We're back.
EDIT: Thanks to Cadmus8 for the suggestion on improving our sentencing.
Pardon our grammar and spelling. Point those out for us to fix, please.
Chapter 10:
After covering their escape from the Ace-Ops, Jaune recalled the non-native Grimm he brought with him into the strange red portal he conjured up via his sinister magical glove and hopped into the shuttle Dr. Watts has onsite. It immediately took off, transporting Jaune and a vast amount of stabilized Dust into the complex array of the mines' forgotten tunnels.
If Jaune could remember what Dr. Watts had told him, these networks of tunnels were as a prelude to expanding the SDC mining operations. After the accident that closed down the entire Dust mine, it was left mostly unfinished and uncharted.
Speaking about Dr. Arthur Watts; the man himself could hardly contain his glee of Jaune outwitting Atlas's finest huntsmen team with nothing more than a few Dusts, gas canisters, and the help of a Geist nicknamed Floyd.
"I can imagine James's reaction if he ever knew what truly went down. The bewilderment and distress that would plaster his very existence. The humiliation!" The doctor chuckled darkly to himself on the video call while he works on something off-screen. "All thanks to you, Jaune. We've reaped a plentiful harvest on our little operation. Salem will be very pleased to hear about this."
The blond boy smiles and nodded at Dr. Watts's gratitude, "It was nothing. I'm glad everything turned out well." He stood up from his seat and stretched, balancing himself by placing a hand on the shuttle's wall. "Still… That was a close one."
"Quite so. Once again, you have my sincerest apology for that."
"Apology accepted. So, what happens next?"
"Next will be delivering a portion of the Dusts to the insurgents. However, you mustn't worry about that matter. I'll be the one handling the entire affair for this particular matter."
"Sounds like you'll be busy."
"There's never been a dull day. All of us have been working diligently in carrying out her highness's plans. Though, I can't imagine how much work you have on your hands."
"You're putting me in very high regards, doctor. It's probably no different than the amount of work you have." Jaune bashfully replied. In fact, he's pretty sure that out of all of Salem's agents, Jaune himself is the only one who often gets those 'dull days' at least once or twice a week.
"I meant what I say. I understand that you've been constantly traveling throughout Remnant, setting the stage for us. You've done us many favors and I intend on repaying one of them as a token of my appreciation." A low droning sound followed by a ping could be heard from Dr. Watts's lab. He smirked, "Speaking of which, I've added the finishing touches to your newly commissioned weapon."
"Really?" Jaune blinks. A tint of joy and pass through him like a child knowing he'll be receiving his long-awaited present. "I look forward to it. Thank you, doctor."
He can feel Pythia's displeasure behind him. The Grimm Seer wasn't entirely happy about being replaced as Jaune's weapon and on-hand companion, wrapping its tentacle around his left arm and squeezing tightly enough for it to hurt slightly.
"My pleasure. You will not be disappointed. If you excuse me. I shall be making it presentable and prepare for my next arrangements."
"Alright. See you soon, Dr. Watts." The video call ended, leaving Jaune alone with Pythia and Gerald. "Pythia, you're cutting off my blood circulation to my arm."
The Seer made a sharp clicking noise, indicating its irritation.
"I'm not replacing you! There's no way I can ever replace you. Or Gerald." He gestures to the Geist who continues to float silently. "My hand is going numb here. Come on, Pythia. We can work on a team attack now. If everything goes south, you'll be my backup."
Honestly, it feels like he's trying to pacify a jealous girlfriend…
/-/
General James Ironwood sat by his desks, surrounded by small stacks of organized papers. His right-hand Specialist, Winter Schnee, is currently overseeing a group of cadets leaving Ironwood alone to sort out his mind and paperwork.
The Atlesian held the position of headmaster of Atlas Academy and general of Atlas military, meaning he has two seats within Atlas's council, giving him a lot of power along with the burdens of such a lofty position. It helps that his semblance gives him an edge in getting a lot of things done, but that doesn't ease the amount of bureaucratic work he has to go through every day.
