A.N: So yeah, I may have went crazy with War of Discoveries Prologue chapters. I got like three of these done. And you know what, I'm actually very proud of how they turned out. This time things are going to be a bit different folks. Because these worlds are brand new, they can't just be gathered instantly. No, this time, we'll be traveling to them one by one to recruit allies. I hope you enjoy the next three chapters because I certainly did.
Chapter 2: Argus Limited
"It's been two weeks since the attack on Haven. The official report states that the plot to destroy Mistral's CCT Tower was thwarted by Ghira Belladonna and the Faunus militia group from Menagerie. A Huntsman and some students coincidentally visiting the headmaster were also able to lend some assistance. Unfortunately, Leonardo Lionheart lost his life while trying to defend his school. And those responsible for organizing the attack managed to escape. As I'm sure you can guess, there's a lot more to this report than I'm willing to say in this letter. But for now, what I'm trying to say is that we're on our way to Atlas, James. There's a good chance we'll get there before this letter does, but in case we don't, I need you to know that we're bringing a lot more than bad news with us. See you soon, Qrow."
Qrow Branwen heaved a sigh as he placed the letter he had just written in the mailbox. Truth be told, he hoped General James Ironwood got the letter first. He hated having to explain things twice. He hated having to explain such heavy stuff at all. That was more Ozpin's speed. Of course, now Ozpin's status was...complicated to say the least. Consequently, if Ironwood got a letter from Ozpin, the paranoid tin man would probably think it was some sort of trick from their enemy. Well, when they got to Atlas, everything would be revealed, that much was certain. And taking the Argus Limited, a very popular train, was the first step to managing just that.
Two weeks. It really had been two weeks since that battle at Haven. The Queen's flunkies had managed to escape. Raven, Qrow's twin sister, had fled as well. Thankfully, the pawn who had perpetrated the Queen's last big attack, Cinder Fall, had been taken out. Unfortunately, Leonardo Lionheart was not exactly the martyr Qrow was claiming in the letter.
No, old Leo had betrayed them for the Queen. The poor bastard had been scared for his life, and it made him a viable target to serve as her spy against Ozpin and his faction. In the end, it appeared the Queen had him eliminated when it became clear that Leo had outlived his usefulness. In a way, Qrow felt bad for the guy. It did not excuse the things he did, but he knew that poor Leo had been placed in an unwinnable situation because of his own fears. He knew it. Oz knew it. The Queen knew it too, that was how she was able to get to him.
Before Qrow could think back on the events from two weeks ago any further, a red and black bundle of joy bumped into him, running past him. Qrow gave a confused look at his niece. "Hey, what's with the running?" He asked.
"And what's with the standing?" Ruby Rose demanded giddily. "It's almost time!"
Ruby looked over her shoulder and saw all the people in the lobby. Giddy with excitement, Ruby suddenly transformed into rose petals and started speeding past people in the lobby. Her target: a gift for her beloved big sister from the station's gift shop.
Ruby reached her destination, bought the gift, placed it in a bag (take that, Yang, you will have to wait and see what it is!) and began speeding back to her friends, teammates and family. However, before she could get far, Ruby's progress was impeded by a large mass that she actually bumped into.
It had been a long time since Ruby had made such a mistake. She knew her Semblance could really hurt people if she was not careful, bumping into them like a speeding car (thankfully with the mass of a human being, mitigating the injuries). Unfortunately, in her excitement, well…
She was knocked back. Instead of barreling over whoever it was she bumped into, Ruby was actually stopped dead in her tracks and knocked onto her rear. "Oww…" the adorable reaper moaned in pain.
Qrow, having witnessed all this, heaved an irritated sigh and face-palmed at his niece's recklessness. Good, freaking, Lord, she could be a handful sometimes. But, she was his handful. Well, time to do damage control. And judging by who she had bumped into-a much, much older gentleman-there would need to be a lot of it.
Ruby was cut out of her dizziness from the impact by a concerned, older voice. "Are you alright, Child? That was quite the crash."
Ruby looked up and saw that she had bumped into someone old enough to be someone's grandfather. Maybe even a great grandfather for that matter. Immediately, the girl panicked, realizing how badly she had messed up. "Ohmygosh I'm so sorry!" Ruby frantically yelled. "I swear, I don't usually bump into people like that! I'm usually more careful! I was just so excited and-"
Grandmaster Sojiro, former instructor of the Menou Army and now Traveler, smiled and cut the girl off. "Child, it's fine." He assured her before gesturing to his surprisingly well-built frame, considering what appeared to be his age. "Take a look. As you can see, I am in no ways injured. In fact, I think you got the worst of it."
Sojiro offered a hand to Ruby. "If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you."
Qrow caught up to Ruby. "You two alright?" He asked before addressing the old man. "Sorry about my niece, she can be a bit hyperactive."
"Oh it's fine." Sojiro assured Qrow. "I probably could've gotten out of the way myself. I suppose I was simply too mesmerized by that amazing power of hers."
Sojiro turned his attention to Ruby. "You must be quite the skilled fighter to wield such an ability, Child." He complimented.
Ruby blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, it's just super speed. Nothing special. You should see my sister's Semblance, it's way cooler."
Sojiro chuckled. "Coolness should never be a factor in determining a power's worth. It's all about how you use it." He sagely advised Ruby, unable to resist playing the role of teacher once again.
Sojiro then helped Ruby to her feet. "Besides, powers or no powers, yours is a face I could never be angry at." He admitted. "Looking at you reminds me of my own daughter when she was about your age. She was an adorable girl, much like you."
"Oh, umm, thanks." Ruby rubbed her head sheepishly. "So, why are you here on the Argus Limited?"
"I'm with some friends of mine." Sojiro replied. "We're...traveling."
Before Ruby could delve further into Sojiro's travel plans, she suddenly got a text on her scroll. She read it and gasped. "Oh my gosh! Yang and the others! Come on Uncle Qrow, we've gotta move!" Ruby frantically yelled before addressing Sojiro one last time. "It was nice meeting you, Mister! Maybe we'll see each other again on the train!"
With that, Ruby sped off into rose petals again. Qrow sighed again and gave Sojiro a knowing look before going after her. Sojiro chuckled once more. "I'm sure we will." He mused.
Sojiro's face then contorted into a look of concern. "So young...and yet already has developed her powers to an impressive level. Don't tell me this world actively allows and encourages children to fight?"
"Grandmaster?" Sojiro was cut out of his inner conflict by a familiar voice.
The elder turned to see that his three compatriots had arrived. They were holding what appeared to be four printed train tickets. "Shuya, Shogo, Noriko." Sojiro greeted his comrades with a smile. "I take it you were all successful."
Shuya nodded. "My telepathy served us well. It gave the people at the counter a sort of...hypnotic suggestion to show sympathy for our 'plight' and give us free tickets"
"And my performance as the tragic maiden who just wants to reach Atlas to see her dying father, but forgot her wallet in a hurry certainly helped." Noriko grinned before adding. "By the way, if anyone asks, Sir, you are my uncle. You are accompanying me."
"YES!" Shogo grandly declared. "In the name of love and justice we...scammed the working class into giving us free train tickets…"
Shogo's face fell. "Grandmaster, are we sure we're the good guys here?" He asked.
"Shogo, we don't exactly have what they call 'lien' in this world." Sojiro pointed out. "I'm afraid we had no choice."
"We've got no reason to feel bad, it's not like we expected to take a little excursion into this world." Noriko pointed out. "Unfortunately, the situation has changed...for the worst."
