NUMBER 11!
REVIEWS:
Zathol: Thank you again for your review. You are right about the forgiveness stuff, but Jaune won't come to forgive his father that easily before he gives him the proverbial spit in the face.
Wolfang: Damn right he did! I even made sure to accentuate how serious sealing someone's Aura is. He really did one-up Raven and matched Markus. As for how the family will fall apart, that will be revealed later.
Nerdy: Thank you to everyone who responded to the Pyrrha question. It seems most of you are in agreement that the death was unnecessary for the story or at the very least, handled badly. Eventually, we plan to change that part of the story whenever we get to it. I have some ideas in mind and hopefully, you all like them. A way to keep Pyrrha alive but still have Jaune get the motivation he needs to become stronger and grow as a leader.
Jaune never felt so peaceful as he is in his life. He could feel the cold air of the evening washing over his body as he laid there, sleeping. Although not awake, he was not dreaming either, but sitting in an endless void that stretched all around him. He could feel his body outside and in the surrounding area. He could hear faint voices and the ruffling of leaves. He didn't know what was happening, but he didn't panic. He felt...calm. He felt peaceful. He felt free. Like a giant rock that was chained to him had its chains broken and he finally sprouted wings to fly away. "I never knew simply accepting and letting everything out could feel like this…" He muttered, his voice echoing all around him.
It truly felt like a dream and a nightmare at the same time. If anyone would ask, going to Hell sounds like something that'd give him PTSD from all the stuff he had to do and what he saw down there, but it seems he had a stronger mind than he thought. A stronger will. And with that will alone, he became free. Granted, this was far from his original plan, but in the end, the results were greater and worse than what he wanted.
Sure, he would've been living with his family lying about a job and saying he gave up on being a Huntsman - A Hero! But he would've still been with them. Despite what his sorry excuse of a father did, strangely, he still loved them. But what his father did make him the exception. Lucifer and Ignium both warned Jaune of this hate, but he never thought he'd go as far as to treat his own father as nothing more than a sperm donor. He just never imagined him being able to do something like that to draw so much anger from him. To hurt him so much. Yet he did, and the betrayal he committed to Jaune was enough to make him snap.
He never knew what he was doing, his vision mostly becoming blurred as he took Crocea Mors in hand and felt the Aura slash charge up. If not for Beel...He dares not to think what might have happened otherwise. He is glad he was stopped in time. His family must be a mess right now, with even Saphron and Coral being put up to speed on the events. He can just imagine them getting the first Bullhead back to make sure it is not just some sick joke.
Jaune wished he could just go there and tell them it is not, but he won't. Returning there would mean giving up, and he won't do it. "Please forgive me, Saph, Coral, Sapphire, Jade, Alice, Lapis, Silvia - I guess your brother hurt you all greatly by leaving. But I promise you, I will come back. To you too, mother. I promise, one day, your little bunny will come back home, a man. But to that man...I only promise spit in his face as he sees me make it."
He clenched his fist tightly saying that then he slowly saw the void around him start to lighten up, rays of white and gold sipping through. He heard whispers coming through as well, strange ones, but he ignored them. However, one of them caught his attention.
"That's my boy…"
Jaune turned around to see who it was, having recognized the voice. But he couldn't believe it. "G-Grandpa?"
Jaune slowly awoke, feeling his head being supported by something soft. Looking up, he saw who it was that offered such a feeling; Modeus was currently having his head on her lap. "Did you sleep well, Jaune?" She asked, looking down at him with slight worry that was unusual for her usual lustful attitude. "When you returned you were in a very bad emotional state."
Jaune sighed, not even having the energy to be flustered about waking up with his head in a girl's lap. Instead, he slowly got up. "I am fine now, Modeus. Thank you." He said, keeping his voice low. "I just...Needed a nap and...I guess I really needed some support."
"You don't have to be shy, you know?" Modeus said. "You can use my lap as a pillow any time to want, I would even allow you to use my chest."
"And there's the Modeus I know and love," Jaune said, causing Modeus to blush as crimson as blood with the hearts around her head spinning wildly.
"L-love?! Isn't that the thing strongly associated with romance? What kind of degenerate thoughts are you having?!" She shrieked, hiding her face behind her palms. Jaune chuckled actually seeing her act like that, glad that she didn't seem too affected by what happened. However, he nearly passed out again upon looking around, his jaw hitting the ground.
"What is that, Modeus?" He asked, his hands shaking as he pointed at the building before him.
"Oh…" Modeus said as she slowly put her hands down, realizing that Jaune was pretty much asleep for the entire process. "That is the house we will all be living in from now on."
"Modeus…" Jaune inhaled deeply. "That is not a house...THAT IS A GODDAMN MANSION!" He shouted, throwing his arms in the direction of the mansion before him. From the outside, it looked incredible with walls made of solid, sturdy oak with the base having a concrete wall - part of the foundation - that was decorated in pebbles, offering a nice contrast to the wooden building. Jaune could see no chimney on it, except for one that looked connected to the living room to what he assumed was a fireplace like in his old house. It had three floors in total with several arches between floors and the roof was made of what Jaune could assume was some kind of tiles that matched the color of the wood. He could slightly see a large fence behind the house as well, but most of it was covered by the huge building in front of him. Beelzebub got this place built in less than two days?! He dared not think about what she could do with a week!
