The White Fang, despite having made an alliance with Cinder and her allies, were still wary when she entered into her camp. A human amongst the Faunus, who considered the humans to be their enemy and now, they see another human who walked alongside Cinder.
A tent at the end of the encampment stood taller than the others, a white shroud emblazoned with the White Fang's symbol covered it.
Cinder and her disciples, followed by her new ally, Caster, casually walked down the camp and towards this tent.
Guarding the entrance was a large Faunus named Bane, who acted as Adam Taurus' lieutenant.
"He is expecting you," Bane said with a growl, which reverberated through his bone-white mask.
"Thank you," Cinder said with a smirk as she stepped forward with Caster and entered the tent.
Mercury and Emerald remained outside as they stared at Bane, who lifted up his mask slightly and simply spat in their direction.
Once inside, Cinder bowed her head at Adam who glared at her from his desk.
"There a reason why you ask for a meeting on such short notice?" Adam asked.
"Indeed," Cinder said excitedly. "I believe there needs to be some amendments to our plans on the assault on Beacon."
"Pray tell, why the change of heart?" Adam asked as he stood and stalked around to the front of his desk. "Don't tell me that you are starting to get cold feet…"
"I believe I have found a more streamlined approach to get what we want," Cinder said.
Interested, Adam tilted his head slightly and thought a moment.
"And what might that be?" Adam asked.
"I have come across new information on a device that can give us what we want," Cinder said as she looked over to read Adam's expression. His constant frown was all she got, which frustrated her, as the rest of his face was obscured by his mask.
"A device?" Adam asked. "Like a weapon?"
A chuckle can be heard from Cinder's associate.
"To call the Grail a weapon is an immense understatement," she said. "It is a font of magical energy with the ability to fulfill any of your desires."
"Who is this?" Adam said, a little agitated at the sudden interruption.
"Where are my manners?" The woman said as she bowed. "You may call me: Caster."
Adam did not say anything but instead, he just stared.
"And do you have this device?" Adam asked as he turned his attention back to Cinder.
"Not yet," Cinder said. "Which is why we have come to you for your assistance in finding it."
"And how can I possibly help you find this device?" Adam asked. "If it even exists."
"Oh, it exists," Caster replied. "I would not be here otherwise."
"She is a participant in what can otherwise be called a contest," Cinder continued. "Seven Servants and seven Masters compete against one another to the death and the winner receives this device."
"Is this a joke?" Adam said, perplexed as he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"I assure you, Adam, this is no joke," Cinder replied.
"I don't have time for this," Adam said dismissively, as he then waved them off to accentuate his words.
"Adam Taurus," Cinder said as she stepped forward. "With the help of my friend here, we have the means to wish for whatever we want. You would pass this up?"
"I don't believe in wishes, I believe in taking what I want," Adam replied, unimpressed. "Let's say I believe you, so far, I only see one contestant."
"Ah, but there is something you don't know," Cinder said with a devilish grin. "I know where two other Servants and Masters are."
"Okay?" Adam said as he then sat back down in his seat. "Who are they and where are they?"
"Two students at Beacon Academy," Cinder replied. "First is the Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, Weiss Schnee."
"Heh," Adam chuckled. "You had my curiosity and now you have my full attention. I have always wanted to kill a Schnee. Not a cousin or uncle but a real Schnee."
"Hehe," Cinder likewise chuckled to herself. "The second would be the Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos."
"Tell me," Adam then interrupted. "How did you come by this information?"
"I have my ways," Cinder said as she pulled out her Scroll and a holographic image appeared, showing multiple images of Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos, each accompanied by a woman and a man.
"I have witnessed the power of these Servants," Cinder continued. "They can do what armies can't."
"I have yet to see the power of these Servants," Adam said. "I may have agreed to help you, but I am not going to trust my people to you to find some strange, magical device."
Cinder narrowed her eyes at Adam as she stood
"Pf, magical device," Adam muttered to himself but then looked back at Cinder and her ally. "What are you still doing here? Go on. Me and my men have an attack to plan, and preparations to make."
Cinder grit her teeth before she then turned on her heel and stalked out of the tent, Caster calmly following behind her, not making a sound as she walked out.
"The fool," Cinder muttered as even Mercury and Emerald began to follow behind her.
"I assume it didn't go well," Mercury said.
"Don't tempt me with your wise-cracks, Mercury," Cinder growled, her eyes lit up as the power of the Maiden's woke.
Mercury went silent, only to receive an elbow to the stomach from Emerald.
"Master, may I ask a question?" Caster asked sweetly.
"Go ahead," Cinder said, as she calmed down and regained her composure.
"If the boy wanted a demonstration then perhaps you should have let me do the honors, and burn down the camp," Caster said.
"As much as I want to right now," Cinder replied. "They are needed for my future plans. We will just have to continue without Adam Taurus."
0-RWBY-0
Jaune rubbed his eyes as he sat at a table with RWBY and his team, as well as the two Servants, Saber and Lancer. Saber in her usual blue dress while Lancer dressed in jeans and a white tank top, revealing his olive skin and toned muscles.
Books piled next to them as they rummaged through the history section of Beacon's library.