The younger Travelers working with Sojiro grimaced. On their way to this place called Remnant, a world divided into four kingdoms known as Vale, Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo, Sojiro explained everything, including who their enemy was. And it had them all rightfully worried.
"None of you have any reason to worry just yet." Sojiro assured them. "Based on what we've seen thus far, we can assume that the Cult has not made any move to commit genocide on this world just yet. I don't know why they haven't made their move, considering the head start they have on us, but let's relax for the time being. Use this opportunity to explain our situation to the leaders of these four kingdoms."
"Do you honestly think anyone's going to believe us, Sir?" Noriko asked in concern.
Sojiro sighed. "I honestly wouldn't if I were in their shoes." He admitted. "But they have to. If and when the Cult decide to begin their crusade, they'll be caught off guard. Not only that, but there are the other worlds we need to consider. There are three others that are very close by. If they destroyed that world we had just visited, there's no doubt in my mind they'll be making their move in those worlds as well."
"Shouldn't we split up then?" Noriko inquired in concern.
"No, this world is the closest right now. And if there's a lack of activity in this one, then I think it's safe to assume there will be a lack of activity in the other worlds." Sojiro sighed. "Besides, only myself and Shogo are capable of putting up a fight if we run into any Cultists. Noriko and Shuya are support. We can't spread ourselves too thin. That would put us in unnecessary danger."
Noriko and Shuya both grimaced at that statement, knowing Sojiro was right. Sojiro noticed how down they seemed and smiled. "You have no reason to be ashamed." He assured them. "We had no way of knowing we'd run into an enemy like this."
"We should move with the speed of gods then, Grandmaster." Shogo pointed out. "I'm sure we could get to Atlas faster than any train could take us."
"No," Sojiro shook his head, "we do anything like that, we risk outing ourselves as Watchers, and that will draw out the Cultists even faster. And a conflict with them will only invite negative emotions. And it appears...negative emotions draw these creatures known as Grimm."
"That reminds me, Shuya." Sojiro turned to his assistant. "Have you been gathering information about this world like I asked you?"
"Of course, Sir." Shuya nodded before pointing to his noggin. "I've compiled plenty of information that resides in here. It is ready for an Info Import whenever you all are."
"I always have a headache after those." Noriko groaned, already mentally reminding herself to take something to relieve herself of such.
"It can't be helped. We'd waste too much time if I explained it all vocally." Shuya admitted.
"Argus Limited will be departing in 30 minutes! All passengers are advised to board as soon as possible." Came a sudden announcement.
"A 30 minute warning? That's a new one." Noriko was surprised. "They definitely don't want people missing the train."
"Is this what normal people do?" Shuya wondered. "I guess we still do take our powers for granted."
"Enough of that," Sojiro said, "come, we must board the train."
While the four Travelers made their way to Argus Limited, much, much elsewhere, certain individuals were operating with much more sinister intentions in mind.
It was a dark land, where night seemed endless. Horrifyingly twisted rock formations sprouted from the ground, like a Lovecraftian nightmare. Dark pools were scattered across the land, where the creatures of darkness themselves, the Grimm, sprouted up. Inside a dark, dreary castle, a deathly pale woman with pure red eyes dressed entirely in black sat calmly at the head of the table. She was still processing the events from a day ago.
The day a man calling himself the Cardinal of Despair, came marching into her domain with the greatest of ease, and offered an alliance, citing a mutual interest in death, despair and destruction.
The woman admittedly was intrigued by the Cardinal, and his associates. So, after listening to his offer, and the truth of the universe, she accepted the alliance. The Cardinal then left with two final statements. The first was that his comrades were gathering more allies for this great undertaking.
The second was that they were going to bring the Relic of Knowledge-currently in possession of those brats who ruined her plans at Haven Academy-to her as a gift, in honor of their new alliance. Salem, the master of all Grimm, and the secret, mortal enemy of humanity, chuckled at this new turn of events. It actually put her in a better mood when she had been in such a poor one due to the Haven Debacle.
Salem suddenly heard a knock on the door. "Enter," she said with authority.
A dapper, mustachioed individual, entered the meeting room. Arthur Watts, one of her four most trusted associates, still looked a bit nervous, knowing that his master had been in a very foul mood because of what had happened before.
"Good day, Arthur." Salem pleasantly greeted the disgraced Atlesian scientist.
Watts cleared his throat. "Umm, good day, Your Grace." He said, doing his best to hide how nervous and concerned he was.
Salem smirked. She knew Watts was nervous, and she loved having that effect on him. Even in failure, she would exert her control over her subordinates. That went without saying. "Arthur," she said in an almost teasing tone, "you're so tense. Be joyful. This is a happy occasion."
"If I may be frank, Madame, that did not seem the case awhile ago. As soon as you realized what had happened at Haven, well...I'm pretty sure the crater outside the castle speaks for itself." Watts pointed out.
Salem chuckled darkly. "I suppose I did vent...quite a bit." She mused. "But true failure requires an appropriate reaction. Bottling up emotions is...dangerous, Arthur."
So is letting them out the way you do. Watts thought to himself, though he dared not voice such a thing. Salem did not appreciate snark from any of her subordinates.
"Anyway," Watts coughed, recomposing himself, "I came to let you know that I just received word from Hazel and the others. They should be returning a few hours from now."
"Good, we have much to discuss." Salem responded simply.
Watts then decided to address another matter that he felt was important. "Also, have we received any word from that...Cardinal?"
"Our new ally? Nothing yet." Salem brushed the matter off. "He did say he'd contact us after he or his subordinates have located the Relic of Knowledge."
"He hasn't kept in touch?" Watts frowned. "Not much of an alliance so far, isn't it?"
"Arthur," Salem lightly chided her resident scientist, "you are still far too wound up. An alliance means equals. Are we an alliance, Arthur? Are Hazel and I an alliance? Or what about myself and Tyrian?"
"No, Your Grace," Watts shook his head, "we are humble servants and you, our master."
"Still, if you would allow me to be honest with you once more, I am quite concerned with this new arrangement. You have given him the same privileges with the Grimm as you do with us, and you have only met the man. It is not like you to do such things without someone doing something for you, first. It is certainly not like you to agree to an alliance so freely."
"Your concern is duly noted, Arthur, but I fear you may have missed a few crucial factors in why I accepted this new alliance." Salem continued.
"I'm...afraid I have, Ma'am." Watts admitted.
"The Cardinal came to me of his own free will. He marched right into my domain with no fear whatsoever, simply respect and a desire to bring our forces together for a great undertaking." Salem reminded Watts before adopting a completely serious expression on her face. "A man who knows of me...and yet lacks any sort of fear of me, is someone who needs to be watched closely. Very closely."
Hearing those words made Watts realize that Salem had rushed into nothing, she was simply being smart and keeping the Cardinal close to her. Even Ozpin feared Salem. Watts reminded himself. For that Cardinal not to fear her...just what kind of monster is he?
"My apologies, Madame." Watts apologized genuinely. "It appears I underestimated you once again."
Salem brushed the matter off. "The point is, we have a unique opportunity to learn more about our universe...and gain allies for a far greater undertaking. With the Cult and whomever they are recruiting on our side, I don't think we'll have to operate in the shadows anymore."
"But Madame, operating in the shadows has been your modus operandi!" Watts pointed out.
"And those can be subject to change." Salem pointed out. "Especially when they are no longer necessary. I have hidden myself from the world because I know of humanity's ability to unite. And the last thing I needed, is for the world to unite against me. But uniting against an army that surpasses even the Grimm...they'll find there's no hope there."
Watts chuckled. "Now that, we can both agree on." He mused.
