Hey everyone.

Sorry I've been away too long. Virtually there's two reasons. The first is that I've been extremely busy trying to find a job to no avail. So it's been kind rough with going around town everywhere, applying online, etc. Worst of all, a majority don't even send replies back as to whether you've been hired or rejected, so I end up waiting forever with no word or anything, and even when I try to message back I usually don't get a response back.

In short, trying to find a job sucks ass right now.

The other reason was because I intentionally let time drag out when Volume 7 of RWBY was coming to close. This means I waited for the season to be over first before proceeding. Why? As most of you know, I try to work this story as 30-40% cannon, and 60-70% original content. As such, it means I kinda need to carefully keep track of what happens in the show, particularly when it comes to season finales.

So, does this mean anything changed? Yes and no. I had a set road map for volume 7, and given how the season ended, I obviously needed to change things around a little or update the timeline of events, where I did all of the above.

Aside from that, I was also kind of sick this weekend, so I found myself sleeping quite a lot or sitting in hot baths.

I'll try to update on a weekly basis, Sunday at best, or Monday at the latest. It'll be tough with all the job searching, but oh well.

Well, that's it from me. Again, sorry for the long wait guys. I'll try to be better about it in the coming days and have a more consistent update schedule.

So with that, let's begin.


(~Eclypse mental speech~)

(*Navara mental speech*)


Chapter 63: The Grimm Reaper and The Bear

«»


"Well now… It seems you're quite famous."

"Not even…" Dante immediately retorted, "He was probably puffing it all up."

"You should read more then." Noland replied, "Avery Davis isn't some mediocre reporter. He's earned his fame and recognition through dedicated hard work and an avaricious need to understand the truth of matters. Without real truth, people won't be able to begin coming to an understanding of the world around them. Davis' goal in retrospect is to provide us with as much truth as he can discover."

"So he's popular because he tells the truth, huh? Politicians must hate him."

"They do. Many a politician or noble has either tried to smear his name or prove his claims false. However, in the end, the evidence always piled up. It's why for the most part politics in this era has been conducted in a cleaner fashion."

"So what you're saying is that he's not only trustworthy, but that he's not tooting his own horn? Well… I guess that's good to know."

"You don't seem like the type to like being in the spotlight, but it would be beneficial to have Avery Davis on your side. Especially since it seems he believes in you a great deal." Noland stated, "Besides… If what he said is true, then having someone with influence on your side would be necessary. Especially once we move on to Atlas. If you've become as well known as he claims, then you'd likely be a threat to some of the shadier types."

"If we try and work with Ironwood, and I'm well-known like I am now…"

"There might be some that will try and besmirch your name more than likely. Such is the way of petty nobles." Noland shrugged, "Which is why I also advise you keep your… relations a well-guarded secret."

Dante glared at the young man briefly, Noland smiling in response.

"We may not have issue with your activities, but it provides others with unsavory thoughts a means to try and pick you apart."

It's not so much that he didn't know that fact, he just didn't care all too much. Such things like reputation or renown didn't matter to him all that much. But really… he was more concerned about how types like Noland mentioned would go after the others. That'd present a real problem.

And then the devil would have to get his hands seriously messy.

A moment later, Dante could feel some stirring in the bundle of cloth he was holding, bringing it up to see the small dragon girl sleeping peacefully.

"Have you thought of a name?"

"Hmm?"

"If she had her own name, it's one that died with the individual that previously protected her. So… shouldn't you come up with a new name for the little one?"

A name… He didn't really think about it at the time.

"No, I didn't…"

A name… He wasn't all that great with coming up with names or anything important like that, but…

"Kianna… I guess…"

"Hmmm… I suppose that's suitable." Noland shrugged, "After all, some tales of old place dragons in the East."

The East… Just hearing the name reminded Dante of the Apparition World. It was a whole alternate realm that was solely eastern based with an "ancient times" feel to it all. The various journeys he and Inuba had in just two years alone… It was without doubt memorable.

"I guess we'll see if she likes it when she wakes up."

Noland smirked, eyes lighting up a little as if he remembered something.

"I've been meaning to ask something for a time now, though I've only just remembered."

"What is it?" Dante asked.

"I heard a rather strange tale from the others. Rather, from Ms. Valkyrie."

"And this tale might be..?"

"About Ms. Kitsukami. I've heard tales that she is stronger than you, but… There seems to be an inconsistency. Comparing your Aura Signatures, you seem to be the stronger one, if only by a small leap."

"Hmph… Raw power isn't everything, Noland. If anything, Nora was right. Inuba is a great deal stronger than I am. Frankly… I've never won a fight against her. Well, if we count last month, then I guess that's the first time I ever beat her, though the circumstances were extenuating." Dante spoke.

"Oh? Now this is interesting. Please tell me more."

"Well… It's a pretty hefty set of circumstances… Where to begin…" Dante thought aloud, "I guess her family history would be a good place."

Seeing they were on the main road towards the house, the devil took a moment to pause, exhaling as he did.

"Inuba's father, Tenma, actually used to be a human before he sacrificed his life to protect Kareina, Inuba's mother. By means of his sacrifice, he was reborn as a kitsune by Dakini's power, and would shortly marry Kareina and have children a few centuries later."

"What of Tenma's human origins?" Noland asked, lightly plunging his cane in the snow to rest his hands.

"It's here where it's a little messy. If I heard the old man correctly… he said he's a descendant of Okita Souji, or rather, Okita Souji's direct blood relative."

"And this Okita Souji was..?"

"The greatest swordsman to ever exist in the world. Or rather… the greatest swordswoman to ever exist."

"Fascinating… But what exactly is the problem then?"

"Well… The problem is Okita Souji died young, and never married. That means she never had any sort of children. So how is it that she's survived by her grandson, and her other descendants, like Inuba?"

"I would assume some form of magecraft?"

"And you'd be right." Dante stated, "Before Okita was buried, some of her blood was harvested by a mage. In an experiment of some sort, he artificially created a human life form. He would then raise her as his daughter, where she would then marry a feudal lord and have a son, Tenma."

"I see… But was this Okita Souji really so great?"

"You kidding me? She was the absolute best, and an extremely terrifying combatant."

"How do you know?"

"Well… One of my jobs had me traveling to a World where figures from history were summoned as familiars known as Heroic Spirits. Since I didn't belong to that world's history, we sort of brute forced my summoning by inlaying the history of 'me' from my world into that one that was a well concealed piece of history, which allowed me to be summoned."

"And what were you summoned as?"

"A Grand Avenger. Avengers in general were an extra class that normally wouldn't have been able to be summoned, but… It so happened that Humanity's Last Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka was able to circumvent this with the already extraordinary circumstances happening at the time, and summoned many Extra Class servants on her journey. As you can imagine, Grand Servants are the ultimates of their kind, and can't be summoned by anyone."

"Then how were you summoned?"

"The Throne of Heroes summons Servants at times in order to prevent the destruction of Humanity as needed. These Servants are either Counter Force Guardians, or Grand Servants. Even though I had the quality to be summoned as many different classes, Avenger was predetermined for me, where we further cheated the system a little and forced The Throne to have Fujimaru Ritsuka summon me as a Grand Servant. My power though was limited intentionally unless we were faced with dire circumstances beyond all hope."

