Bit slower than the last update, but oh well. I tend to get really busy from Monday to Thursday, so it took me a few days to actually make a chapter. Also, for future reference: In this story, 1 Lien=10 cents, or 1 dollar=10 Lien. It is sure to come up again, so I'm making sure that it is understood.
xbox432: Its funny you bring up a stray, because that's exactly how I thought of it. As to how much they affect each other in the future, well, this chapter should give at least a little insight into that.
ThePizziaMan: Thanks for the encouragement! (Sarcasm intensifies) Kazuma wouldn't blackmail anyone, what are you talking about?
I'm happy to see a decent amount of support for this story, and so without further ado, here we go!
Update: Re-uploaded this chapter. "Zero Successes" was changed to "zero failures," as it should have been. Thanks to garoorar and for pointing it out.
"Why are we here again?" asked a rather irritated cat Faunus.
"Because that's how stakeouts go, Neko-chan. Now be quiet, I'm trying to sleep."
Blake groaned slightly at the name. The only time Kazuma used her actual name was when he was talking to clients, but whenever he was addressing her she was "Neko-chan". Blake had studied up on foreign cultures during her time in the White Fang; after all, between raids all she could really do was read. It hadn't taken her more than a few seconds to remember the dead language he was using, and despite not being fluent she still understood the meaning behind it. She really could have gone without the cat jokes, too.
Despite her insistence, Kazuma had also refused to let her hide her ears under a bow anymore, so everyone knew she was a Faunus. She didn't like being so open about her identity. After all, even during her time with the Fang she had worn a bow. Now, if she even attempted to hide her ears in a ribbon, she felt a breeze run past them as scraps of cloth floated down around her head. There honestly wasn't much she could do about it, though. Kazuma had his foot down on this, and the man was even more stubborn than a particular bull Faunus she knew.
She didn't get discriminated against much anymore, but that was because she was almost always with her new partner. People still glared, but even humans with weak instincts were wary of the living tornado that was Kazuma. The primal strength he put out at times made sure of that.
Back in the present, it had been several weeks since their meeting, and he made her handle pretty much all of his work for him. As it turns out, Kazuma's role in battle is better suited toward mid-range combat and support, which left Blake as the forerunner. With her high speed, she could keep the Grimm distracted while Kazuma covered her and lazily picked them off. The pair was on one such mission now: discover the location of the Grimm pack, record their numbers, and destroy them if possible. "If possible" was read as "at almost any cost." Kazuma didn't want to return to this place if he could help it, because he was currently sleeping in a tree while Blake was perched in one nearby.
After what felt like hours, Blake saw movement in the distance. As a Faunus, her night vision picked out the forms of several Beowolves without much of an issue. She turned to alert Kazuma but he was already up. The man seemed to have a knack for knowing exactly what was going on in his surroundings.
"We'll go with the usual plan." He said in a bored tone.
"So you mean you want me to draw their attention while you follow at a distance and slice away at them?" she asked. She scowled slightly when her partner nodded shallowly. Growing even more annoyed but deciding not to press the issue any further, Blake dropped out of the tree with Kazuma close behind. She had Gambol Shroud in her hand, while he had his hands stuffed in his pockets. Before too long, Blake smelled the familiar stench of tobacco.
"Those Beowolves will smell you from a mile off. Put it out."
Blake didn't even have to look back to know Kazuma shrugged and stomped on the cigarette. They walked for just a few minutes before they reached the edge of a clearing, and from the cover of nearby brush they could see a pack of around four dozen Beowolves. Blake looked at Kazuma with a slightly worried look on her face. She didn't have the highest stamina reserves, and from what she'd seen Kazuma was a firm practitioner of the mantra "One shot, one kill." Facing off against that many Grimm, plus any attracted by the fighting, was going to be dangerous. Before she could say anything, however, Kazuma's aura of power bore down on her like it had in the alley.
The wind pressure in the area was terrifying, and the forest began to howl. The pack of Grimm felt the massive power and decided to investigate, proving that they were not very intelligent. If Blake had looked more closely, she may have noticed that most of the Beowolves were without spikes, indicating that they hadn't killed anyone yet. They were joined by several Ursa before the sky opened up. A massive sphere of wind encased the Grimm, trapping them within and injuring those that tried to tear through it. Gradually, as Blake watched, Kazuma's currently open hand began to curl into a fist. The prison shrunk according to his will, crushing and cutting apart the jet-black creatures residing within. Not even a minute later, the technique was released. What spewed forth was not the mangled bodies that Blake had expected. Instead there was only black mist and powder so fine that it flew away on residual breezes.