"Next order of business, have you managed to locate young Adam?" Salem asked.
Watts frowned. "Do you disagree with my intentions for him, Arthur?" Salem inquired curiously.
"I defer to your judgement as always, Your Grace." Watts assured her. "But Adam Taurus failed miserably. The White Fang is no more. He's just a beast with a dangerous amount of rage."
"Rage that can be useful if pointed in the right direction." Salem reminded Watts.
Watts fell silent at that statement. "Continue searching for Adam. I want him brought me when he is found."
"And what if he's not cooperative?" Watts inquired.
Salem frowned. "Then whoever is assigned to retrieve him, will make him cooperate." She said simply, but coldly.
Watts bowed in respect. "It shall be done, Your Grace." He promised.
"That will be all, Watts. If you have nothing left to discuss with me, you are excused." Salem told the not-so-good doctor.
"Thank you, Your Grace." Watts bowed once more and exited the room.
Salem chuckled, darkly amused at the turn this long war between her and Ozpin and his previous incarnations had taken. "It's a shame you picked now of all times to die and be left in the cycle of reincarnation, dear Ozpin. Those poor children you misled...they are going to be even more lost without you there to foolishly guide them."
Thankfully, what Salem did not know yet, was that Ozpin had indeed already reincarnated...into the body of young farmhand by the name of Oscar Pine, who was currently walking around the train known as Argus Limited with a look of wonder on his face. "Really, Oscar, is being on a train that amazing? You did take one to Haven Academy, did you not?" Came the voice of Professor Ozpin.
"Well, yeah, but this train is the Argus Limited. I read about it you know. It's real prestigious! And it definitely lives up to the hype." Oscar replied to the resident that lived inside his head.
"That it does, my young friend!" Came a voice that startled Oscar.
Oscar calmed down to see the energetic smile of one Shogo. "Umm...hi?" He greeted the stranger.
Ozpin, however, was immediately on guard. "And just who in the world is this?" He wondered. "Oscar, be on your guard, I'm sensing something from him that's...different."
Oscar could not openly acknowledge Ozpin, but continued to stare Shogo up and down. He seems harmless. Oscar noted.
"So did Cinder and her two apprentices." Ozpin bitterly reminded Oscar.
"Greetings, young traveler!" Shogo dramatically greeted him. "Are you here to partake in the pleasures of the eden known as Argus?"
What?! Oscar honestly did not know how to deal with this guy. Who even talked like that?
"Okay, never mind, he is harmless." Ozpin sighed. "He's just...kooky. Still, my senses don't lie, and yours won't either when you develop them. Stay on your guard regardless."
"Umm...sure," Oscar replied, "I have heard Argus is a pretty fun place to be. But I can't stay there too long. I have a prior engagement at Atlas Academy."
"Careful, Oscar, you don't want to give away the reason for our destination." Ozpin warned him. "We don't know if he's one of Salem's agents."
"Alas!" Shogo was beginning to attract a crowd of people who peered out from their cabins to see the crazy man act as though he were rehearsing some one man show. "Such are the whims of cruel, cruel fate! Instead of basking in the pleasurable fun of a place like Argus, a young child such as yourself must go to Atlas Academy? Oh the humanity! People your age should only be having FUN!"
Before Shogo could continue his insane act, Noriko appeared behind him and chopped him in the back of the neck knocking him out and calming him down. ONE BLOW?! Oscar was stunned.
Noriko gave Oscar a kind smile as she easily supported Shogo's entire body. "I'm sorry about him, Kiddo, he's always like that." Noriko said, before turning away.
"Always?" Oscar asked in disbelief.
Noriko laughed. "Yeah, the guy fancies himself as some sort of future hero of legend. Well, he's already a legend in his own mind at least." She joked before leaving Oscar with Shogo in tow.
"What an odd bunch." Oscar mused to himself.
He then heard the sound of Ozpin humming thoughtfully. What is it, Professor? Oscar asked curiously.
"Find Qrow, tell him about those two individuals you saw. I sensed something very similar from that woman."
To the weird theatrical guy? Oscar asked curiously.
"Yes, I don't know if they are enemies or not, but we better be safe than sorry. And what worries me the most is that they each carry a sort of aura about them that seems...different from anything else I've ever seen."
Different as in strong? Oscar asked worriedly.
"No...just different...and with the situation we are in, that itself is still concerning." Ozpin reminded Oscar. "Now go, find Qrow. He needs to know of those two as well."
Right, Oscar responded simply.
Then, before Oscar could go anywhere and inform Qrow of what Ozpin considered to be disturbing news, the train suddenly lurched to the sides a bit, as though there were a commotion outside. "What was that?" Oscar wondered out loud.
"Oscar...I think we both know what that was." Ozpin grimly told him.
Meanwhile, in a completely different cabin. Sojiro shot up from his seat. "What in the world was that?" Shuya demanded, nearly curling into a ball with fright.
"It appears the train is under attack." Sojiro narrowed his eyes, hearing commotion outside.
"Is it...the Cult?" Shuya wondered.
Noriko arrived with Shogo. "Grandmaster, I think…"
"We're under attack, I know." Sojiro said, completely serious now. "Wake up Shogo, depending on who's attacking I may need his help."
"R-right," Noriko layed Shogo down, "damn it, of all the times to be attacked, it's the time I knock him out so he doesn't scare the other passengers."
"Good day," all four Travelers suddenly had their attention drawn to an incredibly pleasant sounding voice.
All four turned to the source of the voice, only to see nothing but absolute darkness surrounding them. Back in the cabin, all four Travelers had suddenly vanished. A short, young-looking individual wearing a pitch black cloak, and black hair covering his red eyes, chuckled and entered the cabin before shutting it.
In that single act, he made it seem like he was the only resident of the cabin. And he simply refused to leave his cabin due to fright from the commotion outside.
Meanwhile, Ruby and her team, Team RWBY, followed Qrow in a rush, grabbing their weapons and climbing up the ladder of the Argus Limited. The Grimm were attacking the train, and they could not let anyone get hurt or worse. That was their duty as Huntsmen, after all. Qrow managed to get onto the roof of the train before it came to a sudden stop, making him stumble about. Team RWBY let out screams of surprise at the violent jerk.
Elsewhere on the roof, the two guards of the Argus Limited, two bumbling Huntsmen by the name of Dee and Dudley, unceremoniously fell to the ground from the sudden stop. "What was that?" Demanded Yang Xiao Long, the blonde brawler of Team RWBY and Ruby's older sister.
"The train...stopped?" Weiss Schnee, the snowy haired ex-heiress of the wealthy Schnee family, was stunned, realizing that it had indeed come to a stop.
"Why would the conductor stop the train? That's the last thing he should be doing right now." Blake Belladonna pointed out.
"It was too sudden." Qrow suddenly pointed out as the rest of Team RWBY climbed to the roof. "Even if the emergency brakes were hit, the train would come to a gradual stop."
"What are you saying, Uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked worriedly as she readied her personal weapon, the scythe and sniper rifle known as Crescent Rose.
"I'm saying there's someone else here, someone who can manipulate magnetic fields like your friend Pyrrha could." Qrow revealed. "Everyone stay sharp, focus on the Grimm first and foremost. Ruby, keep the relic safe."
"You got it." Ruby nodded.
Indeed, the conductor did not hit the brakes. In fact, he was desperately trying to get the train moving again. "Why isn't this working?" He frantically wondered. "We have to get out of here!"
Then, the conductor's attention was then drawn to an individual landing in front of the train. An individual cloaked entirely in black. "Who the hell is that?" He muttered.