"How come?"

"If I'm being frank… Avenger class Servants are absolutely powerful and extremely dangerous. It wouldn't be a far cry to call them the ultimate Servant class type. In my case of being a Grand Avenger, I had my power intentionally restricted."

"I see… And this is all relevant because..?"

"Well, human history over there compared to human history in my World isn't entirely different. Of course, there's glaring differences, but a lot of historical happenings and events are the same before reaching the 2020 decade."

"Hmmm… That would mean you personally had the chance to fight alongside Okita Souji as a comrade then."

"That I did, along with sparring with her on occasion. And let me tell you… I have never been more afraid of fighting someone than fighting with either Inuba or Okita Souji. Okita... She's… just on a whole other level in terms of skill." Dante awkwardly smiled, remembering the duels he had with the brilliant swordswoman, "Her higher up, Hijikata Toshizo, told me once to never mimic her swordwork, since it wasn't swordplay and something else entirely different."

"Mimic?"

"My way of fighting used to be rather twisted when I was in a mood. I'd directly copy someone's weapon and copy their movements to combat them and beat them. What better way to eradicate someone's hope than by beating them at their own game and doing it better than them, right?" Dante shrugged.

"Rather twisted indeed…" Noland agreed, "So if I'm to discern everything correctly, you mean to say that being a direct relative to the Okita Souji of your World, Inuba Kitsukami has inherited Okita Souji's skill and ferocity in battle?"

"That's right. Her own abilities, along with the battle traits she inherited from Okita Souji, her great grandmother, have shaped Inuba into one of the greatest and most dangerous swordswomen to ever exist. Though, that's only when she's fighting seriously of course."

"I see… So of all the times the two of you have sparred, you never fought seriously?"

"We fought seriously, of course. But our duels would either end in draws, or with her defeating me after an insane battle of attrition. In fact… I think she's completely beaten me ten times now. I never once won a fight until recently. Though… I can't really call that a fight."

Noland hummed briefly as he looked up at the sky.

"So as to whether or not Ms. Kitsukami or you is the stronger one…"

"Undecided by the general public." Dante shrugged, "And frankly, neither of us care about that kind of stuff. Though if I had to decide, I'd say she's the stronger one, even though she's a little weaker right now in terms of our Aura Signatures. Remember this Noland."

Dante pointed towards his ally, making sure he could see him.

"Picking a fight with Inuba would be your first and last mistake. Especially if she decides to fight you seriously."

"I'll keep that in mind…"

"HEY! BOYBAND DUO!"

Noland and Dante looked up in the sky, seeing Tâz scatter a few black feathers as he flew overhead and in front of them.

"So I went on ahead like you asked me to, and…"

"And what?" Dante asked sternly.

"Well, they ain't there anymore."

"The hell do you mean they're not there anymore?!"

"As in they packed up and left, ya dumb pretty boy!"

The devil's hand immediately shot out and caught the bird by the neck, holding it in front of him.

"Want me to cook you, you shitty turkey?"

All the small Nevermore could do was squawk distressfully until Dante let it go, allowing it to take flight again.

"They leave a note or something?"

"I don't freaking know! All I know is the shed was open, and the cart along with Blondie's ugly bike were gone too!"

"What about tracks?" Noland asked.

"Tracks? Tracks… Oh yeah! There were some on the road we came on!"

"If they're on the road, then-"

The duo looked beneath their feet, seeing that they were on the main road they came in on when heading towards the farm. Moments later, they heard the rumbling of a motor in the distance, Dante narrowing his eyes to focus past the treeline.

Sure enough, Yang was at the front with her motorcycle, carrying the rest in a cart hitched to her bike. Ruby was closer to the front, so when she looked further ahead, her eyes immediately went wide as she smiled, waving at Dante erratically that her hand became a blur.

The devil let out a sigh of relief walking forward and waving back as Yang's bike came to a slow halt.

"What the hell happened guys? Did you get attacked?" Dante Asked, checking to see if everyone was present.

"In a manner of speaking." Inuba spoke as she leapt out of the cart, "There were Grimm in the sewer system underneath the establishment. Apathy."

"Apathy? What the heck were they doing down there?" Dante asked, "They give you guys that much trouble?"

"There was like a whole buttload of them down there! It was scary!" Ruby noted.

"Like something out of a horror film…" Weiss added.

Apathy on their own are extremely weak. Nothing too serious or major. But like all weaker enemies, in crowds their danger level can increase radically if one isn't careful. And given their ability if used in mass…

"Inuba and Ruby really saved us there…" Blake commented, leaned back against a wall of the cart.

"W-We didn't do much!" Ruby waved off.

"Ruby, you shot beams out of your eyes and turned 'em to ash." Yang said from her bike, "That's doing quite a lot."

"You shot lasers out of your eyes?" Dante asked, completely perplexed.

Ruby's head tilted to and fro a few times in contemplation, but she quickly nodded soon after.

"Cool. Someone record it?" Dante asked the group.

"If only I had thought of bringing up my Scroll to record film footage during a battle." Inuba rolled her eyes with a smile.

The young devil chuckled lightly, freezing as soon as the "baggage" behind him shifted and cooed. Inuba heard, and immediately peeked behind him as Dante drew away, trying to conceal what he was carrying. The kitsune however was persistent and made to move, making Dante flinch as the kitsune blurred behind him and took hold of the bundled cloth.

"WAIT!" Dante called out, making everyone freeze, "Before you open that, I just want everyone to know that I'm innocent."

With that warning out of the way, Inuba slowly unbundled the cloth and gasped as she saw the little dragon girl, her eyes blinking open and staring at the fox girl with sparkling curiosity. That gaze, and the cute tiny face staring back immediately melted Inuba's heart quicker than she could melt steel with her flames.

The same could also be said for Ruby and the others as they cooed in awe of the little girl.

Dawn too was caught in a trance, but she immediately shot her brother a disappointed look.

"Brother…"

"I told you I'm innocent, damn it!"

"Where did you find her?" Inuba asked, cradling Kianna like a natural.

"Out in the sticks where we crashed at an abandoned sanctuary overnight. Her, uh… previous caretaker didn't make it."

"So? What do you plan on doing with her kiddo?" Athyra asked, leaning over the cart.

"It might be irresponsible of me to say this, but… I want to keep her with us. Aside from being attached to me now, she's…"

Before he could finish, Dante felt a tiny hand brush against his coat, prompting him to turn around and see the young girl desperately reaching for him. He chuckled, extending his hand out towards her as she clutched his finger.

"Well, she's pretty darn cute, isn't she?" the devil asked as he tilted his head back at everyone.

Kianna giggled as she held onto Dante's finger, making everyone else's heart melt as he took her back into his arms.

"What's her name?" Weiss asked.

"I decided on Kianna." Dante shrugged.

The little girl, seemingly content with the name, clapped her hands together as she giggled once more.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Dante spoke up, "I managed-"

"Fear no longer good people!" Navâra spoke up, having appeared out of thin air and standing on the back edge of the cart, "For your Empress Navâra is now here!"

Everyone sat in stunned silence as they looked on at the proud empress, hands still stuck in the air in her proud pose.

