Kapitel 820: 163
Chapter 163:
Jaune held Ruby as she clung to him. She'd been exhausted, crying herself to sleep on the flight back to Beacon. After a few minutes of assuring his family that he was all right, Jaune had excused himself, taking Ruby back to their dorm room. There, he'd called upon Yang to get Ruby out of her clothes and into her pajamas. After that, Jaune had done the same for himself, then climbed into bed with Ruby, and let her sleep in his arms.
There had been visits from those wanting to inquire about Ruby's condition. Velvet and Coco were particularly forward. However, they were seen off at the door by Qrow and Yukimura, the former having witnessed what happened, and the latter having been briefed on it. Qrow could empathize with Ruby somewhat, having watched Jester disintegrate Harbinger right before his eyes. However, it wasn't quite the same. While Qrow had always been proud of his weapon, and considered it emblematic of himself as a Huntsman, he'd never been so deeply connected to it as Ruby had been to her own sword. In a few days, he'd build himself a new weapon and call it good. But Ruby clearly had no such recourse. Even if she did find another weapon as spectacular as Akaibara had been, it just wouldn't be the same.
Aside from their other visitors, Sasame dropped by a few hours later, having slept off her fatigue from healing the damage that Kyo had taken from his fight with Jester. She had checked up on Ruby, then apparently gone to see to something else. Kyo had yet to show up, but Sasame speculated that he too was still sleeping. Kyo's last attack, wiping out the majority of the Grimm that had been attacking, then fleeing, Vale, had required an exertion well beyond his normal limits, fantastical as they were, and had left him unconscious ever since. Presently, Amber was looking after him with all the care and devotion he'd shown her.
For his part, Jaune had gotten some sleep. He was tired too, after all. But his concern for Ruby ensured that he couldn't sleep for long. Ruby probably would have chided him, had she been awake to notice. There wasn't really anything he could have done or do about it, save be there for her. Part of Jaune was still wrestling with the fear that he had experienced, when Ruby had entered into her last exchange of blows with Jester, that fear that it might be his last time seeing her alive. However wrong that had been, that fear had been very real to him, and Jaune just wanted the assurance of seeing and feeling Ruby there, and knowing that she was all right.
Ruby's sleep lasted well through the night, with Jaune sleeping somewhat fitfully beside her. Morning came, then passed. It was well into the afternoon of the next day when Ruby awoke again. Jaune had only left the bed a couple of times to use the bathroom, but had remained with her otherwise.
Finally, Ruby's eyes blinked, then slowly opened. She lifted her face away from Jaune's collarbone, looking up into his eyes.
"Hey," said Jaune softly, giving her the most-loving smile he could, hoping that it would help her feel better. "How are you?"
Ruby blinked, then her face fell, and she pressed her face against Jaune's chest. "Awful," she answered.
I figured as much, thought Jaune, gently rubbing a hand up and down Ruby's back.
For her part, Ruby could scarcely bring herself to stay awake. Part of her wanted desperately to return to the world of dreams where, at least for a little while longer, she could pretend that her precious sword was still there, ready to be taken up in her hands. However, Ruby knew that she could only run away from reality for so long. She ultimately had to face the truth.
The knowledge of Akaibara's death left an empty sensation within her, a gnawing void that crawled its way outwards from the pit of her stomach, a void that had nothing to do with her appetite. If anything, the thought of eating seemed repugnant to her a the moment. She was sure that her body would tell her otherwise before long, but at the moment, the emptiness within her soul only seemed to inhibit her appetite.
Is this what it felt like for Dad, when Mom died? she wondered to herself. If losing Summer had felt this bad, Ruby could actually imagine why her father might have decided to do whatever he could to prevent himself from experiencing that sense of loss again. She could even understand wanting to just sink into delirium to dull that sense of emptiness, which might explain why her father had turned to alcohol in the initial stages of his grief.
Ultimately though, she knew she couldn't linger here. Akaibara herself had urged Ruby to move on, to not let her grief define her. Ruby knew that, sooner or later, she would have to get up and fully face her world without her sword.
Some people might have laughed, at least, had they not known the nature of Akaibara, and the role she had played in Ruby's life. Ruby had taken up that sword, believing that Akaibara would be there with her throughout her career as a Huntress, that they would face all the trials of life together. With the life that Akaibara had been granted through her forging, she was far more than just some weapon that could be swapped out or replaced. She was a companion, Ruby's first true partner, and the one she had relied upon the most throughout her life, even more than her teammates on RASP, her friends, even more than Kyo and Sasame.