The individual then revealed his face, a grinning maniac with spiky white hair and grey eyes. He held his hand into the air. "Freezing Transmutation," he chanted to himself, "Devil Spear."
"What the hell? Is that Dust?" The conductor was now frightened of this new individual.
He tried to unbuckle his seat and get away from the attacker. However, the ice-user was quick. He tossed his Devil Spear straight through the train's windshield, impaling the conductor through his chest and to his seat, killing him instantly.
The ice-user giggled at the carnage. "Freeze...right...there." He said with a serene tone that was betrayed by his visibly unstable image.
Meanwhile, Dee and Dudley screamed in fright as the Manticore and Sphinx Grimm-Grimm that looked like the mythical creatures, the manticores and the sphinxes-drew near.
Then, before any Grimm could get them as a snack, the beasts were suddenly cut off by multiple blades of wind that tore through the Grimm, carving them up like Thanksgiving turkeys. The Manticores and Sphinxes let out cries of pain as they all dissolved into black miasma.
"The hell was that?" Dee demanded.
"B-backup?" Dudley weakly offered.
Qrow and Team RWBY were also stunned at the sight. What kind of monster had the power to wipe out that many Grimm in one shot? The other three young Huntsmen traveling with Team RWBY and Qrow, three former members of the now-defunct Team JNPR, stared in absolute disbelief over what they had just witnessed.
Then, a black-cloaked man with back-length sandy blonde hair and green eyes floated in front of Dee and Dudley. He had his hand held out, revealing that it was him who had fired off that powerful attack.
He gazed at Dee and Dudley with a visibly bored expression on his face. "Two plain looking Huntsmen that offer no real value." The Floating Man mused. "Just two...frankly useless guards."
The Floating Man then looked out and noticed Team RWBY, the three ex-Team JNPR members, and Qrow. "Hmm...a much stronger Huntsman, and seven brave, naive children, fighting against the winds of…" he trailed off before continuing. "...I almost said 'change', but 'destruction' is far more accurate."
"But the real prize," the Floating Man continued, using his impressive vision to take notice of the lamp strapped to Ruby's hip, "is that Relic. It appears fate has smiled upon us today…"
More individuals in black cloaks leapt from the side of the mountain, landing on the roof of the train with ease, much to Dee and Dudley's fright. "...My friends." The Floating Man finished, looking over his shoulder at his fellow Cultists.
"Deacon Fuma," the 'Deacon' of this group of Cultists, turned his attention to one of the members of his Squad, an imposing, tall man with a broad chest, brown hair and blue eyes, "was it wise to kill the Grimm? They are valuable soldiers."
"Valuable soldiers that are unlimited in number, Gendo." Fuma corrected his subordinate. "What's the harm in killing a few after they've outlived their usefulness?"
"After all, they did their job. They brought us to the relic. They were attracted to it, just like the Lady Salem explained to us. And now that we've found it, we get to take all the credit for retrieving it." Fuma explained.
With this, perhaps I'll receive a well-deserved promotion? Maybe to one of the Bishop Triads? No, they already have three members in each Triad. Perhaps I can be a Bishop anyway? Fuma wondered, excited for his future.
"Who the hell are you guys?" Dee suddenly demanded with fright. "And what are you even talking about?"
Fuma turned his attention back to Dee and Dudley. "Oh, I actually forgot about you pests. Perhaps it's time to scatter your lives into the wind." He offered.
Fuma then addressed another of his subordinates, who's features were completely concealed by his long, heavy black cloak. "Kamakiri, take care of them." He ordered.
"My pleasure, Deacon." Kamakiri chuckled.
"Oh crap, Dudley, be ready!" Dee yelled to his partner.
"R-right," Dudley was frightened, but he would fight with Dee regardless.
Then, as soon as both men blinked, Kamakiri was gone. They were briefly confused by his sudden disappearance, before they heard the sound of a familiar young girl calling out to them. "Watch out!" Screamed Ruby, who was frantically trying to run towards them with her Semblance.
"Ruby!" Weiss, Blake and Yang called out to their leader in worry, running after her with Qrow.
Both men looked around to see that Kamakiri had somehow gotten in between the both of them. "Bye bye," He said simply as multiple blades suddenly sprouted from his body, ripping through the cloak.
Dee and Dudley could only let out brief yells before they were both impaled fatally in multiple places by Kamakiri's blades. All they could do was gasp and gurgle as they took their final breaths.
Ruby sped to a stop to stare at the carnage in disbelief. "Ruby," Qrow caught up to her first, "you can't go rushing in like that!"
"But Uncle Qrow-" Ruby was cut off by Qrow placing a hand on her shoulder.
Her uncle looked at her with sympathy, understanding her sadness at the situation they were in. "I know, Kid." He said softly.
The other members of Team RWBY caught up to them. "He moved so fast." Blake was in disbelief at Kamakiri's speed. "Was that a speed-based Semblance like Ruby's?"
"No," Qrow narrowed his eyes, "you saw him make those blades. The guy's just in really good shape."
"But, are they Salem's goons?" Yang wondered.
"Don't know, don't care, the important thing is that they are not friendly." Qrow pointed out as Kamakiri retracted his blades, grabbed the corpses of both Dee and Dudley, and then nonchalantly tossed them off the train and into the snowy forest.
Ruby narrowed her eyes at the cultists. Qrow was right, whether these guys were with Salem or not, it did not matter. What mattered was stopping them before they could continue killing people. Which was why her next order as leader here was quite simple.
"What's the plan, Ruby?" Weiss asked.
"Don't let anyone else die." Ruby responded simply.
Qrow quickly counted off their foes in front of them. "Looks like we've got about nine of them, ten if whoever's holding the train is elsewhere. Once Oscar and the others catch up, we'll at least have things nice and even."
"All of you stay on guard though, you got that? I am not explaining to any of your loved ones why and how you got your asses killed." Qrow continued.
"Worry about yourself, Old Man." Yang taunted with a grin, readying her shotgun gauntlets, Ember Celica. "We'll be just fine."
Kamakiri rejoined his fellow squadmates. "Deacon Fuma." He said to his leader. "It appears they want to...deliver the relic to us."
"And by deliver, you mean fight a useless battle." Fuma, rolled his eyes. "Alright then, let's get this over with."
Fuma then turned his attention to a very fat, cloaked woman with her long blonde hair in pigtails. She looked like the fat lady who would sing at the end of the opera. "Koko," he addressed the woman, "why don't you sing them...a song of battle?"
Koko gave a big smile at that, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's, giving her a humorous but menacing look. She stepped forward and took a deep breath. Then, she let out an operatic yell that was loud and menacing, like giant bells, tolling and signalling the deaths of others.
Team RWBY and Qrow froze in place, stunned by the sound. "What is that?" Weiss frantically wondered. "Her Semblance?"
Blake was already on her knees, clutching her head in pain. The poor girl's sensitive cat ears were taking a beating from the yell. Even the remaining three members of Team JNPR and Oscar were stunned by Koko's technique: Phantom Noise, an operatic yell from hell that stuns its victims with its horrible sound. Thankfully for the Cult, it seems to be able to judge between friend and foe.
Fuma smiled, satisfied with his plan thus far. He then turned his attention to a fellow Cultist who's shiny brown hair looked like it had been in a wind tunnel. "Hayate," he said, "kill the little one and take the relic."
"Yes, Sir." Hayate nodded, drawing a large dagger. He then crouched into what appeared to be a sprinter's stance.
