuinely don’t have a clue,” Ozpin admitted with a wide grin.

“It just does that sometimes,” Akari added ‘helpfully’. She genuinely couldn’t tell if he thought he was actually being helpful or if he was messing with them, but seeing Amber awake once more, she honestly didn’t care.

“Well, thank you, Akari,” Amber said, gathering her thoughts. “I owe you deeply.”

“You’re welcome. Can I go now?” Akari asked, making Ozpin chuckle again.

“You may, though perhaps we should all leave the fountain before the portal closes and locks us inside,” Ozpin pointed out, making them all move back to his office. It actually saddened her to have to leave; the tranquillity was very enjoyable.

“Bye.”

Turning and walking out of the office, Akari didn’t look back once. A very abrupt person, but given what he had done for them, there was much he could get away with.

“He seemed nice, now what is he?” Amber asked, making Ozpin chuckle dryly.

“That is exactly what I am trying to work out. I have my theories but very little to go on so far,” Ozpin explained, stroking his chin.

“Well, don’t keep us waiting. What’s the theory?” Amber asked, her impatience showing as Ozpin smiled at being badgered by her.

“I believe Akari is somehow, in some way, linked to the God of Light. Whether he is blessed, a child of the God, or perhaps even his reincarnation. I do believe that he has some connection with the vanished deity. I just cannot confirm how or why. By all knowledge, the God of Light should not have returned until my mission was complete; I simply do not understand why He would intervene in such a way. Do you know what Akari means?” Ozpin asked with a dry smile, getting no answer. “It’s from an ancient Mistralian language, and it simply means ‘Bright’, though it wouldn’t be inaccurate to translate it as… Light.”

Glynda went still, wondering if Ozpin could be right.

“So… we have a baby God?” Amber asked, making Ozpin shrug.

“It is only a theory, but the power of that fountain felt undeniably like that of the God of Light. I mentioned your situation, and not five minutes later Akari had willed the solution into existence. Those Fairies are alive; Akari’s power made living, sentient creatures,” Ozpin shrugged. “I do not know how this came about; believe me, I wish I did, but that is my best theory so far. It would certainly explain the immense power he showed upon gaining his ice magic.”

“Wait, what?” Amber asked, making Ozpin smile.

“Ah, of course, you weren’t awake. I could explain, but why don’t you just take a look out of the window,” Ozpin offered, sipping his drink with a smile. Amber moved over to the window that Ozpin nodded at, which overlooked the forest. Glynda couldn’t help but chuckle at Amber’s baffled expression, knowing all too well that she looked the same.

“Oz, Fria couldn’t do that in her prime and she’s better than any of us,” Amber said, shock in her tone as she stared out at the frozen forest. She wasn’t wrong; the Winter Maiden had been by far the strongest when she was in her prime, but even she would struggle to freeze an entire region like that.

“Oh, I’m well aware of the power that would be required to do such a thing,” Ozpin agreed. “Beyond any Maiden, certainly, which was my first suspicion… though I do still want to confirm that Akari is indeed male.”

“...so, when do I get to hunt down the assholes who ambushed me?” Amber asked, moving on as she clearly had no idea how to handle that.

“I believe it will be better for you to remain on the school grounds for now. We need to ensure you are at one hundred percent, and I suspect Salem’s agents have a new target, so having you around to deter them will be invaluable,” Ozpin explained, Amber’s look going from rebellious to determined. Amber would hate being told to stay in the school, but protecting her saviour was another matter entirely.

“If that golden-eyed bitch even tries it, I’ll gut her. I won’t go down so easily this time,” Amber swore, hurt pride and anger clear in her tone at being ambushed.

“Quite. Firstly, however, Qrow saw little of your attackers. I believe one of them was using their Semblance to muddle his mind, so I’d like you to tell me everything you remember about them,” Ozpin requested, making Amber nod with a frown on her face, starting to describe her attackers as best she could.

– Akari –

I am a genius.

Why?

Because if Amber is alive and well, she goes back to being a target, and that takes some of the heat off my back. Plus, it helped to reveal my powers to Ozpin, who clearly knows some sh*t about magic. It turns out that just shrugging and saying ‘my power does that sometimes’ is indeed a way to get out of being questioned over where I got a pocket dimension.

I don’t want to have to put in the effort to hide all my new things, especially given how… noticeable [Widow’s Guidance] was. So, I just say, ‘Yeah, it does that sometimes,’ and shrug when they ask for more information.

Even better, I saved the Headmaster and Professor Goodwitch’s friend, which should give me some wiggle room going forward.

Feats Achieved: Join Ozpin’s Inner Circle (100cp), Save Amber (200cp), Gained Glynda Goodwitch’s Respect and Gratitude (100cp). 400cp granted.

Huh. My fountain paid for itself.

Neat.

[The Honed Edge] - 100cp, 300cp remaining

With just a bit of time and polish, you can restore any blade to its true sharpness, as if it were just crafted. Rust and tarnish can also be removed easily. Your tools and weapons are always in the best shape. Some effort does need to be put into this care, of course.

Neat, my Kasa-obake needs a lot of maintenance.

[Portalist] - 400cp, 100cp needed.

Vilete once knew the secret for making portals that were capable of spanning interplanetary distances, and now, you know that secret as well. You have the knowledge and skill to be able to craft portals between different locations in space. Something within the range of a city can be done 'freestyle', using only your own Aura, though you may need to charge up energy beforehand. Longer-range portals would need anchors and magical foci, but you know how to craft such very easily. Through practice and study, the range of your personal portals and permanent portals can both expand, with personal portals eventually reaching intercontinental distances, while your permanent portals could eventually reach between stars.

Huh, I could just make a portal back home. Neat. I don’t have a choice, but I would have locked it in any way.

Heading towards my team's room, I smile to myself at the realisation that we missed the big, over-the-top ceremony. We don’t even have a Team name yet since we haven’t gotten our fourth member yet, but that ceremony sounded like a pain.

“Akari!” Weiss says, jumping off her bed as I enter the room. “You’re okay! You were taking so long. Are you in legal trouble for freezing the forest because I can get my family lawyers to bury them in-”

“I’m fine. I’m not in trouble,” I cut in, making her blush as she stops rambling.

“I- well, yes. Of course, you’re not; how could they punish you for such a fantastic showing?” Weiss mumbles, giving me a shy look. “I never got the chance to say this, but thank you, Akari. You saved my life, of that I’m certain. I am indebted to you, and you’ll find that the gratitude of a Schnee goes far,” Weiss swears with a proud look, making me blink at her confidence.

Nora gives me a wave from her place on one of the four beds, but she seems rather subdued. I don’t know her that well, but she doesn’t strike me as a quiet girl.

“Which bed is mine?” I ask, moving on to what matters as Weiss blinks. “Also, you’re welcome, but I’m sleepy.”

“Ah, of course you are; you’ve had such a hectic day. You can take whichever bed you wish, honestly, I should speak with the Headmaster about getting y- us a more fitting room,” Weiss says, drifting off into mumbling.

I take that as my cue to move to the bed in the corner; I like corners and fall face-first onto it.

– Weiss Schnee –

Honestly, this room was far too small for them. She was a Schnee and it didn’t take a genius to realise how big a deal Akari was going to be. The wave of power he’d unleashed was bigger than any she could find a record of. It was something out of myth, not reality.

And he’d done it to save her. Her cheeks heated up, sitting on her new bed (she had wanted the one in the corner, but Akari picked that one; did the pillow he was currently laying face down on top of smell like her?).

Akari said something, but he hadn’t bothered to lift his face, so his words came out muffled, forcing him to turn and repeat himself.

“We’re getting a fourth teammate, some girl called Penny from Atlas,” Akari said, lying on his back as he turned his head to face them. His doll-like face remained expressionless, beautiful features drawing her attention as she took in his lack of expression.

“Another Atlasian? Well, I don’t know her, but it will be nice to have someone else from home. Atlas Academy has very high standards, so I’m sure she’ll be good enough for our team,” Weiss explained, proud of her home.

“Hm. We’re also getting a bodyguard because Oz thinks someone might try to kidnap me,” Akari explained, and Weiss nodded. It was good to see that Ozpin was taking this so seriously. “You probably know her. Some specialist called Winter Schnee.”

“Wait, Winter is coming to Beacon?” Weiss asked, her eyes widening. Oh god, she was going to be the victim of so much teasing. “W-well, she is one of the best; she’s a Schnee, after all. My sister is a wonderful choice, and she will easily stop any such attempts against you.”

“Sister, huh?” Akari said. “Nice.”