At this point, everyone was tired and even Ruby and Nora had fallen asleep, with Ruby's face mushed against the pages of the book she was just reading.
"Honestly," Blake said with a groan. "I enjoy reading as much as the next person but this is too much."
"We have to keep looking," Jaune replied, albeit a bit reluctantly, but then turned to Saber and Lancer once more. "Just to make sure I am getting you: but you said you are the spirits of famous heroes and kings?"
"Something like that," Lancer yawned, bored, as he seemed to be reading through his own book but when Blake looked over, she guessed that he was just pretending to read.
"I wouldn't use those words exactly," Saber likewise replied, however, her demeanor was different to Lancer as she dutifully read her book as Weiss asked.
"Well, history or legends," Blake added.
"I wouldn't use those words either," Saber replied again and Yang simply banged her head on the table.
"I can't find anything on you two," Yang said. "The damage you caused during your fight, plus Saber's intervention during the show, you would be the strongest Huntsmen or even the strongest person I have ever heard of."
"Which is interesting that we don't have anyone like you on record," Ren said as he flipped through a page. "Even these old records."
"Have we tried any books on legends?" Weiss asked, only for Ren and Blake to respond by simply pointing towards another stack of books.
"I am not seeing anything on this Grail that you mentioned," Jaune groaned.
"That is what I find strange," Saber replied.
"A magical device that can grant wishes…" Pyrrha muttered. "That would definitely be something for the history books."
The table went silent as they reluctantly continued to read but the doors to the library slid open and Ozpin stepped in.
"Interesting to find you all here," Ozpin said with a chuckle.
"We are simply looking for records of either Saber or Lancer, Headmaster," Weiss replied.
"May I ask why?" Ozpin asked curiously, as he pulled up a chair and sat beside them.
"Well, the mindset is that their names are just covers for their real identity, which is meant to hide their strengths and weaknesses," Blake said. "So, we thought if we can figure out who they are, then maybe we can develop a strategy."
"You seem to be invested in this, students," Ozpin said, his smile wavered. "Are you sure you understand the implications of this fight?"
"We do Headmaster," Pyrrha replied. "We talked it over with both Saber and Lancer."
"I still disagree with everything that was said," Lancer replied with a huff.
"As do I," Saber said. "But I will add that I understand the rules you have placed upon us."
"May I ask what these rules are?" Ozpin asked.
"That if we come across another master, that we will not kill them," Weiss said. "Our wish for the Grail is one that can benefit everyone which would defeat the purpose if we simply kill our opponents."
"That will definitely make things harder for you and that is a strength not many have," Ozpin said with a sigh of relief.
Then, Ozpin's scroll buzzed and he looked down and nodded his head.
"There is another reason why I came here to check on you, students," Ozpin said as he stood up, to which everyone turned their attention to him.
"What is that, Headmaster?" Weiss asked.
"I would like to see the strength of these two," Ozpin said as he looked over at Saber and Lancer. "I would like a full grasp of what is to come and how we can handle it."
"We?" Pyrrha asked.
"I, like you, understand the stake full well, Ms. Nikos," Ozpin said. "I also understand that if the Grail were to fall into less than… honorable hands, then there can be consequences."
The table went silent.
"Never mind that," Ozpin said. "Just know that you will have the full support of Beacon or at the very least, my support, as much as I don't want any harm to come to you."
"Thank you for your concern, Headmaster," Pyrrha said as she stood up. "But we wouldn't be here if our safety was our number one concern."
Ozpin flashed a smile, which faded as he turned away from his students.
"Meet me at Amity Coliseum in the hour," Ozpin said as he walked off, but then stopped at the door and turned with a mirthful smile. "And clean up after yourselves, please."
Yang tapped Ruby on the shoulder and she slowly woke.
"Huh?" A tired Ruby muttered. "What? I only closed my eyes for a moment, I promise."
"Come on, lets put everything away," Yang said with a smile and helped her sister to her feet.
0-RWBY-0
RWBY and JNPR entered Amity Coliseum, the next round between Yang and a Mistral student named Mercury was set for later today but the arena was vacant as preparations were made.
In the center to greet them was Ozpin and Professors Goodwitch, Oobleck and Port.
"I am glad to see you all here," Professor Port said heartily.
"I am still amazed that you would agree to this, students," Professor Oobleck said quickly.
"If anyone will brave these challenges, it will be you two," Professor Goodwitch replied sternly, as she addressed the two teams.
"I would like to say, Ms. Saber," Professor Port continued. "I enjoyed your spectacle during the show, even if it was sudden and unexpected."
"They are aware of who we are?" Saber asked.
"Normally," Lancer added. "The Grail War is to be kept secret. Anyone other than the participants who figure out about the War is to be killed."
Oobleck and Port recoiled slightly.
"I believe we can all agree that none of this is normal," Ozpin said as he shot a glare over at Lancer, who shuffled in place but stood his ground. "They may not be as strong as a Servant, but they make up for that difference in spirit. They have volunteered to help in any way they can."
"We appreciate the help, Professors," Weiss said with a bow.
"The citizens of this time sure do have a hearty and strong spirit," Saber commented.