"That's Navâra." The devil pointed out, "She's an Empress of the kingdom we found underground."

"Why good Dante, it simply isn't any ordinary kingdom!" She pouted, placing her hands on her hips, "For I hail from the legendary kingdom of Romantia!"

"That's impossible!" Weiss spoke up, "Romantia is a myth in storybooks!"

"No, it's pretty real. Noland and I spent the night down there." Dante explained.

"He speaks the truth." The young man added, "It was an unexpected find, but still very much a surprising diamond in the rough."

"Precisely!" The blonde Empress spoke, "Though my glorious kingdom may have fallen, I have not! And so..!" With an effortless jump and flip, Navâra landed next to her Wielder, "With my curiosity of the new world having grown insatiable, I have decided to follow good Dante on his journey, and become one of his Blades!"

"His Blade?" Ruby and Inuba asked simultaneously.

"She's like me." Eclypse spoke as she appeared in a burst of platinum Aura, "A being capable of taking on the shape of a weapon. Unfortunately, she's very useful given her abilities, so we decided to bring her along."

"Indeed, fellow Blade! My usefulness is astoundingly great!" Navâra said, laughing heartily for a few moments, "So there you have it, good friends of Dante. Rejoice, for the Seventh Empress of Romantia, Navâra Calîxus has graced you with her presence! You have nothing to fear now with me protecting you! Hahahahaha!"

Everyone but Dante and Noland were in stunned silence.

"So there you have it. I've now got two awesome swords." Dante noted, gesturing with two fingers.

"And here we thought Eclypse was the only one of her kind…" Inuba contemplated.

"As we all saw for ourselves, the Age of the Brother Gods was full of magic and wonders beyond our comprehension." Noland stated to everyone, "Frankly, it'd be more surprising if we don't see more of Eclypse and Navâra's kind with the current state of the World."

"So you're saying there could be more of them out there?!" Ruby exclaimed, "I wonder if there's one that can transform into a scythe!"

"Possibly." Noland shrugged, "I assume the way to Argus is secure?"

"If you mean we can get there in the afternoon, then sure." Yang told him, "If we'll get attacked by anything on the way, well..."

"Let's not stand around any longer then." Dante said, prompting Eclypse and Navâra to vanish once more as he climbed into the cart with Noland, Inuba and Ruby.

A moment after, Yang's bike revved to life as she took off, carrying everyone through the snow as they quickly moved down the road.

"How did so many Apathy get down there..?" Ruby commented.

"The underground was completely isolated, so they couldn't have wandered in." Inuba added.

"If I'm reading this right, the Bartleby estate was hemorrhaging money towards the end of its life." Oscar spoke up, reading from the pages of what looked like a log book, "He wanted to cut costs on Huntsman protection, but in order to do that, he needed everyone calm... always. So he lured two of them to the waterway and trapped them down there."

"The next page also proves that the rest of the pack followed their missing pair all the way home. My guess is they made their way beneath the estate through the water tunnels that Bartleby sealed up the next morning." Maria added.

"Hmph… I guess his plan worked in the end." Noland shrugged, "No one became angry, or sad, or scared. And then… no one was anything. A smart plan, but full of repercussions and foolishly executed."

"People do stupid things when they're scared or want to find a solution quickly." Dante stated, "They just don't think about consequences."

"Speaking of those Grimm… Miss Calavera? How do you know so much about the Grimm?" Ruby asked, "And in the tunnels, you knew exactly what to say to make me... to make my eyes do that. How?"

"Well, isn't it obvious, girl?" The old woman smiled, "I had Silver Eyes."


For the last few minutes, Maria Calavera recanted her story to the teens of her past exploits, and the last encounter she had with a bandit that ended her Huntress career.

"And that was the end of that… Afterwards, I went into hiding and simply stayed like that."

"I can't believe it. You... You're the Grimm Reaper, you were a legend!" Qrow exclaimed, "And then you disappeared…"

"How exactly does a legend just disappear?" Oscar asked.

"You never used your name, never showed your face. Lots of us thought you were just layin' low. Eventually, we just came to accept that you were probably dead." Qrow added, "But the stories about you... I based my weapon off of yours. I wanted to be as good as the Grimm Reaper."

Well, I'm nothing but a disappointment, so you're well on your way." Maria coyly smiled.

"How can you say that?" Blake asked.

"Child, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end. But after I lost my eyes, I only ever looked after myself. Even after my surgery, I was too afraid to fight. Afraid someone would find me again, finish what the others started. You shouldn't aspire to be like me." She said, looking in Dante's direction, "Especially when some of you are clearly stronger already."

The young devil smirked briefly as he rolled his eyes. He had power, certainly, but he never really considered himself all too strong.

Even if his exploits contradicted the entire fabric of such a claim.

"It's comforting to see that your generation is more up to the task of inheriting this world. I'm just sorry I didn't do more to leave it in better shape."

"Well, maybe you can do something now." Ruby said to the older woman, "Teach me to use my powers the way you did."

Just as she said this, the little reaper's Scroll began to ring, surprising everyone as Yang stopped her bike.

"It's Jaune!"

"How?" Weiss asked.

"Hello?"

"Ruby! Oh, thank you! I've been checking my Scroll for your signal since we made it to the city!"

"The city? Wait…"

Ruby looked to the signal connection on her Scroll, watching it increase as she pointed her Scroll toward the road ahead. The group then saw a hill where the snow ended, Yang proceeding forward to drive them up the hill. At the top of the hill, everyone saw a walled city in the distance alongside the coast of the ocean.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived in Argus."

As she said this, a roar was heard, and the group looked to the side to see an Ursa fly in and tumble through the snow. When it stopped, it looked at the group and roared, intent to attack them.

But just as it clambered onto its feet, a huge woodcutting axe flew in at rapid speed, embedding itself deep into the Grimm's skull to kill it instantly. It's huge body slumped down into the snow as the group looked on in surprise, spotting a man emerging from the woodworks.

The man himself was amazingly immense, just as huge if not a little bigger than the Ursa he just killed. He wore a pair of simple blue jeans, thick brown boots a white shirt, and a light brown vest seemingly made from animal leather lined with fur along the collar. His spiky black hair was somewhat swept back, a red headband holding back his hair as his crimson eyes peered over the group, a huge smile on his young face.

"Well well, and here I thought I was the only out here. Good morning to ya kids!"

"Um… Morning?" Yang awkwardly waved back.

"Don't ind me. I was out hunting and this Ursa wasn't being all too friendly." He pointed towards the disintegrating corpse as he effortlessly ripped his axe free, "So I took care of him. Glad I did before you guys showed up!"

Dante peeked over the cart, staring at the man as he stared back, almost surprised to see the young devil.

Black hair and red eyes… He matches…

"Say… Any of you kids interested in a friendly fight?"

"A fight?" Blake asked.

"Yeah. You all look pretty strong, and I'm always interested in having a good old fight with anyone willing. So how about it? Any takers?"

"Um… We've been out there in the wild for a good while, so…" Ruby said, trying to politely decline.

"Is that so… Unfortunate…"

"I'll give it a go." Dante spoke up, raising his hand briefly, "But like she just said, we've been out there for a while. So I'd like to rest up a little beforehand."