Ruby managed to look and see Hayate vanish into a slipstream. However, fast as he was, Ruby was able to follow his movements...because his power was practically the same as her's. Qrow gritted his teeth, but managed to follow Hayate's as well. Damn it! He cursed in frustration, still unable to move thanks to Koko's Phantom Noise.
Then, much to Qrow's surprise, along with Hayate's, Ruby actually blocked Hayate's dagger with Crescent Rose. The girl fought through Koko's Phantom Noise with sheer willpower.
"I won't let you," Ruby gritted her teeth.
Hayate smirked, genuinely impressed with Ruby's strength of will. "Well now, the little half-pint has got quite a bit of fight in her." He noted. "And, you were able to follow me while I was using my Quickstep, too. Not bad."
"I won't let you," Ruby repeated, "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"
Hayate then heard the sound of what seemed to be a shotgun being cocked. He quickly vanished with Quickstep, avoiding a shotgun blast from Qrow. At that moment, the veteran Huntsmen had managed to work himself out of the stupor Koko's Phantom Noise had placed him in.
And it was because he knew he had to protect his niece...
At that moment, Koko ran out of breath and her Phantom Noise came to an end. "I'm sorry, Deacon." She apologized to Fuma, clearly out of breath.
Fuma brushed the matter off. "It's fine, Koko, you did your best. Take some time to recharge your Phantom Noise."
Koko nodded and stepped behind the rest of her squad. Meanwhile, Hayate sped towards Ruby once more, his target no longer just the relic. He wanted to see just how strong the little girl really was. "I'm coming for you!" He yelled at the girl.
Ruby quickly blocked Hayate's second strike. "Hang on, Ruby!" Yang yelled, going to help her sister.
"Don't take your eyes off us, you brats!" Yang, Weiss and Blake turned to see that five of the nine seen individuals were coming towards them.
"Hold them off!" Qrow yelled. "I'm going after the leader and the singing fat lady!"
With that, Qrow transformed into an actual crow and flew past the five attackers. "You heard him, girls, let's go!" Yang declared, leading the charge against the five cultists.
Meanwhile, Jaune Arc, the leader of the former Team JNPR, immediately focused on the safety of his friends. "Nora, Ren, we've gotta help Team RWBY!" He ordered.
Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren both nodded without hesitation. Jaune looked over his shoulder to call to Oscar to come and assist them, only to find himself calling out a warning to the young farm boy instead. "Watch out behind you!" He yelled.
Oscar turned to see that the ice-user who had killed the conductor was now on the roof. "A child," the ice-user grinned, "you poor boy. You're not ready for the hell I'm going to unleash upon you."
"Oscar, let me take over." Ozpin told him.
"No way, I'm going to keep control this time." Oscar insisted.
"Oscar, we don't have time to argue about this. These people are extremely dangerous."
"Do they work for Salem?" Oscar asked.
"In all my years, I've never seen anyone like this. Please, Oscar, let me take over. We can't afford to get bogged down fighting this man, not with the relic at stake."
Oscar gritted his teeth. He hated being useless like this, but he knew that Ozpin was right. "Okay, take him out quick and go help the others." He said before his eyes changed to show a more experienced look, rather than his youthful inexperience.
The ice-user froze in place when he noticed the change in Oscar's demeanor. "Now then," said Professor Ozpin, in full control of Oscar's body, "let's get this over with."
"There's...something different about you." The ice-user noted before smirking. "Interesting."
Meanwhile, Yang, being the firecracker she was, was the first of the rest of the group to reach the five charging foes. Unfortunately, she was met by Kamakiri, who displayed surprising foresight to attack the enemy who fought up close and personal.
"Die!" Kamakiri hissed as blades sprouted out of his body once more.
At that moment, Yang's confidence and readiness to fight fight for her friends and family vanished at the sight of the blades coming towards her, ready to impale her. Her mind flashed back to that very night where she lost her arm to the so-called Faunus freedom-fighter and High Leader of the White Fang, Adam Taurus.
Eyes widening, Yang instinctively leapt back from Kamakiri's blades, her body shaking. The poor girl. As hard as she has tried to move forward, Adam's actions still had a huge effect on her psyche. Kamakiri noticed this and chuckled. "Afraid, already? Delicious...so delicious." A long tongue appeared from the hood, licking pale-red lips.
"Yang!" Blake noticed her partner and best friend's distress and almost immediately forgot about her opponent to try and help her.
"Never take your eyes off the enemy, fool!" Blake was interrupted by her opponent. "Lunging Snake!"
Blake gasped as she was suddenly punched in the stomach by an outstretched arm. And by outstretched, we mean extended to ridiculous lengths. "Was that his Semblance?" Blake wondered.
Blake's opponent had a long face that reminded her of a snake, pitch black hair and green eyes. He then revealed his own tongue...which actually was snake-like. Naturally, Blake put two and two together. "A Faunus?" Blake was stunned. "I don't understand, why are you aiding these people? Haven't you realized by now what becomes of our people if we allow hatred to rule us like humans did? Have you not learned from the White Fang's mistakes?"
Blake's opponent just laughed. "A Faunus, me? No, I'm no Faunus. I'm also not human. You know, in a way I feel bad for you. You children have no idea how large the universe truly is."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Blake demanded.
"Try to find the answer yourself, before I turn you from a Faunus to a corpse that is." The snake man replied.
Blake's eyes widened with fright. This guy...she did not know who or what he was, but he was clearly no stranger to fighting, and to murder.
Finally, Weiss found herself staring face to face with a dark-skinned cultist dressed in the usual dark cloak, but had adorned it with what appeared to be ceremonial, ritualistic rings all over his body. Next to him was a fiery redhead who suspiciously reminded Weiss of Yang. The ring-wearer addressed his fiery comrade. "Her appearance is a dead giveaway," he noted, "Hinatsu, you take care of this one. Gendo and I will deal with those three children coming to back them up."
"What do you mean it's a dead giveaway?" Hinatsu asked in confusion before the ring-wearer rocketed past Weiss with a bolt of lightning trailing behind him.
"Hey, don't leave my question unanswered, jerk!" Hinatsu yelled in frustration.
She's distracted! Weiss thought, inwardly surprised at her making such a rookie mistake. I can use this opportunity to strike her down.
Weiss created a few glyphs to increase her speed and then rocketed towards Hinatsu like a speed skater. She held her rapier, Myrtenaster, out in front of her, ready to impale Hinatsu before she even had the chance to fight back.
Merely a foot away from impalement, Hinatsu nonchalantly grabbed Myrtenaster, stopping Weiss dead in her tracks. Weiss's eyes widened in utter disbelief at how easily Hinatsu had managed such a feat.
"That's impossible…" she said breathlessly.
"Perhaps to the fragile." Hinatsu replied before smirking arrogantly. "But not to us."
Meanwhile, Jaune, Ren and Nora were stopped dead in their tracks by the ring-wearer, and the broad-chested man known as Gendo. "You have two options." Gendo told them. "Die here, or die with your friends."
"How about neither?" Jaune drew his sword and shield.
"That is not an option." The ring-wearer said in a matter of fact tone as lightning crackled around his body.
"Executioner's Bolt!" The ring-wearer yelled, firing a powerful bolt of lightning at the three Huntsmen.
"Nora!" Jaune yelled.
"On it!" Nora stood in front of Jaune and Ren, much to the confusion of their two opponents.
Then, Nora took the Executioner's Bolt head-on, roaring with power as her body absorbed the electricity. Gendo's eyes widened in realization. "Oh damn…" he muttered.
Nora let out another roar as she was surrounded by an electric blue aura. "Oh yeah!" She yelled. "Now this is power!"