"Indeed," Ozpin agreed. "Now, Saber and Lancer, please take center stage."
Saber and Lancer looked towards one another and stood at opposite ends of the arena and locked eyes.
"Students, let us take a seat," Ozpin said. "Today, we shall be spectators."
"Headmaster Ozpin," Pyrrha said. "Is this necessary? We have already seen them fight before and its nothing like we have ever seen."
"I understand, Ms. Nikos," Ozpin replied assuredly. "However, we need a better example of how they fight and a demonstration so that the rest of the faculty are aware of the situation."
"I think I understand," Ms. Nikos said as they exited through a tunnel that leads under the bleachers. Eventually, winding back up to take a seat as spectators.
"Now, remember," Ozpin said in a booming voice that can be heard by both Lancer and Saber. "This is just an exercise to see how powerful you two can be. I don't want either of you killing each other."
"Before we begin, I must say that a name is important, Headmaster," Saber said as she turned to him. "We will do our best to fight, however, neither of us have any recollection of our names."
"It is a symbol of who we are," Lancer added. "It is how we can determine our enemies' strengths and weaknesses. Without our names, we cannot unleash our full power."
RWBY and JNPR looked to one another, amazed and yet, fearful. All while Ozpin grimaced at the thought but shook off the revelation.
"In any case, this will at least tell us how strong you are currently until your full names are revealed," Ozpin said and then turned to Professor Goodwitch and nodded. On cue, there was a shower of gold and bronze dust as both Lancer and Saber magically changed from their casual wear and into their armor.
"Begin!"
In the blink of an eye, the two combatants closed the difference between them and sword clashed against shield. The force of which caused the ground to crack under them and just like the battle on the roof, the battle pulsed as they probed for weakness in the other's defenses.
RWBY and JNPR watched in amazement at how fast they moved, especially Ruby, as she watched as they fought. All they saw were sparks flying and occasionally, they would see both Lancer and Saber in a picturesque moment as their weapons collided for a second.
The only way to keep track of their movements was by the craters they made when their weapons struck each other. The displaced air would hit the seats as the continued to pulse and rage on.
"We have really gotten ourselves into a bind this time, Bartholomew," Professor Port said, almost flinching at every strike of their weapons, which he likened to a blacksmith hammering a piece of metal.
"Too late to back out now, it seems," Professor Oobleck replied, the energy emitted in the fight was even too much for him to handle.
Ozpin on the other hand continued to track their movements with his eyes. Saber fought with grace and power, while Lancer fought with veracity and strength. However, this was all he needed to know and it made him afraid, and so, he nodded once more to Glynda.
"That's enough," Glynda Goodwitch announced and as soon as she said it, both combatants stopped in their tracks, however, still prepared to strike at one another. The arena was left with multiple crates and chunks of concrete strewn about the outside the bounds of the arena.
"Please, meet us here," Ozpin said and once again, a flash of gold and bronze, Saber and Lancer changed back into their respective attire.
"Wow," Yang said nervously and even Nora swallowed.
Once Saber and Lancer met up with the two teams and faculty and sat down beside their respective masters.
"Am I to believe that if you were to remember who you are, that you would possibly become stronger?" Ozpin asked.
"We don't know for certain," Saber said. "We have our own set of skills to call upon but for reasons I cannot explain, I was not able to call upon them."
"That makes things harder in future fights," Lancer replied. "At our full strength, we can release our Noble Phantasms."
"The name itself already sounds intimidating," Jaune commented.
"What is this Noble Phantasm?" Ozpin asked.
"You can almost say that they are who we are," Lancer replied.
"It can be described as our trump card in battle," Saber replied. "A special attack, weapon or ability that symbolizes our existence through historical facts and anecdotes. Further emphasized by our legends and the imagination of humans as the core."
"Kind of hard to call upon it when I can't remember who I am," Lancer remarked with a frustrated growl.
"Indeed," Saber replied. "It is strange."
"Perhaps, but not in the way you may think," Ozpin replied which drew Lancer's and Saber's attention. "Could it be possible that you are not from this world?"
Everyone went quiet.
"That would be impossible," Saber replied.
"Is it?" Ozpin asked. "If you are based on legends or historical figures and yet, you can't remember who you are, then maybe you have arrived in a world where you never existed and no one knows who you are?"
"That…" Saber said. "That does not make any sense."
"I agree," Ozpin replied. "None of this does. I wish I had the answers to this but I do not."
Saber and Lancer mulled over this thought quietly, while Ozpin turned back to his students once more.
"Children, it is not too late to turn back," Ozpin said. "I have contacts; more experienced Huntsmen who can probably take over if you wish."
"I think it's safe to say that we are committed, Headmaster," Weiss replied.
"I especially don't want someone's death on my hands," Pyrrha replied as well.
Everything was happening too quickly for Ozpin's liking and he took a moment to think. No, he could not tell them the truth. Not yet.
"Headmaster," Professor Goodwitch said, to which, Ozpin turned to address her. "It is James. He would like to talk."
(Had to find a good way to describe a Noble Phantasm so I will admit I cheated and checked out the Fate Wiki.)