“Do you not have any siblings?” Weiss asked, curious to learn more about her saviour. He just shook his head.

“Orphan,” Akari explained blandly, making her wince slightly. She had noticed that he never used a second name; did he not have one? It wasn’t unusual for orphans to make up their own but did Akari just never bother?

“Same here,” Nora added, making Weiss jump. She’d almost forgotten that Nora was even there. The ginger was being strangely silent for a girl who couldn’t shut up during the initiation. “Lost mine to the Grimm.”

“I don’t even know what happened. I was just found outside Kuo Kuana as a kid,” Akari explained, shrugging.

W-why were they bonding?! She had a rough childhood as well-

Her brain kicked in, reminding her that being a sheltered princess with neglectful parents didn’t compare to two people who’d lost their families before she could try and insert herself into the conversation.

“W-well, I do believe that we should discuss who should be the team leader. Unlike the other teams, we haven’t had our team leader picked by Professor Ozpin, so I think we have the opportunity to decide amongst ourselves,” Weiss said, preparing her arguments for why she should be the leader (despite Akira’s amazing power).

“Not it,” Nora cheered, perking up slightly.

“Not it,” Akari agreed. “Looks like it's you, Weiss.”

“Oh. Hmph, I’m glad you see reason; I assure you that I will lead us to greatness,” Weiss promised. “Thank you for your trust.”

“You’ll do great,” Akari praised, giving her a thumbs up.

“We have faith, Weissy,” Nora agreed.

– Akari –

Leaders have to do paperwork, right?

– Nora Valkyrie –

Leaders have to do paperwork, right?

Watching as Akari started to get changed into his pyjamas (turning Weissy bright red as he took off his top), Nora laid down on her bed and mentally sighed. Ren wasn’t going to Beacon.

She almost wanted to leave herself, but after a talk, she’d agreed not to throw this chance away. They weren’t exactly loaded, and this scholarship was a brilliant chance for her, but Ren had lost his spot by helping some f*cking idiot who came to Beacon with no Aura and nearly died. If he weren’t in a coma, she’d track down this Arc and break his knees herself.

Ren should have been on their team, but instead, they were getting some Atlesian chick, and Ren was going all the way to Atlas himself. This would be the first time they had been separated since the attack on his village; they’d done everything together… and now he was going to be in another Kingdom.

The promises of constant scroll calls didn’t make her feel much better as she stared at the ceiling. At least Akari and Weiss seemed nice, even if Akari was clearly a freak of nature. A good one, but a freak all the same. It was fine; she liked weird things.

– Ruby Rose –

Lying on her bed, she smiled up at the ceiling. She still didn’t understand how the entire forest had frozen over like that, but she’d learnt that her new friend was apparently responsible… was he going to be too important to talk to her anymore? She hoped not.

Well, at least her team was nice!

Team RPBY (Raspberry) was officially going to be taking Beacon by storm. She got her big sister, the really nice Pyrrha and the cool Blake. Sure, Blake was kinda a loner, but that was fine; introverts unite!

But still, Akari was amazing; how had he done that? Was that his Semblance? It seemed way too strong. Falling to sleep, Ruby dreamt of adventures with her new team and friend.

— Bonus Scene — Sienna Khan

What the actual f*ck.

She’d expected the next word from Beacon to be that Akari had passed with flying colours, showing off his training and talent to the racists of Vale.

Looking at the picture of the Emerald Forest, completely frozen over, she stared at it in sheer bafflement. Had Akari hidden this power from her this whole time? No, it was impossible. She’d watched the video a hundred times over; Akari had seemed just as surprised as everyone else as he’d unleashed that ice age.

This was new; he’d awoken a new power, and he’d done it in the middle of the Beacon Initiation, where the entire world got to see.

f*ck. She should have seduced Akari, dragged him into her bed and left him too drained to leave Kuo Kuana. Instead, she’d let her golden ticket wander off to the other side of the world, where he was thoroughly out of her reach.

No, this wasn’t the end. Akari was beyond her at the moment, but he would return to Menagerie in time, and she still had her ways. This was good; the entire world was looking at a Faunus as the new strongest. Who cared about the Invincible Girl and her little tournament wins when Akari had just frozen an entire forest, killing all the Grimm inside without hurting any of the other students?

Plus, he’d done it to save a Schnee. People were saying that it was his desire to save his new partner that had awoken this power, loving the forbidden romance angle, and that would just make him seem less connected to the White Fang. That was good; if he could replicate it, then he would be in a position to make some real change. Akari might just change the world; she just had to make sure it was in the right way,

She just had to make sure he didn’t forget where he belonged and who his people were first. She was well aware that every Kingdom would be salivating over him, but he was one of them, and she wouldn’t let them sink their claws into her soaring star.

A call made her jump, turning her attention to her scroll. Adam? Ah, he’d seen it as well and knew they had to solidify the connections that Akari had with them.

“Adam, I take it you’ve seen it as well?” Sienna asked, covering her confusion and shock well.

“I did. Blake is in Beacon; I saw her in the background of one of the posted clips. Permission to go and retrieve the traitor?” Adam said, his tone angry as she stared at her scroll in pure bafflement.

“Adam, and I mean this with all due respect… Do you think I give a singular f*ck about Blake?! Leave her; I told Ghira and Kali we’d let her go; she’s not worth the trouble,” Sienna ordered, wondering once again if Adam had been dropped on his head as a child. “Akari is what matters, you know, the guy who just froze an entire forest.”

“To protect a Schnee,” Adam replied, and right then and there, she made up her mind. Adam was not suited for leadership if he couldn’t see past his hatred and look at the bigger picture.

Author’s Note: You guys don’t randomly get pocket dimensions? Kinda weird, ngl.

In true Shiro fashion, it isn’t a RWBY fic if Cinder doesn’t immediately get f*cked over in some way. Sorry, Cindy, but Amber’s awake and she is pissed.

Written: 10/06/2024

I am entirely motivated by praise and interaction, so leave a review, and I’ll probably write faster. I do read every review/comment, because it gives me the happy brain chemicals and motivates me to write more. My body is a machine that turns positive reviews into new chapters.

I have a Discord server with a bunch of other authors and a load of p*rn. So much p*rn.

Here’s the link for that: discord .gg/DarkWolfShiro

If it says it’s expired, it is probably your account being unable to join NSFW servers, and you’ll need to fix that. If you fix that and it still says it’s expired, add me (DarkWolfShiro), and I’ll invite you myself.

Chapter 10: The Celestial Conquest, Ch01

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Mike God of Lore, Marethyu, Priapus, Beans, Old man of the mountain

The Celestial Conquest

Chapter 01: The Great King Awakens

Clinging to life, the thugs carrying me either don’t know or don’t care that I’m still alive as they toss me into the pit, where I land in a mound of gore and flesh with the other failures. I’d heard about these fights; everyone in Brockton Bay has, but it was another thing entirely to be grabbed and thrown into the Teeth’s pit fights, and be forced to fight other random fools like me to the death for the right to join the Teeth.

I’ve never been a fighter, being mostly skin and bones, and I got put against someone damn near twice my weight, with a shaven head and a swastika tattooed on his chest. It’s no real surprise the Empire thug was able to beat a random kid to death, and my heritage probably means he enjoyed it.

Broken bones and bruised flesh fail to move as I try and pick myself up, looking up at the hole the Teeth thug threw me into. A mass grave for all those who failed to win their games. I can hear flies buzzing around, and slowly turning to the side, I can see maggots feasting on an older corpse in the deep pit.

So this is how it ends for me? It doesn’t seem right; it doesn’t seem fair. I have to die like this because the Butcher wanted some new recruits, or maybe just some entertainment, the smug bastard watching the fights from his throne of scrap and bones.

It isn’t despair that fills me as I feel my heart beat slow, my body failing, but rage. The villains who saw me as nothing, the heroes who failed to do anything against the rampant gangs, this entire cape scene. It should all burn.

A giggling makes my eyes snap open and look around the dark pit as best I can.

You’re an interesting one. Do you want to survive?

Of course I do. Somehow, I know I’m not hallucinating the feminine voice whispering in my ear. A cape? Despite my anger, I want to live.

More.

You won’t live, but I can help you all the same. The boss asked me to find some new recruits, and I think she’d like you. Rise again, Darius, rise and take what is yours.

[Undead Traits] - Free

You are undead. Between life and death. Your flesh and organs have long since rotted from your body, leaving you as nought but dry skin and bones animated by your own soul. Your soul remains within your body as a result of countless rituals and spells performed over your form prior to and during your burial. As an undead, you do not age. You have no requirements or ability to perform bodily functions such as eating, drinking, sleeping or breathing. You have no organs to damage or blood to bleed. The only way to kill you would be to smash up your bones till nothing the size of a skull or larger remains.