Still, that was nothing compared to the restlessness he's currently feeling.
The reports of Grimm displaying odd behaviors made him very anxious. It wasn't just Ironwood. Ozpin, and the kingdom's councils – all of them were starting to become uneasy with the Grimm activity reports.
And the most damning evidence of it is the now classified recorded footage of soldiers encountering Grimm carrying Dust.
Dust.
The mysterious crystalized energy source that humanity used to fight back against the Grimm. It allowed civilizations to form. It's literally the most important resource in all of Remnant and the Grimm were depriving it of them!
The implications were shocking, needless to say.
If the Grimm can do this sort of feat, then what was any of the four kingdoms to do? The Grimm run rampant across the lands throughout Remnant, while they were under the constraint of supplies and finite lives. There is without a doubt a dark force at work and Ironwood is completely certain it's Salem's doing that's pushing everyone to the edge.
There's no shortage of stress this year. The comatose Fall Maiden underneath Beacon, the Creatures of Grimm becoming stronger and smarter, the impending…
A hard knock brought him out of his mind wandering. It's the Ace-Ops returning from their mission.
"Come in."
The Ace-Ops filed into his office and saluted their superior. "General Ironwood, sir!"
"At ease." Ironwood allowed himself a small smile, feeling partially at ease. The Ace-Ops were always reliable when it comes to their duties as huntsmen and huntresses. "What's the situation on the ground?"
"We've secured our designated area, sir. Before we left, the soldiers were already moving in to fortify and set up their base of operations. I'll ensure you'll receive our written report soon after this briefing."
"Good work. Were technicians able to explain the technical problems?"
"The technical issues appear to somehow resolve themselves, but they don't know what was the cause of it. Dr. Pietro will be looking into it and hopefully provide us a little bit of insight."
"And the anomaly seismic readings?"
"We haven't found any definite proof as of now. We did find caverns that appear to be made recently and not by any machinery."
Ironwood froze slightly, leveling his gaze with the entirety of the Ace-Ops. "Grimm?"
"We can't say for certain, but we believe it was most likely a large Grimm that's been tunneling throughout the Dust mine."
"And the Grimm that was carrying Dust?"
"We couldn't find any of the Centinels as the footage depicts, but we did encounter a Geist that added Dust into its body." Clover paused, believing now is the best time to bring up their unexpected encounter with a mysterious individual that the Ace-Ops kept to themselves. There's just something about the strange the 'Everknight' that made them hesitant. "We also made contact with a person in the mines before our encounter with the Geist… He calls himself the Everknight."
"What?!" Ironwood suddenly shot up from his seat, both hands planted heavily on his desk, paper scattering everywhere. "Here? In the continent of Solitas?!"
The Ace-Ops stiffened at the General's outburst, feeling the room going frosty.
"Have… Do you know him?" Clover asks tentatively.
Ironwood went silent for a moment, pacing around his desks while rubbing his chin with a troubled expression. "Did he have blond hair and blue eyes?"
The huntsmen and huntresses looked at one another before nodding. "Yes, sir."
"Are you unable to remember his face?"
There was a pause. Not long ago they were trying to remember the blond boy's face, unable to go into greater details about his features outside of the color of his eyes and hair.
Marrow couldn't help but ask, "How –?"
"He's here." Ironwood let his hand fall to his side. "Here. In Atlas. Maybe Mantle!" He quickly took out his scroll and dialed Ozpin's number. "All of you. Do not mention anything that was said in here. Wait outside and ensure no one is allowed in."
There were so many questions that went through the Ace-Ops mind, but they complied with the General's order. "Yes, sir!"
Once the Ace-Ops filed out of his office, Ironwood pressed a button on his desks, locking down his entire office. The room darkens, illuminated only by the bright blue neon lights. Painful seconds pass by as his scroll tries to secure a private connection with Ozpin's.