"I mean, we are a lot of people, so a normal house wouldn't really do" Modeus pointed out as she stood up, dusting her skirt. "Let's go inside. Beelzebub and Judgement already took your things in, and I was told to lead you in after you woke up"
"Ok…?" Jaune answered as he slowly walked behind Modeus, leading him to the door of the place. It was not that much crazier from the place, being quite fitting for it in terms of size and design. Modeus turned the handle, allowing them inside, only for Jaune's jaw to drop once again. As soon as he entered he noticed that the door leading into a small hallway with large stairs covered in a red carpet going up and splitting into two directions to the second floor. The hallway had a big opening before the stairs, however, which led to the living room. True enough, there was a chimney at the other end of the living room, just as Jaune assumed, but he didn't see the fucking flat-screen TV in there! The 120-inch screen taking most of his breaths. The rest of the living room was mostly decorated with a large sofa that could fit what Jaune counted to be five people in it and two leather chairs like the one his...THAT man had, sitting on the side with a decently sized, brown, wooden coffee table in the middle. The floor was not covered in carpets, for the most part, there only being a black one under the coffee table. The walls didn't have any paint on them either, keeping the natural color of the wood, except maybe for some wood treatment as he noticed the shade being somewhat darker than usual.
"This is the living room." Modeus said, then she pointed at the door to the other side of the hallway, making Jaune turn his head. "Come this way, we will go to the kitchen next."
Safe to say Jaune was stunned again. His mother would've certainly loved this kitchen. It was a big kitchen, almost as big as you'd find in a restaurant, with white tiles decorating the floor and the walls, the ceiling being untouched. A large table sat in the center, easily able to fit two dozen people at it. He wondered why they made it so big, but he guessed they thought of possible guests. The kitchen had not one, but two stoves running on electricity, which Jaune wondered where they were getting it from. A dishwasher, two sinks, and multiple closets suspended above and some drawers placed below where ingredients and kitchen appliances were placed respectively. But what grabbed his eyes was the big, walk-in fridge they got. It had a big, iron door with a piece of glass allowing people to look into it and a thermometer with two buttons to control the temperature. It looked stocked from what Jaune could see, being already full with all manner of foods. Curiously, he also checked the rest of the kitchen, finding it to be fully stocked. Especially on eggs, flour, a lot, and I mean, A LOT of sugar, and chocolate. He definitely saw Lucifer's hand here.
"Beelzebub actually used her magic to bring food from different places here. She mostly used magic to travel quickly to other kingdoms then teleport stuff back and letting Malina and Monica sort them out." She explained, then she turned to another section. "Come on, there is still one more place to show you on the first floor."
Jaune followed her, and she led him to the other end of the kitchen where a door resided. Opening it, he saw another one at the end of the revealed hallway which connected to the living room. They were behind the stairs now, and Jaune noticed two things, or to be more precise, two doors. One was a sliding, glass door that leads to what he assumed was the backyard whilst the other one was a more average-looking one leading down the basement. "This is the secondary hallway, it leads to the backyard. We actually had Judgement clear out some trees for it, and she encountered the 'Grimm' as you call them. They were no match for her. We will go over the yard and other floors before moving on to the other rooms on the first floor."
"Glad to hear…" Jaune replied, then he followed Modeus outside into the backyard. And once again, he had to shout. "WE HAVE A POOL!" He shouted, running down the few steps he had to pass and going to the edge of the body of water. It was a large, simple pool situated in the center of the yard with a ladder going into the water. Jaune could see it had different sections for different levels of depth, but something else caught his eye.
"Yo, blondie! You are awake!" Jaune turned around hearing Zdrada's voice, only for his eyes to bulge. "I was certain we would've needed to drag you inside. Well, looks like I was proven wrong again" Currently, Zdrada was in her swimsuit which consisted of a black bikini with a leather jacket around her with red details on the right breast and jacket. However, Jaune looked more at the piercings she had. They were obvious on her face, but he now saw she also had one for the belly button and a tattoo on her stomach resembling a reverse cross. Her usual chain was still on her neck, along with her collar. "Enjoying the view?"
"Oh, he is" Modeus confirmed it after touching Jaune's shoulder, the boy jumping a bit. "He really ENJOYS the sight." She repeated again, just as Jaune took distance from her a bit. "Relax, I will not tell her anything of what you were thinking." She put on a sultry smile. "But I certainly need to get my own swimsuit out soon."
"I, Uhm, well-" Jaune tried to find his words, but he was honestly too embarrassed. Zdrada simply laughed seeing him, taking a cigar from her pocket.
"Relax, blondie," Zdrada said, snapping her fingers to ignore the cigar in her hand, drawing a long smoke before letting it out. "If I were shy then I wouldn't have joined this Harem idea. Hope you realize what a true harem is like, so you better take in as much as you can regarding seeing more skin. Believe me, you will end up seeing a LOT of it later."