You are enchanted so that, even despite lacking muscles or skin, you can move with superhuman strength and speed, as well as move and think at all. Whilst many lesser Nehekharan undead require the presence of a Liche Priest to maintain awareness and only have the most basic of personalities, you have no requirement for support from a Liche Priest, and you maintain your full cognitive functions in this form. However, as you are just old bones, you are quite vulnerable to fire despite the relative sturdiness of your form. After this world, this becomes an Alt form for you.

My failing body burns for just a moment, but strength fills my bones as I manage to sit up. My skin has turned from tanned to pitch black, a colour so very clearly unnatural in its darkness. I can feel my organs rotting away, fading from my form as magic alone sustains me, my veins emptying as blood pours out of my wounds into the corpse pile.

I’m a nice girl, so I’ve made some minor adjustments so you aren’t entirely undead. What is the point in unlife if you can’t enjoy the pleasures of life?

Why are you doing this? How are you doing this?

Why? I’m looking for recruits to test my mistress’ Celestial system, and how? I’m a God, beyond a God at this point. I’ve had Goddesses on their knees, their heads trapped between my thighs as they serve me. This is child's play for me.

Rising, I struggle to stand, not because I lack the strength to, but because I’m standing on a mountain of corpses.

Now… Let's see what the system thinks you need.

[Auto-Factory] - 100cp

A room full of various arms and other tools, this factory is designed to be programmed with the blueprints for any item that you know how to create, allowing for raw materials to be fed in from the ship's storage and be turned into whatever items are programmed into the factory. Warning: Only items that run on purely mechanical/scientific principles can be made here. If something requires magic or more esoteric energies to be created, it will require your personal touch to actually make, though individual parts could still be crafted by the factory. Can't make items bigger than the room itself, though it can build the pieces for you to put together yourself later.

[Ironclaw Cunning] - 100cp

The Ironclaw Orcs were one of the greatest orcish bands in Dominaria, as they were magically bound by their camp wizards, never to attack any force stronger than themselves. While most warring cultures viewed this as a detriment, this curse was what made the Ironclaw clan one of the strongest and most successful orcish clans in known history. They never fought battles they couldn’t win and never fought for hopeless causes.

While you aren’t bound by their curse, you do share the cunning of the Ironclaw. Thanks to this, you’ll always know when you can or can’t defeat someone. You’ll never underestimate your opponents and know when it would be best to carefully pull back and make plans for another day. You’ve also become pretty good at that, taking note of the opposing force’s strength and figuring out ways in which you could still win against them.

[Ben 10: Mushroar] - 100cp

Mushroars are giant greyish-blue horned beetles. They are incredibly fast, to the point that they can compete in speed with the motorised vehicles of the Floraunas who tamed them.

[Glove of Myhnegon] - 200cp

A spiked gauntlet granting potent electrokinesis magic at both close-range and more distant targets, activated with Gaelic command phrases. When first worn, this indestructible glove’s claws latch closed into the flesh of the wearer, prohibiting removal without dismemberment.

The gauntlet appears on my arm, sharp claws digging into my dead flesh to anchor itself as it glows with energy. A part of me wants to climb from this pit and charge the Teeth, to slaughter those who inflicted this unlife upon me, but my Ironclaw Cunning tells me that I would lose. It rages at a pride I didn’t know I had, but after the beating I just took, I don’t want a second one so soon.

Now, I have an offer for you, little Darius. I picked you because you have the blood of Pharaohs running through your veins. I will grant you a Tomb worthy of your station, not a fully maxed out one, but a nice mid-tier one to start with… for a price.

My mother once told me that we were descended from Egyptian royalty, but it didn’t mean much to a poor family living in the Bay. It does confirm something, however. I was meant for so much more. What price?

Ordinarily, your system would roll you something when you gain points, and you’d have four options. You could purchase it, skip it to save points, reroll to get something else or lock it if you want it but can’t afford it. I want to remove your ability to reroll or skip until you have avenged your death and destroyed or conquered the Teeth. In exchange, I’ll grant you a tomb worthy of a king and some extra freebies to help you along~

My mind flashes with the image of a grand, floating pyramid, shimmering with magical power as several pillars circle around it. Something deep within me demands that I have it, and before I can consider the consequences, I accept.

Wonderful! I do look forward to seeing how you perform. Once you’re done with Earth Bet, come pay me a visit!

[Tomb] - 300cp

No matter your origin of choice, you awake within a tomb. Buried within it or standing as a silent guardian, it is a tomb connected to you in some way. Perhaps it was built for you or your father. Perhaps you were laid to rest alongside your master in it. Maybe it was built under your own guidance as the chief architect. Or maybe you were installed as a watchful guardian at the gates. But it is an ordinary tomb, nothing special, even for a King, at least for now. Purchasing this option gives you the ability to bring your tomb with you to future worlds.

Tomb Upgrades Added

[Magical Warding] - 200cp

[Magical Warding - Boosted (Mid-Tier)] - 200cp

[Make It Bigger] - 200cp

[Make It Bigger - Boosted (Mid-Tier)] - 200cp

[Mobility] - 200cp

[Mobility - Boosted] - 300cp

[Obelisks of Power] - 100cp

[Tomb Swarms] - 200cp

[Ancient Traps] - 100cp

[Ancient Traps - Boosted (Magical)] - 200cp

[Heraldry Armour] - 100cp

A gift from your master, a splendid set of armour fit for his right hand. Formed from the strongest and rarest metals in Nehekhara, the armour offers excellent protection across your entire body and looks quite good, too, though it is in the colours of your King. It has no magical enchantments on it, save for a minor one that allows it to slowly repair and clean itself when not worn.

[Lore of Nehekhara] - 200cp

The magic unique to Nehekharan Priests. The powers of the desert and its gods, heat and the sun and the dead things that reside in the desert. All these things fall under the Lore of Nehekhara. A wizard versed in it could draw all the water from a man’s body by desiccation, unleash blasts of biting and tearing sand or boiling heat, enhance his warriors with many protective spells and buffing magics, or, of course, raise and control the dead. More than any other, the Lore of Nehekhara has incredible powers to be gained over the dead, with great wizards being able to raise thousands upon thousands of undead warriors on their own. There is a vast amount of power to be discovered in this lore, especially around the dead or in the desert.

Purchasing this option grants you a fair amount of knowledge and training in this magic, enough that you could competently cast many low-level spells and even some of middling power, as well as granting a wide range of knowledge on Nehekharan legend and rituals. Liches gain this option for free and gain much more out of it, having had decades of training under other wizards in the magic.

My body is clad in golden armour, though it is in my colours, not the colour of my king, for I have none, purple and black accenting my armour. I don’t have time to appreciate it, as two other things happen simultaneously. My mind is flooded with memories, remembering studying magic in the deserts of Nehekhara, years of studying in a long-dead great city, knowledge and power flooding my empty veins.

The second thing? Screaming, confused shouts, and rumbling as my tomb appears above me. The building we are under is crushed by the appearance of my great pyramid, slowly descending as I feel myself teleported into it.

The pyramid responds to my desire, flying into the air as it shadows the city below, but I am so tired. Laying in a sarcophagus, I feel my eyes droop.

Don’t worry; your Tomb will be nice and safe while you nap. You just need some time to adjust to your new form, that’s all~

Time? Of that, I have an endless supply. Drifting off, I feel my Pyramid phase out of existence for a time. We will return; if the Capes are smart, they’ll spend every waking moment preparing for that day…

It might even delay me wiping out this pathetic game of cops and robbers for a time.

– Emily Piggot – Years Later –

She’d always known this day was coming.

Even she’d heard of the Black Pyramid back when she was still an active agent- before Nilbog, before Ellisberg. The giant Pyramid, estimated to be around eight hundred meters tall and equally wide at the base, that had suddenly appeared above a Teeth pit fight, landing on the city and crushing countless people before it had just… flown into the air and vanished entirely.

It screamed of a new trigger, a victim of the Teeth gaining powers and lashing out, before vanishing somehow.. As it had failed to ever show up again, there were different theories being thrown around. That the cape had died, crushed by their own creation, causing it to vanish. That it hadn’t been a cape at all, but aliens returning to Earth (because obviously, aliens built the pyramid). That the cape had gone into hiding due to the Teeth being out for blood. Butcher himself had escaped with his most recent power, explosive teleportation, but many had died, crushed by thousands of tons of stone.

