White Light enveloped the room as Weiss had cleared a space out for her training. She was focusing more currently on glyphs and more specifically her summoning.
She focused on her glyph intently and was noticing something starting to come out of it when the door to her room opened and she stopped and turned to see Whitley by the door. "What do you want?" she glared.
"Oh nothing. I was just checking in on you, to make sure you don't try anything." he chuckled. "I mean we can't take your semblance away unfortunately." Whitley rolled his eyes.
"Well I'm not going anywhere. the fact that I haven't moved these past few days should tell you that I've accepted that much. I'm not allowed to have at least this one thing?" she scoffed at her brother.
"Now, I didn't say that. But I'm glad you know your place now." Whitley chuckled. "You can do that all you want, not that it'll ever be relevant for you again. I did also want to report that since I became the heir that I've gotten a taste of the business side of things and well it's unfortunate General Ironwood has that little embargo of his now. It's made father quite furious."
"Whitley, can you go bother someone who actually cares about that?" Weiss crossed her arms.
"Okay, fine sister." Whitley turned and walked out the door. "But the point still stands." he turned towards her. "You're not running away like Winter did. You're here and you'll be here till you wake up and face reality."
His words now mirrored their father's as Weiss slammed the door on him and grit her teeth before creating the glyph again and starting to calm herself down.
Day eventually gave way to night as Klein entered Weiss's room for 'cleaning duty'. "Madame." he approached Weiss, who was currently staring out the window at the moving ships and few soldiers lead by Yukio patrolling around the outside of the manor.
"Yes Klein?" Weiss asked as she looked to face him.
"Get your weapon ready. We depart tonight." he told her.
"What about the guards?" Weiss asked.
"I may or may not have given then a little drink for their hard work at safeguarding you, claiming it was from your father." Klein winked. "They're very much out of it now in front of your door."
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked.
"Positive." Klein took her hand as she stepped out into the hallway with him and saw the two guards sleeping on top of each other with two empty bottles of wine.
Weiss then took another step before Klein stopped her and pointed to her heels.
"Oh, right." Weiss slipped them off.
"Wait till you get outside madame. You did that last time to get outside, remember? It'd be a shame of all this planning to go to waste because you didn't take off yer darn heels." his eyes flashed an angry color again. "Now then we goin' or what?" he lead her along now.
"Now then, I can't be seen with you while doing this, so I'll have to go on ahead. Your brother's a slippery fellow and he'd likely report me and you walking by his room in an instant." he explained. "Just stay low and cut around your father's office to get to the library. I'll meet you there. I do have to make some last second preparations as well."
Klein then went off ahead of her. Weiss let out a sigh. "It just had to be father's office." she lamented before she started in that direction.
Weiss quietly made her way down the hallway, ducking by as a night staff member walked by her. "Right... They'll report me to father as well." she muttered under her breath before continuing down the hallway, unfortunately this stretch of hall was the most open, but it was also the last stretch of hallway right before the library. She started to walk past her father's office now, she could make out Klein in the distance, waving to her from the library. The sound of arguing could be heard from the office.
"James, you're going to kill my business with this embargo!" Jacques argued.
"This embargo is going to save Atlas AND your business in the long run." the General reasoned. "You see, I have a project planned that will not only secure the safety of our Kingdom, but it will also ensure that it thrives." he looked towards him. "All I need is the time that this embargo will grant us to prepare for it."
"Prepare for it?! James, you're making it sound like you're planning on going to war!" Jacques slammed his fist onto the table.
"War? Well with that topic in mind. Who would you be wanting to fund for a war, Jacques?" Ironwood crossed his arms. "Would you fund your country's own military? Or would you be even willing to sell to the same people that would likely want to shoot you dead on sight? Now I'm not saying that there will be a war. But in the event of one? What would you pick?"
Jacques furrowed his eyebrows. "I see your point James. But still, this embargo better end quickly so my business can make up for all the losses this will bring."
"it will benefit you and all the people of Atlas in the long run, I can assure you." Ironwood started towards the door.
"I have my doubts." Jacques leaned back in his chair.
"You're entitled to them. Just so long as you know that what I do stays. Good night to you, Jacques." Ironwood went to open the door.
Weiss on the other side of it panicked and used a gravity well glyph to hold it shut before quickly rushing over towards the other side of the hallway, holding the glyph on the door.
"That's weird." Ironwood tried pushing at the door. "The knob's turning but it's stuck."