Jaune gulped at the demon's words, then he looked around to try and change the subject, noticing a smaller building in the back of the yard. "What is that?" He asked, making the girls turn around to see what he was pointing at.
"Oh, that is Cerberus' doghouse" Modeus answered. "Due to who she is, we decided not to have her live in the house, plus that she wants to be close to the yard at all times, so we decided to build her room outside as a separate building."
"I see…" Jaune looked around some more, having successfully changed the subject back to the house tour. He noticed that there was a section of the yard where he felt a call. He was a man after all, and all men do barbeques! He saw a large, professional-grade grill with a round roof extending from the house and, judging from the shape made to catch the smoke, it also had a small hole in it for the smoke to travel out of. Luckily, said roofing was high enough so he wouldn't be suffocated by the smoke while he cooked. He looked around it, seeing a large wooden table, slightly smaller than the one inside the house, with a wooden roof built over it for when the harem decided to enjoy a nice barbeque outside.
The yard was pretty large in rest, with a large tree finishing the details of it. It was just a big old tree, nothing special to it. "I am going to enjoy cooking out here…" Jaune muttered, unaware of the material he had given Modeus.
"And I am sure to enjoy being cooked by you…" She muttered back.
"What?" Jaune said, turning to Modeus.
"What?" Modeus replied.
"Tch. You continue his tour, Modeus, I am going to get some sun" Zdrada said as she walked past them, going to the edge of the pool where two chairs were situated, allowing her to sit down and smoke in peace.
"She is right, let's go." Modeus said, leading Jaune back inside, through the living room, and up the stairs. As he went up, he noticed that the house had several lights spread around made to look like old lamps, which he found fancy, and that the ceiling was pretty basic. Going up the stairs to the second floor, Jaune noticed that both sides of the split ended in the same area, obviously, and that there was a large hallway going in both the right and left direction, each having several rooms on them. "On the left are Monica's, Beelzebub's, Lucifer's, Justice's, and Judgement's rooms while on the right are mine, Zdrada's, Malina's, and Azazel's rooms with four other rooms being for the possible quest with two beds each. Each of our rooms is, well, decorated by us as we see fit."
"Cool, so where is my room?" Jaune asked.
"On the third floor. That is where Beelzebub decided to make the best parts of the house as well and where some gifts from her to you are for freeing her from the Abyss." She answered, then she led him back down the stairs, through the living room, towards another door leading to a hallway with two doors on either side. "This is where the library, which is on the left, and Monica's office, on the right. Monica said she needed one in order to have a quiet place where she can work in peace, so we offered her one. It is soundproof. In fact, most of the rooms are except for a few."
At that moment, one of the doors opened, allowing for the mentioned demoness to step out of the office. "Oh, Jaune, good to see you are awake. How are you feeling?" She asked, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I'm better now, thank you for asking, Pan" Jaune said, making the tired demon smile slightly. "I am currently given a tour of this...mansion." He said, still not believing he was going to be living here from now on.
"Glad you like it. It was still in the building process when we arrived, but once we did and we each put our minds and powers together, it was finished rather quickly." She said. "Anyway, I hope you didn't forget the promises you made, right? You have to get me that coffee."
"You do not need to worry about the books anymore, the library has a section for romantic novels." Modeus said, blushing a bit. "Let's go upstairs." She said, leading Jaune, this time, to the third floor. In order to get there, however, the design changed. The stairs that connected the first floor to the second one ended on the second floor, and instead, there were two separate stairs on the end of the hallways which lead up to his room...Now Jaune was asking what good deed he had done to deserve such things. Or, what demon he pleased.
Jaune's room had the walls painted in a light blue color with a black, straight-line cutting through the middle of the walls around him, the room has to be at least four times the size of his old one. In the center stood a large bed with two white pillows on it with a black blanket with the Arc symbol on it. Nice personalization. Looking to the wall right in front of the bed he saw a large flat-screen TV with a small set of drawers that had an open space where a game console rested. He assumed the controllers were inside the drawers. To the right side of his bed, he saw a desk with a professional gaming PC setup, a chair as well made for the experience ready at the sight. To the left, he saw a closet which is where he will likely put his clothes in, his bed also having two bed stands with one drawer each and lamps on them. Between the TV and bed, there was still some space which was occupied by a few foam chairs and a small coffee table. That is likely where he will sit to play video games. Honestly, this was the dream room for any guy! He walked in deeper, Modeus sitting idly on the side. However, when he looked past the desk, he saw another piece of heaven. A mini-fridge for drinks! And of course, a small, private library which contained books on various subjects. Jaune looked over them, recognizing that this was a way for Beel to encourage him further. They were all books about fighting techniques and Aura usage, as well as Dust-related ones. She had stocked up nicely on them, but he also saw some which offered more advice regarding a healthy diet and a good training regime.
"This is…" He began, sitting down on his new bed. "I have no words to describe how grateful I am for all this."
"Well, there are actions you can take to-" And just in time, the cavalry arrived to put a stop to Modeus' lewdness. The other girls arrived just in time to stop her, with Judgement hitting her over the head.
"Not the time, Modeus, not the time!" She said, scolding the lust demon.