"Fair enough, kid. You can find me at the Roaring Boar. We'll figure it out from there."

"Cool."

Dante nodded to Yang, who started her bike as she drove them in further towards town, passing the man as he waved at them.

"Why are you always looking for some sort of fight?" Weiss asked.

"Because it's fun to test yourself against different kinds of people." Dante replied, "Besides, he might give me a golden axe or something as a trophy."

"Honestly… You can be so ridiculous sometimes…"

"My way of life summed up perfectly." Dante said with a smile, looking back from the cart at the man in the distance.

The young devil could see him, and he knew the man was looking straight back at him, an eager smile on his face.

It seemed he really was that eager to fight someone. But Dante wasn't going to fight that man for simple partakement of joy.

When he won, he hoped he would get some answers from him.


"Why are you going to fight that guy?" Blake asked.

"Hmm?" Dante looked up from playing with Kianna, "Cause it's fun."

"We all know you don't pick fights with people at random for fun. At least, not most of the time." Weiss said, "What's the real reason?"

"If you really must know…" Dante looked over to Ruby, who jumped as soon as their eyes met, "You might understand, right?"

It took the little reaper a few moments, but her eyes lit up a moment after.

"He looks like-!"

"Exactly." Dante pointed out, "The features are distinctly obvious, if you pay attention enough."

"I'm still lost here… What's happening?" Oscar asked.

"Story for another time. Besides, we're here."

As Dante spoke, he sat himself upright to better view the town of Argus, placing Kianna in his lap as she gnawed on his fingers playfully.

Argus was seemingly made up of stone and wood houses that scattered the entire coast line, which was buried in a blanket of snow. For the young devil, the town actually reminded him of one of those really homey and old fashioned ski resorts, only on an insanely huge scale.

I bet this place would look like a summer resort once the heat kicks in.

Once the motorcycle came to a halt, everyone hopped out, allowing Yang to lock Bumblebee and the trailer in a garage.

Everyone took the opportunity to take in their surroundings, as even Navâra and Eclypse appeared to examine the sights of Argus. But as they leisurely looked about, they were shortly interrupted by a familiar hyperactive girl they knew all too well.

"Cute! Boy! OZ!"

Oscar looked over in confusion, only to get tackle hugged by a wild Nora Valkyrie.

"Oh, come here!"

As Oscar was busy being crushed to death, Jaune and Ren were close behind, giving their own round of hugs to everyone.

"Are you all okay?" Ren asked.

"We were so worried!"

"It's been kind of a crazy trip…" Ruby told them

"Crazy doesn't even describe it…" Dante stated.

"Wait, who's the old lady?" Nora asked, "And who's the fancy girl?"

"Why I'm glad you asked! I-!"

"She's a noble that joined us on our journey." Dante quickly answered, cutting off Navâra.

The small Empress pouted with her hands on her hips, the young devil nervously chuckling.

Later, Empress. I know you want to take your time to properly introduce yourself, but right now we just got back. Just wait a little longer.

*Mmmmm… Very well, good Dante! I will allow it this time. We shall make with the merriment at a later time!*

~Or never. You'll bore everyone to sleep before you even get a fourth of the way through your intro.~

*Now now fair Eclypse, there's no need to be jealous of my gloriously appealing demeanor! It's simply a matter of natural beauty is all!*

Dante could hear Eclypse growl inside his head as she towered over Navâra, the two challengingly locking eyes.

Just as the young devil sighed, Nora's attention suddenly fell on Dante as she gasped loudly, looking at the small child in Dante's arms.

"Who is this preciously adorable cutie?!" She asked, rubbing her cheek against the tiny dragon child's cheek.

Given the giggling, Kianna seemed pleased with the attention as Nora cooed happily with the young girl.

But the hammer wielder froze suddenly, pulling away to look between Kianna and Dante a few times, then between the little girl and Inuba, an expression of shock on her face.

"Um… Congratul-?"

"I-It's not like that Ms. Valkyrie!" Inuba quickly defended, flailing her hands, "T-The time frame is just impossible!"

"But you look so alike…"

Dante held up Kianna in one hand while he used the other to point out the very distinct differences, namely the black dragon wings, small scaly tail, and pitch black horns that stuck out slightly from her white hair.

The young dragon also thought it appropriate to pose, raising her small arms in the air above her head with a prideful expression on her face as she spanned her tiny wings.

"Still looks pretty similar."

Nora was annoyingly right to some extent. She did share some of Inuba's features, namely the white as snow hair and crimson eyes with slitted black pupils.

"In any case, we're glad you're all safe." Ren said, thankfully coming to the rescue.

"You're gonna love this place!" Nora added.


While talking on the way, the group got on a trolley and traveled through the city to their destination. Qrow, Athyra and Maria were having their own conversation at the back, with the women clearly poking at the veteran huntsman.

Everyone else was closer to the front, further examining the city in awe.

"Hmmm… And here I thought this place would be smaller…" Dante said.

"From what I read, it's actually one of the largest non-capital cities in all of Remnant." Dawn explained to her brother.

"No way!" Ruby exclaimed, "But wait, wouldn't it be harder to settle something this big away from the main Kingdom?"

"Well, it was, until Mantle showed up." Jaune explained, "Early settlement attempts by Mistral didn't go well. But colonists from Mantle were able to help them brave the cold climate and return for goods that Solitas couldn't provide."

Ren continued for Dawn, "The two nations worked together to create a hybrid city. While it falls under Mistral domain, Atlas keeps a military presence here to help keep the people safe and keep trade between the two nations steady."

"Well, until recently that is…" Nora added.

The trolley came to a stop and everyone began hopping off, standing in front of a rather large and cozy home.

"We should probably start looking for a ship." Blake said.

"We'll find a ship later. Right now we take a break. Actually… Jaune?" Dante spoke.

"What's up?"

"Where's Blaire? And my sister and brother?"

"Oh, uh, your brother and sister rented out the house next to where we're staying. I think Ciel and Musashi are on a date right now, and Leo and the Lianna twins are working on some weird project. Blaire went to the gym earlier to get some exercise in."

"That's good to hear." Dante exhaled in relief.

"Where have you guys been staying?" Oscar asked.

"Uh…"

The nervous chuckle gave Jaune away as to him being rather embarrassed about what he was going to say next. Which is why it wasn't so surprising that he jumped upon hearing an approaching woman's voice.

"There you are!"

As the trolley left the group, a blonde woman carrying a baby in her arms was seen on the other side of the street waving to Jaune. And with her blue eyes.

Hmm… Is that..?

"Hey, Saph." Jaune smiled and waved back.

Ruby zoomed in all starry-eyed, looking back and forth between Jaune and Saphron, gasping upon realizing who the woman is.

"Saph, this is my friend Dante."

"Ah, so you're the famous Dante huh?" The blonde woman said looking him over, "I swear Jaune said you were shorter than he is…"

"Did he now..?" The devil glared with a fake smile at the blond knight, who quickly stepped behind his sister, "I'm happy to report that mr. Pumpkin Pete hoodman is sadly wrong."

"Haha, he's still wearing that?!"

"It's basically a collector's item!" Jaune defended, causing Dante to chortle briefly while his sister laughed at him.

"In any case, it's good to meet another one of Jaune's friends. Let's settle in first and we can talk more."