"What do you mean, it's stuck?" Jacques sat up now.
"I mean something's propped it shut!" he slammed into the door harsher, but it wouldn't budge He did it again and finally got it open.
He looked around in the hallway and down towards the library but saw no signs of anyone that could have done this.
"Sorry about the door." he apologized to Jacques as he then made his way out of the manor.
Back in the Library, Klein and Weiss went around a corner towards the bookshelf near the back and pushed at a hidden hinge, revealing a secret passage. "This is as far as I can take you madame." he held Weiss's heels up for her that she put on. "Just make your way over to the address I marked on your scroll. There's a hangar there with a pilot waiting to get you out."
"KLEIN!" Jacques called out to him from the distance, thankfully not within earshot of him and Weiss.
"Klein." Weiss pulled him into a hug. "You'll always be family to me." she smiled.
"Of course, Madame, I am always here for you." Klein smiled back before turning towards where Jacques was. "On my way, Master Jacques!" he ran over towards him as the passage door closed behind Weiss.
Weiss made her way down the passage without a word and continued till she was just outside of the property now. It's likely that she'd be found out as missing soon so she started to run, keeping her head down now as she did so. She had to get halfway across Atlas without being spotted, which was considerably hard considering her status as a Schnee.
"Keep your head down Weiss." she muttered under her breath as she was taking a route Klein had recommended she take till she came upon the large building on an Airstrip that was the hangar. "This is the address. Hangar 4..." she closed her scroll, looking up at the massive building that stood before her. However, before she could get any closer, a light shone on her. "WHAT?! Again?! NO!"
Weiss immediately unclipped Myrtenaster from her belt as 3 airships rolled up with several soldiers all jumping out of it, with Specialist Kori landing in front of her, eyes narrowed. "How did you find me?!"
"You honestly didn't think I wouldn't install a tracker on your scroll?" Yukio crossed her arms.
"When did you-" Weiss thought back. "It was when I was knocked out, wasn't it?"
"Smart girl." Yukio smirked. "I gotta say, I'm surprised. You made it further than last time, Schnee. Let me guess. You have a pilot paid off in there ready to fly you out to meet your sister."
"..." Weiss didn't say a word.
"Heh, I thought so. You know, it's illegal to leave Atlas now. But your father won't let me cause a scene with you, so you should be grateful." Yukio put a hand on her hip
"Ya know." Weiss looked down. "I'd rather be in jail then spend another day in that mansion." she glared now.
"Well that's too bad then. Because that's the only place you're going back to." Yukio had her hand ready on her rapier. "Now then, we can repeat last time... Or you can make this easier for me. I could care less either way."
Light blue eyes glistened as they looked up towards the sky before Weiss firmly held Myrtenaster forward, glaring at Yukio. "You should know I'm not the one to make things easy."
"No, I suppose not." Yukio looked to her soldiers who all had their weapons trained on Weiss. "Lower your weapons, I'll deal with this myself." she stretched and removed her rapier from her holster. "I need to teach this brat a lesson she won't soon forget."
The air grew still again as the ground froze beneath Yukio's feet in a circle.
Weiss readied her stance with Myrtenaster, the two just staring each other off now before Yukio dashed forward. Weiss thrust Myrtenaster forward, clashing blades with her as she sped past her.
She turned to face Yukio now as she attempted to stab at her from behind, Weiss raised Myrtenaster up to block her attack as she then slashed downward and Yukio stomped her foot down, creating a wall of ice to block the attack that scraped against it now before Weiss then stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and shattered the ice in front of her.
This however, only gave Yukio and opening to kick her in the face and knock her back. Weiss stood back up and held a firm stance before now sliding forward on a glyph at Yukio who slid herself forward on ice she made under her feet, clashing blades with her, the two would charge at each other and clash several times before Weiss jumped up into the air attempted to stab at her from above. Yukio, pressing a button on her rapier, slashed upwards and created a thin wall of ice in front of her, deflecting the attack and knocking Weiss away from her, Weiss catching herself quickly however.
"So you are skilled with ice." Weiss remarked.
"Of course I am. It is part of my semblance after all." Yukio smirked as she took a breath, her breath was visible as a white mist as she then put a hand to the ground and froze it around her and Weiss, stopping just short of the other soldiers who took a step back out of fear of getting caught up or slipping.
"So am I." Weiss smirked back to her.