Imagining life without the familiar feel of that handle in her palm, the sensation of that Aura merging with her own, even the stinging of Akaibara's reprimand; it was all so painful that Ruby kept finding herself wanting to turn away from that reality for at least a little longer.
But she knew she couldn't. If she refused to accept reality, if she kept clinging to the past and dwelling on what she'd lost, she'd be no better than her father, making the same mistakes that he and Salem had. The people she loved had shown that they could move past their grief. Yang had, Qrow had...and Ruby could too. Even if it meant facing a world without her irreplaceable partner at her side, Ruby knew she had to keep moving forward.
Finally, she managed to pull her face away from Jaune's chest and look him in the eye. Jaune stared back, his expression neutral, waiting to see what she wanted from him. Seeing him, waiting patiently for her, with no expectation, not pressuring her to show anything, whether happiness or sorrow, but instead prepared to accept whatever feelings she might express, prompted Ruby to smile, the knife-edge of grief dulling just a little bit. She leaned forward, gently pressing her lips to his, Jaune all too happy to reciprocate the kiss. His arms tightened around her, and Ruby felt safe, content that he would offer no judgment, nor try to goad her into anything she wasn't ready for.
Ending the kiss, Ruby sighed and leaned her head against his chest once more, this time basking in the feeling of his presence, rather than stewing in her loss. Jaune's presence helped assuage the worst of her grief. It was there, lingering at the back of her mind. But it wasn't dragging her down the way it had been before.
I guess, as long as I have him, and everyone else, I can keep going, she thought, a warm smile on her face.
First things first... "I guess it's time to get up."
"You don't have to if you don't want to," said Jaune. "Everybody'll understand. It's not like we're going to have class for a while."
"Yeah, I guess everyone's going to be busy for a while," said Ruby. "But...I'm okay to get up."
Jaune nodded, letting Ruby go so that she could gather her things and go to the bathroom. She took a little longer than usual. Jaune didn't fault her for that. Even factoring out her emotional state, Ruby was likely still tired from how hard she'd pushed herself, so he definitely couldn't criticize her for taking her time.
After Ruby emerged, refreshed and dressed, Jaune took his turn. Afterwards, the pair of them headed out. Upon entering the common room, they were surprised to find it nearly deserted, save for Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ashley. Pyrrha was seated in one of the chairs, while Weiss and Ashley shared a sofa, Ashley humming as Weiss trailed her fingers through the soft fur of Ashley's tail.
"Ruby!" exclaimed Pyrrha, shooting to her feet. "You're up!"
"Y-yeah," said Ruby, recoiling from Pyrrha's unexpected enthusiasm. "Sorry for taking so long."
Pyrrha said nothing, instead rushing in and hugging Ruby tightly. After a second's hesitation, Ruby hugged Pyrrha back. Even though Pyrrha didn't say anything, Ruby could feel her sympathy and support, the warm feelings of which helped displace the cold sense of loss. After a moment, Pyrrha let her go, then it was Weiss' turn, followed by Ashley.
"They told me what happened," said Ashley, after pulling out of the hug. "Ruby, I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," said Ruby, before twitching. "At least...it'll be okay."
Ashley simply pulled her back into another hug, which Ruby returned.
"So what's going on?" asked Jaune. Spending so much time with Ruby meant he was out of touch with current events.
"Well...things could be better," said Pyrrha sadly. "The walls held, so the Kingdom wasn't overrun. But a lot of people still lost their lives holding the line. Quite a few Huntsmen were killed, and I heard we lost two teams of fourth-years."
"Anybody we know?" asked Jaune worriedly.
Pyrrha shook her head. "No, thank goodness." She sighed. "Aside from that, things are still unstable, out in the settlements. Even though we finished the battle here, people are still being sent out to fight the Grimm in villages throughout the Kingdom. I hear all three other Kingdoms are having similar problems, if to a lesser degree. It's going to be costly, but I think we'll get through it."
"It should be all right," said Weiss. "Ironwood is mobilizing the Atlesian military. They're already handling things in Atlas, and are moving out to help the other Kingdoms secure their territories."
"What's happening in Vale?" asked Jaune.
"Funerals," replied Pyrrha sadly. "They're going to be holding those for a while, because of all the people that died."
Jaune nodded, his mouth going dry at the thought. While they'd managed to keep the massive horde that Salem had brought to Vale's doorstep from overrunning the Kingdom, the fact remained that countless people had perished, thanks to the Grimm that Tyrian, Hazel, and Watts had seeded throughout the Kingdom earlier.
Pyrrha managed to pull out a smile though. "But, from what I've heard, the Council is planning another festival afterwards."
"Another one!" exclaimed Jaune, confused.