"I can't believe I'm meeting your sister! I have so many questions..!" Ruby said.

"Oh, I can give you the rundown later!" Nora told her.

"Will you guys knock it off?"

"What? I love telling stories about my baby brother." Saphron said as she squeezed Jaune's cheek.

Jaune groaned as he flailed his arms at his elder sister, "I am not a baby! That is a baby!" He pointed to Adrian, "And that is a baby!" He pointed to the dragon girl.

Both toddlers looked to Jaune, Adrian huffing at him while Kianna turned her nose at the blonde knight.

Before they could return to playing with Inuba's soft and fluffy fox tails, they were immediately encroached upon by Yang and Weiss, who set to work on pampering them.

"Aww, you're both so cute! Yes you are! Oh, look at your little face! And your cute little wings and tail!"

"Aww, coochie-coochie! Aw, baby! Oh my!"

"So Saphron, you're the only Arc living here?" Blake asked.

A picture on the bookshelf of the Arc siblings all together could be seen the young devil as he glanced at it briefly, smiling as he saw the young Jaune at the center with pigtails and a deadpan expression while holding a sign that says "HELP" on it while his sisters did various crazy things around him.

"Yep! Moved the second I could. Jaune and I are the only two living away from home. I guess he just wanted to be like his big sis!" She teased.

"I, uh…"

Jaune could only groan in response, unable to defend himself.

"Aw, you didn't deny it!"

The two siblings immediately set to a play fight with each other by pulling the other's cheeks. Their fight ended though when a door opened, and a dark-haired woman with glasses walked in with bags of groceries.

"Oh! Everyone, this is my wife, Terra Cotta."

"Hey." Dante waved.

"Good evening." Inuba politely nodded.

"Hello!" Ruby added.

"Why, hello there everyone! Wow, quite a party!" She said before looking to her spouse, "You weren't kidding when you said we'd have company. Can I get some help please?"

Saphron quickly ran over to help Terra in the kitchen, Jaune, Ren and Nora entering after them.

"You sure it's alright if we stay with you?" Dante asked, "I mean, I'm boarding up with my siblings next door, but is it alright for everyone else to stay too?"

"Of course, we're happy to house Huntsmen and Huntresses! Especially the famous Dante!"

"W-What do you mean?" The devil asked in surprise.

"Well, aside from catching your popular fights in the Vytal festival, Avery Davis has been writing some really great articles about you!" Saphron answered.

So he's already working his magic, huh? Great…

"You and your friends all risk so much to keep people like us safe. It's the least we can do. Especially for you as well." Terra said looking to Qrow, "Although, I will say I was surprised to learn you had students helping you. Is that even... legal?"

Qrow, not paying attention, had his arm bumped by Athyra.

"Uh, of course. Think of it as an extended training mission. Trust me, I was a professor. Even went to the same academy as them. Let me tell ya, these kids are way better than we were at their age. Especially that one." He pointed to Dante, "That brat's a special kind of crazy."

"As expected of my idiot son." Athyra pointed out, slapping Qrow's back forcefully to make him guffaw.

Jaune, Ren and Nora walked back into the room moments after with plates full of sandwiches, Ruby gasping happily upon seeing them.

"He's not better than me specifically, but he's still-"

"Shut up, there's food!" Ruby quickly silenced her uncle, taking one sandwich and starting to eat.

"Can we get you anything Ms. Aetherveil?" Saphron asked.

"No thanks, hon. I'm pretty set as is, so I'll be taking a few of those sandwiches." Dante's mother said, taking a few as she said she would.

"If you eat too much, you'll get fat."

Immediately, the side of Dante's head was latched onto by his mother's free hand as she was already halfway through a sandwich, a powerful struggle ensuing between the two.

"Who are you calling fat..?! You fat headed brat..!" She said in a strained voice.

"You..! You fat headed..! Old hag!" Dante replied in an equally strained voice as he pushed back.

Saphron seemed a little shocked by the exchange, leaning over to Dawn.

"Should we stop them?"

"There'd be no point… Believe it or not, this is how they bond with one another." The sister replied as she took a sandwich, nodding politely in thanks.

Everyone eventually got a sandwich or two of their own, and heartily ate them together.

Terra's Scroll buzzed moments after, prompting her to stand up quickly with a roll of her eyes.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back."

"Everything okay?" Dante asked, feeding nibbles of a second sandwich to Kianna who sat on his lap.

"Oh, yeah, it will be." Saphron said, "Terra's a technician for the town's relay tower. Unfortunately, the military's radar system is also housed there. Guess what's been on the fritz lately and who's getting falsely blamed?"

"Me." Terra answered as she briefly peeked back in.

"So, what's your plan for tomorrow?"

"Well…" Ruby gulped as she finished her food, "We're trying to make our way to Atlas. We'll probably start with the military base."

"So… We kind of already tried that, and... it didn't go... super great…" Jaune told them.

"Surely it couldn't be that bad mr. Arc…" Dawn said.

"It's… pretty bad…"

"Well, as soon as I get back, we'll head over and see what the deal is." Dante said, finishing his own sandwich.

"Wait, where are you going?" The blonde knight asked.

"Got a meeting to attend to quickly." The devil answered, looking over to Noland, "You set?"

"Waiting on you." The dark haired young man replied, snapping his Grimoire shut with one hand as he stood up.

Dante placed Kianna on the seat he was sitting in and headed towards the doorway with Noland. Before he moved further, he felt something small tugging at him, making him turn to see the little dragon girl tugging at his coattails with a concerned look.

"Don't worry, I'll be back in a bit."

He made to leave, but she remained persistent, seemingly on the verge of tearing up. Inuba approached however, gently scooping up Kianna into her arms as she nuzzled her cheek against the little one.

"It's alright. He'll come back in a little bit. I will keep you company in the meantime."

Kianna's eyes softened up a bit as she clasped onto Inuba, nuzzling her back.

The next word that came out of her mouth however made everyone in the room jump.

"Mama!"

Inuba and Dante in particular froze as the kitsune bolted up in surprise.

"M-M-M-M-Mama?! M-Me?!"

Kianna's happy giggles and tiny hands hugging Inuba immediately buttered up the kitsune as she indulged in the gentle warmth.

"Y-Yes..! I'll be your mama!"

Everyone cooed in awe at the utterly pure sight unfolding before them, Dante turning to see Noland coyly smile at him. Annoyed, the devil pushed Noland out the door first before closing it behind him, grumbling to himself as the duo walked down the street.


"So then… Why take up the man's offer for a fight?" The dark haired teen asked.

"You should know why."

It took him a moment, but it came to Noland soon after.

"I see. You think he's one of them. The people who can use Grimm abilities."

"Each one I fought always had distinct matching traits. Black hair and red eyes." Dante started, pointing to his head, "Some went to greater lengths to hide their characteristics, like dying their hair or changing their eye color with their powers, but each time I've seen one of their kind, they consistently had those two characteristics without fail."

"It could be a coincidence."

"Dude, that guy was a freaking giant!" The young devil exclaimed, "And he killed an Ursa with a woodcutting axe!"

Noland shrugged, making Dante sigh.