Amazing how you conquered me,
Chained me in servility,
And made me see
Yukio skated forward now toward Weiss, who boosted herself into the air with a glyph to jump over her attack, flipping herself upwards as she now looked down at Yukio who glanced up at her with anger in her dark blue eyes.
The world the way you told me to,
But I was young and didn't have a way to know the truth
Weiss landed and skated herself forward, slashing upwards at Yukio who blocked it with more ice. She kept up the assault however, starting to slice around Yukio as she kept blocking her attacks with ice or her rapier, the ice starting to shatter from the force of Weiss's attacks.
Born to live your legacy,
Existing just to fill your needs,
A casualty
The specialist was mostly surrounded in a sphere of ice before she then slammed her foot down again and and exploded the ice around her, sending shards flying everywhere. Her soldiers managed to avoid it, but Weiss got caught up in part of the blast and was knocked onto her back.
Of this so called family,
That you have turned into a travesty
Weiss sat herself up on Myrtenaster and readied it. "I'm better with more than just ice though." Myrtenaster's barrel spun and it landed on the green dust barrel.
But I don't intend to suffer any longer
Here's where your dominion falls apart
Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground and out of it sprouted roots that started to break the ice around her on the ground, Yukio stomped her foot down more, fighting it as Weiss stood up and switched her weapon's dust again.
I'm shattering the mirror,
That kept me split in pieces,
That stood between my mind and my heart
It was now on burn dust as she then slashed outwards with it, creating a wave of fire that Yukio tried to block but was knocked back by, knocking her to the ground.
This is where I'll start!
Yukio sat up, her hair looking messed up and disheveled now as her calm demeanor was now gone. "GRAB HER NOW!" she demanded angrily as the soldiers aimed their weapons at Weiss again, who turned her attention towards them. She was surrounded.
"There's no way I can take them all." Weiss grunted in annoyance as she took a step back.
"You're not going anywhere Weiss Schnee!" Yukio laughed, picking herself up off of the ground. "You're staying here in Atlas, whether you want to or not! I'll make sure your father locks you in your room and no one can come in!" she started to freeze the ground again, this time the ice was starting to creep up Weiss's legs, trapping her in place now.
"And I gotta say I liked you better when you weren't so angry looking!" a familiar voice interjected from the distance.
A sound wave fired out of a familiar trumpet that launched a few of the soldiers into the air several feet away, or knocked them into others.
Neon Katt and Flynt Coal approached with Neon cracking her Nunchucks that were now glowing orange. She then slammed them into the ice Weiss was encased in and smiled to her. "HIYA WEISS!" Neon smiled.
"Flynt? Neon? Why are you here?!" Weiss asked.
"Let's just say someone's lookin' out for ya." Flynt smirked, adjusting his hat before turning towards Yukio and the soldiers who were now standing themselves up.
"I know you two. You're students at Atlas! What would General Ironwood say if I reported you two raising up arms against one of his specialists?!" Yukio threatened.
"Well, he'd no doubt be more disappointed in you. After all, allocating Atlas resources for a private security job like this? That's a big no-no for the General right now." Flynt shook his head. "We're the Atlas Military, not Atlas Private Security." he chuckled.
"You wouldn't dare." Yukio grit her teeth.
"Oh but we TOTALLY would!" Neon laughed.
The disheveled Specialist turned towards her soldiers. "Fire on them, don't let them escape!" she demanded as her soldiers opened fire on the three.
"Weiss, Go." Flynt insisted.
"But you guys." Weiss frowned.
"It's alright, we'll have General Ironwood here soon, but you need to leave before that, because he's not letting any ship leave Atlas." Flynt explained as Neon was busy diverting enemy fire. "Now then, if you'll excuse me." he played his trumpet again as Weiss nodded and ran into the entrance to the hangar now.
Yukio narrowed her eyes as Weiss entered the building and started to back away from her soldiers and start in the direction of the hangar, going around the outside.
"Okay Weiss, hangar bay four..." she muttered to herself under her breath as she looked at all the signs, walking by the other hangars that had airships and cargo ships loaded inside before finally coming to a stop at her hangar. "Klein said it's the only ship in the hangar..." she saw the cargo ship and opened the door into the hangar, approaching the pilot who was waiting right outside of the ship.
"Are you my pilot?" Weiss asked.
"Why yes, I am kid." the man chuckled. "You have my half of pay for this part of the trip?" he asked as Weiss took out a decent stack of lien cards that made his eyes go wide before he took it. "That'll due. Alright." he spoke into his headset while putting it on. "Open cargo bay door number 4."