Pyrrha nodded. "Even if we're still mourning all the people who died, we can also celebrate."
"That's right," added Weiss, joining the conversation. "Thanks to a certain someone's older brother keeping the Grimm away, people are able to get their mourning done without needing to worry about another attack. Having a festival after that will help to bring morale back up."
"Besides, it's not as though we don't have reason to celebrate," said Pyrrha.
"That's right," said Weiss, nodding. "Salem and Jester are gone, which means that Ozpin's war is over. We won it. We've basically saved the world."
"Ruby did, you mean," Jaune pointed out wryly, glancing over at Ruby, who had taken Weiss' place next to Ashley on the couch, having practically wrapped herself in Ashley's fluffy squirrel-tail, the two of them speaking softly.
Weiss coughed self-consciously. "W-well, yes...of course. But you know Ruby isn't going to be interested in the limelight, so it will probably go down as a collective victory for all of us."
"Most likely," agreed Pyrrha, giggling softly.
"So, where's everybody else?" asked Jaune.
"Most of them are in the cafeteria," said Weiss. "It's been open twenty-four hours, ever since the fight ended. I guess people might need food at any time, if only as a way to help themselves cope."
Jaune nodded. It had been a long, difficult battle, starting with the attack during the final round of the tournament, and concluding with Salem's assault on Vale. Even amongst those who had survived, there was probably a substantial amount of trauma. For his part, Jaune was just glad he had Ruby with him, otherwise he figured he might end up waking up screaming in the middle of the night, as his memories of the terror of the past couple days came back to haunt his dreams.
"How have you two been doing?" asked Jaune, realizing that he couldn't focus on Ruby alone. Weiss and Pyrrha were his teammates as well.
"I'm doing all right," said Weiss, her expression softening. "I have Ashley."
"And I have Dove," added Pyrrha. "We've all been helping each other get through this. I don't think we'll have many problems."
"That's good," said Jaune.
The conversation was derailed by the grumbling noise from his stomach. Glancing down, Jaune remembered that it had been quite a while since he'd last eaten. "Well...I'm ready for breakfast, or lunch...or whatever meal it is right now." He went over to where Ruby and Ashley were seated. "You ready to eat, Ruby?"
"Yeah, I'm starving," said Ruby, smiling, a hand coming to rest over her stomach.
Weiss coughed politely. "Well...now that you're up, I do have to tell you that Professor Goodwitch wishes to see us, as soon as you've finished eating. Apparently, she has something to tell us."
"Okay," said Ruby, glancing quizzically at Weiss, only to get a shrug in return.
It seemed that, in the absence of Ozpin, Glynda had moved her place of work into his office in Beacon Tower. It was difficult, entering that room and realizing that they would never see that familiar face; that head of messy white hair, that cryptic smile; ever again. Ozpin had given his life in the battle of Vale and, while Jinn's story had informed them of his reincarnation, it was impossible to know when or if they would ever meet the next "him".
Given what they had now learned about Ozpin's past, their feelings about the enigmatic professor were a little more mixed than they used to be. However, it was also easy to remember how long and hard he had been fighting this war, how much he had suffered, in comparison to everyone else. For her part, Ruby felt she could forgive him his secrets, even if some of them truly did seem to be monstrous in retrospect.
Which made it all the greater of a shock when Team RASP entered the room, only for Ruby to come to a sudden halt, as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, her eyes and mouth opening wide, a loud gasp escaping her.
Aside from Team RASP; RYNB, CPPR, and MNPS were also there; as were Glynda, Qrow, Ironwood, Sasame, and Makoto. Aside from MNPS, most of the students seemed to be confused as to the nature of this sudden meeting, save for the fact that it apparently involved everyone who had been a part of the final attack on Salem, along with a few extras.
"Ruby? What is it?" asked Weiss, looking at Ruby in confusion.
"O-Ozpin..." Ruby's eyes fixated on a nervous-looking Oscar.
"WHAT?!" The exclamation tore its way from the throats of most of the other students present, save for those belonging to MNPS. Even Qrow and Ironwood looked stunned.
"What's going on?" asked Qrow.
"Well...since Ruby-chan decided to spoil the surprise," commented Sasame, giving Ruby a wry smirk, "I guess we should just come out and say it."
Glynda nodded. "Suffice to say, Oscar Pine is now hosting Ozpin's reincarnated soul."
"For real?" asked Qrow, his gaze going to Oscar, who nodded nervously.
"Y-yeah," said Oscar.