"In any case, I beat him and he's probably gonna be inclined to answer some questions, whatever he can at least. If I'm gonna see more of their kind in the future, I'd like to know who I'm dealing with as much as possible."

"And given we're both suspicious of how far their reach extends, it would only be logical to learn more about them." Noland commented, "It makes one wonder who has a hand deeper into the affairs of the kingdoms."

"You mean if they have more influence than Salem, right?"

"It's likely those with the Grimm abilities we've seen so far operate separately from the control of Salem given how independent each individual seemed for the most part. Particularly this Aizûr you spoke of."

Aizûr… He had only seen him nearly a month ago, but it still seemed like it had been such a long time. Almost too long. It actually made Dante a little uncomfortable that he hadn't seen him for so long, given how shady of a character Aizûr was.

He could be watching them at this moment and the young devil likely wouldn't know it.

"In any case, the more we know the better. If this man is one of them, perhaps he may be a little loose tongued, or an outcast, making it easier to speak with him."

"That's what I'm hoping for…" Dante answered, tensing up a little as he approached the bar, and saw the man in question frantically waving at him.

"Hey there, kid! Here I thought you might've chickened out!"

Dante scoffed, "As if…"

"You brought a guest too? Well, if you need an extra to help you…"

"Oh no, I'm not fighting." Noland quickly waved off, "I'm but a guide. A supporting character in this tale at the moment. Any serious fighting is left to my friend here." He waved to Dante.

"Glad to see how much of a 'friend' you really are Noland…" The young devil spoke.

"Bwahahahaha! You two are seriously funny! You're like a comedic duo! You sure you two aren't from some sort of circus?"

Noland was the only one to smirk, but Dante sighed, stepping up closer to his would be opponent.

"So, where we doing this?"

"Over there." The giant pointed out.

The devil peeked around the man, seeing his thumb pointing towards some large plot of land that was fenced off behind the bar.

It looked like an animal pen…

*Not the most graceful place for a fight, but I suppose it's spacious enough.*

~Not every fight location will be a grand stage, tiny Empress~

*I know that much my fellow Blade! So then… How shall we approach this individual?*

That was a good question in need of answering at the moment. If this man was one of them, then a few answers were already answered.

Naturally, he would be able to move faster and hit harder than the average veteran Huntsmen or Huntress, but the next question is what he specialized in type-wise? Strength? Speed? Raw Power? A dash of two, or a sprinkle of all three?

The young devil mulled it over as he walked inside the penned area of the bar's backlot, betting his money obviously on power for starters. But even big men like him could be unnaturally fast.

~Master, I've been thinking of a new combat tactic that will aid us in battle now that we've acquired the little Empress.~

*Ooh! A strategy derived from my abilities! Do tell!*

~It's something I've only thought of now. Unfortunately I need to stay out of this fight to maintain focus, so you'll have to make do with the Empress.~

*Splendid! More opportunities to show good Dante just how amazing I am!*

~Don't get used to it.~

Dante extended his left hand, summoning Navâra in a brief flash as he gave her two quick twirls to prep himself.

~I may have designed a new tactic for defense, but I still advise not intentionally taking a hit to test it out. So maybe drop your guard just a little.~

I'll keep it in mind.

"So kid, where've you been trotting around for so long?"

Dante's eyes focused on the man as he rolled his shoulders to stretch himself out.

"What do you mean?"

"A kid like you with such an unnatural vibe to him… Brrrrrr… Gives me shivers thinking what you must've seen on the road."

"Oh you know… A villain here or there, a few scary looking monsters with mildly intimidating abilities… The usual weekly rounds."

"Ha! I like you kid." The man pointed to Dante briefly as he started stretching out his legs, "You've got a heck of a lot of confidence, I'll give you that. But you know, confidence isn't everything."

"Tell that to my friend the blonde knight."

"Hahahahaha! Funny too!" He placed his hands on his hips, looking to Dante, "You know, I'm glad you raised your hand up. I haven't had a good fight in a long time with someone actually skilled."

"We haven't even fought yet and you're calling me skilled?" The young devil questioned.

"We needn't cross blades for me to tell that much." The man raised his hand to his face, pointing to his face, "It's that look you've got in your eyes. It's the look of someone who knows how things are, and knows how to fight. It's the look of someone who's seen some seriously crazy shit and still trudges forward."

~I think that about sums it up nicely. Don't you?~

Dante smirked at Eclypse's comment, eyes trailing the ground briefly as he thought about the past.

"What about you? What's your story?" The young devil asked.

"Me? Ha! I've seen my fair share of horror and insanity. Now though? I'm just an upjump woodsman that likes his way of life and loves a good fight now and then."

"Heh… Someone I share a name with said something similar. 'A little fight now and then does make life interesting', or something like that."

"And? Who might you be, boy?"

"I'm Dante Aetherveil."

"The White Swordsman, huh? Looks like I hit the jackpot this time!" The man spoke as he cracked his knuckles.

The young devil smirked, raising up Navâra and pointing her at his opponent, who smiled widely as he reached down near the back door. He reared up what was seemingly two very large woodcutting axes, where in a smaller human's hands, they may as well have been battle axes given their size.

"Now then… Let's start!"

Without a moment's hesitation, the man lunged forward at Dante, the teen grasping his blade with both hands as he swung upwards to meet the downwards chop. He was confident in stopping the strike dead, but as soon as sword and axe made contact, the devil immediately felt a crushing weight force him downwards. Before he was completely caught, Dante changed his position to face the side and quickly leapt back, drawing Navâra back with him as he ducked a fast swipe that nearly grazed his cheek.

The man's speed was nothing special. Clearly he was faster than the average huntsman, but his power had to be incredible if he was able to overpower a counter-swing from Dante. Instead of blocking with Navâra, the young devil weaved around and leapt over the axes trying to forcefully cut him down.

It was strange though.

If he could overpower a strike from Dante, then the air currents would be stronger, more forceful. Yet in spite of fighting in the snow, the only time the white icey powder jumped up was when their feet made their movements.

Was it fine control of his power? Couldn't have been. Even Dante didn't have such fine control of his strikes to completely halt the force of his swings when he pleased. He'd be able to stop his sword, but the force from the swing would still blow through. Yet a man this size could do something like that?

It was totally suspicious.

Regardless, Dante kept dodging each attack rather than parry them, eventually finding a small opening he needed within his opponent's unrelenting strikes. Using Navâra's Light Power, the young devil surged forward with blinding speed, a streaking trail of white Aura left behind as he dashed past his opponent, cutting the side of his torso.

"Nice, very nice! You're as good as they say!"

The teen was one who rarely accepted flattery, but he did indeed smile a little, sliding a foot back before he surged forward, meshing his and Navâra's power together. His strikes became faster than they did at the start, and his legs helped the teen moved around the giant with blinding speed, leaving cuts on the man's back, chest, legs, and arms with each passing strike.

Dante's feet were already sliding across the ground towards the devil's target, but leaned back to avoid an axe swing to his neck. Avoiding the first strike, the young devil quickly brought up Navâra to block the other axe overhead, and it was here he felt the crushing weight of the giant man's strike.