She had her own theory. The cape would show up one day and make her job infinitely harder because good things didn’t happen in the Bay. The PRT had labelled the Cape ‘Pharaoh’, made a file on what little was known of him and the Black Pyramid, and filed it away to be forgotten. The name had even been taken by a villain in Egypt, who later died. The incident was so long ago that three different capes had used the same name since.

Looking out of her window, she glared at the massive structure hovering over her city. Nothing stayed forgotten forever, and now it was her problem, as the Black Pyramid simply hovered high above Brockton Bay.

Pharaoh was back well over a decade after his disappearance, and now he was her problem. Her phone started ringing, making her stare at it balefully for a moment. She knew it would be her superiors demanding answers, answers that she didn’t have.

Time to get to work.

– King Darius –

Waking, I rise from my sarcophagus, feeling rejuvenated as I stand. My mind provides me with the answer of how long I’ve been asleep, but after a moment, I mentally shrug. A decade is nothing for a tomb king.

My lifespan will be measured in eras, not years.

A part of me understands that the city below won’t be the same one that I left, that my new undead status has altered my mind, but I shake it off. I have a grand duty to perform; my mortality just held me back.

Taking stock of my surroundings, I mentally examine the tomb's location. The city looks the same, even a decade later, making me frown. Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same. The only thing I can see that looks different is that Medhall got their hands on a bigger tower.

It pales in comparison to my tomb, of course.

Some capes I don’t recognise are flying near my tomb, hesitant to approach. The local heroes? Irrelevant, they will bend the knee, or they will die. My world has no need for their kind.

My squads await command, making me mentally pause at the realisation that I have squads to begin with. My mind flashes back to my ‘past’, my small army committing ritual suicide to join me in my slumber. Several squads of Tomb Guards, who stood guard over me while I slumbered, Skeleton Archers, and some Carrion birds. Hardly the army that will bring this world into order, but it will serve as a start.

– Shawn (Dauntless) –

The Brockton Bay Protectorate didn’t have many fliers, aside from the Wards, and it was no real surprise that the Wards weren’t being included in this.

The Pyramid floated high above the city, with giant stone obelisks hovering around it, and he tried not to think about what Watchdog had said about the damage that would be caused if it fell. It would essentially be a meteor strike, but that wasn’t even the worst part.

Around the Pyramid, birds flew in erratic patterns, and he’d seen on Dragon’s screens what had people so concerned. The birds were dead, a mixture of rotting corpses and skeletal birds all somehow still flying.

They’d attacked Glory Girl when the reckless girl had flown a little too close, and while she wasn’t harmed by them, it told them that they were aggressive. The fear was that it wasn’t just birds, so they were all fearful of what they’d find within as one of Dragon’s suits started to move.

Lady Photon, Shielder, Laserdream and Glory Girl were flying nearby, the heroic flyers of Brockton gathering near the enormous pyramid. The last time it had appeared, the death toll had been in the low four digits; they couldn’t take any chances, and New Wave was bound by less red tape than the PRT, able to deploy their younger capes more easily.

“I’m starting my approach,” Dragon stated quietly. She would go in first, given that she was controlling her suit remotely, with all of them watching the pyramid for any movement as she approached a large doorway near the base.

Gripping his weapon, he kept his guard up as Dragon approached the massive structure.

– Theresa Richter (Dragon) –

The giant stone doors didn’t respond to her knocks; it didn’t hurt to be polite, after all. The pyramid remained silent, her reading picking up a form of energy she had no way of understanding.

Despite the strength of this power suit, she found it hard to force the doors open. The enormous doors could fit Fenja and Menja at their full height, which made her fear what they were designed for as she slowly pushed them open enough for her to enter.

Staring down the long and foreboding corridor, she sent several smaller drones forward to start mapping out the colossal structure she had entered. It was strange, but her avatar shuddered at how unwelcome she felt in these grand halls, looking very much like how she’d expect an ancient Pharaoh's home to appear, gold and ancient Egyptian architecture everywhere.

“Hello? We mean you no harm. We just want to talk to you,” Dragon tried, but she got no answer as she mentally sighed and started to move through the pyramid. Her drones showed her just how labyrinthine this pyramid was, seemingly endless corridors being mapped out as she did her scans.

Had the owner been trapped in their own pyramid for the past fourteen years?

Her eyes widened as she felt one of her drones go offline. Mentally checking the recording, she never even saw what took it down. It was active one moment and gone the next. She moved towards its location but froze in confusion. Her drones had been mapping the pyramid out, but where the drone had found a passageway, she found only a wall.

Another drone went offline, but this one caught sight of something as it entered a much larger room. Something large, which dove at it from above. Her eyes widened at the last image of the giant vulture's claws rapidly approaching. In the background, she could see over a dozen more of the vultures watching.

Another drone lost; trapped in a corridor that was rapidly closing in on it, crushing it to scrap.

Moving back, she paused as she found the way she had come through now gone, the passageway replaced with thick walls of black stone. And yet, there was another passageway waiting for her. One that hadn’t been there before.

Taking the message, she headed down the passageway and walked for what felt like an aeon. She didn’t pass a single other passageway as she took the straight path to wherever it was leading her. Reaching a large set of black and gold double doors with intricate carvings reminiscent of, but clearly distinct from, Egyptian art, she didn’t have to push them open; the doors opened by themselves.

When she entered the room, she immediately recognised it for what it was: a throne room. At the back of the room, a set of stairs led up to a great golden throne on which a single figure sat.

On either side of the long, deep purple carpet leading up to him, skeletal figures stood guard, armed with curved blades (which she quickly identified as a variety of khopesh) and large shields. The shields had intricate designs on the front, coloured in black and purple, matching the armour of the figure sitting on the throne as she cautiously approached.

The dead watched her, skeletal faces turning to track her as she approached the throne.

“Halt,” Pharaoh demanded, making her freeze as she reached the bottom of the steps, her mind racing as she examined his body. He was clad in golden armour, but it didn’t cover everything. His skin was charcoal-black, and her incredibly advanced sensors picked something else up. He wasn’t breathing. “You stand before a King. Kneel.”

He was as dead as his skeletons.

His voice was loud, booming throughout the throne room, and her hesitation was rewarded with the skeletons moving into a combat stance, bones rattling and swords clanging against their shields.

“There hasn’t been a King in America since 1776,” Dragon replied. “Are you Pharaoh? The owner of this Pyramid?”

“Pharaoh? A suitable title. I am the ruler of this Tomb that you are trespassing in. You will kneel, or you will be removed,” Pharaoh demanded, and after a moment of consideration, she obeyed and had her giant suit fall to one knee. She wasn’t prideful, and she needed information.

“I am Dragon, a member of the Guild. I’m here on behalf of the Protectorate, as the appearance of your tomb has caused some alarm,” Dragon explained, keeping her tone passive. Was Pharaoh one of the capes who had his mind affected by his power?

“I care not for the fears of a failed organisation, but this works well. It is good to do these things the proper way,” Pharaoh said, stroking the chin of his golden mask. “I am King Darius, ruler of this tomb, and I have returned to end this world of ‘capes’. Consider this my declaration of war: go back to your masters and tell them that they are to abandon Brockton Bay, for it is to be the seat of my empire,” Darius demanded. “I will permit you to leave, but from here on, any who trespass in my tomb will be slain and added to my forces.”

“Darius, I would suggest you think about this; there’s no going back from that,” Dragon warned, making him scoff.

“King Darius, and I have had years to think. This world is broken, overrun with crude villains and inefficient heroes. I am here to end the era of capes, and nothing will stop me from fulfilling my grand design,” Darius declared. “I know why you do not fear me; I can sense what isn’t inside your armour. An empty shell, controlled by a coward, so be it. Tar frim!”

As he spoke, her language programs recognising it as Gaelic, he raised his hand and sent a bolt of lightning towards her suit, blasting her back as she felt the lightning short some of her circuits. Her armour had some protection against lightning, but this strange lightning seemed to bypass them as her suit locked up.

The skeletons surrounded her, hacking into her armour with their swords, unnaturally sharp and glowing with purple energy as they managed to damage her armour. She hadn’t brought her strongest suit, not wanting to intimidate the cape, but it was still made to be very durable. It didn’t last, and she cut off the connection and triggered the self-destruct as she sighed.

She had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but she had no choice but to report back that the cape within was aggressive.

– King Darius –

Djaf's Incantation of Cursed Blades served me well, allowing my Tomb Guards to hack into the coward's armour. The explosion barely phased me, as the lost Tomb Guard can be quickly brought back into my service.