Finally, the silver-haired man himself appeared on the camera feed. Face unreadable as always.
"James?"
"Ozpin. The Everknight… He's here in Atlas, maybe even in Mantle somewhere!"
That made Ozpin falter. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. The Ace-Ops encountered someone in an abandoned Schnee Dust Company mine. They couldn't remember anything about his physical appearance outside his general physical description, blue eyes and blond hair."
"Is that so?" The ancient wizard went quiet for a moment. "What will you do?"
"I'll… Think of something."
In truth, Ironwood doesn't know what he should do. He can't impose some sort of search throughout the entire population of Atlas and Mantle; there are too many people who have blond hair and blue eyes. It'll even raise tension and suspicion, which will lead to more Grimm attacking the kingdom. What if every action he takes has already been taken into account by the Everknight and by extension, Salem?
"And the Ace-Ops? How much do they know?"
"Not much. I'm not even sure how to explain my outburst to them."
"I see. If I may propose a suggestion, James?"
Ironwood felt his spirits lift up. He and Ozpin might not see eye to eye, but if it's one thing Ironwood values is his guidance when he's at a loss.
"I'm listening."
/-/
Jaune performed a series of slashes with his new weapon, cutting the air in a wide sweeping motion, turning his entire body with each slash as if he were doing a sword dance. Each of his footwork is dedicated to furthering his movements wherever he dictates it, moving fluidly upon the hard floors.
"This is amazing," Jaune said with a grin, inspecting his new weapon. The weight feels right, and the momentum of each swing is light but powerful.
To the side, Pythia hissed with indignation.
"For the last time, you're not being replaced. Salem will make sure that won't happen."
That didn't entirely quell the Seer's displeasure. Hopefully, it won't get to the point where the Grimm would hide his weapons.
Speaking of weapons, his newly commissioned weapon is a collapsible shield and sword, similar to his family heirloom Crocea Mors with some additional features.
The sword is a dazzling blade with a golden cross-guard and a handle containing a mechanism that can extend the shaft, turning the sword into a swordstaff. Basically, a sword and spear put in one, or in a nutshell 'someone had the faintest idea of making a sword's handle very long.'
The shield is also collapsible and simplistic; white with crimson trimmings. Around the rims of his shield are red markings bearing similarity to the Creature of Grimm and their masks. At the center lies a red emblem that he recognizes as the one on Salem's cape that she always wore, only this one has more embellish.
Both of these are capable of utilizing Dust, giving Jaune more tools and abilities to experiment with. It's the perfect weapon for him!
And lest he forgets his new armor plates and armguards which is also similar in its color scheme to his shield. New gears to deck out in. He'll probably stick out if he were to go out in public like this, especially if they recognize his equipment. Traveling more discreetly is a necessity in the future.
"I've been wanting to try this for a while now. Stand back, you guys."
Pythia and Gerald floated back, giving him a wide berth. Jaune controlled his breathing, closing his eyes, and recounted his training sessions. His grip on the sword's handle tightens, his muscles winding up… And he moved.
His strikes blurred with silvery arcs that cut through the air without a breeze of wind to accompany each slice. Smoothly and suddenly did Jaune's swordplay transitioned to wide-ranging sweeps as the sword shifted into its swordstaff form with its glistering steel reaching out at surprising lengths. Soon, Jaune found himself at the center of within a storm of flying steel, slightly entranced with his own ability.
He continued his blade dance, following the familiar flow of swings to counter the imaginary projectiles that Salem's rigorous training had imprinted into his mind. Each momentum of his swings covers his openings. From his field of view to the blind spots behind and to the sides, Jaune remembers his lessons about being fully aware of one's surroundings.
And it is with these lessons did he improved at an unbelievable rate, even noticing Dr. Watts silently entering the underground industrial storage facility where he was practicing his swordplay.
Jaune slowed down and cease his blade dance upon the lanky man's arrival. "Dr. Watts. You're back. I can't thank you enough for making this."