Now that he had noticed something strange, he was far more attentive to the force of the strike, and realized, the force never ceased. Normally when a person swung, the initial force only occurred with the swing itself and ceased when making contact with something or someone. Afterwards, the individual is using their full body strength to overpower said person or object from the clash. But this…

This felt like the man's initial axe swing never ended, that it kept going in conjunction with the man's own strength as he worked to overpower Dante. And now that he was certain…

So that's what it is..!

Noticing the free axe coming his way, Dante extending his free hand out to catch it, regardless if the strike would overpower him. Instead, something surprising happened before the strike could reach him.

Without him willing it, a demonic spectral arm of platinum Aura flickered into existence over Dante's right shoulder. As quickly as this spectral limb appeared, its clawed fingers immediately curled into fist and cracked the giant in the face with a powerful punch between the eyes. His huge body skidded backwards on his heels from the blowback, coming to a halt a few moments afterwards as he kept his head tilted back.

The young devil watched his spectral arm dissolve, a smirk clear across his face.

So that was your counter. Good thinking Eclypse.

*As expected of my senior! Well done!*

~Your praise warms my heart, Master. And don't call me your "senior", Navâra. That makes me sound old.~

*But you are Master's first blade, therefore-!*

Guys, argue later. The Jolly Green Giant's still kicking.

"Hahahahahaha! Yes!"

Dante's eyes darted back onto the giant, who stood up straight with with the brightest smile on his face as blood trickled from his forehead and both his nostrils.

"I haven't had a fight like this in years! You're not good… you're the frickin' best!"

The young devil smiled as he stood up straight as well, "Figured out your trick."

"Oh? Did you now?"

"Normally when someone swings a weapon, it has initial force from the swing that ceases when it makes contact with something and blows through. But you… You somehow managed to make the initial force or your swings continuous like a flowing river, adding to your already freakish strength."

The giant seemed intrigued with Dante's explanation, sitting on a tree stump behind him as the teen continued his explanation.

"The force of your swings are unnaturally precise, and have almost perfect control. Taking these two things into account… I assume your Semblance allows you to have precise control of the gravity around you, making not only your strikes more powerful, but allowing you to hit an enemy with a continuous burst of force. Am I wrong?"

The giant chuckled as he stood up, "You're absolutely right! I don't think anyone's ever figured it out fully! I swing my axes and create a finely controlled burst of continuous gravitational force. That, mixed with my brutish strength makes it a bad idea to parry or block me, since I can overwhelm a person very easily if we clash."

He dropped his axes into the snow, grabbing the buckles of his animal leather jacket and unfastening them one by one. Shuffling it off, a tightly wound belt kept the lower half together, allowing the top half to fall down and cover his rear, making it look like a waist-cape.

If the general appearance wasn't enough, Dante was now sure of what the man was.

With the jacket off, the devil could see a cuirass of plated, black bone molded to the man's impressively large form, completely protecting his entire torso while offering him maximum flexibility. Even his neck was well guarded, something Dante didn't notice until now given the jacket's collar covered his whole neck.

"You are one of them…"

"One of them, huh… And what exactly do you mean by that?" The man asked with a wide smile.

"You tell me."

"Heh… You beat me, and I might tell you a thing or two. Think you can manage that, mr. Hero?"

"I know your power now, and I know how you fight. You're as good as mine."

"Am I now?!" The man broke out in a hearty laugh, holding his sides as he roared with laughter, "You've got some real guts, kid! Don't get too upset if I accidentally spill 'em!" He said as he grabbed his axes once more.

"Don't get so cocky… Because now… I'm motivated!"

Without warning, Dante dashed forward with great speed, Eclypse forming Aura swords for him as she shot them ahead at the giant. The man kept a wide smile, striking down what Aura blade he could as a few scraped his armored body and his arms.

The young devil seemingly had his opponent occupied, but the man ducked down and tore his axes through the snow, making a smokescreen of sorts. Dante expected him to strike from up above, but immediately tensed up when he saw his opponent rush straight through. Instead of leading his axes, his large leg swung through and upwards with startling speed.

Seeing no other option, Dante quickly jumped and brought in his legs, feeling his opponents foot strike the bottom of his own feet, launch him high up into the sky.

This guy's freaking insane..!

~He almost utilizes the same tactics you would. Regardless, we have him where we want him.~

Right. He still had his warping ability.

As Dante fell down towards the giant, he rained down a hail of platinum Aura Swords on his opponent, who kept striking them out of the sky. But as he kept his focus on them, he noticed Dante had vanished.

Even if he safely prevailed against the hail, he soon after felt the tip of cold steel lightly pressing into the back of his neck. The giant made no other movement, and only turned his head around to see the young devil standing behind him, firmly holding Navâra in hand.

"You mixed your real sword in that hail, huh? Not bad, kid."

The man's axes fell out of his hands, realizing he had been defeated. There was no way he could have moved fast enough to strike Dante, at least not without dying in the end.

He was completely defeated.

The young devil lowered his blade, making Navâra vanish in a brief flash as he placed his hands on his hips.

"So… Why don't we have a drink, and talk things over a little?"


Dante and the giant man finished their large gallon glass of ale, both letting out sighs as they slammed them on the table.

"Dude, you haven't even touched yours yet." The young devil looked over to Noland.

The dark haired teen looked rather intimidated by the large glass.

"I'm afraid this may be too much for me…"

"Ah, you mind?" The giant asked.

"By all means." The cane wielder waved.

With a brief laugh, the man easily grabbed the glass and went at it, drinking all of the ale in a few seconds.

"Hey, young miss! Another three if you don't mind!"

"Uh, perhaps something smaller for me." Noland pointed out.

"Ah, right. Two more ales and a juice box!"

Dante and the man laughed together, and for the first time the young devil could see a vein throbbing on Noland's head as he tried to keep up a friendly smile.

"Coffee, if you don't mind."

"Right away, Greg!" The waitress called over.

"Greg? That's your name?" Dante asked.

"Grîgôr is my real name. I added Rinû as my last name. Most people just call me Greg 'cause I asked them to."

"Grîgôr huh… Not bad. So Grîgôr… Which variant of your kind are you?"

"Ho… Getting straight to it, huh? Well if you really want to know, I'm of the Ursa variant." Greg answered.

"Which explains why you're freaking huge…" The teen commented, "So why's someone like you hiding amongst humans?"

"Hmmm… It's been so long that it's hard to remember… Ah, right!" Greg's eyes lit up, "Frankly, I wanted out. Didn't much like being told what to do. Besides that, I'm different in that I just wanted to try living a simple life."

"Ironic, considering your origins…" Dante commented as he leaned back in his seat, "What exactly are you and your kind?"

"Hey hey, I just can't tell you everything, now can I? If I did, they'd probably figure it out and come kill me." The giant said, "Besides, you're a smart kid. You probably already have the answer without me telling you."

"I have an answer, but I'm not sure if it's the right one. Which is why I thought to ask you. But I guess if you spill the beans that easily, they would have a reason to come and uproot your life."

"Mmmm… I think I'm starting to understand a thing or two now. You're more worried about if we'll do something to the world, or something like that." Grîgôr leaned onto the table, resting one of his huge arms on it, "Not all of us are monsters, kid. There are some like me who want to live amongst you all in peace doing our own thing. Then there's some of us that like fighting just because we like to fight. And then… You've got the downright mean ones, as you probably already saw for yourself."