Feats Achieved: Declare war on the PRT (200cp granted), Defeat Dragon’s Lesser Suit (100cp granted)

Dragon, such a bold name for such a cowardly woman.

[Screaming Skulls] - 100cp, 200cp remaining

Attached to the inside and outside of your tomb are hundreds of enchanted skulls. Imbued with the spirits of loyal servants, each skull can be commanded to ceaselessly speak or scream out certain words or phrases at volumes ranging from shouting to ear-rending in power. If you want your glories to be recited without end every day or simply wish for your besieging foes to hear the screams of dying men at all hours of the night, the Screaming Skulls can do it for you.

Hey, me again! Just letting you know that I tweaked your rolls, so you have a 50% chance to roll something related to the Tomb Kings until you have all the important parts. You’re welcome!

Ah, so I can get my tomb to its true glory faster. You have my gratitude.

I wonder if the gathered heroes are enjoying the screams of the damned? Speaking of them, I smile as my Carrion flock starts to move. These worms need to be driven away from my tomb, and I plan to help with that.

This city is mine, the sooner they learn that, the better.

– Victoria Dallon (Glory Girl) –

Dragon’s warning of Pharaoh’s aggression made her roll her eyes. He was living in a giant ominous pyramid surrounded by undead birds. Yeah, no sh*t, he was aggressive.

At least they’d never have to say, ‘The villain's lair could be anywhere’, as the animated skulls that had appeared all over the pyramid started to shriek, chained to the black pyramid as they rattled and screamed. Shielder backed away slightly, shivering, as she glared at the giant pyramid that was blocking the sun for the docks.

“So, what do we do?” Vicky asked, turning to Dauntless, who was also watching the pyramid with caution. He was in charge here since he was the only PRT cape who could fly up here. She was willing to bet that Armsmaster was already working on making his bike fly after being left out of this.

He went to speak, barely audible over the shrieking before movement distracted them both. The giant slabs of black rock seemed to retract as a horde of giant undead vultures flew out of the holes, and began to lead the smaller undead birds to swarm towards them.

Well, she didn’t need any other hint, diving towards the flock as she smashed into one of the unnaturally strong birds and knocked it away, smirking as their claws found no purchase against her shield.

They were tough, but they couldn’t hurt her as the other heroes joined the fray. She flew around the swarm of vultures, punching and kicking as she easily handled the undead. Yeah, like the guy who made these was ever going to be a hero.

A blast of lightning distracted her, and she watched wide-eyed as it struck Crystal mid-flight; Aunt Sarah rushed to her and caught her before she could fall. Eric moved quickly as well, his training coming through as he formed a shield between his mother and the pyramid as she snapped her head toward the source.

Standing, almost proudly, around halfway to the top of the insanely large pyramid, a single humanoid figure watched them with an arm extended. She saw red, seeing how smug he seemed about having struck Crystal mid-flight, and dashed towards him as he turned the lightning towards her.

It splashed against her shield, breaking it, but proving unable to stop her as she zoomed towards the villain, ready to end this nonsense.

It was a testament to the size of the pyramid that she was still barely halfway to the top, by the time Pharaoh lowered his arm. She vaguely heard some calls for her to stop, but didn’t listen as she charged him, assured of her invulnerability.

Foreign words filled the air, chanting from the villain she was about to turn to paste. As she reached him, her eyes widened at a new sensation: dryness. Her mouth felt so dry, and her lungs heaved as she felt something filling them, distracting her to the point where she crashed into the pyramid next to Pharaoh.

Panic filled her, and she clutched at her throat as she spat out a mouthful of burning hot sand, vomiting the coarse grains that now filled her lungs. All the while, Pharoah watched her, his golden mask staring down at her with a superior expression.

Then he kicked her, not hard, just enough to send her tumbling down the pyramid as she still coughed up mouthfuls of sand, her throat feeling so full. Her nose was blocked, sand pouring from it, and her vision darkened as she tumbled down the megastructure.

She felt someone catch her, as she struggled to maintain consciousness, and as her battle to stay awake failed, she watched Pharaoh just walk back into his pyramid, uncaring for their fate as the heroes fled in defeat.

– Amy Dallon (Panacea) –

Crystal was in bad shape; lightning burns covering her body, but Amy didn’t even glance her way as she desperately worked to save Vicky’s life. Vicky’s lungs were full of sand, sand so hot it was burning her throat and lungs as Amy widened her sister's trachea, forcing her body to shift and pump the sand from her lungs.

The issue was clear as she watched her sister's unconscious body vomit out more and more sand. Vicky had already vomited more sand than could have ever fit inside her throat; Amy had been desperately working for hours. She was keeping Vicky alive, being stretched to her limits, but there was seemingly no end to it.

She’d stabilised Crystal before turning her full attention to Vicky, even making adjustments to her body to get the sand to pour out of new holes. It wasn’t enough; even giving Vicky a new set of lungs had just caused them to start filling with sand.

And then, with no warning, it ceased. The sand poured out and didn’t refill; Amy quickly fixed her adjustments as she desperately checked if Victoria was okay. She wasn’t waking, and Amy felt a sense of pure dread. Brain damage. The lack of oxygen… No, nonononono.

Vicky was braindead.

– King Darius –

Driving back the fools, I scoff to myself as I take my Pyramid higher into the skies above the city, making assaulting my locations more difficult.

Feats Achieved: Cripple Glory Girl (150cp), Defeat Laserdream (100cp), Drive Panacea to Murderous Intent (200cp), Drive Back the Heroes (100cp). 750cp total.

[Ark: Nameless] - 50cp, 700cp remaining

Aggressive by nature, Nameless are always seeking out prey. A hairless, bipedal creature with a dog-like face and a tail. It has large claws and fangs, capable of doing considerable damage.

An ugly creature, but when I’m warring with the entire world, I will take every servant I can gain. Still, that’s quite the amount of saved points, so I shall continue rolling.

[A Monument to Time Itself] - 400cp, 300cp remaining

You built things to last. A monument to death that itself dies may have a certain appeal to more philosophical sorts, but you wanted your monuments to last for eternity so that everyone would look upon them and know the glories that your mind had wrought. What objects or structures you create, by your own hand or by your direction, will last forever. The passage of time and the environment around it will not degrade it, damage it or destroy it. Even blows against it, attempts to demolish what you have made, will see their blades break long before the stone you laid down does. Your creations are imbued with supernatural durability; though they will not last forever or be protected against everything, they will be proof against mere mortals trying to defile your art.

I am barely a craftsman yet, but it is only fitting that my creations should last as long as I will.

[Hellfire Chains] - 100cp, 200cp remaining

The fires of the damned are a powerful force, as those who have been burned by it can testify. But fire is often uncontrolled, wild, and untamed as a force. That is why it needs guidance, to be chained and directed. Sometimes literally, as this tempered metal chain will show. When those of a fiery or infernal nature hold this chain, they can channel the abilities of those natures through it to augment their strikes and the force that hits their enemies.

The chains appear in my hands, but unfortunately, I am not infernal or fiery. I can command them but not gain their full use, so they go into my armoury for now.

[The Eternal Soldier] - 200cp, 0cp remaining

When you were buried alongside your liege, your armour and sword were left on you. It would be needed for the moment you wake up, as you would be required to immediately look to protect your King from any possible dangers. For that sake, those weapons and armour were enchanted in a similar way to your own body to prevent them from rusting and ageing to dust. Your gear is all the same way, sharing in your magic to ensure that it will never age or become damaged from the passing of time. Swords never rust or lose their edge, armour does not gain weaker bonds over time and even food will not spoil when held in your bags.

Again, my belongings should be as eternal as I am. It is only fitting.

Feat Achieved: Get a Kill Order (300cp granted)

Ha, the cowards fear what is coming, but how can you kill that which is already dead?

[Magical Staff] - 200cp, 100cp remaining

This golden staff with a carving of an inverted Triforce is filled with magical energy which gradually replenishes, ideal for supplementing your own power when you’re running low. In addition, it can be used as a focus to enhance your own spellcasting and is exceptionally effective in doing so. If you would prefer, you may instead import a staff or wand to receive these characteristics.

The golden staff is far better suited for me, making me smile as I grasp it. Ha, if I had this before, the aggressive blonde would have been killed, not merely crippled. They will learn to fear the might of Nehekhara!

[Talking Rabbit] - 50cp, 50cp remaining

You can, at will, summon a talking rabbit. It will record the next short sentence you say and will teleport to the person you want that message sent to, be they somewhere on the same planet as you or on another world. The rabbit in question will repeat the sentence to the receiver until they acknowledge it or 24 hours have passed, after which the rabbit will disappear in a puff of smoke. You can summon as many rabbits as you want. If you lose contact with the rabbit before recording a message with the intent to send it to someone, it will be de-summoned.