Weiss let out a sigh of relief as she sat herself in the cargo hold of the ship while the gate started to open. However, the gate would suddenly stop.
"That's odd... Hey, did you open cargo bay door Number 4-" the pilot stopped as he then looked to Weiss. "It's the military." he glanced to her.
"What?!" Weiss stepped out of the airship and saw none other than Atlesian Specialist, Yukio Kori, standing right in front of the cargo bay gate, the mechanism for opening it was frozen shut now as she smirked.
"I told you, Weiss Schnee! You're going nowhere!" she yelled as Weiss, now gripping Myrtenaster stepped forward.
"I'll go deal with her." Weiss assured. "Then we'll leave."
Yukio screamed, freezing a large radius of the floor around her before skating towards Weiss with her rapier drawn and firing bullets out that Weiss blocked with a glyph.
Weiss then focused herself and created a Time dilation glyph below her feet before dashing past Yukio and striking her side, knocking her back. She quickly recovered and slashed upwards at Weiss, creating an ice spike out of the ground that sent the ex-heiress flying before she caught herself on a glyph and jumped to the ground, realizing what she needed to do now.
Shame that it took so long,
To rescue Me
From the guilt you used to tie me to your family tree!
Weiss created another summoning glyph as Yukio started to attack her, and she had to return her focus towards dodging. She then remade the glyph behind herself.
I guess your training failed,
You're not in charge,
I'm free
Your patriarchal prison won't hold me!
Weiss now dodged all the attacks Yukio was throwing her way, all of her thrusts, slashes and gunfire before her glyph glowed brighter than it had before and Yukio's eyes widened.
Now this conversation's fin'ly over
Mirror, Mirror now we're done!
A large summoned Suit of armor flew out of the Glyph and towards Yukio, who backflipped away from it as it landed in front of Weiss, it appeared to be just as tall as her.
I've pulled myself together now,
My mind and heart are one!
The Arma Gigas Summon nodded to Weiss, taking it's sword out of another glyph that appeared out of the ground. She then charged forward, boosting her own speed with a time dilation glyph as her and her summon approached Yukio, who had her rapier raised up defensively.
Finally One!
Yukio gasped as many propulsion glyphs appeared around her, as Weiss then launched herself at Yukio, her Arma Gigas vanishing as it dashed as well before briefly reappearing on Yukio's flank and slashing at her the same time Weiss did.
I'M NOT YOUR PET
NOT ANOTHER THING YOU OWN,
I WAS NOT BORN GUILTY OF YOUR CRIMES!
Weiss kept bounding off of her glyphs and slashing through Yukio's defenses despite her best efforts to shield herself from the impending attacks. making her stagger and stumble around as each hit impacted. The Arma Gigas would appear to attack Yukio's open side, mirroring Weiss's own attacks with it's sword and knocking Yukio's rapier from her hands.
YOUR RICHES AND YOUR INFLUENCE CAN'T HOLD ME ANYMORE,
I WONT BE POSSESSED,
BURDENED BY YOUR ROYAL TEST,
I WILL NOT SURRENDER
THIS LIFE IS MINE!
After Weiss bounded off the last Glyph she was in front of Yukio, whom had encased herself in a barrier of ice entirely. The Arma Gigas appeared in front of her and slashed upwards with it's sword and shattered Yukio's barrier of ice, also knocking her into the air as Weiss then used a propulsion glyph to boost herself into the air before landing on a gravity well glyph that aimed her at Yukio before she then turned it into a propulsion one and launched herself at Yukio with her rapier pointing forward, hitting her and sending her flying into the mechanism she froze shut.
The ice shattered and Yukio fell forward onto the ground, her aura shattering as she held her gut in pain before Weiss walked back into the airship.
"Let's go now." Weiss insisted as the pilot nodded, closing the cargo hold doors and the ship took off.
"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Yukio lamented as she sat herself down, watching the ship fly off into the distance.
Weiss took a deep breath as she leaned back on the window, watching as Atlas and the Schnee manor would shrink away from her line of sight.
Commentary: Here we have Weiss's finale for this Volume. I admit, I had a lot of fun writing out this finale fight and using the rest of "This Life is Mine" for it. Neon and Flynt giving Weiss the assist was fun, and Weiss actually winning a 1 on 1 fight was neat, although still not the first time she has one a 1v1 fight with someone if you'll remember back to Volume 1 of my rewrite where she beat Ruby.