Ren was gazing at Nora in disbelief. I've never sensed so much energy in Nora at once. He noted. Just how powerful was that bolt of lightning?
Jaune grinned. "Nora, get them." He ordered. "But be careful, we can't destroy any of the cars in the process."
"Music to my ears, Jauney boy!" Nora yelled, raising her hammer, Magnhild.
Nora rocketed towards their foes with increased speed and force, ready to wipe out both men in one hit. "RAH!" Nora yelled, swinging Magnhild and creating an explosion of electric energy that could have very well been a danger to the passenger cars, had Nora not been so careful in her aim. The worst that happened was the cars began to shake from the sheer force of the impact. The passengers all screamed in fear, wondering what was happening outside.
"Did we get them?" Ren wondered.
"We had to have." Jaune muttered.
Then, when the smoke cleared, the two saw, much to their horror, Nora stopped dead in her tracks by Gendo, who had leapt to his ally's defense. Magnhild was being stopped by what appeared to be some sort of spatial portal.
"No way…" Jaune could only say.
Gendo breathed a sigh of relief. "Not bad," he complimented Nora, "had I deployed my Gate a second later, we'd have been in trouble."
"What did you do?" Nora demanded.
"I absorbed all the various energies of that attack into my Gate." Gendo explained. "Kinetic energy, electricity, you name it. I absorbed it and then converted it into power of my own.. And now, you can have it all back."
The portal suddenly shined a bright white light. Nora was then suddenly sent back flying with a scream of shock and pain as Gendo's power returned her attack with just as much force. Jaune and Ren could only watch in horror as their friend went flying past them. "Nora!" Ren yelled in concern, rushing to her aid.
"That was far too close for comfort." Gendo muttered before turning to his ring-wearing comrade. "Sanga, your carelessness almost cost us. Death in the name of our god means nothing if we do not accomplish our missions first."
Sanga nodded in understanding. "I am aware of that. We must stay alive as long as possible to feed him with the deaths misery of these worlds. Only then, can we die. Those of our faith must die happy, knowing they have accomplished much in the name of our god."
Jaune overheard their conversation and was now very confusion. Who in the world are they talking about? They can't be talking about Salem. Jaune noted. That Tyrian referred to Salem as a goddess, and they're talking about a god. Who are these people?
Jaune looked over his shoulder to see that Ren had reached Nora. Even from this distance, he could tell that Nora was badly injured. I've gotta get to Nora and help heal her...but if I turn my back on either of these guys, we'll be in trouble. What do I do?
"You seem troubled, boy." Gendo mused, drawing Jaune's attention.
"You are stressed by the horrors around you." Sanga noted. "Worry not...we will free you from the burden of life."
Meanwhile, Ozpin-in Oscar's body-clashed with the ice-user. Much to the frustration of the headmaster of Beacon Academy, every time he swung his cane, the ice-user had the foresight to freeze the water molecules between them and create barriers of ice that blocked his attacks.
What's wrong? Oscar asked Ozpin. Is he really that strong?
"It's not that he's too strong for me...I'm still exhausted from that fight in Haven." Ozpin admitted. "If I were at full strength, he wouldn't stand a chance."
The ice-user giggled at Ozpin's seemingly futile attempts at attacking him. "The Cardinal wants to destroy all hope." He noted. "I feel the same way. I can't wait to see the look of despair that will be frozen on your face. That very moment when you realize there's no hope in winning...oh it's going to be exquisite."
"With all due respect, I have not given up yet." Ozpin calmly told the ice-user. "So I suggest you not declare victory right this minute."
"And furthermore, just who is this Cardinal that you speak so reverently of?" Ozpin continued. "By your actions today, I believe it's fair to say he's an enemy of Remnant?"
The ice-user chuckled gleefully. "Not just Remnant," he taunted, "not just Remnant. The whole universe is our enemy."
He's insane. Oscar noted in a matter-of-fact tone.
"He's quite sane...as sane as men like him come, anyway." Ozpin shook his head. "He is absolutely convinced their entire enemy is the universe. I don't know how he came to believe such a thing, but a danger like him cannot be allowed to walk freely."
"Now then, let me savor your hopelessness." The ice-user said with a mad grin, holding his hand out in front of him. "Freezing Transmutation: Devil Star!"
Oscar and Ozpin both watched as a large windmill shuriken made of ice appeared in the ice-user's hand. "Oscar, I apologize ahead of time if I have to push your body to its limits to beat this man." Ozpin told him.
No problem...I don't exactly want to die you know. Oscar pointed out.
Meanwhile, Qrow exited his avian form to launch an attack on Deacon Fuma, Koko, and the last of the nine cultists, a behemoth of a being in a black suit of armor. Right now though, Qrow's attention was only focused on Fuma. "The final boss!" Qrow declared, swinging his scythe at Fuma.
"Air Press!" Fuma swiped his arm to the side.
Qrow was suddenly pushed away by what felt like a large punch to the side. Did he just manipulate the air? Qrow could not believe it. Manipulating nature itself like that was usually something reserved for the Maidens. Who was this guy?
He could not let up though. This guy was their leader, and that fat singer was the reason they almost got killed in the first place. He had to take them both out, quick. Qrow quickly fired multiple shotgun shells at Fuma, only for him to erect a barrier of air that stopped the bullets in their tracks.
"Such unique weapons." Fuma mused. "Out of all the worlds we've travelled too...and subsequently turned into baron wastelands, you most certainly have the most interesting weapons."
Qrow glared at Fuma and charged towards him. I'll just cut right through those barriers of his!
"However, you are still only human." Fuma added, waving his arm out in front of him.
Qrow was suddenly stopped right in front of Fuma. Multiple lacerations appeared around his body as air blades tore right through his Aura. "And that means...you fall apart the same as all the others."
Qrow gasped in pain for a brief moment before regaining his composure and swinging his scythe at Fuma. Fuma's eyes widened. He let his guard down for a brief second and Qrow managed to cut into him now.
Fuma grunted in pain, clutching his fresh new wound. "Deacon!" Koko called out in concern.
Fuma looked at the blood on his hand now. It had been a long time since he had seen his own blood. "He wounded me." He muttered in disbelief.
Qrow chuckled. Sometimes his bad luck was a pain...sometimes it was not. Fuma's attack had missed all of Qrow's nerves and muscles, which meant he could still move in spite of the pain he was in.
Fuma glared at Qrow in anger. "You shouldn't have done that you bastard." He growled.
"What's wrong, pal, you can dish it out, but you can't take it?" Qrow taunted as his Aura began to work to heal his injuries.
"No, you're just going to suffer even more now." Fuma replied in a matter-of-fact tone.
"No kidding," Koko shook her head, "nice knowing you, birdman."
Qrow was admittedly confused by the tone of voice in Fuma and Koko's voice. Then, he heard and felt what seemed to be heavy breathing on his shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing," Fuma continued, "I'm not the final boss today. He is."
Qrow looked over his shoulder just as he was grabbed and driven into the roof of the passenger car he was on. His attacker? The black knight that had been with Fuma and Koko. When did he get behind me? Qrow wondered. How fast is that thing?
"Unfortunately for you, he tends to react violently whenever he sees one of his own injured in a fight. Consider him our secret weapon for this mission." Fuma revealed. "You, however, can just call him the Black Knight."
Qrow glared defiantly at Fuma, only to be grabbed by the air and slammed face-first into the roof. The Black Knight remained eerily silent as it began to torture the veteran Huntsman.
Ruby noticed her uncle in danger and yelled out for him. "Uncle Qrow!" She almost abandoned her fight to go and help him.