The small rabbit appears at my feet, awaiting my message as I stroke my chin for a moment. Hm, yes. That will do.

Speaking my message, I smile to myself as it vanishes, off to deliver my declaration.

Feat Achieved: Attract the Teeth’s Attention (200cp gained). 250cp total.

It is good to know the Butcher is still around.

[Stop Time] - 800cp, 550cp needed

Do you want to move without limits? Using a slight sum of your magical energy, you can bring time to a complete halt around you. Anything that isn’t touching you is frozen in time. Initially, you can maintain this state for about a minute at a time before having to ‘renew’ it with another chunk of energy, but you can eventually maintain it for a few minutes longer after some practice.

And even time itself shall bend to my whims, as it should be.

Author’s Note: The Celestial System has been trying to give us super evil stuff over and over again, while both Celestial MCs are generally gud bois. So, here we are, a Tomb King mc with a desire to conquer all.

Darius earnt a f*ck ton of points because he’s very active.

Priapus’ Note: The actual Darius was Pharaoh of Egypt the same way that Genghis Khan was Emperor of China. Conquering rulers often style themselves in the trappings and rituals of rulership in conquered lands.

Clearly, Shori is referencing this period in history and didn’t just get lucky by naming the MC after some random, important-sounding ancient king.

Clearly.

Beans’ Note: If only there was some other thematically appropriate cape in Brockton Bay that would fit with an ancient egypt vibe. Hm, I thought I had someone in mind, must have just skittered away from me.

Written: 09/06/2024

Chapter 11: The Celestial Conquest, Ch02

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I’m just playing with them.

Betad by Beans, priapus, Mike God of Lore

The Celestial Conquest

Chapter 02: The War Begins

– PHO –

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♦ Topic: New A-Class Threat Declared

In: Boards ► Capes ► Threats

Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Posted On Mar 17th 2011:

The PRT has declared a new A-Class threat, currently located in Brockton Bay.

Pharaoh and the Black Pyramid have been deemed a major threat, and the PRT has put out a warning for everyone to avoid the Black Pyramid [img] that is currently located above Brockton Bay.

Pharaoh has been confirmed to be able to bring back the dead as minions. Dragon reported that he had close to a hundred reanimated skeletons inside his 'throne room' when she made contact, but given the size of the Pyramid (estimated to be eight hundred meters tall and proportionally wide), it is assumed he has more within.

For those unaware, the Black Pyramid first appeared in March of 1996, approximately fifteen years ago, while the Teeth were still located in Brockton Bay. It appeared suddenly above the city, directly above where the Teeth were holding one of their infamous pit fights, and promptly landed on the city, crushing thousands of people before it flew into the air and disappeared.

It has recently reappeared in the exact spot it first vanished from, and after a failed attempt to communicate (with Pharaoh attacking Dragon's mech and destroying it), Pharaoh unleashed a horde of giant skeletal vulture-like birds upon the heroes while also firing lightning bolts at them, striking Laserdream directly and gravely wounding her (though Panacea was able to save her life).

Glory Girl attempted to attack Pharaoh after seeing her cousin's injuries but was unfortunately bested as Pharaoh first struck her with lightning and after it seemed not to work, switched tactics and bypassed her shield.

It has been confirmed that Pharaoh summoned burning hot sand inside Glory Girl's lungs, which was rapidly refilling and suffocating her while burning the insides of her lungs and throat. Panacea was able to keep her sister alive until the effect wore off, but it is confirmed that Glory Girl was declared brain dead due to a lack of oxygen to the brain (which Panacea cannot affect).

Pharaoh has been given a Kill Order, both for his actions here and as he has been charged for the deaths his Pyramid first caused due to his refusal to communicate with the PRT and declaration of war.

The Pyramid has shown the ability to travel, flying through the air, and they fear that any attempt on Pharaoh's life at the moment would cause the Pyramid to come crashing down on the city, its colossal size and weight making it essentially a meteor that would devastate the city. If the Pyramid lands, do not approach under any circ*mstances; Pharaoh has been shown to be highly aggressive towards 'intruders'.

Be safe, everyone.

(Showing page 1 of 194)

►Space Zombie

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

I speak for everyone when I say, f*ck it, kill him and stop him from using the Bay to get an army of undead capes. Brockton Bay isn't that important anyway.

►Feychick

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Oi, I happen to be able to see the f*cking thing on clear days, directly above my house. I'd rather not have the giant pyramid come crashing down on me, thanks.

That said, I hope the PRT has a plan because Nilbog but a Necromancer sounds horrifying since I can see his lair from my window. The pictures don't do the Black Pyramid justice, it's so f*cking large. It's so high up, but it still looks massive.

►Acree

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Just have the Triumvirate go and kick his door down, grab Pharaoh and force him to land the f*cking thing far away from civilisation.

►Clockblocker (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Yeah, tiny issue. A kill order means he's getting Birdcaged at the very best, so why would the maniacal villain do anything he was told to? More likely, the psycho who just left Glory Girl in a coma would go all scorched earth and take the city with him.

Things are crazy here, I can't believe Glory Girl is in such a bad state...

►Iblis

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Honestly, a fair point. Why would someone with a death sentence agree to anything? He could pilot the pyramid straight into the town if the Triumvirate even showed up.

And all Pharaoh has to do is stop whatever is holding the Pyramid in the sky. If Pharaoh dies, we don't know for certain that his Pyramid would vanish; there are plenty of examples of creations outliving the cape who created them, so his death could mean a borderline apocalyptic event.

►Mane Magenta

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Where has he been for fifteen whole years? You'd have thought that someone would have noticed him flying around in a giant pyramid

►XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

He's an alien! Everyone knows the pyramids were built by aliens (the same structure has been found through loads of civilisations!!), and now the mothership has come back.

I suspect he went back to his people, teleporting his pyramid back to his planet, and now he's come back to conquer us

►Aloha

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Uhuh.

Figures the conspiracy theorists have already shown up. I'm old enough to remember them screaming about aliens when the Pyramid first appeared

►Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Yeah, I'm gonna go with f*ck that.

Some crazy lunatic with an army of the dead, sitting in a pyramid high above the city? I really need to move.

►PRTools

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Congrats to the PRT for f*cking up the first contact so amazingly!

►Thatdude

Replied On Mar 17th 2011:

Dude, it was Dragon who went in, and she's known for being very diplomatic. Pharaoh attacked anyway. Some people are just crazy; the PRT can't be blamed for that

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 192, 193, 194

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– King Darius –

Feat Achieved: Become PHO Infamous (100cp). 450cp needed to unlock [Time Stop]

100cp granted, 350cp needed to unlock [Time Stop]

Looking down at the city from my seat of power, I frown to myself as I consider my options. The truth is, I lack manpower. My forces are few, well-suited to protect my Tomb from invaders but a strong enough cape could tear through them.

My [Magical Warding] is strong enough to prevent most Capes from even getting into my Tomb, but in this world of unpredictable powers, I am sure that many could find a way to infiltrate my Tomb and wage war against me. My [Ironclaw Cunning] confirms it; I cannot wage war against the entirety of the PRT and come out on top, and yet I will not run and hide like some craven dog.

I require more points so that I can continue empowering my system. As such, the only path I see before me is to go on the attack. And yet, I cannot risk landing my Tomb in my current state because I have no doubt that they rightfully fear it falling from the sky and destroying the city below. I cannot yet leave because I would be swarmed by heroes; many would die in the attempt, but that would be little comfort to me as I faced my final death or imprisonment.

So, how does a King confined to his Tomb, unable to deploy his forces, wage war?

Through magic, of course. The Lore of Nehekhara holds many secrets, and while I am not yet a true master of the Lore, I have access to the knowledge I need to start my holy war upon the capes who have infested the city.

I have thought hard upon who I wish to turn my ire towards first, tempted to attack the heroes who dared to challenge me… but in the end, I found a better target. I am not familiar with the current gangs that inhabit the city, and as of yet, I lack the knowledge I need to properly understand the current cape scene of Brockton. I don’t exactly have internet access up here.

I should grab some slaves and interrogate them for information when I get the chance.

But there is one gang that remained in Brockton Bay while I went missing for over a decade, the Empire Eighty-Eight. The Neo-Nazi thugs have managed to weather the tests of time, but they will not survive me. The Teeth may have grabbed me, but it was one of the Empire’s captured skinheads that beat me to death.