"You flatter me, truly." Dr. Watts bowed lightly, "Your performance just now is impressive, I must say."
"It wasn't much. Just some recollection of my training. I'm still lacking experience."
"You're too humble." The doctor replied in good nature. "If you are free, please. Follow me." He strolls past Jaune, prompting him to follow the Atlesian scientist to another room. "I've secured the Mantle insurgents allegiances, though they appear to be rightly suspicious regarding how we came to obtain such a staggering amount of Dust."
"Will that become a problem?"
"Potentially, but unlikely." Dr. Watts pulls out his scroll and enters something in, activating the lights in the room that is his temporarily makeshift lab. "They won't say no to what I've promised, and they certainly won't say no to what was expected of them. Not after what we've given them."
Jaune was slightly puzzled by the vagueness of Dr. Watts's statement, but figures that it'll be best if he doesn't know what shady dealings are happening between Dr. Watts and a group of terrorists.
"I see."
"There's something else I would like to provide to you as a token of my appreciation." Dr. Watts rummaged through his bag, taking out a dark plastic bag, and handed it to Jaune. "You've expressed interests in the ability of my rings to generate a hard-light shield."
Jaune opened the plastic bag, finding two metallic rings. "This is… Thank you, Dr. Watts."
"I should be thanking you instead. You've made my tasks much easier. I had the luxury of completing those. They may not have the same sophistication as mines, but the functionality you were seeking should appease you."
"This is more than enough." He fixed the rings on both hands, and flex them. "How do they work?"
"Quite simple in your case. Channel your aura into them to generate the shield. The more aura you apply, the larger the shield will be. However, it will consume more Dust. Alternatively, you can activate them manually by rotating it clockwise."
"That sounds very convenient." Jaune raised a hand to channel some of his aura into the ring but paused, not wanting to do it in Dr. Watts's lab. "I think I'll practice using it in the storage room. I don't want to break anything in here during the test."
Dr. Watts nodded, leaving Jaune to his own devices. "Very good. I'll be here furthering my own machinations."
"Alright." Jaune left the room and closed the door behind him, immediately coming face to face with Pythia. "Whoa. You startled me. What's up?"
The Seer's orb started to swirl with a sickly red mist, revealing Salem on the other end of the call.
"Hello, my Everknight."
"Hello, ma'am." He politely nodded, "How can I help you?"
"I would like to speak with Dr. Watts." Salem's cool voice permeated the air around them. "But before I get to that, I've heard that your weapon commission has been completed. How is it?"
"It's what I needed, ma'am." He lifts his collapsed shield and unsheathed the sword for her to see. "Dr. Watts did a very good job of making this."
Salem leaned back with a smile, "Good. Are you still diligently training?"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm quickly getting used to the weight and feel of my new weapon. I plan on sparring with Gerald soon."
"Very well. I shall leave you to it."
"Shall I guide you to Dr. Watts?"
"If you would be so kind."
Jaune nodded, turning around and knock on the door. "Dr. Watts. Salem would like to speak with you."
"Ah. Please, come in." The Atlesian scientists immediately set aside his work and stood up from his seat as Jaune let in his Seer and was dismissed. "To what I owe the pleasure, your highness?"
"An update on your progress. Did the insurgents agree to our arrangement?"
Dr. Watts answered with a malicious smile. "They've agreed. Although they seem a bit suspicious about how we came about in acquiring the Dust they so wanted."
"Is that so?"
"Indeed. Not that I can blame them. We managed to acquire an impressive amount of Dust without any noticeable hassle after all. One might think I am setting up an elaborate a sting operation on them." He snorted, amused at such a thought. "Regardless, they'll bring about a meaningful devastation on Atlas once they've finished their preparation."
Salem's eyes flared bright red. "Keep an eye on them, and tell them to be mindful of their activities for the time being. Once the Vytal Festival starts, they'll receive plenty of opportunities to get their revenge."
"Yes, your highness. But I must raise some concerns regarding their schemes."