"Hell!" Malina shouted, running to Jaune's console, then to his PC, then at him. "You have top of the game equipment here!" She shouted. "You lucky bastard!"
"Now, now, do not be mean to my slave, Malina," Lucifer said. "After all, he has been through enough already with his family."
"How are you enjoying the room, darling?" Beel asked, earning a look from Lucifer.
"Darling?"
"It's amazing, Beel! Thank you. Thanks to all of you!" Jaune said, half-shouting as he got up and extended his arms. "Come here!"
"Hey, what do you think you are doing-" Malina didn't have time to protest as she was drawn into the group hug when Modeus rushed in first, looking to press her body on him to feel him up. And to get a reaction out of him as well in the process with her own body. The sour demon decided to not argue and simply hugged back a blush appearing on his face. Slowly, everyone else joined as well, making this one big, warm hug between the boy and the demon girls. And angel girl.
"This is all so amazing!" Azazel chimed in. "I have been in the library until now, and I must say Beelzebub's ability to acquire items is second to none! The information I got from the books was very useful indeed! Jaune, thank you for letting me be your guardian angel because otherwise I wouldn't be here now enjoying so many wonderful books!"
"I will be there as well, Azazel, trying to understand this romance stuff. It sounds so kinky" Modeus replied.
"By the way, Jaune…" Lucifer said. "I hope you have not forgotten your promises."
To this, Jaune smiled wide. "Of course not! An Arc never breaks his promises! Tonight we will be celebrating our new life! And what better way to do it if not with a pancake party! And before you ask Pan, we will have plenty of coffee!"
"That is all I needed to know," Pandemonica said.
At the mansion, everyone was inside the kitchen, waiting and watching the pancakes being made. When Jaune said 'seven sisters' as to justify his skill at pancakes, his vagueness was hiding greatest. He was masterfully handling two pans at once, swirling the sweet treats in the air and catching them easily as well. When one was done he'd simply slide them onto the plate, grab the oil to apply it to the pan, then apply a new pancake in. Lucifer was also there, having expected to need to help him to make the pancakes, even getting herself a black apron saying ' Satan'
But color her surprised when she saw Jaune handle the pans, making a full plate of pancakes in less than five minutes tops. His skill was ungodly, as Lucifer would put it. It honestly surprised most of the girls there. Beel had filled them in on his desire when he was asleep, so if he became this good because he had to cook for his sisters, then if they put the same amount of time into training then Lucifer knew he was going to become a force to be reckoned with. And she will be taking the credit for creating this monster.
The coffee machine dinged, making Jaune put the pans down and grab the coffee for Monica. "How should it be?"
"Black, no sugar, just a bit of milk" Monica said, watching Jaune prepare her coffee swiftly and without mistake. He put the steaming cup before her, then returning to making the pancakes. Monica took the coffee in her hand, looking at it with a smile before she drank the liquid. Immediately, Jaune felt a shiver down his spine as he then slowly looked back, seeing Monica's whole expression change. Her horns grew out a bit, and her smile was large and downright sadistic in nature. "Hmm. This is good, Jaune, very good" She said, her eyes going from her mug to him. "You kept your word, and you do make some good coffee, so I won't punish you. But do not breath too easily, because you never know when I might snap a finger or two."
The boy was not aware of this side of her at all, then he looked at Lucifer. "Lucifer?" He asked, earning her attention. "What is up with Monica?"
"Oh, nothing" Lucifer replied. "This is her when she has had her coffee and can be her true, sadistic self. Honestly, when she is not punished by being in Hell's Customer service with no coffee she usually handles the harsher punishments in my level of Hell and down in the last level, Cocytus."
"I see…" Jaune replied, shaking a bit nervously. But that was when he smelled a small trail of smoke. "Shit!" He swore, then returned to the pancakes, having slightly burned the side of one. He set it aside for himself, knowing the girls wouldn't want a burnt pancake.
A few minutes later, they were all at the table, having pancakes and drinks and music echoing all around the house. Being this far into the woods meant they didn't need to worry about neighbors, however, Jaune remembered something. "The Grimm! They might get attracted to the sound!"
"Oh, them?" Beelzebub chimed in. "I made sure to put a strong enchantment to keep them away from our house and create a safe path to Ansel and back. There is no foot of Grimm in a good distance from here."
"Oh...In that case, dig in everyone!" Jaune said, allowing everyone to resume the party. Lucifer was blissfully waiting for her pancakes, smiling largely each time she took a bite. Her tail swinging behind her. Modeus was mostly reading a book on the side while eating a pancake with one hand, and Jaune tried not to glance at her because each time he did she did some very...suggestive actions with the pancake. Only one Cerberus was eating, but all of them seemed to enjoy the taste just as much, letting out satisfied moans into the air as they took bites out of the sweet treat before them.
Malina was having her pancakes with a side of Vodka, silently enjoying them while her sister, not allowed to smoke inside the house, was shouting loudly with Judgement while eating their pancakes. Azazel was furiously scribbling down in her notebook, seeing the fun unfold. She would take bites of her own pancakes as well as she did so, and lastly, Monica was eating them with a small smile with some coffee to the side, occasionally giving Jaune a wicked smile. Justice was enjoying hers as well, having joined the loud trio into masking even more noise, much to Malina's chagrin.