I’ve sent the undead birds to scout around the city and have a vague idea of where the Empire makes roost; just the regular birds, not my Carrions. So, I have my target; I know where they hide, and now all that remains is to deliver my first blow and let them know that they are not welcome in my city.

Even in my time, people of colours and castes that the Empire saw as unworthy would frequently be attacked or go missing, and rumours of the Empire demanding their new recruits kill a minority or otherwise marginalised group to join their ranks spread throughout the city. I do not know how true these rumours are, but I can feel the death permeating the city; Brockton Bay is a place where suffering and death have happened in great amounts.

Smiling to myself and gripping my new staff, I look down at the city from the edge of my pyramid, gathering power as I begin to cast Djedra's Incantation of the Eternal Dead. It’s time those dead return to right the wrongs dealt to them.

– Tammi Herren (Rune) –

The first sign something was going to go f*cky was the giant-ass pyramid moving above their territory, but Kaiser waved them off. He assured them that Pharaoh was just moving around constantly to make his not-so-secret lair harder to approach.

He was f*cking wrong.

The next sign was the chanting echoing through their territory coming from the pyramid. Foreign, exotic words made her body shudder in a fear she would never have admitted to.

The third and final sign… was the f*cking ghosts.

She’d been at a rally, a show of force to convince the gang not to panic about the pyramid, so she’d been on the stage and got to see firsthand when they started to float out of the very ground, and she’d quickly realised that incorporeal did not mean harmless.

The ghosts all looked different, but most of them shared a certain appearance that made her stomach drop. They looked like the kind of people that the Empire would target: Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, usually wearing ragged clothing.

And they all looked like they’d died in agony, blood stains, bruises, even missing limbs, and every single one seemed furious.

She’d fled, not even caring about how it looked as she tore a slab of the stage off and used it as a platform, hearing the screams and fighting from below as the spirits set upon the crowd, slaughtering indiscriminately, and her one attempt at helping left her watching as a watermelon-sized rock flew through a ghost's body and did a grand total of nothing beyond making the ghost charge her.

So she continued to flee on her airborne platform, abandoning her fellow Empire capes who couldn’t fly to fight off a horde of enraged spirits. She’d heard Hookwolf cursing her as she left, but as the majority of the horde swarmed his metal form, she figured that wasn’t going to be a problem.

She did have a problem, however, because she’d flown up to escape the spirits… and someone else was already occupying this airspace. Dodging desperately, she watched as one of the dozens of giant vultures soared through the spot she had just left, massive talons able to rip through metal clasping as it glowered at her out of an empty eye socket.

Swerving as best she could, she looked down, and her eyes widened in terror at the sight of Legions of spirits soaring through the streets, attacking anyone who looked Empire. Certain death was below her; almost certain death was above her.

Spotting Pharaoh, she realised her mistake as he extended his hand. She was able to flip her platform sideways to intersect the deadly bolt of lightning that struck it, but before she could right herself, clinging on for dear life, the vultures came for her.

Snatching her right off the platform, one of them flew her a few feet away from it and then let go, sending her plummeting to her death. Another vulture swooped down and caught her as she screamed before it flew into the skies and let go as it hit the peak of its soar, sending her flying through the air, unable to call her platform as another tore it to pieces.

Pharaoh watched her, his golden mask hiding his expression, as she was used as a toy for the birds, tossed around as their talons tore into her robe and slashed at her body, leaving a dozen small cuts across her before one dove down and grabbed her, once more throwing her.

This time, nothing caught her; they didn’t need to as she landed face-first on the platform in front of the Pharaoh, who stared down at her from behind that intimidating mask. She placed her hands on the ground as she heaved from the nauseating movements, trying to use her power.

“My Tomb obeys me, and me alone. Cease your attempts unless you wish to invite the wrath of the deserts upon you,” Pharaoh commanded, his voice booming despite how he was speaking almost casually.

She stopped immediately, going to rise before he raised his hand.

“No, kneel,” Pharaoh demanded, making her gulp as she lowered herself again. “You know the capes of this city, yes?”

“Y-yes,” Rune agreed, her heart pounding. She’d seen a recording that looked just like this right before he’d kicked Glory Girl off the pyramid with her lungs full of burning sand.

“You will serve me,” Pharaoh decided, and her mind briefly reminded her that he had a Kill Order and she would be f*cked if she joined up. “In life, or beyond it.”

The idea of him puppeting her corpse around made her shudder, nodding rapidly as she looked up at the deadly cape.

“I will, I’ll serve you,” Rune agreed, dread filling her veins as she looked upon his pitch-black skin and golden visage.

He gestured for her to rise, turning and walking back into the tomb as she gave one last look toward the city before she obediently followed behind, head bowed. He already had a kill order, so nothing was beyond him. No rule mattered anymore; he could do whatever he pleased until someone managed to take him down. All she could do was hope that she could play the victim when, or if, that time came.

– Victor –

As a skill thief, he was an essential part of the Empire. He could do essentially anything Kaiser needed as long as he could find the right volunteer to give him the skills he needed.

Firing his gun, he watched as the bullet flew through the spirit, who grinned at him with malicious intent as it rushed towards him, clawed hands extended. He turned, pride forgotten as he tried to make a break for it, but bony hands burst from the ground and gripped his legs.

Unable to break free, he let out a yell as the hands grabbed at him, pulling him halfway into the ground despite his desperate attempts to resist. The spirits didn’t hesitate to dive at him, ghostly hands wrapping around his throat as the skin they were touching started to turn black and rot under the clawed fingers tearing into his flesh.

– Alabaster –

He was immortal; nothing could truly kill him. He enjoyed boasting about his immortality, letting people deal deadly blows to him just for fun. He’d got Empire men to shoot him in the head just to show off how unkillable he was.

As the skeletal hands dragged him down towards the core of the earth, he could only struggle helplessly as he suffocated, only to reset and suffocate to death all over again. No matter how he fought, they dragged him deeper still, entombing him in tons of dirt and stone.

As he struggled, for the first time, he wished he could die, the hands leaving him buried under God knows how much dirt. He didn’t know where they had taken him or if anyone would ever find him. Let to die forever, he suffocated in his earthen tomb and reset once more.

– Justin (Crusader) –

He had used his ghosts to kill countless of the Empire’s foes, perfect for arranging ‘accidents’ or ‘suicides’.

He thought he recognised some of the ghosts that were now swarming him, overwhelming his own ghosts through force of numbers, despite their ability to fight back. It wasn’t so funny on this side, feeling their spectral hands gripping him as they started to yank, dozens of ghosts gripping his limbs. He screamed in pain, feeling his bones creak and his muscles tear as they began to tear him limb from limb.

He could see Menja getting swarmed, ghosts scaling her enlarged body as she was pulled to the ground, her sister screaming at the sight of Menja being overrun.

Nobody could help him, each dealing with their own problems, and before long something had to give. In this case, it was his left leg which was torn off mercilessly, to the sound of cackling and ghostly cheering, celebrating his death as they successfully tore each of his limbs from his body, dropping his already-rotting body to the ground as he coughed up a mouthful of blood, watching them move onto their next prey.

Vision darkening, he watched as one of the massive birds swooped down and, in a swift, smooth movement, picked up his dismembered body and carried it into the sky, but his consciousness failed him as he gave in and surrendered to death.

– Max Anders (Kaiser) – Later –

As the day of the dead came to an end, he sat in his office in complete shock, the surviving capes gathered around him. All were equally shell shocked, except Hookwolf, who paced with a furious expression, covered in blood.

Fenja didn’t even look towards him, staring blankly into the distance. Fog was the least affected despite his wife's death, broken as they were. Stormtiger and Cricket switched between anger and fear, Cricket bearing several new scars. Othala was utterly subdued, having witnessed her husband's death.

“Why? Why did Pharaoh target us?” Fenja asked, and Kaiser had no answer.

For the first time, his talented words failed him. They had lost around half their capes in a single attack, not to mention how many of their rank and file had been slaughtered by the horde of ghosts.

“Because he’s an unhinged lunatic, that’s f*cking why,” Brad growled, clenching his fists. Hookwolf had seemingly been a priority target for the spirits, and being forced to flee as the spirits ignored his metal armour entirely had hurt his warriors pride badly.

They all knew how Hookwolf had escaped, charging through loyal Empire men and women and blendering them in an attempt to get away faster. He may have killed more of their rank and file than the ghosts. Still, it wasn’t the losses that had Brad so furious, but his wounded pride. He broke and fled, with his tail between his legs.

Kaiser himself had only survived because Menja had thrown him into the air, where Stormtiger had caught him and managed to carry him away from the scene, dodging the vultures.