Blake had been stunned completely into silence whereas Kazuma, acting as if he hadn't just obliterated over fifty Grimm in a single move, walked away at a leisurely pace. Once she wrapped her mind around it, her curiosity got the better of her again.
"What was that?"
"It's the same thing as my defensive barrier, except made for destruction. Why?"
"Why haven't you used that on all of our jobs so far? It could have saved us so much trouble!"
"I gave you a place to stay, food to eat, and money to spend, Neko-chan. You could at least not grill me about my decisions. We've come out of every job alive, haven't we? And you're all the stronger because of it."
That statement gave Blake pause. It was true that he was treating her far better than she deserved, and that the constant battles with Grimm were helping her. She'd begun to feel lighter on her feet, and packed more power with each slash of her blade. It still left one bigh question though:
"Why are you doing all this for me?"
The young man simply smirked and shrugged again. "Does it matter? Maybe I'm just acting on a whim. When I was a kid I always wanted please my father by training hard and becoming strong. But I was only thinking of impressing him and pleasing myself. This power is to protect. I'm selfish, so I'll protect everything in front of me. Anyone who gets in my way won't get a shred of mercy from me."
She thought about those words all the way back to the village that had hired them, even while Kazuma was scaring the life out of the village head in an attempt to get their money. As it turns out, the villagers had expected the pair to die out there, but Blake didn't even register this fact. The Kazuma she had come to know was indeed selfish, as well as lazy, sadistic, intimidating, sarcastic, arrogant, and many, many other lovely and endearing traits. But hearing him refer to his power as a way to protect was something she hadn't expected. He just used it to get money, and the way he made money was. . . by killing Grimm and capturing criminals. It made sense now. Kazuma may be greedy, but he wasn't evil. He was making sure that everyone benefited when he did business, though he took the lion's share for himself.
He protected people, or at least those he deemed worthy of protection. His power kept people in line, which was why no one tried to harass her anymore. They knew if they did anything to her, Kazuma wouldn't take kindly to it.
Blake was once again snapped out of her musings as a small card of lien hit her in the side of the head. She glared at Kazuma, even more so when she saw that his share was about ten times larger than hers. 'He is REALLY selfish,' Blake thought to herself as she followed him out of the village. She had a small grin on her face as she caught up to him.
Noticing his companion's good mood, Kazuma raised an eyebrow at her. "What's got you in such a good mood? Did the villagers offer you some tuna?" he teased.
Blake just huffed and looked away in a playful gesture of annoyance. He'd discovered her love of tuna a few nights prior and took every opportunity he could to mess with her.
"Nothing, just laughing to myself for entertaining the notion that you might be kinder than you seem."
Kazuma hummed and considered this for a moment before replying. "Yup, that was dumb of you."
The pair walked in companionable silence toward the Bullhead they had hired to transport them there.
Once home, Blake began to cook dinner. Having to survive on military rations and what one could scavenge from around the camp made a person pick up cooking as a necessary skill. Kazuma was by no means a terrible cook either, but he payed the bills here. Plus Blake liked to watch him experiment with the Dust while she cooked. The way he used it was very different from anyone else on Remnant. Rather than the Dust just being a tool, he treated it as if it were alive. She even heard him occasional mumble a word of thanks to the "spirits."
Putting the Dust aside, Kazuma sighed and walked slowly toward the door. He opened it to see two people, a man and a woman, standing on the doormat.
The man was tall, standing around six and a half feet tall. He looked to be in this thirties, but his hair was unnaturally grey for that age. Around his neck was a green scarf with a cross emblem. He was wearing a black vest and open suit over a green shirt. His pants were a darker shade of green, and his shoes were similar to Kazuma's own. The man walked with a cane, which seemed strange for someone this young looking. A pair of wire-framed glasses were perched on his nose.
The woman looked slightly younger, but that may just be because of the man's grey hair. Her's was a bright blonde bun, and the bangs framed her face. She had bright green eyes covered by glasses and pale skin. Her white elegant white top came down to meet a long black skirt, which ended a few inches above the top of her black, knee-high boots. Hanging from her ears were two crystalline earrings, with a similar piece of jewelry hanging from her neck. A tattered-looking cape, black on the outside and purple within, hung from her shoulders. While it seemed worn at first glance, it seemed to be made that way on purpose.