"Speak."
"I just so happened to discover that one of their plans is to storm the Schnee Manor and hold the Schnee family hostage. That, or they plan on doing away with Jacque Schnee. If they do proceed with their schemes, it might hinder some of our prearrangements with Cinder. Of all people…"
"I see." Salem muses for a moment.
Cinder was banking on the Atlesian military to occupy and 'protect' Vale during the Vytal Festival, allowing half maiden to turn their own military hardware against them.
A high-profile hostage situation or assassination like this along with Ironwood's awareness of the Everknight's presence in Atlas before the Vytal Festival could inevitably result in the Atlesian general holding back a significant amount of his military forces to Atlas and Mantle than Vale.
Dr. Watts politely clears his throat, "I might be able to convince them to hold back and limit themselves to minor incursions on Atlas's military outposts outside of Mantle's walls and SDCs Dust mines for the time being. Regardless, I am certain they will not be please by that and at best would want some form of 'compensations' for it."
"Are you certain they cannot restrain themselves until the Vytal Festival?"
"Knowing how eager some of the high-ranking members are, no."
Salem narrows her eyes, understanding the difficulties and dissatisfaction her subordinates can become, especially when that person, in particular, is Cinder. Salem would rather keep Jaune out of harm's way as he's the only pleasant person under her employment and plays a great importance to the normality of her selfish needs that isn't related to any malicious planning.
He is her emissary. She has given Jaune assignments where he's tasked with convincing certain elements to act in their favor. Like the Spiders, who were forced to prioritize and provide information that helped Cinder locate the Fall Maiden.
"When do you plan on meeting with the insurgents?"
"Tomorrow morning at 8, as scheduled."
"Bring the Everknight with you, and do not concern yourself with the details he is tasked with. Perform your part and convince the insurgents otherwise. I will ensure that everything runs smoothly for you and Cinder."
"You have my thanks."
"I will confer with my Everknight on the matter. Do ensure that things proceed without any inconveniences." With that, Salem has concluded their individual meeting adjourn, steering the Seer towards the door.
Dr. Watts bowed, "As you command, my queen."
/-/
After the pleasant talk with her subordinate, Salem willed her seer to float towards the training room where she assumed is the place that her Everknight was still occupied in bettering himself. Her assumptions were confounded when she observed Jaune's training against the ancient Geist possessing its giant heavy armor. Months ago, the blond boy had almost no sense of combat. Compare to the present day, Jaune could be considered a talented and skilled warrior who's just lacking in experience against a wider arrange of foes in this world.
The sparring came to an end when the ancient Geist, whom Jaune nicknamed Gerald, finally struck Jaune's shield hard enough to make him lose his footing, allowing the Grimm to knock him flat on his back.
Jaune let out a grunt, regaining his breath while getting back onto his feet. "N-nice… I can see… Why you're the Grimm in Mistral's mountainous regions." His eyes trail towards Pythia and by extension, Salem herself. "Hello again, ma'am. Did you finish talking with Dr. Watts?"
"Yes. Our conversation regarding his progress with our operations in Atlas has presented us with some… Unprecedented complications."
"Ah." He knew where this is going. It's time to put on his persona and terrorize them into doing the things Salem wanted. It may not be the things he could ever imagine doing, but the people he met on these types of assignments aren't exactly good. "What can I do to help?"
"I need you to assist Dr. Watts in convincing a group of disgruntled citizens who've turned to insurgency as a means to release their anger and hatred towards Atlas. Dr. Watts will be doing most of the vocal persuasion. I recommend consulting with him to get an understanding of the situation. This will be the first step to smooth out our unprecedented complication. Once you're finished, report back to me."
He nods, "I will, ma'am."
Salem smiles softly, already knowing that Jaune is formulating reasons and methods to get things done, just like she taught him. "Good. Before I go, I must warn you that Ozma will be deceiving unfortunate people to play in his cruel game. Remain vigilant, Jaune. And keep up the good work. You have grown exponentially, more than you can imagine."