“We have to strike back; this can’t go unanswered,” Brad demanded, and Max just gave him a stern look. Did Brad think he didn’t know that? The Empire had been dealt a devastating blow.

“Obviously, but we’ve just been cut deeply. Lung will smell blood, even the Merchants might dare push into our territory. Besides, only Stormtiger and Fog can fly; we can’t send them up to the Pyramid alone. I’ll need to rein Kayden in; we can’t afford to have her playing hero when we are looking so weak. I might be able to get more support from the Gesellschaft, but with Krieg’s death, that is a questionable thing at best,” Max explained. “Brad, once you’re back to one hundred percent, head towards the border we share with the ABB; it won’t be long before they try something. Kill any chinks who cross it; send a message,” Kaiser ordered, clenching his fists in sheer rage.

Pharaoh would pay for this attack, Purity would blast that pathetic pyramid to pieces, and then they’d rip the coward from his hiding place.

– King Darius –

Feats Achieved: Kill Victor (100cp), Kill Krieg (100cp), Make Alabaster Beg For Death (100cp), Kill Menja (100cp), Kill Crusader (100cp), Kill Night (100cp), Enslave Rune (100cp), Devastate the Empire (100cp). 800cp granted. 350cp spent for [Stop Time]. 450cp banked.

[Stop Time] - 800cp

Djedra's Incantation of the Eternal Dead is a powerful one, and in truth, using it over such a large area left me feeling spiritually drained, but the exhaustion I feel is worth it to deal such a fatal blow to my chosen enemies.

I had no control over the spirits; I gave their hatred life: a chance to return and inflict suffering upon the gang that had killed them. Some killed aimlessly, fatally jealous of the living, others hunted anyone wearing Empire colours, and some targeted the Empire capes exclusively.

Were I a true High Priest, I could have easily summoned and controlled all the spirits that are lingering in Brockton Bay, keeping them bound to me for all time. As it stands, I managed to bring a fraction of those spirits back to life for just a few hours. It was enough for now.

Some of the spirits even managed to move on, their vengeance sated by the deaths of the capes and thugs they slaughtered.

Looking at the sight before me, I smile to myself.

Five sarcophagi are lined up, with five special bodies within. I have more bodies, of course, but my new pet identified the capes from the corpse pile I had my carrion collect for my army. They are vultures, after all, and it is in their nature to scavenge the kills of others.

Victor, the skill thief. Kreig, the kinetic manipulator. Menja, the Valkyrie. Crusader, the discount Ghost summoner (I think I’ve established my dominance in that field). And finally, Night, the abomination, shame she couldn’t take on her monstrous form with the eyes of the dead upon her.

Rune stands beside me, looking over the bodies of her allies with terror in her eyes. This may not kill the Empire, but these racist fools have survived for decades, and in a single day, I cut their numbers in half.

“What do you think this Kaiser will do?” I ask, getting Rune’s attention away from my collection. “Prove you are worth more to me alive.”

“I… I guess he’ll try and get reinforcements from the clans and the Gesellschaft, our European allies. I don’t know if they’ll help. Krieg was his main contact with the Gesellschaft, but the Clans might come to his aid,” Rune explains, hesitating. The triforce upon my staff glows, and she suddenly remembers how to speak. “Purity, he’ll go for Purity. She’s one of the strongest Blasters around, and she ‘left’ to play hero. He’ll want her back before he does anything else.”

“And where can I find this… Purity?” I ask, watching Rune tremble before me. “Is her life worth yours?”

“I… I know where she lives. I’ve babysat her daughter,” Rune admits, voice cracking as she betrays her ally. “Her name is K… Kayden, Kayden Anders.”

“You have served me well, Rune. Unmask,” I order, watching her slowly pull down her hood as the terrified teenage girl looks up at me. “You may live as long as you continue to serve me. If you attempt to flee the Tomb, you will wish for death. I may even grant it, eventually.”

Rune nods rapidly, her face pale as snow and her eyes wide.

“I require knowledge, on my rivals. The gangs, the ‘heroes’. You will provide me with the information I need to crush my enemies,” I demand, gripping her chin as she gulps, eyes wide. “What is your name.”

“T-Tammi, I’m Tammi Herren,” Tammi answers, too afraid to disobey. “I’ll tell you what I know.”

Turning away from her, I look over the collection of Capes with a small smile beneath my mask. Kayden Anders, was it?

My eyes settle on one of the five, my decision made up. Crusader may be inferior to me, but I cannot deny his ghosts are useful, even if he’s currently lacking his limbs. It’s fine, I can stick some extra ones in their place and Djedra's Incantation of Summoning will see him rise again.

With so many bodies, I can add several units of Skeleton Warriors to my roster, inferior to my Tomb Guard in every way, but useful all the same. They will make good fodder.

Before I start the ritual, I roll again. I have points to spare and I need every weapon I can get in the coming conquest.

[Tough] - 200cp, 250cp remaining

There is not much to say. You have a particularly sturdy body or magical defence, and are able to absorb a lot of damage, making it especially useful against multiple weak attacks. Death from a thousand cuts is not something you have to worry about anymore.

More durability is never going to be a bad thing. I am already durable, the magic animating my body ensures I am difficult to put down, but this only makes me more resistant to damage.

[Cloak of the Dunes] - 200cp, 50cp remaining

A long brown cloak originally created by Khsar, the God of the Desert Winds. When worn, the user can transform themselves into a living sandstorm, whirling across the dunes at great speed. Not only is the sand storm violent enough to strip skin and muscle from bone in under a minute, a large trail of whirling sand at almost the same speed is left behind the wearer as he travels, allowing him to trap people in dangerous sandstorms. This form may be held for a few minutes at a time, needing a short rest in between uses before the cloak will allow the user to transform again.

Ah, and this is a worthy purchase. The cloak appears upon me, worn like a cape so as to not cover my glorious golden armour, and I can feel the power within me. Yes, this will do nicely.

Tammi watches as I raise my golden staff, chanting once more as I focus on the body of Crusader. Rise again, in service to a greater King than Kaiser. Rise, and kill for me.

— Bonus Scene — Amy Dallon (Panacea)

Sitting in her bedroom, she stared out of the window at the sight of Black Pyramid, hovering above the city arrogantly.

She’d learnt several things about herself after Vicky’s… defeat. Firstly, she had more power over the PRT than she thought, and she was willing to use it.

She demanded the Kill Order, swearing she’d never heal another person again if they didn’t place a Kill Order on Pharaoh. Carol oddly enough had supported her, and it had gone far enough that the Chief Director had to be called.

She couldn’t tell if Piggot was happy or enraged to have been blackmailed into giving Pharaoh a Kill Order, but Costa-Brown agreed after some negotiations. She couldn’t skip Endbringer battles anymore, or S-Class incidents, if they happened she would be picked up by the PRT and taken to them as long as she could reasonably reach their location. It was worth it, in exchange for knowing that Pharaoh was going to die for what he did.

She also learnt that she was not nearly as bound by her rules as she thought, because despite having sworn never to use her powers on someone’s brain… she was so tempted. But, the brain was what made Vicky, Vicky. Any mistake, any temptation, and she could change Vicky completely. It would be someone else, some caricature wearing Vicky’s face, and she didn’t trust herself enough to make Vicky right.

It would also expose that she’d been lying about not being able to do brains for so many years, but she cared little about that.

Glaring up at the Pyramid, she cursed the PRT for their cowardice. They wanted time to make a plan, meanwhile Pharaoh was only growing stronger as he slaughtered the Empire and stole the bodies of their capes.

Not that she’d mourn some Nazi f*cks, but didn’t they see that they needed to attack and kill the bastard before he could build an army? If she could get her hands on the psychotic bastard she’d…

Amy paused, eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists. Everyone thought she was only a healer, Pharaoh would have no reason to fear her getting close. She just needed a chance.

Author’s Note: It turns out that this system goes wild when you just go crazy and start killing Capes.

Written: 14/06/2024

The Guild of Gamers - The_Dark_Wolf_Shiro - Parahumans Series (2024)

Chapter 1: The Paladin

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Chapter 2: The Chronomancer

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Chapter 3: The Celestial

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Chapter 4: The Agent of Chaos

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Chapter 5: The Alchemist

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Chapter 6: The Celestial Remnant, Ch01

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Chapter 7: The Celestial Remnant, Ch02

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Chapter 8: The Celestial Remnant, Ch03

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Chapter 9: The Celestial Remnant, Ch04

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Chapter 10: The Celestial Conquest, Ch01

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Chapter 11: The Celestial Conquest, Ch02

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