There was a flicker of green over Oscar's body, accompanied by a slight jolt from his limbs. Ruby shuddered, wobbling a little woozily at the sensation she'd just gotten, the sensation of Oscar and Ozpin's souls swapping places. It was bizarre feeling, like Oscar and Ozpin were two sides of a coin, one that had just been flipped over. While the analogy made it seem mundane, it was such an odd condition for two souls to be in that Ruby couldn't help but find it disconcerting.
"Hello, everyone," said Ozpin, his voice speaking through Oscar's body, but also overlapping with Oscar's own. "I am aware that this is rather...difficult to comprehend. It normally takes longer than this for my soul to reform within my next host."
Ironwood shook his head slowly. "To think that your next host was in Vale all along."
"At the time, he was just visiting," Ozpin replied. "Oscar hails from Mistral."
"That being the case, there is a great deal we need to discuss then," said Ironwood, his expression hardening. "Thanks to the revelations from the Relic of Knowledge, we now know just how much you were hiding from us."
"That I am aware of, James," Ozpin replied, his tone sorrowful.
"You sent so many people to their deaths against Salem...and for what?" asked Ironwood.
"To hold her at bay," answered Ozpin. "There was a time where I sought to make this world into one that would not fall, once the gods delivered their judgment. I tried to lead, to bring humanity together. But Salem was always there, trying to drive them apart. Had I not sought her out upon returning, then maybe..."
"There's no way to know that," said Ruby, stepping forward. "Salem was tainted by the Grimm pools in the Land of Darkness, so she might well have sought to destroy mankind anyway."
"Perhaps," said Ozpin, sighing. 'However, I am the one who told her about the gods' test. That is how she knew what she needed to do to ensure humanity's destruction, should the gods be brought back."
"Even so..." growled Ironwood, stepping towards Ozpin, only for Natsuki to step between them, her right hand resting on the handle of her kodachi.
"Even if you're angry at Ozpin-dono, that's still Oscar-kun's body," said Natsuki firmly, preventing Ironwood from getting a step closer.
"And, thanks to the measures we have taken, the merger of their souls has been prevented, so it will remain Oscar-kun's body," added Sasame. "So please do not try and take your frustrations out on it, just because Ozpin-dono just happens to be within it as well."
Ironwood huffed irritably, but stepped back.
"Besides, even if you are upset at Ozpin-dono, this is also the Mibu's sin," added Makoto softly. "Salem would not have been able to do what she had, had Jester-had Mibu Kyojiro-not been there to protect her and enable her."
"Perhaps you could clarify the circumstances behind him," suggested Glynda. "Jinn's tale relied upon broad strokes."
Makoto nodded. "Please understand that, even amongst the members of our clan, this is a secret known only to a scant few, mainly the Crimson King and the Taishiro. Saisei aside-"
"That's me, by the way," Sasame interjected cheerfully.
"-not even the Goyosei know of this."
"Understood," said Glynda, she and Ironwood nodding.
Makoto turned to survey the others, seeing them all nod in agreement with this story. Then he sighed softly. "Well...thanks to Jester, keeping it a secret might be moot at this point, but...
"...In the ancient days the Crimson King who ruled over the Mibu had become a terrible tyrant. At this time, the Mibu were also suffering the destructive sweep of the Death Disease, which threatened to wipe them out. The Crimson King at the time, seeking to maintain his control over both the Mibu and the human world, created four agents from his own flesh and blood."
"He could do that?" gasped Natsuki.
"At the time, it was believed that the King; as well as the Kyo of that era, the original Kyo; were the sole surviving members of the True Mibu. The full power of the True Mibu is truly godly, and they were able to create and destroy at will. As such, it was well within that Crimson King's power to create living beings from his flesh and blood. Those four became his personal corps of assassins, the enforcers of his will, killing any who dared to defy the King or thwart his plans. Those four were the original Crimson Cross Knights."
"So that's what you meant, when you mentioned Kyo's title being appropriated," noted Weiss.
Makoto nodded. "In time, the name was used to instead designate the heir to the throne of the Crimson King, which was fitting, as the fourth of the Crimson Cross Knights he created had been meant to serve as his successor."
"Was that Jester?" asked Nora.
Makoto shook his head. "No. Jester was the second of the four, Mibu Kyojiro. Of all the Crimson Cross Knights, he was the most dangerous. Even though he was already the Crimson King's secret enforcer, he also hid in plain sight, masquerading as Chinmei of that era's Goyosei. Thus, he was able to monitor the members of the clan themselves, to ensure that none dared defy the King."
"Well...that's pretty scary," said Yang.
Makoto nodded. "At the time, it was believed that, though he was immensely powerful, he was naught but another of the battle puppets created by the True Mibu. Fundamentally, that meant that he was subject to the same limits they were, including the chance that he would fall to the Death Disease."
