Disclaimer: I own nothing; just the OC

'Thought'

"Talking"

*Action*

"Powerful entity (gods, dragons, etc.)"

[System]

Vernal POV

I stood in front of the chieftain's tent, waiting patiently for any sign of the boss' return.

A while back, Raven told me about her plan to get that brat, Asmodeus, to reveal his true intentions as it was evident to Raven that he was staying here on purpose. So they would travel under the pretense of a Grimm extermination mission and should Raven find anything distasteful about his intentions, she would kill him on the spot.

That was over 3 days ago.

There hasn't been a word from her since she left. She hasn't been answering her Scroll or even opened a portal to me. Raven's Semblance allows her to create portals to instantly travel to people she has strong emotional connections with, me being one of those people. So the fact that Raven has not opened a portal at all can only mean that something must have happened.

Something bad.

Fortunately, no one in the tribe has questioned their chief's adsense. It is common knowledge that Raven would simply disappear for a couple of days - sometimes weeks - and anyone who asks would meet an untimely demise. She was good at keeping people in line, whether through brute force or through more... psychological means. Both methods got her results and results are all that matters in the Branwen Tribe.

I look to the sky, hoping to see a certain corvid flying above, only to see something else. A large body is flying right on towards us, with jet-black wings spread out in all their glory.

"We got Grimm incoming!" I yell and immediately everyone scrambles to get ready for battle. However, as the Grimm descends it is revealed that it isn't a Grimm but rather a human with wings. It can't be. I have seen faunus with avian features before, but they have never been able to fly with them.

"Hey now. Is that any way to greet someone?"

My eyes widen in recognition. "That… that voice…"

The black wings dissolve and in front of me is a sight I never thought was ever possible. Standing in front of us is that bastard Asmodeus holding Raven Branwen, the most ruthless and feared woman in Anima, bridal style.

Bridal. Style!

I am just lost for words right now…

I snap out of my stupor when I notice Raven's clothes… there's almost nothing left. Her armor is almost gone, it's barely protecting anything. Her clothes were dirty and large patches of it were missing in several places, almost like they were torn off.

"You… you…" I couldn't hold it in much longer. I was clenching my fist so hard that blood was slowly falling to the ground. That bastard…

That bastard…!

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I unholster my weapons and charge at the brat. He just gives me an indifferent look before letting out a sigh. He removes his right arm from Raven and raises it at me. A purple orb suddenly launches from his palm and misses my head by a hair. A sudden noise hits my ears and when I turn around, one of the nearby tents has been completely destroyed.

"I suggest you put your weapons down... or I won't miss next time." He announces.

A lump forms on my throat as he said that. He missed me on purpose!? Does he intend to keep mocking me like this!?

"Kill him now!" I yell and everyone charges at him with their weapons. My left eye twitches, even when being surrounded by dozens of enemies, he expresses no emotions...

Normal POV

'Are you serious?' I exasperate as a group of bandits make their way towards me.

[It seems you have done something to upset them]

One of the bandits tries to attack me from behind but I whip my head around and kick their face in, sending the bandit flying through the camp until he crashes on a tent. The other bandits rush at me with their swords and spears, I easily dodge their sloppy attacks against me and summon three skeletal hands that quickly subdue them.

"Stand down, don't make me kill you." I told them. A bandit with a claymore creeps up behind me and brings their weapon down with so much force that it leaves a cloud of dust. The bandit smirks, believing that the pest has been dealt with.

...until a hand suddenly shoots out from the dust and grabs the bandit by the neck.

The bandit yelps as he is brought closer to the cloud only to be thrown to the other side, crashing into a group of stupefied bandits.

I look at the fallen bandits before turning my attention to Vernal. "If you're done playing around, there is something I need to say."

"Shut up!" Vernal cries and takes aim. Her weapons are a pair of crescent shaped blades, each with a ring-shaped center. The large outer blades have hooked points that point back toward the grip. They have four smaller blades located in pairs above and below the grip, which is wrapped in red cloth and curved to form part of the middle ring. The large outer blades are capable of collapsing toward the grip.

Atop the ring and below the upper blades is a pair of rectangular gun barrels. Within the main ring is a smaller, thinner ring connected by a pin to the forward facing portion of the weapons, acting as a trigger for the barrels.

'Observe'

Vernal Level: 20

Title: Raven's Right-Hand Woman

HP: 2,699

SP: 5,803

AP: 4,200

VIT: 93

STR: 149

DEX: 170

INT: 88

WIS: 210

LUK: 58

CHA: 77

Thoughts about you: Angry at you for raping Raven

[Crescent Ring]

Rarity: C

Damage: 440

Description: These weapons are capable of firing yellow laser beams and are able to combine their power to generate a beam powerful enough to cut through a person's Aura. Vernal is skilled at using them in melee or throwing them, able to throw them in such a way they return to her hand.

I blink at the description. Vernal thinks I raped Raven? What gave her such a ridiculous idea?

"Grr… stop dodging and fight me!" Vernal yells as she continues to attack, increasing its speed and overall ferocity.

Seeing no other option, I grab Vernal's arm and begin to twist it. Her weapons fall to the ground as she attempts to hold her scream in, but it proves futile as I apply more pressure into her arm.

"Enough." I said, my voice gaining an echo. "If I wanted to, I could have killed you all with a wave of my hand but you're more useful to me alive than dead. So why don't you put the toys away and stop wasting my time."

Vernal flinches at the overwhelming killing intent being released; she's even having trouble breathing. Her weapons fall to the ground, no longer having the strength to hold them. I suppress the killing intent and let go of her arm, Vernal coughs as air enters her lungs.

I enter the chieftain's tent and place Raven on her bed, her body twists and turns as she gets comfortable. I can't help but ogle at her: her figure, her toned muscles, her ample bust, and that long raven-black hair of hers. Her clothes could barely hide the luscious skin that's underneath.

"It's hard to believe she's actually a mother." I mumble to myself. I lean in and cup Raven's cheek, "she's so soft to the touch…"

"Get your filthy hands away from the boss, you pervert!"

I turn to see Vernal standing in front of the entrance, nursing her arm after I almost dislocated it. "You motherfucker, to think you were hiding this strength..." She tightens her grip, "were you holding back this whole time?"

"No, I just adapted to the situation." I leave Raven in her bed and walk to the table in the middle of the room. I gesture to the other end of the table, "have a seat."

Vernal jolts at the gesture before relenting and takes a seat. As I take a seat, Vernal notices the vein-like scars on my arms and notes that they are burn marks that run all the way to my elbows. "So, what hell happened to you two? Raven clearly didn't kill you so something must have happened."

I didn't have much of a reaction to her statement. I already knew she was aware of Raven's little plan. "Oh she tried, she tried. But she clearly overestimated me and that led to her downfall."

Vernal blinks a couple of times. "Wait… are you saying you beat Raven!?" Raven was one of the strongest in the history of the Branwen Tribe and there were many in the past who fought her and died. "That's not possible, you're lying."

I just shrug at this. "I could care less, but regardless I did beat her which means that I am the new chieftain of you bandits."

Vernal narrows her eyes. "Even if you're telling the truth, the tribe wouldn't just let you take over. They will want proof of your strength."

"I think I already gave them enough proof when I was tossing you guys around like ragdolls." I told her. A bit of killing intent leaks out of my body. "And keep in mind, that was just me going easy on you guys."

Vernal gulps as the oppressive aura washes over her. The fact that he is this strong made her think twice before trying to fight him.

'He would have killed me...' Vernal thought in fear, 'if I hadn't surrendered, he would have killed me right on the spot.'

"But yes, I did beat her and she submitted to me." I state. "We would have been back earlier if we hadn't run into a problem."

"...problem?" Vernal asks.

"It was after we fell…"

(Flashback)

*DRIP*

*DRIP*

*DRIP*

The sound of water hitting can be heard bouncing throughout the cavern. Ruined buildings can be seen everywhere, no one would think that this was once a prosperous village in the middle of nowhere. Rubble and debris can be seen moving as a figure slowly rises from the pile.

"Goddammit." I groan as I pick myself up. "I am starting to think this world is out to get me." I dust myself off and check my surroundings. "What a disaster…" I open my status screen.

Name: Asmodeus Endaira

Title: The Gamer, Dungeon Seeker

Race: Human

Age: 17

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Level: 21

HP: 7,120 (712 per minute)

MP: 6,600 (660 per minute)

SP: 4,820 (482 per minute)

AP: 6,600 (660 per minute)

VIT: 178

STR: 241

DEX: 94

INT: 94

WIS: 220

MAG: 220

LUK: 135

CHA: 115

Money: 32,967

Trait gained [Dragon's Sin of Wrath]

[Dragon's Sin of Wrath]

You will lose complete control and attack anyone once fully enraged. Boosts all stats x1000.

Well, I don't know how to react to this one. I've always thought of myself as a calm and collected person, and while there have been times where someone got me mad it never ended with me going on a freaking rampage. The bonus is great, yes, but again, rage isn't something I know how to take care of and I don't really want to hurt my allies either.

"This is not fair." I mutter.

[If you manage to lose control, Gamer's Mind will bring you back from the madness]

"That still doesn't make me feel better…" I walk around the wreckage, eventually finding [Palindel] buried in a pile of ruined kitchen appliances. I dig it out and holster it on my back, "now… where is that rebellious raven?"

I scour through the ruined buildings, but there is no sign of Raven. I look up above only to see a large hole on the roof as moonlight washes over everything, "maybe she turned into a bird and left?"

As if answering my question, a blade's tip suddenly appears in my field of vision. I swiftly grab the blade before it can stab me in the eye, "you have a weird way of greeting people, you know that?"

Raven steps out of the shadows, "I see you're still alive."

"And I see you're still a bitch." I toss the sword back at Raven, which she caught. "What? Did the fall suddenly reinvigorate your pride or something?"

Raven narrows her eyes and growls, "don't think for a second you've beaten me brat. I will kill you where you stand."

"Fine, whatever." I said not even paying attention to her threat, which infuriates her. "Anyways, can you use your magic tricks to get us out of here?"

Raven glares at me before averting her eyes to the roof. "...no, I'm too weak to use my magic."

I raise my eyebrow. "That's not something I ever expected you to say."

"Well, who's fault is that!? You threw me around like a ragdoll and expected me to come out unscathed!?" Raven snaps.

I glare at her. "I expected you to be more useful, but I was wrong to expect something good out of you."

"And I was wrong to ever let you stay in the tribe." Raven retorts. "If I had known you were working for Salem I would have killed you a long time ago!"

My eyes snap wide open before a familiar feeling grows inside of me. I grab Raven by her arms and pin to the wall. "Let's make one thing clear, Raven: I DO NOT work for Salem. The last thing I want is to work for some albino old hag who throws hissy fits whenever something doesn't go her way. If you ever suggest otherwise I will personally and gruesomely rip your head off your shoulders and then send it to your family back at Patch. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR!?"

My emotions quickly subside as [Gamer's Mind] kicks in. I let go of Raven's arms and she slowly slides down to the floor, petrified. "Sorry, but I just really hate Salem. Please don't say something like that again." I turn around, not wanting to show Raven the shocked expression I am making. 'I really need to get this under control… [Dragon's Sin of Wrath] is going to make me look like a psychopath.'

"W-what did Salem do to you…?" Raven asks.

I glance back at Raven. "She…" Memories from the show replay in my mind.

The Brother Gods

Immortality

The Relics

The Fall of Beacon

Pyrrha's death

Ironwood's insanity

Penny's death

"...did nothing to me." I told her.

Raven looks at me confused. "...nothing?"

I turn to look at her. "She's just an obstacle I want to remove, that's all."

Raven stands up and looks at me. "What are you planning?"

I smile a little. "I don't know yet, but it'll probably be interesting."

Raven gives the kid a look, the more he talks, the more she realizes how insane he really is. He wants to beat Salem, and wants to involve the entire tribe into his little scheme. The fool. Salem cannot be killed. So many have tried, Summer tried and they're all dead. What makes him think he'll be any different?

"Do you really think you can kill her, when so many have tried and failed?" Raven asked skeptically.

I stare at her for a bit. "Immortality means nothing in the face of cunning Raven. She can be trapped, she can be tricked. She isn't infallible, a detail that seemingly everyone in this world seems to miss for some reason."

"And how would you know?" Raven hisses out. If Salem could be beaten that easily, Ozpin would have done it a long time ago.

"Because there's always been people like her, and the result is always the same." I told her. In truth, my cousin would trick me into taking my dad's phone, until I outwit him and made it look like they took the phone.

It's not a good comparison, but it's the principle that counts.

"We should get moving, maybe we'll find a way out further in." I turn around and begin to walk further into the cavern.

Raven hesitates on what to do, but relents and follows me deeper into the darkness not knowing what they'll encounter beyond.

After some time, the two come across something they were not expecting to see.

A massive subterranean cavity and within it, an entire underground city

The city itself looks somewhat ancient and yet it is surprisingly well preserved. The buildings seem somewhat modern, but they were devastated by the elements but seem to be stable enough to live in.