Hayate, however, was having none of that. "I think not!" He appeared in front of Ruby, stabbing at her.
Ruby stepped to the side and used her scythe's blade to block and hold down Hayate's large dagger. She glared at her foe. "Were you after us?" She demanded.
"I think that's obvious." Hayate responded.
"Then how did you find us?" Ruby demanded.
"Oh you poor thing, you have no idea how much danger you're really in." Hayate chuckled. "That relic you're carrying? Well, get this: apparently it attracts the Grimm just as much as negative emotions do. Shocking, right?"
Ruby looked at the relic in shock. No...Ozpin...did he deliberately hide that from her? From all of them? But...he promised he would be more open now. No more half-truths. Hayate grinned at her surprised face. "I know, right? I was surprised to when I first heard of it. But when Deacon Fuma pointed out we could use this to our advantage...well, as they say, the rest is history."
"Anyway, that relic is supposed to be a gift, in honor of my people's new friendship with the Lady Salem. And I don't return to my leaders empty-handed. Apologies, but that relic will be ours before this day is through."
"Take comfort though," Hayate continued, "you won't have any time to stew in your failures, or the hopelessness of your situation. You will be granted the release of death."
Hayate vanished with his Quickstep and reappeared several few feet away from Ruby to plan for his next attack. Ruby, meanwhile, continued trying to speak with him. She needed all the time she could get to make a plan to fight this guy. "If you knew how to find us, then why attack us on the Argus Limited? There was no need to get all these innocent people involved!"
Hayate was admittedly surprised by Ruby's selflessness before grinning. "What a thoughtful young girl you are." He complimented. "Unfortunately for you, we had no way of knowing when the Grimm would find you. And honestly...we plan to kill every single person on this train when we're done with you. So, it really makes no difference."
Ruby's eyes widened. "Another good reason for you not to despair." Hayate taunted. "You'll be joined by plenty of others as you make your way to the afterlife. You won't be lonely."
Ruby shook with anger at that statement. "I don't understand," She muttered before shouting at Hayate, completely forgetting that she was trying to come up with a plan to beat him and his strange power, "what have these people done to you? Why do you want to kill them?"
Hayate sighed. "Honestly? They've done absolutely nothing." He admitted.
"And...you still want to kill them?" Ruby had an incredulous expression on her face.
Hayate nodded. He gave Ruby a smile that was mixed with sheepishness, tiredness, and a distinct lack of care for the situation around them. "Don't get the wrong idea," he said, "it's not like I think any of them deserve to die. I'm sure a good majority of the people on this train are good folks. They're going to die because they have to, and I want to kill them. It's as simple as that."
"Simple?!" Ruby was shouting at Hayate at full-volume now. "How could that be simple? These are people's lives! They're all just trying to live peacefully in this terrifying world, and you're saying they have to die because you want them to? How could that be simple?"
Hayate sighed. "Kids like you just love to make everything so complicated, don't you?" He mused. "The universe we live in is not run by overly complicated concepts of good and evil, that change depending on who's in charge."
"No, it is simply run by those who have the strongest wills and desires." Hayate revealed darkly. "And my people...well, we have desires that you would probably overcomplicate into pure evil, when in reality, it all boils down to something very simple."
"We want to kill people because it brings us closer to our goals. And they have to die for the sake of our ambition." Hayate concluded. "It's that simple."
Ruby glared at Hayate. How long had it been since she truly stared at someone with nothing but pure hatred. Probably when she got mad at Roman Torchwick for his insistence on sticking with Cinder, just because he was convinced she was going to win.
Ruby then regained her composure and simply shook her head. "I really don't understand you people." She admitted. "How you all can do such horrible things without a care. You'll use anyone. Kill anyone. All to achieve whatever goal you have."
"It scares me, really." Ruby admitted before staring right at Hayate with a fire in her silver eyes. "But that fear...that's why I have to fight you. That's why I have to stop you!"
At that moment, Hayate, for the first time in this fight, noticed the color of Ruby's eyes. "Your eyes are...oh, I see, that explains that plucky attitude of yours." He noted with a grin. "Well then, now that I know who you are, I think I'll take you a bit more seriously from here on out...Ruby Rose."
Ruby tensed up at the sound of her name. "You know me?"
"I know enough...to know that you need to die!" And with that, Hayate vanished into a slipstream once more with his Quickstep.
Ruby's eyes widened. Hayate was faster now. Then, before she could react, Hayate was in front of her. He delivered a devastating side-kick to the stomach that sent the girl airborne. Hayate refused to let up though. He leapt into the air, spun and roundhouse kicked Ruby, amplifying her pain.
Ruby's Aura flashed dangerously as it worked overtime to bear the brunt of that powerful assault. Hayate grinned cruelly as he vanished into the slipstream once more. Ruby managed to land on her feet. I need to move fast! It's the only way I can have any hope of keeping up with him! She realized, transforming into rose petals to speed about herself.
The rose petal form of Ruby Rose sped around Argus Limited, trying to outpace Hayate so that she could go on the offensive herself. However, Hayate suddenly appeared above her, kicking her "Speed" form and sending the girl careening back down to the roof.
"Ruby!" Weiss called out in worry for her partner.
"Got you!" Hinatsu yelled, grabbing for Weiss to take advantage of her distracted state.
Weiss quickly created a wall of ice with the ice dust in Myrtenaster, only for Hinatsu to melt the ice with what appeared to be reddened hands. "A heat-based Semblance?" Weiss exclaimed in surprise.
"You idiot," Hinatsu grinned, "these aren't Semblances. They're not weak enough to be Semblances!"
Ruby tried to get up from that devastating kick, only to suddenly be pinned to the floor by Hayate. "I think we can bring this game to an end." He said simply, brandishing his dagger above her.
Oh God, he was playing with me all this time! Ruby realized.
Slowly but surely, the Cultists began to overwhelm the heroes trying to defend Argus Limited. Blake was grabbed by an outstretched arm and driven into the wall. Jaune was being pushed back by Sanga's lightning. Qrow was slowly being broken by the Black Knight while Fuma and Koko watched. Yang was simply on the defensive, trying to avoid Kamakiri's blades. Ozpin's eyes widened when he saw what was happening behind him. "Hold on!" He called out to them, summoning a sudden burst of strength that pushed back the ice-user.
"Don't run from me!" Ozpin's opponent hissed angrily as he pursued the headmaster.
Ozpin ran to help his students, finding himself staring down Sanga and Gendo, who were standing over a kneeling Jaune. "Are you alright, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked.
"Been better." Jaune replied.
"And Ms. Valkyrie?"
Jaune looked over his shoulder to see Ren still tending to her. "Hurt bad."
"Go help her, I'll handle them." Ozpin ordered.
Jaune nodded and ran to help Nora. Ozpin then noticed the ice-user catching up. "Lie Ren, keep your teammates safe from that one!"
Ren nodded and stood up, brandishing his weapons at the ice-user. Ozpin then stared down Sanga and Gendo. "Still uselessly struggling against the tides of fate. How tragic." Sanga lamented.
Ozpin narrowed his eyes. Oscar could not help but let out a little gasp inside of Ozpin's mind while reading his tennent's thoughts. Sir...are you close to giving up?
"I won't deny I'm worried we all may die here, Oscar...but I promise you, I'm going to give it all I've got to the very end." Ozpin promised him.
...We were so close though. Oscar could not help but despair.