"But he didn't," noted Jaune.
Makoto shook his head. "No, he did not. We are not certain as to why, but that appears to have stemmed from his creation. The Crimson King was not, as had been thought, actually one of the True Mibu. He was but another of their battle puppets. But, he had been one of the first generation of such puppets. As such, his power rivaled theirs. It would seem that, when he created puppets of his own, in that one particular case, that one meshing of the flaws of his creation, and the flaws inherent to the design of the True Mibu, joined to produce a separate flaw, one with the inverse issue."
"So it wasn't that he was doomed to die the way the other Mibu were, but instead he couldn't die," noted Sasame, "or be killed."
"That was the gist of it," said Makoto. "The True Mibu, the Crimson King, the Brother Gods, even Salem; all these were within the power of those who have mastered god-slaying techniques, such as the Mumyo Jinpu Ryu, to kill. But Jester's unique version of immortality placed him beyond that, almost as though he existed on another plane, one that no force could ever affect."
"And, because of that, he would go on to enable the acts of Salem," concluded Ironwood.
"I am afraid so," said Makoto. "It was not mere disinterest that kept the Mibu from acting against Salem, but the presence of Jester; or the Intercessor, as we called him; that kept us from doing anything. By this era, it would be no exaggeration to suggest that he might have been capable of destroying the world in its entirety."
"Pr-preposterous!" exclaimed Ironwood.
Makoto's eyes narrowed. "The void that nearly swallowed Vale...when I pitted my strength against it, in an attempt to destroy it, I could feel that it had the potential to grow without limit. Had it continued to, the entire planet might well have been swallowed up."
"God..." muttered Qrow, taking a swig from his flask.
"There there," said Sasame placatingly. "There's no need to get worked up. Thanks to Ruby-chan, neither Salem nor Jester are problems anymore. Whatever grievances anyone had against Ozpin-dono, I believe we can consider them settled now."
"I suppose that's true," said Ironwood, grunting. "Getting angry about it now won't do anything, and Salem is gone."
"If only everyone else were that understanding," muttered Qrow.
"True," agreed Glynda. "Thanks to Jinn, the entire world knows the truth about Ozpin now. Not only that, but they are aware of his ability to reincarnate."
"And the Maidens too, can't forget about that," said Qrow, taking another swig from his flask.
"So, even if Ozpin, as the world knew him, died in battle against Salem, there are no doubt people who will seek out his reincarnation," continued Glynda. "To what ends, we can only guess."
"Vengeance is one I can think of," said Yang sourly. "I remember Hazel's spiel. I wonder how many people out there hold Ozpin responsible for lost loved ones."
Ozpin nodded. "That is...most understandable."
"And not every one of them will be induced to restrain themselves, just because Oscar-kun is the one who wound up hosting his soul," added Sasame gravely.
"And there are probably people who'd want to use him in some way," added Ren.
"But we have an advantage," noted Ciel, who'd been silent so far. "Only the people in this room are aware that Ozpin was reincarnated inside Oscar."
"Pretty much," said Qrow. "So, as long as we can steer him clear of the people out looking for Ozpin, we can keep that from becoming too much of a problem."
"True," agreed Glynda. "Besides, now that Salem is gone, things have changed, and people know it."
"But they don't necessarily know what has changed," mused Ironwood.
"What are you talking about?" asked Piper.
"Given the nature of Jinn's story, it would be easy to suggest that Ozpin and Salem's fates are tied together," said Ironwood. "Though there is nothing explicitly stating that. What if we started spreading the rumor that, because Salem was finally defeated..."
"...Ozpin's soul was able to move on," said Qrow, cluing in to what Ironwood was suggesting.
"So, we start spreading the rumor that Ozpin's last death was his final one," said Rain. "That seems quite feasible."
"We'll have to be careful in how we leak it out," said Blake. "If we try too hard, people will figure out that it's a false rumor."
"People are gonna figure that out anyway," grumbled Qrow. "Even if the rumor gains traction, there're always gonna be people who suspect that Oz is still around, and they're gonna look for him. Not to mention that it doesn't quite jive with the story Jinn told, but maybe people will overlook that. Anyway...we can probably convince a pretty big portion of the people who'd be looking for him otherwise that their time's better spent with something else."
"Agreed," said Glynda.
"Now that that's taken care of, I will return control of this body to Oscar," said Ozpin, another flicker of green washing across his body.
"You said we don't have to worry about his soul merging with Oscar's. What did you mean by that?" asked Ruby, looking to Sasame.