We descend from the cliff and I marvel at the fact of a city located underground. "Incredible…"

"Vale wasn't the only kingdom who tried to expand. Vacuo tried to expand, but it was deemed impossible due to the harsh conditions of their kingdom. Atlas suggested the idea to expand but was scrapped before it could be implemented because the council didn't want to waste money and the manpower."

I turn to Raven. "So what happened to Mistral? Why did they stop?"

"The details are a bit vague, but supposedly the entire settlement was lost due to some kind of flood. Since then expansion was put on indefinite halt and the city was lost." She states. "...until now."

"I see." But still, to think they would just stop due to some circumstances that were beyond their control. "Are they really fine with staying within the kingdom's walls?"

"The people prefer to stay inside their walls, letting others sacrifice their lives for the sake of people who wouldn't even bat an eye for their sacrifice. Ozpin and his circle control pretty much everything in the kingdoms, the councils exist solely to hide the true masterminds." Raven explains. "At first, we followed Ozpin because we thought we were making a difference but I realized his true motives before anyone else on my team."

I put the pieces together, though there is still one thing that I don't understand. "How did you find out about this?" I ask her with fake skepticism. "I highly doubt you could have found this information on your own."

"He wanted me to be the Fall Maiden and told me that I was making a difference, but I knew better." Raven's hands balled into fists. "Ozpin didn't have a plan for Salem, and he sent us to the Grimmlands to basically die for nothing."

"But what about Yang, why did you leave her behind?" I asked.

"...my Semblance not only allows me to make portals to others, but it allows me to somewhat see their futures." Raven states, her tone remains unchanged. "In every vision, Yang dies in the tribe. Whether from a raid, training, or just from a skirmish with someone, she wouldn't survive past childhood."

"...why are you telling me this?" I asked her. "This seems pretty out of character for you."

Before Raven can reply, the ground begins to tremble before several Grimm sprout from the earth behind us. They're centipede-like Grimm with long, black segmented bodies. Each segment has a pair of clawed legs and is covered by a protective shell. Their heads have no eyes but possess large jaws. Inside their jaws, they have four small claws.

Centinel Level 25

780/780 HP

800/800 SP

Description: Centinels can burrow through rock and coil themselves together when attacking, moving at fast speeds. They can rotate their sections to burrow like a drill. Centinels can spit a bright green acid, which is able to corrode and melt through steel. They aren't dangerous, but are considered an annoyance due to the sheer number they travel in, thus making Huntsmen avoid bounty missions on the Grimm, as a result making their rewards be disproportionately large compared to the difficulty ranking.

"Shit!" I said as the Centinels stare down at us. Raven activates her Maiden powers and blasts one of them with ice, however the Centinel fires a stream of acid that easily melts through the ice and hits her leg.

"AAAHHHH!" Raven screams in pain. Three of the Centinels fires their acid, pushing Raven back and flies away with the Grimm in pursuit.

"Raven!" I take my gun and fire Aura bullets at the Grimm. The Centinels easily dodge the bullets before one of them charges at me and sends through a building.

[-2,200 AP]

[-1,345 HP]

"Fuck I felt that…" I wince as I slowly pull myself out of the rubble but the Centinel wasn't done as it rushes in and fires its corrosive acid at me. The resulting attack causes the entire structure to give in and collapses on top of me.

Everything goes black.

Author Notes

Hi, it's been a while, hasn't it? A lot of stuff has happened since the last update and when I am talking about the last update, I mean the last story update on this account.

...my grandfather passed away a few weeks ago and I just haven't been able to focus at all. My dad was the only one who went to the funeral because it took place in Dominican Republic and none of us could go due to our jobs.

In lighter news, my birthday was on the 13th of this month and while we didn't go to a restaurant or anything at least we spent the day together as a family. Eating cake and everything.

Anyways, the plan for this is that it's a flashback that encompasses two chapters and you're probably wondering why Raven told him all of this. Maybe because she thinks he's the most grounded person in this messed up world of good vs evil and the ones stuck in between this battle can only rely on each other to survive (at least that's what I think anyway). Or maybe, it's because she doesn't care anymore since he plans to lead the tribe on a suicide mission against Salem and she can't do anything about it.

I've read the comments and while I can agree that the mc can come out as bratty, I want you to ask yourselves how you would react to any of this. Would you be excited? Calm? Freaked out? It's different for every person and I doubt I would act like this in a real situation; I always had difficulty writing emotions. Also I gave Vernal's weapons a name because of the lack of one in the show, so I made my own.

Leave a review/comment and tell me what you think.

Peace~