Jaune couldn't believe it if it was not happening right now, but he fulfilled his contract with Beel and was heading towards being a great Hero, one that will prove his sperm donor wrong. Speaking of the fly, she sat next to him, enjoying a large plate of pancakes. "You sure picked a lively punch for your Harem, Jaune." She said
"Yeah." He replied. "Although I didn't expect you or Lucifer in it if I am, to be honest. Having the literal devil in my harem and being so…" He looked at Lucifer, who was still in her apron and enjoying her pancakes like a giddy child. "Adorable," He said, making Beel giggle.
"It looks like you already started to like us more." She pointed out, making him slightly blush. "It's alright, darling, no need to be shy. Besides, heroes cannot be shy. However, I must ask something."
"Yes?"
"The Journal you brought back…" She said, pulling the book from her coat. "I saw the name and I must say you are lucky to have been found by Artorious. I actually met him a long time ago in Hell"
"You did?" Jaune asked, looking at Beel as she handed him the journal.
"Yes. Long ago, when I was still in Hell." She sighed. "He was the first Arc I ever met and tortured for his sins. But it didn't take him long to turn into a 4th generation demon. After that he tried to take a semblance I did not have, only to find there was nothing to take. He then explained to me about Origin. I feel like he left things out, however, and that they are in this book. So Jaune? I know you have Origin now. That is a big weight that you have on your shoulders now."
"Maybe." He replied, putting the book away. "But life is never easy for heroes."
"Of course. Also, duck"
"Duck?" He asked before Beel had him duck down less a fork got stuck in his head. "Oh my God!"
"Malina, watch out where you are throwing stuff! You almost hit Jaune!" Lucifer shouted.
"I missed!"
The evening soon settled upon the demonic household with many of the girls going to bed. The only ones that didn't hit the hay yet were Beel and Lucifer who were currently in Jaune's room with him. Lucifer was sitting with Jaune and Beel on the edge of his bed, Artorious's journal in his hands. They wanted to know more about this like Jaune is, so both decided to be here when opened and read the journal. He took a deep breath, calming his nerves. "Here goes nothing"
And so he opened the journal to the first entry, reading the neat handwriting in it. "My name is Artorious Kronos Arc, and on this day I am to receive Origin from my father. I would be an awful list if I said I am not nervous even a bit. My original Semblance, Flash Strike, served me well. Being able to generate a quick flash of light from my blade to blind my opponent whilst also engaging them with increased speed for one swift strike was certainly something I won't stop using, even after I receive Origin. It was a long road, proving myself over my brother, but I pulled through. Tonight everyone shall feast and weep. Even I...But it is the process."
"Origin takes a part of someone's soul to allow you to use their semblance, even if it is a weaker variant. It can also give them to others, but we, the Arcs, know better. Semblances are as much of a gift as they are weapons, even their existence. My father gave his best general two extra, simple semblances. Too many semblances in one body can destroy someone, body, and soul. My father, with his years of using it, has only been able to hold twenty semblances and use seven at once, including his own. But those without Origin? It depends, but no one can, and those are rare cases, handle more than three. Usually, they tap out at two, and sometimes they cannot receive an extra semblance at all. My father, once he gives me Origin, will die. Like his father before him and his father before him, Origin shall leave them and let the power they accumulated give them a final rest."
Jaune flipped the page.
"I sometimes wonder why my family doesn't dump the semblances to live, but I know the reason already; honor. We Arcs take the semblances of captured enemies before execution and those given to us by servants, friends, or family members. By dying with them we make sure they reunite with that fragment we take in the afterlife. Strange custom. Either way, my time has come. Next, I write in here, I will be the owner of Origin"
Jaune flipped the page again.
"Seeing my father perish hurt me greatly, but we both knew this would happen. I now have Origin, and I already took my first semblance. I am writing this a week after the ceremony, and I have acquired my first semblance. The person I took it from is one of my mistresses, while we were enjoying ourselves in carnal pleasures. She wanted me to have it so I took it. Her semblance allowed her to greatly heat her own body, to the point she caught ablaze. Strangely, it also made her immune to fire. I tested it and found myself able to heat up as well, but not to the degree she had and only being resistant to the fire instead of immune. What my father told me seems to be true; what I take is but a fragment and shadow of its actual self. It is still useful to some degrees nonetheless, but I need to be smart about it. My wife knows about my mistresses, but she knows it is how the Arc house works. Granted, I had to promise I won't seed any bastard children with them and only her. They were merely there to help sate my lust when it arises. Nothing more."
Jaune frowned at this, but he kept reading. "I must say that having more semblances is...unique. I will have to test what I can do with it, see what is possible and what is not based on my father's teachings. Hopefully, I can find some more uses for Origin."
Jaune flipped the page. "I cannot believe it! I do not believe it! I am writing this entry three months since my last session, and in those months things have gone from good to bad to worse! The first thing is Origin; I found out mixing semblances is possible, and I don't mean using multiple at once. I took two semblances that seemed compatible and fused them, one being able to allow the user to nullify Dust whilst the other absorbed Dust to replenish their Aura and Stamina with side-effects depending on the kind absorbed. Some good, others bad. The result was the ability to take away and assimilate the properties of Dust for a certain amount of time depending on the Dust amount affected. It left the Dust useless afterward, which I recognized as both semblances ruined it. I made sure to keep this hybrid"
"Mixing semblances?" Jaune mused, looking at his hand. Leon's semblance mixed with his, but in the journal, Artorious also mentioned something similar. Leon couldn't have known about Origin, granted how the knowledge seemed to have faded. But Jaune was curious; what happened further? It mentioned that things degraded.
"However, the enemies are seeking to attack the Arc territory. A crusade to take over Sanus, but like hell, I'd let them! I still have my allies in the North, in Solitas. Seraphine Schnee, the current matriarch of the Schnee house and sole ruler after her husband died, is a close, old friend. I will ask for her aid in this battle! However, Winchester is no weak foe. I need to ready my forces...And I need to ready myself"
"Schnee? I heard of them while I was out to get the food for the house" Beel said. "They are the most wealthy and powerful family in Remnant when it comes to Dust-related affairs. To think their bloodline is connected to the Arcs. Amazing."
"I never heard of such events before," Jaune said, reading the journal before him. "However, back in Hell, I think Artorious mentioned something about his existence getting erased by the Arc house. Just what happened?"
"Artorious was in hell for killing other human beings as well as Faunus. Back then the Faunus were still hiding in the wilds, so the body count regarding them is low." Lucifer said. "However, he died a warmonger, completely different from any other Arc who held Origin. Something happened with him during those days that made him snap."
Slowly, they all returned to reading. "I am writing this next section one month after the last session. I am currently in my office, working on readying my territories for the unavoidable war with the Winchester family. Seraphine is coming here, in Sanus, and she is bringing her armies with her. Granted, the fighting will be bloody. The Arcs have held on to the heart of Sanus for generations while the Winchester family resided in the east. We have been the guardians of the west since. However, I'd be a liar if I said I didn't see this coming. This is the way it always has been; the moment a territory showed a sign of weakness, the wolves came out to prey on them. My father put me in charge, the change of rulership, was a moment of it. They wanted to make sure I do not get to develop the proper experience to become a threat to them trying to take me out early. Fools. Currently, I am standing at seven semblances, including my own, original one."
"Seraphine will arrive before the next winter, and the Winchesters will not be ready until, if what my scouts said was true, middle of the summer. Seraphine did say she had some demands if I desired her aid, but no sacrifice is too big in this case. I know her, she is a good friend, and I trust her. Thi-~~~" Suddenly, there appeared to be a line at the end of the sentence, as if Artorious' hand was pushed. The writing resumed lower on the page in a new paragraph.
"This war is a war I CANNOT lose!" This was spelled here at the end, to which the session ended. Jaune flipped the page, finding another entry. This was very intriguing to the demon girls and a completely new view of Jaune's family history. The Arc family lived in Anima for generations, though, so why are they in Sanus in the continent of today's kingdoms of Vacuo and Vale? Could it be that his family migrated? Why? From what it sounded like they had landed there and Artorious was not one to give up easily.
"I am writing this segment not long after the last break. Seraphine arrived and we did some negotiations. My brother assisted me and, and I do not know how I missed this, proposed a marriage between him and Seraphine to cement relations. I do agree this would mean that relationships between the Arcs and the Schnees would be like steel, but at the same time, I got a strange feeling about all of this. Secondly, regarding her requests, she asked me, with Origin, to improve on her semblance! She even came with certain servants who volunteered to have their semblances taken by me and mixed into their ruler. She has been planning, I know it. Regardless, there is nothing I can do. I am between a rock and a hard place here, and I'd rather try my luck with the hard place than with the rock. Both her request, the marriage, and semblance, shall be granted. To anyone reading this, I also want to explain the line from before; my wife came to me whilst I was writing...I am going to be a father."
"Wow," Jaune said.
"No wonder his hand slipped. His wife just gave him the scare of a lifetime!" Lucifer said, grinning. "Looks like a lot has been going on in his life at this point, and he was barely a year in his rule as well. They sure didn't lose time back then"
The next entry looked a bit more rushed regarding the writing. Artorious was rushing. "I did it, but I might have doomed us as well. Seraphine got her hybrid semblance, just as I promised, but I do not know what she was thinking! Her original semblance, which is solid glyphs she can create on the ground, in the air, and pretty much all around her that can provide for defense and offer versatility. It is also hereditary as well. A unique element I never saw before. But she asked me for more and I delivered. I added three new semblances into that mix, having her original one be the core. I mixed them all within my own being, making the total of semblances put into that hybrid four! She passed out the moment I let it flow into her body and now her troops are suspicious. If she doesn't wake up, then the Winchesters are the least of my worries."
Jaune flipped the page. "One week after she passed out she recovered - Thank the Heavens. She is in top shape and her semblance is working perfectly! Truly a miracle brought upon by her talent and my capabilities. The wedding is in two days as well. Everything is going smoothly. If this works out, then the Winchester family won't know what hit them!"
The paragraph broke, leading to another one. "It has been a while since I wrote in this journal. Five years went by with I and Seraphine fighting Herald Winchester. My wife gave birth to not one, but two sons. Twins. I only saw them once when I ran back to be there for the birth, and I have not seen them since. I miss them dearly. But I do not want this world to be the world they inherited. I and Seraphine are slowly approaching Winchester's main city and once we capture it this war will be over. Or so I wish. They will just rise again if nothing is done and I refuse to let my children fight this war! My ancestors refused to use Origin to take over Sanus, and look where it got us! Friends, family, and loyal subjects lost their lives because of this war! I saw men killed and tortured when captive, women raped, and children forced to starve and steal. I won't let this be the world, my children, inherit after I am no longer alive! The Alliances be damned! I won't leave Winchester alone, I will kill the entire main family and take all territories they owned to the east! I will crush my opponent and give them no room to rise up again!"
"He…" Jaune widened his eyes seeing that. "So this is why he became a warmonger." He muttered, feeling a strange sense of empathy for Artorious. "He didn't conquer and kill because he was thirsty for blood-"
"He did it to fix the world for his sons," Lucifer finished, then she groaned. "I was not aware of that."
"Neither was I" Beel added. "He never told me anything about it."
"Wait, there is more...Artorious' entries vary and get shorter, but they are still more than simple bits of information. Look" Jaune said, pointing to another entry in the journal.
"Seraphine and my brother left for Solitas today...I really soured relations now, but I do not regret it. I can finally be with my wife and children, but I know this won't last. I will head out to conquer more. I will not stop...Until I am done."
Another entry. Several years later. "I am in the far regions of the desert and I...I cannot say I am proud of myself. We conquered most of Sanus by now, but I broke my promise to my wife and seeded a child with another woman. Maria Black was truly beautiful and I was a weak man. I will not recognize the child as my own, but I will live with this shame forever. I know it."
Another entry, roughly two years later. "I have done it...Sanus is mine to rule as its King. My sons are in their teens now, so it is time they learned the court life. I decided that, in order to manage my Kingdom, I will grant each of them a city to build in the east and west. Terra Atlas Arc, the son I chose to one day take Origin, shall take the east, in the old territories of the Winchesters, and establish his city there. His brother, Prometheus Flama Arc, shall take the dry desert in the west. Their mother and I have been trying to maintain our marriage, but she feels something is wrong...Ever since I returned from the desert."
"My sons did it! I am proud of them both! Prometheus established the city of Vacuo and even used his semblance to create an oasis there that fuels the city he calls Vacuo! But this brother, on the other hand, has created a true center of commerce he named Vale. Words cannot express how proud I am of my boys. But tensions have been rising between me and Seraphine, along with my brother. Something is not right and I fear for the worst."
The last line of entries written in the journal was all writing with barely a day between them. "Seraphine and my brother have betrayed me...The forces from Solitas are attacking and pushing through my northern border. Traitors have been lying in wait among my troops, even in my own damn house! I just had to kill two guards that tried to assassinate me! My brother wants Origin for himself, I know it. And Seraphine? Her betrayal of me must have been encouraged by my recent wars to conquer Sanus. I am not the same young, vigorous man from back then. I have grown old now, but with that came wisdom. I know what I must do and I dare not regret it! I will send my wife and sons to Anima to continue my bloodline, to continue the Arc family name's heritage! I will be giving this journal to them to give to the next Arc, again and again, to remind them of the enemies of our family. The Winchesters and Schnee are not our friends, but our enemies. I cannot promise their defeat. Hell, no one knows this, but I failed to kill the entire Winchester family way back when. My guess is they hid somewhere or fled the continent. A loose end. I broke my promise, something an Arc never does, to my wife, and I went on a bloody conquest of the entire continent! Reasons do not matter, nor do they excuse what I have done! I will fight and die here - I WON'T COWARD AWAY!"
The very last entry of the journal before it all went blank was not written by Artorious. "My name is Prometheus Flama Arc, and I write this message here for the future generations. I have already read my father's journal from one end to the other and, honestly, I do not know what to think. Father did everything for a reason, yet as he said, they do not excuse his sins. Terra has died due to illness, and Mother is old and frail. I had a house built for us here, where I want to have the Arc family live from now on. No one knows we are here. Sanus is in chaos, trying to rebuild itself after my father's demise. My uncle has been trying to track us down as well from what I have heard, but to no use. We are being well hidden by the local leading tribes of Anima, and they have managed to cripple his information network. But my father...I decided to erase his name from our family history. It is for the best the coming generations never learn of this so they do not try and reclaim Sanus as their Kingdom again. Despite my father's wishes, Sanus was never meant to be ruled by one man alone. Forgive me, father, for doing this. I will bury the journal and plant a tree to mark its location. But Origin...To any Arc that might be reading this, do not pursue this power. It is gone. Never to emerge again. But if it does...DO NOT LET ANYONE KNOW ABOUT IT!"
The rest of the journal was blank, Jaune's mouth slightly open seeing the information he just read. He couldn't believe it. Lucifer and Beelzebub were also silent next to him, their expressions confessing that they didn't see this ending coming either. However, it was Lucifer who broke the silence. "Of course…"
"Huh?"
"Artorious told me about it before...During the war, in the heat of battle, he fought Seraphine head-on. He had multiple powerful semblances at his call, around twenty-three of them, but Seraphine prepared counter-strategies against them all and her own semblance proved to overwhelm him at some point. His brother also...Jaune, the betrayal was not cooking after the conquest, but ever since Artorious got Origin"
"He did mention having to prove himself over his own brother," Jaune said, recalling one of the lines. "Wait, so you think Artorious' brother and Seraphine were-"
"In cahoots the whole time?" Lucifer finished the sentence, then she inhaled a bit. "Most likely. They might have had an affair for some time and hid it from everyone until Artorious' brother, whom he didn't name, got Origin. It seems the right to inherit it is by merit instead of age."
"I can confirm that," Beel said. "Art told me he was the little brother."
"This is a lot to take…" Jaune said, closing the book and setting it aside. "If I remember things right, Artorious gave me Origin back in Hell. I might have been the only Arc he could reach and he wanted to pass on Origin to start the cycle anew."
"But we do not know if he wanted you to conquer Sanus with it" Lucifer pointed out, but Beelzebub had a counter.
"He didn't. Believe me, I talked with him the most; he held no wish for that, only for a chance to pass on Origin. If anything, what Prometheus said in here will be followed, including hiding Origin away"
"Wait, why the last part?" Jaune asked, apparently oblivious to something that happened way too often in the journal. "I mean, I get it is a powerful semblance, but why hide it?"
"That is the reason, Jaune. It is a powerful semblance" Lucifer said, having caught on to the issue. "Damn it, this sure complicates things a little."
"What is it?"
"Jaune, pay closer attention to what Artorious said regarding others. He could give other people semblances, which I am certain was a strong reason for people to follow him; power. Origin doesn't get rid of the original either, so the possibility of a great army with countless semblances was possible. The only reason no Arc did it is that they saw it as unnecessary. Something about semblances needing to stay as secondary equipment and not main - I do not remember what he said, but it was along those lines. Furthermore, he was also taken advantage of by Seraphine to create a new hybrid semblance which was powerful enough to fight him and, from what he told me, pull a victory."
"I see. So I have to keep Origin a secret because then people might want to use me to gain more power." Jaune said, then he sighed. "I guess my life really cannot get easier, can it?"
"No, and it seems it only works on semblances, meaning we cannot grant you our magic. However, he mentioned limits to how many semblances one can hold and use at once, and it varied from his father. We do not know your limit, but I doubt it is as high."
"If anything, your already hybrid semblance might be cutting some space" Beel pointed out. "But I doubt it is a large amount of it. Regardless, we cannot find out what the limit is until we actually have you take some semblances."
"Oh...That goes against the initial point of hiding it, doesn't it?"
"Quite" Beel confirmed. "We would need someone who trusts you and is willing to keep this big secret and whom you trust that they won't take advantage of your semblance."
Jaune sighed. Currently, apart from the girls, he had no other person to go to for that. His friends back in Ansel might hide the fact he was still nearby if he explained what happened at his home, but not offer up their semblance. He also knew they might just ask for one in exchange. Besides, Artorious mentioned nothing about how Origin is used to take semblances in the first place."Not like I know how this works-"
"Skin contact." Beel cut in. "He told me when he went for my face. For Origin to work you need direct skin contact, no clothing in between. Even hair can get in the way. However, the transfer is instant, but it does leave the person you take it from unable to use their semblance for a day"
"Oh, I see," Jaune replied, but then he remembered something. "He said he had another child with a woman named Maria Black. This means that out there, somewhere, there is another line of my family who doesn't know about their heritage"
"That is true," Lucifer said. "However, finding them won't be easy."
"I didn't say I was going to find them. But if I ever come across them, I will make sure to act friendly" Jaune replied, then he yawned. "Anyway girls, it is getting late. We should hit the hay"
"Agreed. You have work tomorrow after all," Beelzebub said as she got up from the bed. "We will be starting your training, after all"
"Finally…"
LONGGGGGGGG CHAPTERRRRRRR!
Nerdy: damn right this chapter was long. Not as long as my dick though HAHAHAHA.
And people say I am the perv. Regardless, this chapter offered us the description of his new house, minus the basement which will be revealed later, and the attic. If anyone wants to propose another room to add, just lemme know and I will have Beel pull some magic BS. Then we had Artorious' journal...Oh boy, the plot...
Nerdy: here's my question to you all this week. How do you feel about alterations to the canon so far? Granted, this is a crossover technically but still close enough. Jaune really has gained quite a bit but he's only just getting started. A certain redhead will be proud of him LOL. Anyway, the plot is really heating up and the world of Remnant is going to experience a rude awakening. Please look forward to it.
The Arc family, the Winchester family, and the Schnee family..Three families that have been since the old times. Other names will be revealed later, but for now, we shall see you all…
IN HELL!