Sasame explained the seal she'd planted within Oscar, partitioning his soul off from Ozpin's, thus ensuring that they would remain distinct and separate for the remainder of Oscar's life, assuming the seal needed to be maintained that long.
"Thank goodness," breathed Ruby, heaving a sigh of relief. As soon as she'd learned that Ozpin had reincarnated inside Oscar, that fear had been eating away at the back of her mind.
"You mentioned that this will ultimately be a temporary arrangement," said Glynda.
Sasame nodded. "That is correct. After all, I believe it won't be all that long before we are prepared to produce a more permanent solution to this situation, namely helping Ozpin-dono's soul return to the afterlife."
"Could you exorcise his soul?" asked Natsuki, remembering that Makoto had once offered to do the same thing with her magic.
"That is possible," said Sasame. "Technically, I could even do it now. However...that does not quite solve the issue, as that solution comes with the same problem that exorcising your magic would."
"Ozpin's soul would just move on to the next suitable reincarnation," said Oscar glumly.
Sasame nodded. "And, of course, using a god-slaying technique to try and send him on would be excessive, mainly because that would wind up killing you as well, Oscar-kun."
Oscar shuddered, turning pale.
"However, there is a way for us to address this," said Sasame. "Namely, we must bring this issue to those who are responsible for Ozpin-dono's situation in the first place."
"You mean...the gods?" asked Qrow.
Sasame nodded. "Did we happen to retrieve the Relic that Jester-I mean Kyojiro-had in his possession?"
"Yeah," said Qrow, reaching under his cape to pull out the lamp, which he'd had hooked to his belt.
"When did you get that?" asked Weiss, staring incredulously at it.
"Picked up off the ground after Ruby finished off the psycho-clown," said Qrow. "I guess he'd been hiding it somewhere on him. I'm pretty surprised that it wasn't destroyed along with him."
"It's a good thing that it wasn't," said Makoto. "After all, this is our most expedient method of dealing with Ozpin-dono's situation."
"Y-you mean...?" gasped Glynda, shuddering at what she was daring to suggest.
"Bring together the Relics..." muttered Ironwood.
"Summon the gods..." added Qrow.
"But won't that just mean they'll pass their judgment?" asked Yang worriedly. "I mean, I know we did just beat Salem. But I'd hardly call mankind united right now."
Sasame giggled. "Isn't that assuming that we would allow them to do so?" she asked cheerfully. "Think back to Jinn's vision, Yang-chan. What is the one reason that the gods had any license to act on this world in the first place?"
Yang blinked. "That's because..."
"Because Jester interceded on their behalf," said Makoto. "Now that he is no longer a factor, we can call the Pretenders back, and make them clean up what remains of their mess..."
"And tell them just what they can do with their judgment," added Sasame, "or, more appropriately, where they can shove it."
"That having been said, there is no need to rush either," said Makoto. "Now that Salem and Jester are no more, their agents will not be infiltrating Beacon or the other Academies, which means that the Relics can be assembled at our leisure."
"After all, if Jinn's vision of the past has showed us anything, it's that, even with the power of the True Mibu on the side of humanity, the battle against the gods was hard-fought," said Sasame. "They may be within our power to kill, but that does not mean that victory is a foregone conclusion, should we come to blows with them."
"Good point," said Qrow. "Make one mistake, and they could wipe out humanity all over again."
"Without the seed of his magic planted within the humans, the God of Darkness would find that difficult to do all at once, if not impossible," said Sasame. "However, he could still inflict terrible damage before he is brought down. In order to prevent that, we will need to be careful about how we arrange this confrontation."
"At this point, there is no need to be concerned, even if it takes years to set this up," said Ironwood. "In fact, that would be for the best. If we could further propagate advanced techniques that would enable us to field more fighters with god-slaying capabilities, that would be for the best."
The others nodded.
"In any case, it is best if we take the time to mend the wounds wrought by this most recent conflict, and restore stability, before we go inviting more trouble," said Glynda.
"Agreed," said Ironwood with a tired sigh. "We're still getting the situation in the settlements under control. By the end of this, the overall death toll will be staggering. I wouldn't be surprised if the count extends into the hundreds of thousands across the world."
"We've done all that we can, James," said Glynda softly, resting a hand on his arm.
"So now what?" asked Ruby. "What do you want us to do, Professor?"
Glynda smiled as she turned her gaze on Ruby. "Ms. Rose, for now, all I require is for you to rest. You and your friends have just been through an arduous battle, one that has decided the fate of the world. And you have lost much because of it."
Ruby flinched, a bit surprised (though, she reflected she probably shouldn't be) that Glynda had at least some understanding of the loss she'd endured by sacrificing Akaibara.