Indeed, they were so close. But now, hope seemed so far away…
Elsewhere, on a small cliff, a bored looking cultist with red and blue hair colored like a magnet, sat at the edge, holding his hand out in front of him. This was the cultist who was keeping the train in place with his magnetism-based Art. He was calmly watching the fights on the Argus Limited and shook his head at how futile the enemy's resistance was.
"I almost feel bad." He admitted. "They have no idea what they are up against."
"The Watcher race may have been at peace for centuries...but deep down, our instinct for battle never dulled. Fighting is just...well, in our blood. And we in particular fight to kill, every single time. There's no way in hell a bunch of kids and some scruffy old geezer could beat that."
"Too bad, guess you all just had some really bad luck."
Meanwhile, in what appeared to be a different location. Sojiro looked around to see that his group was surrounded in what appeared to be a pitch black dimension, just like the Void. At that moment, Shogo woke with a start. "I AM THE HERO OF LEGEND!" He randomly declared before looking around and noticing his new surroundings. "Umm...we're not on Argus Limited anymore."
"Yeah, no duh." Noriko rolled her eyes.
"I can't believe we let our guard down like this!" Shuya panicked.
"I can't either," admitted a sadistic, youthful voice, "for fellow Watchers...you're not very bright."
Sojiro narrowed his eyes. "Cultists," he growled, "how in the world did you manage to get on the train without us noticing?"
"Surprised? Consider that a little trick from yours truly." The cultist taunted. "See, my Art is known as: Hidden. I can conceal anything completely, and place their 'presence' in this little pocket dimension of mine. For example, I concealed my Reiki and passed off as a normal civilian. Even you couldn't have figured me out, so don't feel bad."
"And I take it you've 'hidden' us now?" Sojiro frowned.
"Exactly, as far as people are concerned, I'm the only person in the cabin right now." The cultist explained.
"But that's not the case, correct?" Sojiro continued to question the cultist. "Technically, we are still here."
"Where you actually are is neither here nor there, the important thing is, you're not going anywhere now." The cultist explained. "You can all just sit right here while we slaughter every single passenger on this train, and then take the Relic of Knowledge from those brats who ruined the Lady Salem's plans back at Haven."
Shuya and Noriko both looked at each other in confusion. Who was Salem? What was the Relic of Knowledge? And who were these kids the Cult was after?
Sojiro, however, was far calmer. He simply shook his head at the cultist's declarations. "As a former instructor of soldiers, allow me to play the role for you now." He said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" The cultist demanded.
"First rule in combat, never give away too much of your power, to the point where your enemy can easily figure out its weakness." Sojiro said as he began powering up his own Reiki.
"What are you doing?" The cultist's tone of voice changed from cocky to frightened at the drop of a hat.
"You said we were hidden, yes?" Sojiro noted. "Well, I am simply bringing us out of hiding."
Then, with a tremendously powerful burst of Reiki, the darkness surrounding the four Travelers was shattered, revealing their assailant to them. They were now back inside of their cabin The cultist shook in fear, disbelief, and anger. "What did you do?" He demanded. "How did you do it?"
"You said that we were only 'concealed', not transported to a different dimension or anything else along those lines." Sojiro pointed out. "From there, it was quite easy to figure out the truth. Your power is not some sort of spatial manipulation that stores things. It is an illusion. You place people under illusions by concealing parts of reality, like your Reiki, or our very existence."
"But how the hell did you break out of it?" The cultist frantically demanded.
"I've found over the years that illusions are like boxes, which fits because magicians and illusionists love to use boxes for their tricks." Sojiro smiled. "Fill up a box with too much, and it eventually breaks. I simply simulated this concept with my own Reiki. As you can see, the same concept applies."
The cultist sputtered in disbelief. "No way, no way, no way, NO WAY!" He screamed. "How much freaking Reiki could you have to pull something like that off?"
Sojiro laughed heartily. "You have every right to be surprised. I'm just a sick old man after all."
Then, Sojiro's face turned deadly serious as he dropped into a martial arts stance. "That being said, when I'm confronted by monsters like you cultists...I feel several centuries younger and much healthier!" He declared, raising his fist to throw a punch at the cultist.
A few passengers, in spite of their fear, let their curiosity get the better of them as they peered out of their cabins to try and better listen to what sounded like a very serious argument inside of another cabin.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash that sent a large mass flying out of that very cabin and into the one parallel to it, much to the fright of the residents in that cabin. Everyone screamed in fright when they saw a young, unconscious man with his head hanging outside the broken window.
There were no marks on him that indicated a punch. That was because Sojiro never actually punched him. The illusionist had been blasted away by the force of Sojiro's punch. Let that sink in for a moment.
"Please remain calm, all is well." Came Sojiro's voice as the old man stepped out of the cabin to reassure the people. "I know this looks bad, but I can assure you, we mean no harm. That boy I just attacked, not so much. But, he won't be harming anyone for awhile."
"Shogo," Sojiro turned to his fellow fighter. "I can sense more cultists right above us, and they seem to be fighting people I can only assume are on our side. Go and lend them a hand."
"From your lips to the gods' ears, Grandmaster!" Shogo exclaimed happily. "Hero of Legend, Shogo the Lightbringer, ready for action!"
Moments earlier, Fuma was suddenly startled by the car he was on shaking. "What was that?" He demanded when he regained his balance. He then looked below to try and figure out what was happening. His eyes went wide in disbelief when he saw a familiar head sticking out a broken window.
"Gakushu!" He exclaimed.
"What happened, Deacon?" Koko asked.
"Someone took out Gakushu!" Fuma declared.
"What? Who did we miss?" Koko asked.
"Gakushu mentioned in his last transmission that he sensed four Reiki signatures. I told him to take care of the owners when he had the chance! Damn it, Gakushu, you failed!" Fuma growled.
He then turned to Koko. "Is your Phantom Noise ready?" He asked.
Koko nodded. "Good, we need it, now!" Fuma ordered.
Koko nodded and took a deep breath, preparing to let out another deafening, operatic noise. Ruby noticed this out of the corner of her eye while pinned down by Hayate and her eyes widened. "No, don't!" She yelled.
Qrow managed to look up at Koko while being slammed into the roof repeatedly by the Black Knight. He gritted his teeth in frustration and despair, cursing himself for his failure to stop the fat lady from singing a second time.
The roof in front of Koko suddenly shattered. A split second before Koko used her Phantom Noise once again, a single individual came rocketing out of the new hole in the roof. "Lightning Shooting Star Mach 2!" Shogo yelled as he delivered a mighty uppercut to Koko's jaw.
"YAH!" Koko yelled in surprise and pain as she was sent hurtling into the air by Shogo's uppercut.
Fuma spun around to watch as Koko's unconscious body unceremoniously bounced off the tracks before tumbling down the snowy hill like a boulder. She eventually came to a stop and just laid there like a slug.
"Koko!" He called out to her.
"Ha ha!" Shogo hammily declared as he gracefully landed on the roof, put his hands on his hips, and puffed his chest out like a superhero. "You have not won yet, villains!"
Fuma glared at Shogo, who continued his 'heroic' rant. "For all those cry out for peace, love and justice, know that your cries have been answered. Because Shogo, Lightbringer! Warrior of Justice! Defender of Peace! Champion of Love! And Hero Without Equal! Has arrived!" Shogo introduced himself.
At that moment, every single fighter froze to gaze at the new arrival in disbelief. The general thought among everyone was as follows: Who is this idiot?
"Right," came an elderly voice that was very familiar to both Qrow and Ruby, "the point is…"
Sojiro calmly climbed onto the roof of the car. He gave a kind and reassuring smile to all the Huntsmen present. "...You all fought well, so don't despair. We're here to help you."