"Here are your drinks!"

Greg shot up happily as he grabbed both mugs, handing on to Dante, "Thank you kindly, Liz!"

The waitress reached her hand to the platter, grabbing the cup of coffee and handing it to Noland, "Not a problem. Call me over if you need anything else."

Dante watched the woman walk away, making sure to scan the room to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation.

"What do you know about one of your kind by the name of Aizûr?"

Greg froze as his eyes widened in shock, ceasing to drink the ale in his hand as he slowly lowered it to the table, keeping a stern look on the young devil.

"So he's the one you encountered…" the giant sighed, "Listen, it's best you don't involve yourself with the likes of him. Aside from being seriously shady… he's just… way too different compared to us. Something is seriously wrong with that guy. Always gave me the creeps. My advice?"

Grîgôr raised up a finger as he leaned over the table to get closer to Dante.

"Stay away from him. Involve yourself with him as little as possible if you can help it."

The young devil's eyes fell onto the table briefly, narrowing in thought.

"If I can avoid it."

The giant sighed as he leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair.

"As eager as I am to give a full blown lecture on me and my kind, I'm afraid I can't say much more. Or rather, I won't say much more. For both our sakes."

"Worry about yourself." Dante pointed out as he slid out of the booth, "Thanks for what info you could give. And the drinks."

"My pleasure. You stay alive out there kid. Plenty of scary things happening out in the World. Like that witch out in the woods."

"A witch?" The devil asked as Noland stood next to him, "She kill anyone?"

"No, but there's been strange happenings going on for a while now. Things just vanishing magically, even under lock and key, brief tremors, and some rays of energy from the forest.

"Were the stolen items solely ingredients? Or valuables like lien?" Noland asked.

"Huh, now that you mention it, nothing that had monetary value was stolen. It was either plants, liquids, dust, or whatever else that wasn't money."

"All of which could be used for witchcraft, alchemy or the like." Dante noted, "Got a location?"

"Not an exact one, but… Grimm have been getting rowdy a few miles west from the gate entrance. Not just rowdy, but they've been moving in clusters. A local Huntsmen actually saw some of them getting exploded into chunks."

"Okay, likely some sort of witch then if Grimm have been spontaneously exploding. We'll take a look tomorrow." Dante waved as he and Noland made for the door.

"Good luck to ya kid! Don't get turned into some kind of frog, ya hear?"

After the duo left, Grîgôr lifted up his gallon-sized mug and took a long swig, letting out a relaxed exhale.

"Well now… I didn't expect to see you here, much less with the boy."

The giant froze as he heard that chilling voice, slowly lowering his mug to see the last person he would've wanted to be face to face with at the moment.

"What the hell are you doing here, lizard?" Greg calmly asked, a hint of hostility in his tone.

"Who, me? I was just out and about is all."

"You wouldn't come up to me if you didn't have a reason, Aizûr."

The man chuckled lightly as he pulled down his black hood, revealing a cascade of messy, black, shoulder length hair, and a young face with eyes narrowed to slits. Aside from all that, Aizûr's biggest identifying trademark was the serpent-like smile he always wore.

"Mind if I sit?"

"You'd sit anyway regardless if said no."

The young man hummed briefly as he slid into the both where Dante sat earlier, making himself comfy as he placed his hands on the table.

"You here to kill me cause I talked to the kid?"

"Goodness, no! I mean, you really didn't say much of anything either way, so I see no reason to silence you. Besides, you know I'm not a stickler for the rules." Aizûr answered.

"Then why are you here?"

"Why indeed?" The man said coyly.

It took the giant a few moments, but his eyes widened as soon as he came to a possible answer. That alone made him harshly clench the table with his large hand, making the wood creak.

"You're after the kid..!"

Aizûr's already wide smile grew even wider as he rested his chin in his palm.

"What could he have that you'd possibly want?"

"Who says I want anything from the boy? I just find him fascinating is all. It's always interesting to see what kind of mess he gets into and how he cleans it up. Aside from all that, he's pretty strong. For us, there's a sort of excitement to be had when we find someone who's as strong as us, or maybe even stronger. You of all people should understand that."

"I don't know what you're really after, but you stay away from him, you hear me? A good kid like him doesn't need some ass like you creeping in his shadow."

"Or what?"

"Or we'll have a problem." Grîgôr spoke darkly, leaning over the table slightly.

"You know, Five…" The smaller man sighed as he shifted his head up to met the gaze of the giant, his eyes opening to show blood red, serpent-like eyes menacingly staring back, "You seem to forget who you're talking to. Perhaps you've gotten stupidly full of yourself since you've been away for so long."

"Believe me, I know exactly who I'm facing down, Two." The giant spoke, "I don't care how much more Higher Grade you are. I'm warning you now, whatever you're planning to do with that kid… end it now. Or he won't be the only one you'll have to worry about."

Aizûr laughed quietly, something that quite frankly irritated Grîgôr for the fact he didn't know if the lizard was laughing at him.

"Always the sentimental one… Though I suppose it's the reason why you're one of the more special types."

The young man leaned back in his seat, eyes narrowing to slits once again as he played with the coffee cup on the table.

"Speaking of special… You haven't by chance seen Erêntîel lately, have you?"

"No. Last I saw her was when I was in Vacuo a century ago. Other than that, I haven't seen any of our kind since then. Except for now, of course."

"Hmmm… Such a feisty one, our lovely Three. To be honest, she intimidates even me. She's pretty strong, you know?"

"Then why isn't she Number Two?"

"Because I'm stronger, obviously."

"I can pretty much guarantee you that she'd say the same thing I am now."

"Perhaps. But she isn't here now. If she were, she'd at least have a better chance of defeating me than you do."

The giant growled, his grip growing even tighter on the wooden table as it splintered.

"Relax. I won't do anything to the boy. I only have interest in him as an observer. Perhaps, even to test him once in a while if the time allows it. He's pretty fun to play with. Am I wrong?"

Normally Greg would have said yes to the question if it were any other person. But this was Aizûr, someone who kept his cards close to his chest so that no one, not even his own kind, could tell what he was thinking.

Regardless if he was the number two or not, it was that fact alone that made him infinitely more terrifying compared to the rest of their kind. More so than Eradûm, the number one, and more so than the Queen.

"Well Grîgôr, it's been fun catching up with you and all, but I have business of my own to attend to." Aizûr spoke as he slid out of the booth, making his way to the door.

"And what business might that be?"

"The secret kind."

With his last annoying words spoken, the young man quickly left the establishment as the door closed behind him, the giant feeling relief as he took another hard swing of his ale.

"Scary times indeed…"


Seems to be more of our dragon masked man's kind out in the world, hiding in plain sight amongst the people of Remnant. Not only that, but we may have a potential case on our hands in the forest outside Argus. I wonder what it could be?

Other than that, I've got nothing much else to say. So with that...

I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing story Rogue Huntsman written by Xera Stark. The story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you seriously read it. You won't want to miss out on this story. Plus, I'm working on it with him as a co-author, and my characters are in it too. So if you want to see a sort of alternate story and such with my characters in it, go on over and give Rogue Huntsman a read.

Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer without spoiling.

Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story!

With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!