"For the time being, we have informed the public that Salem 'has been destroyed'. That's all there is at the moment. Therefore, you shouldn't be subjected to much in the way of extra scrutiny, so long as you don't wish for us to disclose the role that you played in her demise."
Ruby shook her head. "No thanks. I don't need people to know about that."
"Then that is information we will keep to ourselves," said Glynda. "I'm sad to say that the remainder of the year at Beacon has been...canceled...due to the crisis, though I think that you all could do with some time to recover anyway."
"So...um...does that mean we'll need to take the first year over again?" asked Yang nervously.
Glynda chuckled. "No. Given the current state of your grades, the students who were already passing will be automatically advanced to the next year. For those who weren't...we are making arrangements. However, there is no need for you to worry about that, as no one on your teams was in any danger of failing out. Considering what you've just accomplished, I think that a final exam to assess your skills is somewhat...unnecessary."
That bled quite a bit of tension out of the room.
"Given the circumstances, it is understandable if you haven't made arrangements for living outside the dorms," continued Glynda. "The dorms at Beacon Academy will remain open through the end of the year. You will have continued access to the facilities, and will even be permitted to take missions, should you choose to. This information will be shared with the rest of the student body shortly."
"What about the visiting students?" asked Blake.
Glynda nodded. "The current situation being what it is, the state of affairs is a bit too turbulent for us to be sure that we could return them safely to their home schools, so the same arrangements will be made for them, until such time that we can be sure that the necessary air and sea-routes have been cleared."
Blake let out a relieved breath at that.
"For now, spend time with your friends and family, and get some rest," said Glynda, smiling at the students.
Kyo stirred, his body shifting, his eyes fluttering slowly open. His body felt heavy, but not debilitatingly so. As his awareness returned to him, he began to take in the nature of his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was waking up under Sasame's care, after the tortuous battle he'd suffered at the hands of Jester. He'd barely gotten any time to take in the situation, Sasame explaining things as quickly as she could. Knowing that Vale was under attack by a truly enormous swarm of Grimm, one that far eclipsed any herd or horde that had ever assembled in the known history of Remnant, made it apparent that Kyo needed to act.
When he had awakened, the Grimm had quickly reversed their course, and had been about to flee the area as swiftly as they could. Were they allowed to escape, even scattered, they would do so in numbers that would overwhelm the defenses of any number of settlements they came across. Therefore, it had been critical that they be dealt with immediately. However, that would require a level of reach that Kyo had never invoked before. His attack would have to encompass as many Grimm as possible. While Kyo would have never doubted his ability to handle any number of Grimm, that was contingent on him killing them as they came within his reach. Spread out like they were required a completely different kind of strength from what he was used to relying upon.
But he had to act, nonetheless. So Kyo had allowed Sasame to channel as much of her Aura as she could into him. Once there, Kyo had taken the risk, invoking the True Crimson Eyes, and launching himself upwards to unleash the broadest execution of the Suzaku that he could. He had endeavored to unleash his power in a single, mighty stroke across the entirety of the battlefield, turning nearly the entirety of the atmosphere over Vale into his blade.
He'd succeeded. However, upon finishing, the consequences of overreaching to such an extent had fallen upon him nearly instantly, and everything had gone black.
Now Kyo was waking up, still feeling weak and tired. But he could sense that his strength was gradually returning. A little more rest, and he would be back at full strength. Even the injuries that Jester had inflicted had been treated, though Kyo could still feel the presence of scars on his body, a sign that Sasame had been as sparing as she possibly could with her Aura, when healing him.
Ah well, it's fine, he thought. I'm no stranger to scars, after all.
As his awareness continued to return, Kyo became aware of other things as well. First and foremost, he realized that he'd awoken in a bed, sheets pulled over his body. Someone had changed him into the robes he used for sleeping. Were he a betting man, he would have bet that they had brought him back to his room in the faculty quarters at Beacon.
However, the most important thing that he became aware of was that he was not alone in the bed. As his awareness returned, Kyo also became aware of a warm, soft body pressed up against his own, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around him. A face was pressed up against his collar, a head of brown hair nestled beneath his chin, soft breaths tickling the skin of his chest, a pleasant scent tantalizing his nose.
Smiling, Kyo moved his arms to return the embrace, hugging Amber to him. The movement prompted her to stir in turn. With a soft noise, Amber pulled her face back enough to look at him, giving Kyo a view of the weblike scar that still adorned the left side of her face. She blinked, her eyes widening as she realized what she was seeing.
"Kyo..." she breathed.