The man had his hand raised in a fist as if her were about to knock.
"Can I help you?" Kazuma asked, face completely wiped of emotion. He was honestly a little annoyed by the interruption, but showing his irritation accomplished nothing in his mind.
The man recovered quickly, and began sipping from a mug of coffee he got from. . . actually where did he get it from? It just kind of appeared. "Indeed. I presume you are Kazuma Yagami?"
"I am," came the sharp reply.
"Ah, good. We seem to be in the right place. I am Professor Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Behind me is my assistant, Glynda. I'd like to have a few words with you, as well as your partner if she's in at the moment."
Kazuma looked at the man for a few moments before calling back into the house. "Blake, we have guests. Make enough for four."
"Alright," was all he heard back.
He led the pair of teachers to the living room, pocketing the Dust crystal he had been using before heading into his room. Ozpin and Glynda sat on the couch. Glynda seemed nervous but professional, while Ozpin seemed relaxed enough to allow his eyes to wander. He noticed Blake mixing a pot in the kitchen, and a pot of rice seemed to have just been taken off the burner.
Kazuma returned with two comfy folding chairs, and set them across from the couch. No words were spoken for another couple minutes as the two men measured each other's worth. Kazuma finally broke the silence as Ozpin went to put down his coffee.
"Use a coaster, please. That table wasn't cheap."
With an apologetic nod, Ozpin pulled one from a stack on the table's corner. Blake came into the room with two plates and served their visitors. Dinner happened to be a rather strong curry, and a glass of wine was provided for Glynda. Both gave their thanks as their hosts went into the kitchen, returning with their own meals. Once everyone was seated, Kazuma and Blake gave thanks for the food.
"Itadakimasu," the two said together. It was a habit Blake had picked up from her partner and had quickly grown accustomed to. She liked how his culture seemed to give thanks to the world, and other people, for the things they enjoyed.
As they began eating, Ozpin started the conversation. "Mr. Yagami, I've heard impressive things about you. Impossible levels of wind manipulation, novel and strange ways of using Dust in combat, as well as zero failures as a mercenary. Vale is lucky to have a man of your skills."
"And you, Ms. Belladonna. Despite having only recently becoming Mr. Yagami's partner, your skill is nothing to mock. Can I expect that you'll be entering Beacon?"
"Yes sir," she replied. "The test is on the 20th, correct?"
"Indeed. I wish you luck, though I doubt you will need it. By the way, from what I understand, you used to disguise your ears with a bow. What has happened to convince you otherwise?"
Blake jerked a thumb at Kazuma, her face not changing from her usual stoic mask in the slightest.
"I didn't like it," was all Kazuma said.
"Why? Is it not her choice whether or not to hide her heritage as a Faunus?"
"She's a stray cat," he said, earning him a heated glare from Blake. "She's staying in my home, and eating food earned with the money from jobs I secure for us. Even if she does a large amount of the work, no one would hire her if she weren't with me, due to both age and species. As a result, my word is law. She was being dishonest with herself, and it she looks better without the ribbon. So I don't allow her to wear it in my presence."
"Interesting," Ozpin shot back, "but why do you have the right to impose such a personal restriction on her?"
"The weak bend to the will of the strong. Relatively, she's weaker than me, so she won't go too far against my wishes. I remember a certain stubborn girl who didn't understand that concept, because she had rarely met anyone stronger than her. As a result, she was constantly hurt and in need of my help. If I had been a worse person, she would have died the moment she crossed me."
"The strong, in turn, have a responsibility to protect the weak from others who would seek to harm them. I acquired power so I could protect everything within my sight. So that I would never have to sacrifice anything again. Those who use their strength for personal gain only are lower than Grimm."
"Do you not use your power in such a manner, Mr. Yagami?" Ozpin asked.
It was Blake, however, who answered. "He does use his power for his own gain, it's true. But he also protects people. He protects me. On our latest mission, when we encountered a pack of Grimm so large it posed a risk to me, he eliminated it completely. If there is a risk that someone will die, Kazuma will eliminate the threat in whatever way he sees fit."
Blake's answer was firm and definite. Ozpin had been silenced by the certainty in her voice, and Glynda appeared shocked. For the first time since arriving, the blonde haired woman decided to speak:
"How large of a pack did you encounter?"
"Over fifty, mostly Beowolves and a few Uras."
The number astounded Glynda. Sure, some huntsmen had been known to take on such numbers alone, but usually returned with abundant wounds.
"Mr. Yagami, where did you get that kind of strength? You have almost no records until half a year ago, and there is no indication that you have ever attended one of the academies, despite being of an age to have recently graduated."
Two pairs of eyes narrowed. Blake's because she had never heard about this. It was true that Kazuma's past was an enigma to her, but she figured that was because he just didn't care to talk about it much. Ozpin, on the other hand, was curious as to what kind of cover story he would create. This young man didn't add up. If Ozpin's sources were correct, the younger man's Semblance must be Aerokinesis or some variation of it. Yet no form of Aerokinesis had ever shown the kind of power needed to kill several dozen Grimm at once.
The reply came not even a second later: "I came from another world."
Silence. The room was in utter silence. The sound of Kazuma drinking his wine carried to everyone's ears. By the time his glass was returned to a coaster, Glynda managed to gather her wits.
"Such a blatant lie! How can you dare to disrespect us with such an answer?"
As soon as her statement was finished, everyone's eyes went wide as a massive weight settled on the room. Kazuma's glare at the woman could have frozen the sun. "How can YOU disrespect your host by calling him a liar to his face? You are in MY home, Ms. Goodwitch, and you would do well to remember that." Every line was delivered in an impossibly icy tone, like the biting winds of a winter storm that stole all the heat from the body. Once his speech was complete, the pressure in the room was lifted. Much more lightly, he added, "The curry's getting cold. Since we're on the topic of disrespect, I suggest you not do the same to Neko-chan's cooking."
Ozpin, once he was able to able to speak again, got curious. "Neko-chan? I don't believe I am familiar with that language."
"That's because the language is dead," Blake responded with another glare at Kazuma.
"It isn't to me. In fact, everyone spoke it in my home country. It means "Kitty," by the way."
Goodwitch gazed incredulously between Ozpin and Blake. "How can you two be so calm?"
Blake shrugged, used to Kazuma's way of intimidating people. In fact, what she had felt on the day of their meeting made that little display seem like nothing more than an annoyingly chilly day by comparison. Ozpin didn't offer an explanation, either. He actually felt that Glynda had been out of line on that occasion.
"So, Professors," Kazuma began, "I don't believe you've gotten to the point of this visit. No way would the Headmaster of Beacon, however eccentric, could randomly stop by for dinner at the home of a random mercenary."
"True, I'll just cut to the chase. I would like to offer you a position at Beacon. All of our professors also serve as active huntsmen, so you will be able to continue work similar to what you do now."
"And what would I be teaching?"
"Advanced Dust and Aura manipulation. From what I hear, you have been developing new techniques in both fields. The class would be an elective for higher level students."
Kazuma wasn't surprised that Ozpin had heard about his experiments. Most of it had been focused on the use of Dust to draw and control spirits without the use of willpower or ki, but another topic he was looking at was the similarity of ki and Aura. They were, after all, both spiritual energies. Blake had been roped into several of his practices to see if his ki attacks and methods of Dust use were possible for an Aura user. While the effects weren't quite the same, he was beginning to understand the gap between them. Given some time and effort, he was sure that huntsmen and huntresses could harness Aura to act in almost the exact same ways as ki, but without the magic that was normally attached.
"I understand why you want me," Kazuma led with a grin, "but the question remains: why should I help you?"
Ozpin pulled out a small book and held it out toward Kazuma. "The terms and benefits listed here should be to your liking. You will see that alongside a rather large salary, free access to as much Dust as you would like - within reason - and full living accommodations, we are willing to provide testing materials and cover the costs for further research."
Kazuma read over the pages of the notebook for a few minutes before handing it back to Ozpin. "My responsibilities would just be teaching the class and serving as an active duty Huntsman, right?"
"That's correct. Do we have a deal?"
Kazuma didn't take long to consider. The terms were heavily in his benefit, alerting him to the fact that Ozpin had further plans than what were listed in that book. In the short time he'd observed the man, Ozpin had never once seemed slow or inattentive. On the other hand, Kazuma knew he could handle whatever Ozpin had cooked up for him. The monthly salary of 130,000 Lien didn't hurt either.
Kazuma extended a hand toward the older man. "Thank you for your business. I expect to get every Lien."
Tell me what you think. I honestly had a good amount of trouble with this chapter, due to both coursework and the fact that it is very heavy as far as information and thoughts go. Tell me if anything seems wrong or if you disagree with something. No flaming, obviously, but if you think someone acted very weirdly or just want to bring up a point, don't hesitate.