"Yes, Salem. Thank you." Her praises do fill him with confidence and pride. Not to the point of hubris, but just enough for him to genuinely and mentally pat himself on the back.
"Good, I wish you luck and bid you a good night."
"You too, ma'am."
/-/
True to Salem's word, Ozma/Ozpin is indeed trying to recruit valuable allies in his shadow war against Salem and to an extent, deceive them. But it cannot be helped. There are some things best left unsaid, even to the people you consider the most trustworthy to you.
More so if they know nothing of the terrifying truth of the World of Remnant.
After standing guard outside General Ironwood's office for nearly an hour, the Ace-Ops found themselves back in their superior's office being briefed by General Ironwood and surprisingly the headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin via video call.
"So, you're saying that this… Everknight guy has some sort of control over Grimm? Possibly from old research papers of a mad scientist named Dr. Merlot?" Marrow paraphrased what they've just been told.
Ironwood and Ozpin eyed each other. It's been agreed upon, between Ironwood and Ozpin, that they will be substituting Salem for Dr. Merlot to ensure that her existence remains a secret. Everything else that doesn't allude to Salem is fair game for disclosure.
Ironwood nodded, "That's the only solid theory, as of now. We don't know his methods, but we have several first-hand witnesses that have seen them obey his command."
"And it's believed that he's been intentionally making the Grimm smarter and stronger?"
"Supposedly." Ozpin answers in Ironwood's stead. "I take it you might have noticed the abundance of unusual behaviors from the Creatures of Grimm?"
The Ace-Ops couldn't argue against that. The Grimm stealing Dust from an abandoned mine? That's certainly not something a huntsman or huntress will see any day.
"But why?" Harriet asks the much-needed question, "What's his goal?"
"He could do a lot of good if he had that kind of knowledge." Vine offhandedly remarks.
"That's the mystery. All we know is that he's not cordial with any of the four kingdoms." Said Ironwood with a serious expression. "Whatever it is, we can't imagine it being anything good. It's also the reason why none of us have disclosed this to the general public or the council. There's too much uncertainty and danger."
"It'll cause panic."
"Exactly."
Silence descended upon the office as the Ace-Ops eyed each other, then to Ironwood and Ozpin.
"What can we do?" Asks Clover.
It's obvious that they've stumbled upon something very big. Bigger than any of the four kingdoms. Something that will change their entire view of the world. But Clover and his teammates are the Ace-Ops; the best huntsmen and huntresses of Atlas. They will not be backing down should they be tasked with investigating the Everknight.
"As of now, General Ironwood and I want the five of you to remain vigilant until an opportunity arises. Our elusive 'friend' will not be bound by the typical constraint seeing how he can take refuge among the Grimm to throw off our search."
Ironwood nodded, "Indeed. In the meantime, we can disclose what we know currently know about the Everknight. For confidentiality reason, I recommend you all commit what we're about to tell you to memory."
Although he would rather take on an aggressive approach, he can't help but concede to Ozpin and his approach on the matter. The way the Everknight plays his hand will trump his straightforward and admittedly brash methods. Some passive plays are needed to put them in a better position should they encounter the Everknight again.
"Yes, sir."
Omake:
Ozpin or Ozma, the latter was his original name, was in a deep dreamless slumber after having to put up with the hectic world that is Remnant that is also home to his now evil and insane wife. The moment he hit the bed, the ancient wizard immediately dozed off; with hopes that he can one day sleep and never wake up again.
But reality has always been disappointing even in his dreamless sleep. Ozma can never rest in peace.
"Ozma." A powerful ethereal voice called out from the fading darkness.
Ozma groans and shut his eyelid tightly to shield his eyes from the bright white light that suddenly engulfed the entire space around him. He doesn't give a damn if the Gods finally reappeared after a millennium or two. All Ozma wanted is a good night's rest.
"Why? I just want to sleep."
"You are asleep." The God of Light said pointedly. His majestic golden form shined brightly, further illuminating the bright white dimension Ozma once found himself in when he was given a chance to be reincarnated. "I… We are communicating with you through your subconsciousness."
"Right. Yeah." Ozma reluctantly opens his eyes, finding himself already standing straight at attention in front of the god. "May I ask why you're here? I still haven't completed the impossi– Err, the task you've given me. And did you say we?"
"My brother will be here arriving shortly." That being the God of Darkness, the younger brother of the God of Light. "As for the reason why we are making ourselves known to you. We have been made aware of… The extreme difficulties of the task I have given you."
"Making human and faunus cooperate is extremely difficult." Ozma bluntly put out, "This is what happens when you grant us free will, not that I'm complaining or anything."
"I'm afraid that is not the reason why we are here."
"Then why are you here?"
"An adjustment to your task."
Ozma wasn't getting his hope up. For all he knows, it could be more bullshit he has to deal with. Gods, he needed some rest. "What is the adjustment?"
"You do not need to concern yourself with uniting humanity anymore."
The ancient wizard blinked. Was the God of Light serious? Does that mean he can tell everyone that they're on their own?
"Then what is my task now?"
"Your task now is to ensure that Salem…"
"I'm doomed."
"Ceases her ungodly acts."
He raised an eyebrow, "And what are those 'ungodly' acts? Destroying entire civilization? The countless murder and destruction she's inflicted on your world? Becoming the de facto ruler over the Creatures of Grimm?"
The God of Darkness appeared at that moment, ripping himself free from the dark void and tainting the bright world in darkness, balancing out the light.
"What you just said are hardly ungodly." The God of Darkness's voice dripped with indignation.
For some odd reason, the younger god was wearing extremely bulky mittens and holding an elongated tray and that held a… Book?
Ozma couldn't make sense of it, feeling that he was going to need Qrow's booze for the following years, "What is…? Dare I want to know what's in that book?"
"This!" The God of Darkness judder the object with disgust, "Is what your beloved has been writing! A total of four books for her series and still counting!"
"What?" Ozma is now certain that he has lost his mind. The gods before him are a part of his insanity and that he's at the breaking point in his countless life.
"Do not belittle us. Have you read this horrid literature?!" The God of Darkness dropped the book in front of Ozma and promptly destroyed his bulky mittens and tray. "Read it and you will see why it warrants the change of your agreement with my brother."
"The entire thing?"
"Your mind is truly failing you, of course not. Read page 348 within that book."
He hesitantly reached for the book, expecting it to burn him or something, seeing how the God of Darkness was handling it. Nothing happened, it was just an ordinary book with the title that read 'GRIMM LOVE' and a number that denotes that it's the second book of the series.
Ozma flipped to page 348 like the God of Darkness ordered, and silently read the content.
"… I would recommend reading just the fourth paragraph, for the sake of your sanity." The God of Light said quietly.
Seconds flew by as Ozma's expression went from wary, shock, disgust, and horror all within half a second.
"This is filth! Filth!" He yelps, dropping the book. "Ungodly filth! Oh, god! What has Salem become?!"
"By 'god', I hope you didn't mean me." The God of Darkness grumbles, "For once, I do not wish to be recognized in coexistence with that horrid book."
"Now that you have seen the pressing issue at hand, we'll leave it to you."
"Wait! What am I supposed to do?!"
"Anything that makes her stop writing her novels permanently." The gods immediately sever their connection to Ozma's dream, wanting no further part in this particular affair.
Ozma laid there awake in his bed, pondering why he choose to take up the God of Light's task. Uniting humanity, humans, and faunus are possibly much easier than stopping Salem from writing her popular filth of a novel series. He should have denied the adjustment to his quest and stuck with uniting humanity instead if he even had a choice, to begin with.
He sighs, filtering his contact on his scroll. "I'm going to need an expert."
It scrolled down the list of contact and stopped on one particular name: Taiyang Xiao Long.