"Good morning," he said softly. "At least, I assume it's morning."
Amber sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes, before she hugged herself to him again, pressing her face back against him, crying softly. Kyo gently rubbed her back and kissing the crown of her head.
"I'm sorry I worried you," he said.
"No...It's all right," said Amber, looking up at him again, relief covering her face. "You're alive, and that's all that matters. I...I don't know what I would have done, if I'd lost you."
"I'm glad you don't have to find out," said Kyo, kissing her lips.
"Me too," said Amber. "After all, you promised to go on the road with me, didn't you? I'd hate for you to go back on that now."
Kyo laughed softly, pulling Amber up against him. "Well...that depends on the current circumstances." His good mood faltered slightly. "Did we win?"
"We did," said Amber, prompting Kyo to relax a little.
"Is Ruby-chan all right?" he asked.
Amber nodded. "She did it," she said. "She killed Salem and Jester. It's all over."
Kyo smiled, though there was still a solemn aspect to it. "Not quite," he said.
"Hmm?" Amber looked up at him.
"Thanks to Jester, the world knows about the Maidens," he explained. "That means that, even if Salem and her agents are no longer seeking you, there is still every chance that others might be, if only to use your power for their own ends."
Despite his ominous warning, Amber smiled. "Then it's a good thing I have the strongest warrior in the world as my boyfriend."
Kyo laughed sheepishly. "I suppose so," he conceded. "Of course, I don't think I was able to quite claim that before. And now, I suspect that I may have to grant that designation to Ruby-chan, considering that she managed to defeat and destroy the one who I couldn't."
"You may be right," said Amber. "I don't understand though, how she was able to succeed."
"I don't quite either," said Kyo. "It's likely that, should we spar again, Ruby-chan still won't be at a level where she can defeat me, though she will undoubtedly make me work harder for my victory, the next time we fight. However, she nonetheless was able to do that which I couldn't."
"Maybe it wasn't ever about strength," mused Amber.
"Maybe it wasn't," agreed Kyo. "Perhaps my insistence on being the one to deal with Mibu Kyojiro was just an extension of the True Mibu's hubris."
"Hubris...?"
Kyo sighed. "Mibu Kyojiro, Jester...was a product of the Mibu's excess, I had always believed that the duty of disposing him should likewise fall to the Mibu as well. It was our mess, and we needed to be the ones to clean it up...so to speak."
"I can understand that," said Amber.
"I can hardly be the only one to claim that mindset," said Kyo. "All the others in my family line, from my father on back, undoubtedly felt the same. Yet none of us were able to succeed where Ruby-chan, a child with no blood connection to the True Mibu or the rest of the clan whatsoever, did. Perhaps it was because we were fundamentally lacking in some way...or maybe the opposite."
"What do you mean?"
"The True Mibu were gods in almost every sense of the word, and the ancestors of the current Mibu likewise believed themselves to be gods for a long time. Perhaps our fixation on being the ones to deal with Jester was an extension of that attitude. It was not a task to be left to 'mere mortals', although, in retrospect, that attitude was one of arrogance."
"I don't really think so," said Amber. "Why would you say that."
"Because it reflected the belief that it was a task only we could undertake," said Kyo. "But, in the end, what was truly required was not the observance of some duty we designated to ourselves, but the ability to place our trust in another person entirely. In the end, defeating and finally killing Kyojiro did not require some advanced technique beyond everything we were capable of, but instead required something has been infinitely more difficult to us, including me."
"What was that?" asked Amber.
"A willingness to entrust it to another," said Kyo. "Because of that, you could say that the true winner was Jester."
"Him...but why?" Amber blinked furiously at the idea.
Kyo sighed. "However depraved he was, the truth is that all Kyojiro truly wanted was to die. He wanted to finally pass from this world. All the countless generations of the Mibu who came and went failed to meet that desire. So he also placed his trust in Ruby-chan...and was rewarded for it."
"I'm not sure I like the sound of that," said Amber.
"Sometimes the truth is an unpleasant thing to stomach," said Kyo sadly. "Whatever the case, even if it meant granting Jester what he desired, the ultimate truth is that Ruby-chan succeeded, and the world is a much better place for it."
Amber nodded, resting her face against his chest again. "Now what?" she asked.
Kyo simply hugged her. "For now...I could use a little more rest. What say you to that?"
"I like the sound of that just fine," said Amber, nuzzling up against him, the two of them drifting off once more.
Yes, a little more rest would be good, were Kyo's tired thoughts. One thing for certain is that, when we finally get back up, we will emerge into a changed world. Even if it has been changed for the better, it is still a new paradigm that will take some getting used to.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein