Hey everyone.
Owe my mysterious disappearance this time to my new job. Correction, old job now considering no one is getting any real work with this shitty Pandemic screwing us. So basically, as soon as I get said new job and became good at it, tragedy strikes in the form of what's essentially a common cold.
I get it, it's contagious, and a good amount of people have died. It's a scary thing. My issue is that most of us are relatively safe from this nonsense, and the unfortunate bit in all this is the people literally going crazy over this. Especially with the shopping.
Never in my life did I ever think I would see the day during my youth where I'd see stores so empty of food or paper that'd you'd have to travel miles around town praying you'd find something. Literally, it's bad enough that most simpler foods, like bread, isn't on shelves anymore.
Ranting and personal frustrations aside, my point is this people. Yes, this whole pandemic episode is something to be concerned about, but it's nothing to go insane over, regardless of where you live in the world. I'm not belittling the situation in anyway or the people affected or afflicted.
The only thing I'm saying here is to not completely lose your heads over this. Try to stay as calm as humanly possible in this troubling time, use your heads for yourselves, and you know, stay healthy of course. Exercise, drink some vitamin c, that kind of thing.
Most importantly, be kind to one another too. It's already crazy enough as is out in the world. It could do with a little less crazy for once.
Anyway, I got that off my chest. Done and over. Sorry for the delay until now but here it is. Chapter 64. Enjoy.
Chapter 64: Dead Ends
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"What is good, and what is evil?" Noland asked as Dante stopped next to him in the street.
"Huh?" The devil asked with a confused stare.
"What do you think it means to be good or evil?"
"You ask the most random philosophical questions out of the blue sometimes, you know that?"
"It can't be helped. Like you, I often think far too much about certain matters. I look at the world around me, and I continuously question it. Not because I dislike or like the world around us, but simply because it's interesting to know and understand." Noland shifted to the side of the street to avoid blocking it, resting his hands on his cane as Dante joined him, "That being said… What's your take on it?"
"I'm probably the last person you should be asking about an opinion on what 'good' and 'evil' is."
"You are one who has walked both paths at one point or another. If anything, you're the perfect person to ask, since you have a good deal of perspective from both sides."
Dante sighed in displeasure, leaning against the stonewall as he watched people go about their day.
"Good, evil… Frankly… I don't give a shit about either."
"Oh?"
"As someone who's seen a lot of shit in just sixteen years of living… I can safely tell you the concepts concerning 'good' and 'evil' are screwed up."
"As in the ideas behind them are either incorrect or incredibly vague… I see… Then how do you classify your actions?"
"Neither." Dante honestly answered as he crossed his arms.
"Neither?"
"I do what I do simply because I want to. Not because it's good or evil. If what I'm doing happens to coincide with 'what's good', then fine. If what I do is 'evil' from the perspective of others, it won't matter all too much to me unless I'm actually doing something that can be called 'evil'. For me… all that matters is if what I'm doing is 'right'. Nothing else."
"Heh… I see… Actions not guided by 'good' or 'evil', but by what is 'right'." Noland smiled as he pushed himself off the wall and walked, "I think I'm beginning to understand how you operate as a living being."
"You make me sound more machine-like with that… 'Operate'. There's better words, but sure, I guess that works."
Noland chuckled as both he and the young devil stopped in front of Saphron Arc's home.
"I'd like to explore on my own, if you don't mind." He told Dante, "Like you, I've never had the opportunity to visit Argus before, and I'd like to take the opportunity to do so before we leave."
"Sure thing." The young devil replied, staring plainly at the young man, "Call if you get in trouble."
Noland gave his companion a small nod before he continued off on his own, his blackened cane tapping against the ground with each step.
Now then… If I remember correctly…
Hey hey hey! Noland kept walking as he heard Tâz's voice in his head, Ain't we a bit early with doing 'that'?
I'm simply checking to see if 'it' remains undisturbed since last I was here.
Oho! A straight up lie!
Hardly. When we were here last, I singlemidnedly went to 'that' place. I honestly have no clue where anything in this town is.
Shouldn't we be careful going 'there' though? That fox girl with the huge tits can accurately sense people from freaking miles away.
We've nothing to worry about concerning Ms. Kitsukami. I have a feeling she'll be… occupied for the evening.
Huh?
Must I really explain?
Oh! I get it! She and the Pretty Boy will be too busy screwing to want to keep track of us!
While that may be the case, we can't rely on that happening just about every other time when we want to slip away. Thankfully, I've already come up with countermeasures against her impeccable Aura Sensing. We'll be safe next time.
Noland stopped for a brief moment, looking off to the side as he saw his reflection in one of the store windows. He raised his hand up, fingertips softly pressing against the glass as he glared at himself.
Going 'there' is the next part of my plan. If I can reclaim what's mine… we'll be a step closer to the end.
You sure it's a good idea though? We went through all that effort the last time. If you ask me, we should just leave it be. The Pretty Boy will be enough, won't he?
Perhaps. But it's still better to be safe than sorry. Slipping up at the end would be… unfortunate, if I became sloppy or careless. Aside from that…
The young man's hand drifted off the glass as he stared ahead down the road.
"What we left there belongs to me, and me alone. And… I also have a debt to pay."
As Noland made to walk again, he noticed something across the street, carefully making sure no vehicles were present as he crossed the road. Soon enough, he walked past two large hedges, the frozen leaves fluttering in the wind as he went deeper into the small park.
"I see. So this is where they memorialized her."
Uh, who are we talking about?
The one known far and wide as The Invincible Girl. Pyrrha Nikos.
Noland placed both hands atop his cane, glancing up at the stone statue of the long deceased Pyrrha. He had always heard about her, but never paid too much attention to her life or fame. Frankly, he didn't care. But for once, he actually was able to see what she looked like. At least, a representation of her form.
Well, she ain't so invincible if she's dead. What even made her 'invincible'?
Her Semblance, I believe. It allowed her to control magnetic polarity. Simply put, anything metallic that was able to magnetized was something she could either force out of her way or pull towards her. Bullets, blades… almost nothing would be able to harm her. And if she lost her armaments, she could simply recall them.
And yet she's dead because..?
From what I've been able to discern, Cinder Fall was responsible for her murder.
Still not answering the question there, mr. Literature.
Cinder Fall acquired the full power of the Fall Maiden, and was able to defeat Ms. Nikos in combat. Regardless of how great a warrior Ms. Nikos was, she couldn't fully measure up to the power of a Maiden.
Blech… Maidens…
Oh? Are you afraid Tâz?
Hah! As if! There's me, the Big Bad Wolf, the big guy, and you and your fancy book. I'd say we can wreck a Maiden if one showed up.
Heh… That'd be possible without question if we had what's hidden in this town. As I am, my Aura isn't enough to maintain all three of you at once. At best, I can maintain both you and Râzla together on the field for a short period of time.
Right… I almost forgot the big guy takes up a lot of your Aura…
Which is why if I reclaim what's hidden underneath this town, not only will I have a larger abundance of Aura, but I'll be able to efficiently regulate it. Which means I'll be able to keep both of you out much longer and empower you to deal more damage. Still…
Noland's eyes drifted back up towards the statue, his smile fading as his eyes narrowed.
You think we'll run into that Cinder bitch?
It's possible, given how intertwined her fate is with both Ms. Rose and Dante. The only question is… who will eliminate her first? Ms. Rose? Or Dante?
I mean, we might get lucky and take her down if we see her.
Hmm… Perhaps… But frankly, I'd prefer not.
Huh? How come? Are you the one who's scared now?
Hardly. If anything, it would be out of place for us to claim her life. After all… there are other people more invested in bringing down Cinder Fall than we are.
Right right… Vengeance and all that.
Yes… Vengeance and all that…
Noland gave a silent nod towards the statue of Pyrrha Nikos, tossing up the cane slightly to grab the lower shaft under the handle as he walked out of the park.
How utterly foolish…
As soon as Dante stepped inside the home and closed the door behind him, he was immediately greeted with a small body crashing into his face and clinging to him tightly.
He felt a brief moment of panic, but immediately calmed down as soon as he heard the child-like giggling. The young devil reached up and plucked Kianna from his face after putting some effort into it. It may have been her way of playing, but she held on rather tightly and was surprisingly strong for a toddler.
As soon as he removed her, he held her out in front of him as she giggled happily, her tiny hands reaching for his face.
"I know kids are supposed to be energetic and everything, but you are seriously over the top, huh?"
"I assumed you returned, given how quickly she shot up as soon as the door opened."
Dante looked towards the living room entrance to see Inuba standing there, smiling at him.
"What, you're saying she sniffed me out?"
"Strangely enough she did. Kianna started sniffing about, and not ten seconds later did you come through the door. She started running then just shot up with her wings." Inuba giggled, "It was actually pretty cute."
"I bet…"
The young devil looked down at Kianna, who continued reaching out for his head until he brought her closer. Immediately, she wrapped as much of her tiny hands as she could around his neck and contently nuzzled her cheek against Dante's, making him smile.
"Ah! You're back!" Ruby peeked in the doorway, "She was getting restless for a while you know."
"You've been causing trouble, little miss?" Dante asked the little dragon girl.
She immediately jolted up, and quickly shook her head.
"Well, if that's the case-"
The devil froze, holding Kianna up in front of him.
"You… understand me..?"
"Shocking, right?!" Ruby said, "She's been watching shows downloaded on my Scroll for the last two hours, and when I was just asking her stuff randomly, she was either nodding or shaking her head!"
"I tested her a little, and she seems to have basic comprehension skills, but can't quite verbally communicate quite yet." Inuba added.
"She's gotta be no older than two…" The young devil spoke in amazement, "You're a pretty smart cookie, huh?"
She nodded twice with a small hum each time, grabbing for him once again as she settled for being held closer to his chest.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Well… Your mom and my uncle went to a bar downtown." Ruby answered.
"Figures." The devil rolled his eyes, moreso in his mother's case.
"Jaune, Nora and Ren are buying some groceries, my sister and Blake are hanging out upstairs, and Weiss-"
"You're just adorable, aren't you?!" They heard the heiress called out from the living room.
"It would seem Ms. Schnee is still quite taken with young Adrian." Inuba answered.
"Who knew Weiss liked kids so much..?" Dante said, "What do you think? You like Weiss?" He asked the young dragon girl.
She blinked at him, tilting her head in confusion as he chuckled lightly.
"The lady with the white hair and ponytail."
As soon as he said this, Kianna perked up and shook her head quickly as she giggled.
"Oh, Dante!" Ruby spoke up, "We were thinking about checking out the military base and talking to the person in charge a little later. Though, Jaune said we might not have any luck with talking to them."
"Well… I'm sure we'll figure it out."
"Figure what out?" Weiss walked in asking.
"Talking to whoever's in charge."
"If you're going to do the talking, you shouldn't brute force it like you usually do." The heiress warned.
"What? I'm a complete gentleman. I don't know what you're talking about." The devil argued.
"Normally you are, but you still have your moments of… ungentlemanly verbiage."
"She has a point." Ruby pointed out.
"Agreed." Inuba nodded.
"Aren't you two supposed to be on my side?" Dante sighed, "In any case, I'm gonna relax a little before we go."
Kianna was getting a little fussy, tugging at Dante's collar before she reached out towards Weiss.
"Huh… Well Weiss, it looks like Kianna wants to play with you some more."
"M-Me?!" She asked, both shocked and a little happy as Dante walked over.
The little dragon girl wriggled out of Dante's arms and leapt towards Weiss, using her small wings to add a little boost to her leap to ensure she'd make it. The heiress was baffled, but she made sure to catch the little dragon, who happily cooed in Weiss' arms as she cheerfully threw up her tiny hands.
"V-Very well! I suppose it can be helped then!"
You seem pretty eager though…
Dante smiled as he made for the stairs, but heard voices in the kitchen. His curiosity getting the better of him, he left the girls to their talking and peeked carefully around the corner to see a rather surprising sight.
Oscar and Dawn were sitting down at the kitchen table, happily chatting with one another. Although from the looks of it…
Dawn seemed to be in a rather pleased mood. Moreso than usual. In fact, now that Dante thought about it carefully, his sister had been spending a good deal of time with Oscar lately.
"What's happening guys?"
Both teens at the table froze as Dante entered, Oscar quick to get up.
"I, uh… Need to use the bathroom, so…"
He quickly slipped away without so much as looking at the young devil.
Dawn sighed, "We were speaking, you know?"
"I know. It's why I walked in." Her brother replied as he stole Oscar's seat, "What's his deal?"
"Well brother, not long ago you threatened to shoot him, so I would think he's rather intimidated by you."
"I wasn't really going to shoot him." Dante shrugged, "Maybe, at least."
"Brother…"
"Look, I was just gonna freak out Ozpin a little."
"Why?"
"So he can't use him as a shield."
Dawn's eyes widened in realization for a moment, but she quickly lowered her chin into her palm as her arm rested on the table.
"Regardless of the intent, it was still rather tasteless."
"Well, it'll give Ozpin something to think about if he ever thinks of hiding behind Oscar." The devil waved off, "I'm not gonna let him have his way. And I'll be sure to leave him with as little moves as possible if he plans on using Oscar for devious matters."
"You seem rather concerned for Oscar's safety…"
"Of course I am. He's one of us, right?"
Dawn smiled at the simple answer.
"Regardless, I think you should explain it to him and apologize when you get the chance."
"Right right…" Dante sighed.
His eyes lit up a moment, realizing something odd only now.
"Since when have you been on a first name basis with him?"
"W-What..?! W-Well, I… I just happen to be conversing with him often, so…"
Dante's eyes narrowed on Dawn briefly before he looked to the doorway Oscar left through, looking back at his sister.
She kept blinking at him in confusion under his stare, and eventually… her face began to turn a little red.
And in that moment, everything snapped together for the young devil.
"Oh. My. God." Dante spoke up rather loudly, "You have a crush on the farmer boy!"
"W-What?! No I don't! You're just s-speaking nonsense!" His sister quickly defended.
"Look me in the eyes then." The teen said as he leaned closer to Dawn.
Her eyes were darting about frantically, and her face was getting redder. There was even a little bit of sweat.
"OH! MY! GOD!" Dante spoke up louder this time, as if he wanted the whole house to hear him.
"S-Shut up, s-stupid brother!"
"I know he's cute and all, but Oscar? When did this happen?"
Dawn seemed hesitant to answer, but mustered up some courage as she spoke softly, Dante leaning on the table attentively to learn more.
"We just… started speaking frequently. He would come up to me now and then, and we'd talk a little more each time. Sometimes we were alone, other times we weren't. But… well… Like you said… H-He is rather… attractive, in a way..."
"Ah, so you like younger guys."
"W-What..?"
"You're sixteen, right? Did you know he's fourteen?" Dante asked.
"H-He is?! I..! I had no idea..!"
"Well don't let that stop you. Jump him when you get the chance if you like him that much."
"J-Jump him..?"
"Yeah."
It was brief, but the obscene hand gestures Dante made got the message across clearly, and made Dawn blush furiously as she began hitting her brother.
"Are you some kind of idiot?!"
"Haven't worked out the complete answer yet." The young devil shrugged.
Dawn let out a brief huff of frustration as she sat back in her chair, crossing her arms as she tried avoiding eye contact with Dante.
"Wow. You're really smitten with him, huh?"
His sister tried to hide her face behind her hands, squealing silently.
"Good for you and all, but it might be awkward considering Ozpin's in his noggin somewhere."
"Ozpin has retreated deeper within Oscar. I don't think he'll surface or much less be aware of what's happening unless Oscar is in danger."
"That so… You like Oscar enough that you want to protect him then?"
Dawn nodded silently, her eyes peeking out from between her fingers.
"I guess you're actually serious then… Heh… Alright. Guess all I can say is good luck. And that I'll interrogate him."
"B-Brother!"
"Constantly."
"Brother!" She affirmed a bit more fiercely, almost glaring at him.
That alone was enough to make Dante raise his hands up defensively as he kept up a smug smile.
He would have fun with this, but he certainly was happy that his sister seemed happy and content with Oscar being an object of her affection. As a brother, he'd support her, but… He had some concerns as well. Rather, one concern.
Would Ozpin use that to his advantage?
"Didn't you say you were going to go rest?" Dawn asked, calming down at last.
"I am. Just thought to sit down and have some fun while chatting. We won't always get to do this often, you know?"
"I know…" the girl spoke, head bowed to avoid eye contact.
Dante chuckled as he stood up, giving his sister a brief headpat.
"Good luck, little sister. Hopefully it works out between you two."
Dawn didn't feel like saying anything, so she remained silent, only flashing a small smile before she heard a hum behind her. She quickly jolted around, seeing Inuba, Ruby and Weiss with Kianna peeking around the corner.
All the mage did was blush furiously as she sputtered, soon slamming her head onto the table to hide her embarrassment.
"I see, I see… So much has indeed changed from my time." Navâra spoke as she finished another magazine and placed it on the table, "I give you many thanks, Ms. Cotta-Arc. Or rather, Mrs. Cotta-Arc, I suppose."
"No need to thank me, Ms… Uh… How should I address an empress..?"
The empress gave a brief, hearty laugh, "Fear not, for I, the great Navâra Calîxus, shall teach you! When before an esteemed and grand empress such as I, you would address me as 'your grace', like you would any king or queen. However, you may also refer to me using my title as well. But for you my lovely dear, you may simply call me Navâra."
"Thank you, Ms. Navâra!" Saphron cheerfully replied, "So, you're a companion of Dante's?"
"Indeed, I am! I have only recently come into good Dante's service as one of his blades! Soon enough, I will be his bride!"
"Ohhh! A bride?!" The Arc sister happily clapped her hands together, "Wait a minute, aren't Dante and Ms. Kitsukami dating?!"
"Indeed, they are! As is Ms. Rose! And Blaire Embryl! And my highly erotic senior Eclypse!"
"Stop calling me your senior. That makes me sound older than I am." Eclypse spoke as she sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh, clutching her head.
"Ms. Eclypse, are you all really..?"
"Yes, we are." The platinum haired girl answered Saphron, "We all reached a consensus in that we didn't want to make Master choose between us, so we all agreed to be in a relationship with him instead. And thus we live happily together."
"W-Wow… That must be exciting." The blonde said with surprise, "You must get a bit of attention if you're group dating, huh?"
"Eh." Eclypse shrugged.
"And you're trying to be the fifth girl?"
"Indeed mrs. Cotta-Arc! I intend to become good Dante's bride! If it were up to me, we'd have been already married to one another!"
"But..?"
"But, he insists that we must know each other more!"
"When did you two meet exactly?"
"Just yesterday!" The Empress proudly proclaimed.
"Wow, yesterday?! And you already want to get married?!" Saphron asked.
"Indeed! It was love at first sight! Why would I not want to marry him?"
"Aw, that's so cute!" Saphron energetically squealed.
Navâra giggled to herself as she puffed out her rather large chest, "Yes, indeed! It is cute! Using my natural charm and beauty, and my status as Empress, I will offer him only the finest of gifts and pleasures the world has to offer, and win his heart!"
Jaune's sister laughed with pure joy, "Good for you Navâra! I hope it actually works out!"
"It will work without fail!" The Empress proclaimed, "After all, who could resist my beauty? Worry not, for I can tell he is rather close to embracing me with open arms because of how splendidly I've charmed him!"
"Would you shut up already?" Eclypse proclaimed.
Navâra gave the girl a rather cute pout as she puffed out some air with her hands on her hips, the blonde Empress' nose wrinkling a little as she picked up a scent.
"Goodness my fellow blade, have you been drinking?"
"Yes, and I intend to drink some more." She answered Navâra.
"It's only noon, Eclypse. Is there any reason you're drinking so early?" Saphron asked.
"Well, considering I had copious amounts of sex with Master the night we found her," Eclypse began as she pointed her thumb over to Navâra, "I'm essentially on 'cooldown' for the time being. So, while the lewd fox and Strawberry Shortcake are busy partaking of my Master, I'm unfortunately going to be sitting around feeling horny. That's why I decided to get myself drunk in order to dull my senses. Now I won't be feeling it as much."
"Feeling it..?" Saphron asked.
Just as she asked, Navâra let out a sharp gasp and a brief moan as she slapped a hand to her mouth to cover it up, her other hand clutching her thigh tightly. Eclypse was hunched over the table, biting her lip as she let out heavy breaths.
"Are you two alright?!" The blonde asked.
"W-We'll be fine…"
"W-What is this..?! T-This feels like..!"
"W-We share s-sensations with Master… U-Unfortunately, this also m-means sensations of pleasure as w-well…" Eclypse gasped as she started biting into her finger.
"I-Is there anything t-that can be d-done about this?! N-Normally I would not c-complain, but..!"
"E-Endure it… short empress… T-That's all we can do f-for now…"
"W-Wow… You guys lead some exciting lives, huh?" Saphron asked.
"It has its…" Eclypse inhaled sharply, "moments..."
Having been immensely satisfied already, for the last few minutes, Ruby aided Dante in pleasuring Inuba so that kitsune too could reach her climax. The fox girl was on top of Dante, arms straightened out and hands gripping his shoulders tightly for dear life as she moaned fervently with her tongue lulled out, feeling the intense, unending shocks of pleasure rushing through her body with each thrust from her lover and each buck of her hips.
The young devil at one point began to feel Inuba's nails digging into his flesh as she held him, feeling a very miniscule amount of pain. If anything, this urged the young man to try even harder to pleasure his significant other as he lovingly squeezed her voluptuous rear, Inuba's continuous moaning becoming an enticing symphony for his ears.
And Ruby? She had become rather taken with the kitsune's moans as well, so she sat behind the kitsune, arms wrapped around her as she fondled Inuba's large chest. A part of the little reaper was jealous that the fox girl had these spectacular, large, firm breasts, but she found a sort of joyful fascination with fondling and groping them. Even better, she was instinctively rewarded by the kitsune, whose tails coiled around various parts of Ruby's body.
The soft fur thoroughly rubbed various corners of the little reaper's body; her thighs, her arms, her abdomen, her chest, even her lower half. It was a fair exchange all things considered, even if Inuba didn't intentionally make use of her tails. As a result, Ruby soon found herself panting and moaning rather heavily, all without giving the fox girl rest as she continued fondling her breasts.
It would be a minute or so later that Dante could feel Inuba tightening up immensely, signaling that she was on the edge of a climax. After the fervent hour they all spent together, it would be the last one as well. He held on long enough just for the kitsune, so the young devil gave a final push that brought him, Inuba, and Ruby to climax.
The shocks calmed down, but Dante could still feel Inuba clenching tightly and her body shivering with convulsions as her voice and Ruby's echoed loudly throughout the room. Thankfully, no one but three of them would hear the sweet, pleased cries of the girls, for the talismans Inuba made ensured all noise would be confined to their room and their room only.
It was better that way.
No longer having any strength in her body, Inuba's voice died down into silent gasps, eyes narrowing as she collapsed onto Dante. Having already let go, Ruby was freed from the kitsune's tails and lowered herself, her beautiful long legs folding together as she sat on her feet, letting out heavy breaths. When she took a few more breaths, she crawled across the bed towards the young devil.
Dante in the meantime slid himself out from underneath Inuba, carefully placing her head on the pillow next to him so she could rest after passing out. He adjusted the sheets so that they would cover her, and fixed her tails so that they would be covered as well. Ruby crawled under the sheets as Dante kept them raised, making it easier for her to cuddle with him.
"You were… a lot more wild this time…" the devil noted.
"Y-You didn't like it..?"
"No no no, I..! It was… Well… It was surprising is all. Didn't expect it but… It was good. Really good." Dante explained, "But… What brought that on all of a sudden?"
"W-Well… Seeing how Eclypse and Inuba do it… made me kind of jealous that I wasn't doing good enough…"
Before she could think of saying more, Ruby was immediately pulled into a hug by Dante, who laughed silently.
"You always seem a little cuter than usual when you're jealous or pouty." He spoke, kissing her cheek, "You don't have to do more if you don't want to. I'm content as is. But if you did that all the time, that'd be a nice bonus."
Ruby's hand shot up and pinched the devil's nose between her fingers as he struggled, letting out nasally squeaks that made the little reaper giggle to herself silently.
"How about this? You guys take a break today." Dante said, folding his arm inwards so he could rest his head in his hand as he laid down, "I'll go see what I can do about the Atlas Officials at the base."
"You don't have to do everything yourself, you know?"
"I know, but…" the young devil's hand brushed over Ruby's as he held it gently, "I made it a point to do nothing but treat the four of you like queens. That means doing most of the work so that you don't have to, and so that you can relax more often." He said as he kissed her hand.
Ruby shook her head as she smiled, "Honestly, how sweet can you be?"
"Sweet enough to give you healthy diabetes."
"There's no such thing!" Ruby noted as she playful smacked Dante's shoulder.
"You know what I mean."
"I do." The little reaper planted a quick kiss on the devil's cheek, "Do your best out there."
A quick shower later, Dante stepped outside of the restroom frantically rubbing the top of his head with a towel before he shook his head quickly. After a few arrangements, he tidied up his freshly washed hair and tossed the towel in a laundry bin near the door.
Before he moved on, he pulled up the sleeves of his black, collared, zipper shirt almost above his elbows, and folded down the little-longer-than-usual lapels. The zipper itself was pulled down a little below the base of his neck as the young man let out a deep breath, glancing in the mirror in front of him.
He sat there for a while staring at his reflection. Not because he was narcissistic enough to be captivated by his own image, but because he was staring at his shirt.
It was one of the many designer brand shirts Coco Adel had bought him on their weekend excursion shopping trips in Vale with Weiss Schnee. For the most part, he was their "bag mule", and often carried a small mountain's worth of goods with him wherever the two girls crusaded for clothes, shoes or jewelry.
However, they saw it fit to reward Dante for his efforts at the very least, so now and then either Coco or Weiss or sometimes even both of them bought him some clothes that normally he wouldn't go out of his way to buy. The young devil was satisfied with simple clothes, but did like to dress a little fancy sometimes, so he let them do as they pleased.
This shirt that he was wearing was one of the few remaining clothes that survived Beacon and still fit him, which is why he took really good care of them.
"I know you're handsome and all that, but seriously, checking yourself out in the mirror?"
Dante spun around at the sound of the woman's voice, pleased to see exactly who he thought it was.
"Blaire…"
"Took your time getting here, huh?"
"It was like what, two days?" The devil defended, "Besides, you're one to talk. You've been gone most of the day."
"Well, I haven't had a good workout for some time now."
"Oh, is that right?" Dante stepped up, almost towering over his former commander, "Way I remember it is that whenever you get antsy or anxious, you always leave for a really long time to go workout or exercise. Were you that worried?"
The older woman's hands reached out and pinched both of Dante's cheeks, making him both laugh and wince.
"D-Don't get ahead of yourself."
The young devil narrowed his eyes on the red haired woman, her eyes narrowing too as she tried her best to hide the embarrassment welling up inside her.
"F-Fine. I was worried a little. Only a little! You got it?!"
"I got it, I got it…"
"And besides that..!" She pinched harder, making Dante wince moreso than laugh, "What's with that little blonde girl saying she's gonna be your bride or whatever? You get stranded out in the wilderness and you go and pick up another girl?"
"I-It was unavoidable!"
Blaire didn't find herself liking that answer, so she pinched Dante's cheeks even harder.
"I-I'm not joking or anything! Me and a friend found a kingdom underground where the Empress was in a state of stasis! After a short conversation she decided she wanted to become my Blade!"
"Blade?" Blaire asked as she relaxed her grip, "So she's like Eclypse then?"
"Y-Yes…"
"And? What's all this about marriage?" The redhead asked, her grasp tightening once more.
"S-She said that, not me! I told her to wait on that until at least we know each other better and if you four agreed to it!"
"So she's a little pushy is what you're saying?"
"Y-Yes, but I have to admit, it's kind of cute when she is!"
"Is that really how it all happened?"
"Y-Yesh!"
"Really?"
"Y-Yesh!" Dante began tapping out.
Blaire let out a sigh as she let go of Dante's cheeks, "Well, you know me. I don't really care as much so long as I get my share of attention too."
"Then why were you so mad just now?"
"Because I thought you were actually stupid enough to deliberately go out and pick up some random girl after you got stranded in the middle of nowhere, you doof." She said as she slapped the back of his head, "But knowing you as long as I have, you're not that stupid. Or petty."
"Thank you for understanding…" Dante said as he rubbed his sore cheeks.
"So, what did the others say?"
"Ruby and Inuba agreed that we should get to know each other first before anything serious happens. Eclypse, like you, doesn't care so long as she gets the attention she wants."
"Done deal then."
"For the most part. Right now, she's just a friend that's joined our 'adventurers party'. As for the future, who knows?"
"She already talks about you like you're her whole world." Blaire said, "You think something like that isn't gonna go anywhere?"
"Well…"
"Listen. I know how you are. You're the kind of guy who doesn't want to hurt any girl's feelings or anything, so you have a hard time saying no to them." The red headed woman pointed out, "The way things are right now, just go for it, you dunce. You've got our approval, so get to know each other better."
"Wouldn't it be too much..? Kind of..?"
"What? You afraid guys are gonna give you dirty looks because you have five girlfriends so far that really love you and you them?"
"Well…"
"Way I see it, you've earned being able to do this sort of thing. You've been through hell and back more times than anyone can count. And for someone who doesn't care about fame, titles, riches, or glory, I'd say having a reward like this is like the ultimate reward for you, right?"
…
He always hated how Blaire could make him feel embarrassed sometimes.
"If you don't want to turn down some nice girl who's pouring her heart out for you, then don't. Reciprocate that love if you want to. Just-"
"Don't be a douchebag. I remember your all too famous words from back in the day."
"As long as you get it. Besides, an Empress that totally digs you? How often does that sort of thing happen? It's like a tale from a storybook."
"Not often. But I get what you mean. Thanks."
"Don't thank me. I'm here to help you out when you need it." Blaire said as she pulled Dante's head and buried his face in her chest.
She was a little embarrassed to do it, but she didn't mind all too much, seeing as he liked it and was hugging her back.
The young devil's hands soon drifted towards her arms, gently pinching her biceps as he let out a muffled chuckle.
"You've got some serious guns, former commander."
"Hey now." She said in a firmer tone, turning her hug into more of a headlock.
…
Suffocating between an excellent pair of breasts… It was one of the things Dante never imagined himself dying to, but very much at this point welcomed.
Shortly after, Blaire let him go and ruffled his hair a little, giving him a strong pat on the back that made even the devil guffaw.
"You going out?" She asked.
"Got some business to take care of. I'll be back in a while."
"Stay safe then."
"You know it."
"Eclypse, NavâraAAHH!"
Dante was immediately dragged and pinned to the wall by both girls in question.
"Did you… ever stop to consider why I like doing it with you… when we're alone or in a group?"
"N-No…" Dante answered.
"It's because… we share senses…"
"Oh."
"Yes. OH." Eclypse firmly stated as she bit her lip, "Well, Master? Aren't you going to take responsibility?"
"I'll, uh… I'll make it up to you later..?"
"Really?" His sword asked more firmly.
"Yes! Promise!"
Eclypse loosened her grip a little as Dante looked to Navâra.
"Yes, good Dante, you must make it up to me as well! Therefore, if you are to share a passionate night with my fellow Blade, I am to join you!" The Empress boldly declared.
"Skipping a few steps, aren't we?" Dante asked.
"It does not matter!"
"Kind of matters…" The devil muttered.
"Then what do you propose, good Dante?"
"I don't know, maybe a date first? Or even dinner instead of skipping straight to sex?"
"Is that how things are done in this era?" Navâra asked.
"Pretty much. Sorry to say you can just 'demand' someone to do something like you used to."
The little Empress pouted as she grumbled to herself, releasing Dante as she stood up straight and crossed her arms.
"Very well then. I shall make preparations and further study this era's methods of etiquette concerning courtship. We shall go on this 'date' at a later period of time."
"Looking forward to it."
Navâra's eyes snapped open in surprise, "O-Of course you would! After all, not everyone has the grand pleasure of an Empress going out of her way to court an individual!"
The young devil smiled at that. Most others would probably see Navâra as haughty given her acts of selfishness and arrogance, but she wasn't disdainful in any sort of way. In fact, Dante thought she made 'arrogance' and 'selfishness' cute.
She meant none any form of ill will, nor to rudely imply that she was better than the vast majority of people. It was a fact that she was a superior individual compared to most, which is why she could brag about it all the time and get away with it.
Navâra was an Empress. Rather, she still is an Empress, regardless if her kingdom no longer exists.
She may have been quite boastful at times about this certain fact, but the blonde ruler was right about one thing.
Dante was indeed quickly warming up to Navâra. She was something of a handful, but she was enjoyable to be around. Maybe it was her charisma as an Empress. Maybe it was her audacious, feminine charm. Maybe both. All Dante really knew was that Navâra was growing on him rather quickly.
"I'm… sorry about that. I'll try to be considerate and not cause you two distress."
"Easily avoidable if you just do us all at the same time." Eclypse waved, "For once, I agree with Navâra. Just skip straight to the sex, until we figure out how to cancel out our 'physical connection' in more sensual moments."
"As much as I entirely agree with you, my fellow Blade, I must also undeniably take good Dante's feelings into consideration. Therefore… if I must endure it, I will hold myself back and perform this 'date' activity to further our relations. Is that suitable?"
"Definitely the best way to start." Dante offered a thumbs up, "Are you two ready? We're gonna head to that base and talk to someone in charge to see if we can get transport to Atlas."
"We expecting trouble?" Eclypse asked.
"Who knows?" The young devil shrugged, "Considering some Atlas officials have sticks way too far up their asses, we probably won't get a warm reception. If it escalates, well… We'd best keep the damage to 'love taps' so that they don't get too mad at us."
"Love taps? Do you mean to court the official if they are a woman?" Navâra asked.
Dante chuckled, "No. It means we'll rough 'em up a little but not gravely injure them."
"Oh! Now I understand! Very well then, if we should come to fisticuffs with individuals, allow me to handle them, if you don't mind!"
"Sure thing." Dante said, bringing up a holographic screen briefly, "Noland's outside. Best we get going."
"Have you ever heard that too much indulgence can be rather poisonous to one's health?"
"Have you ever heard that I don't care?" Dante quickly replied to Noland.
The dark haired man smiled as he and the devil walked the snowy streets.
"You got a talent for being a smart mouth, you know that?"
"Aren't you similar in that regard as well?" Noland asked.
"Yeah, but I do it better."
"Perhaps." Noland spoke, reaching for his Grimoire and cracking it open to read as he walked, "I assume you enjoyed your afternoon with ms. Kitsukami and ms. Rose?"
"And how would you know?"
"Well… One does not simply enter into a relationship with a group of four women and do nothing. Or should I say five now, considering our dear Empress wishes to have your hand in marriage?"
Dante didn't know how to respond to that. Rather, he could have, but refused to do so.
"What about you? Your sight seeing trip any good?"
"It was indeed. I discovered quite the quaint coffee shop along my tour. Perhaps we should stop by after we speak to the leader at the base?"
"Sure. I guess."
"Not big on socializing?"
"No, it's just… Well, lots of stuff is happening. World might be coming to an end." Dante listed off, "And I need to take care of a child, which I have never done before for someone of Kianna's age group. While life is good right now, there's still a lot to worry about."
"Agreed. We've a great deal of enemies that can strike at any moment. Considering you may have grown on me a little, I'm of the opinion we should take moments to rest when we have the opportunity."
"And what? Chat it up like some high school girls?" Dante mockingly raised up his hands, keeping his fingers pointed down as he spoke in a higher pitched voice, "Oh my god, did you see those shoes she was wearing? So early 2000!" He finished with a scoff.
Noland smirked a great deal at the young devil's exaggerated act, "We could simply strategize over coffee at times, should we find a suitable location."
"I guess." The devil shrugged.
The duo crossed the metal bridge leading from the town towards the base, peeking through the metal bars of the gate to see all manner of Atlas personnel performing their duties. As soon as they approached however, two very large men appeared from the corners inside the gate, their faces shadowed by their officer caps.
They dressed the same and even looked the same. The two of them were basically twins.
"This is a restricted area!"
"Leave at once gentlemen!"
"Dude, we just got here. You're not gonna hear us out?" Dante asked.
"The area is closed off from the public at-"
"Yeah, I got it, but listen. I'm on a Huntsmen mission currently and I need transport to Atlas for myself and my friends. So if I could maybe talk to the person in charge-"
"Our orders are clear!"
"The Mistral-Atlas border is closed!"
"Please!"
"Have a good day!"
"Look, I-"
"A good day!" The duo spoke more fiercely.
"Can you just listen to me?! I'm an acquaintance of Ironwood, and-"
"General Ironwood!"
I swear I'm gonna freaking kill these guys if they keep interrupting me..!
"My mission is to bring back Weiss Schnee, who's currently in my custody. I'm looking to get her home safely and thought it best to put her in the good general's care before she returns home." Dante explained.
The two guards looked to each other before turning their attention back to the duo.
"Where is Ms. Schnee at this current time?"
"In my custody, hidden safely from the public for her own protection. If some unsavory types got wind of her traveling in Mistral, they'd likely come after her." Dante raised up a holographic screen, presenting a photo of him and Weiss together, "I took the photo this morning. You can see that she's safe and sound and in no distress."
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum looked at each other briefly before nodding.
"Very well!"
"You may speak with our commanding officer!"
"We will fetch her at once!"
The two guards turned around in sync, and chant "Hup hup hup" and "Atlas Atlas Atlas" as they run together to bring over their superior.
"Seriously, what the hell…" Dante spoke.
"An interesting pair indeed." Noland commented, "I must say, you handled that better than I expected you to."
"And what were you expecting exactly?"
The dark haired teen shrugged, "Perhaps that you'd force your way through."
"No call for it yet." The devil explained as he placed his hands on his hips, "Frankly, I don't expect them to just give me a ship for free. So I'm hoping they send me out on some mission to do some clean up in exchange for passage to Atlas."
"And if that fails?"
"We steal a ship."
Noland chuckled, "That's more along the lines of what I expected."
It was a cheeky comment, but it made Dante smirk nonetheless.
Suddenly, the gates opened up quickly, and the two guards returned, saluting.
"Introducing!"
"Special operative!"
"Caroline Cordovin!" They spoke in unison.
The duo heard footsteps approaching them as they focused their gazes towards the center aisle the two guards made, seeing a short-statured elderly woman around Maria Calivera's age, wearing the standard Atlesian officer uniform.
"So it's true then… The Black Devil has indeed made his way from Vale."
Dante's eyes narrowed on the old woman, fist clenching tightly at the sound of that name.
"Two what do I owe the pleasure?"
"To begin with, I politely ask that you refer to me by my actual name, Dante Aetherveil."
"Very well then, mr. Aetherveil. You say that you have Weiss Schnee in your custody, yet I don't see her with you." Cordovin pointed out.
"For her safety, she's being guarded by my allies. I believe they already stopped by once?"
"So you're with them then…" the old woman sighed, "It would seem you civilians are clearly incapable of comprehending the importance of our mission here in Argus. So allow me to say this slowly, with smaller words: This base, that relay tower, the very safety of Argus are all gifts from the glorious Kingdom of Atlas!" She pointed to the base behind her, "And it is my duty to uphold them, as only I have the wit and tenacity for such a task."
"Such wit!"
"Such tenacity!" The guards spok together.
"Or perhaps Atlas wished to place you as far away from the kingdom as possible." Noland spoke.
"You're just like the rest of these Argus ingrates! This city wouldn't even be here if it weren't for our Atlesian ancestors, and what do we get in return? The entire world is ready to put a knife to our throats!"
"No one is ready to gut you, Special Officer." Dante stated, "It'd be easy to put the blame on Atlas, but for those of us that were there in Vale that night, we don't blame you at all. We were all victims that night. I can understand that the General is worried, but-"
"The General is no coward!" Cordovin spoke more fiercely, "Atlas is strong! If all the kingdoms plan to make us their enemy, then so be it! Atlas will prevail!"
"Atlas will prevail!" The twin guards spoke.
"Hey? Tweedle Dee and Dum? Shut it. I'm starting to get mad." The young devil spoke, sighing as he looked down at the elderly woman, "I can assure you Special Officer that the other kingdoms don't wish to go to war with you. They're scared. We all are. And when people are scared and don't know who to point their fingers at, they'll point towards anyone that seems the likely culprit."
The devil unclenched his hand, softening his hard stare.
"I'm not looking to stir up trouble or go to war with Atlas. Right now, the only thing I want is to turn over Weiss Schnee into General Ironwood's custody and keep her safe until then. To do that, I humbly ask that you grant us safe passage to Atlas."
The elderly woman sighed as well, eyes trailing the ground briefly before she looked up to Dante.
"If Miss Schnee has truly come to her senses and wishes to return to her family, then, of course, the Atlas military will escort her home. But the kingdom will not be responsible for her "friends" of questionable character."
"What's that supposed to mean exactly?"
"It means that the Atlas Military has been fully aware of your exploits from Vale to Argus." She said as she approached Dante close enough, "It means that we are aware of that menace of a Faunus girl that has been in your company, and that the council is still debating what is to be done with her in the future."
The air suddenly became frigid, and seemingly shook with a violent force as the Special Officer and her minions leaned back, clearly shocked by what they saw. Wisps of sharp, black Aura oozed from the devil's body, his gaze piercing and menacingly wide. The whites of his eyes were a complete pitch black, his irises a glowing platinum color, and his pupils vertically slitted like a serpent's.
Cordovin would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. She was frozen in place, chills running down her spine while her blood went cold. Oh so slowly she was beginning to inch back underneath the crushing pressure of the devil.
Noland's hand reached out, gripping Dante's shoulder tightly to bring his ally back to his senses. The pitch black Aura died down, and the young devil snapped his eyes shut, opening them shortly after to show his normal, bright sky blue eyes.
"I meant what I said in that I have no intention to go to war with Atlas, Special Officer. But if you mean to hurt my friends or my loved ones, rest assured I will gladly do so." He said, "Understand that if it comes to that, nothing will save you or your 'flawless' kingdom. Not your elite soldiers, not your mindless machines, not even your numerous fleets of ships. I'll tear through them all."
The teen stood up straight, fixing his shirt.
"I encourage you to be more professional in the future. That way your precious kingdom won't question you as to what brought down the Black Devil's wrath upon Atlas." Dante said, walking away,
"A-And just where do you think you're going?! We aren't finished!"
"No, we're done here." The devil waved off, silently muttering, "For now at least."
"That could have gone a lot better." Noland said as he sipped his coffee, "I see that Atlesian officials have a knack for unprecedented rudeness."
The raven haired man looked up from his book, seeing Dante aimlessly stirring his cup of coffee in the dimly lit cafe, resembling the inside of a comfy log cabin.
"Black Devil… I don't believe that's a name I've heard anyone reference you by."
"My uncle didn't tell you?"
Noland shook his head, closing up his Grimoire as he slotted it in the special holster inside his coat.
"It's what they used to call me back in Primordial during my… period of unsavory work. Aside from my sheer ferocity and brutality, they called me that mostly because of my Shadow Skin. I armor up and everything. And, well, my armor-skin is pitch black."
"You seem to hate the name, despite it being fitting to your demon-like form."
The young devil chuckled briefly, so frowning as the name brought back memories of a time long past and a person that didn't exist anymore. It was one of the many worst periods of his life.
"That name… carries a terrible, heavy burden I've long since dropped. Yet every time I do so, it finds a way to claw back into my life and make itself part of my identity again, only for me to have to rip it out again and again and again." Dante said as he stopped stirring the spoon around, adding some sugar and creamer this time as he stirred once more, "It's a name I want to keep buried forever."
"You've used this Shadow Skin in view of the public at times, yes? Then it would only make sense for them to refer to you as The Black Devil. However… I would imagine the name this time doesn't carry the same connotations as it did before."
"I know that, which is why I don't get so mad about it anymore." The young man said as he took his spoon out of his coffee cup, "Avery Davis says he's been wiring articles about my exploits mostly based off of personal testimonies and the battlegrounds I've sifted through. He says he's taken a great interest in me and the good work I've been doing, but…"
"I see… There's a possibility that he's working to give you a solid reputation that could overcome any unsavory rumors. He's essentially ahead of the game."
"He did say some of the higher class in Atlas don't really like me. I'm guessing that shitty Special Officer is one of them believing just about any rumor there is about me out there."
"I was rather impressed you kept your verbiage rather gentlemanly in spite of her provocations."
"Yeah… Didn't go so well in the end though?"
"How could it? She essentially threatened ms. Kitsukami, somebody you love very dearly. If I were you, I'd have been just as upset."
Just as Dante raised up his cup, he set it down again, staring at Noland across the way.
"What about you Noland?"
"Me?"
"There ever been a special someone in your life?"
Noland's fingers tightened around his cup as his eyes narrowed.
"Once. A long time ago before I came to be in this… situation that I am in now." The raven haired teen spoke as he stared into his cup, "But like your old name, it was something left behind in a past burned away from my being. And a history that should remain forgotten."
"Finally."
Noland looked up, perplexed by Dante's response.
"You finally opened up about something more personal than your revenge story." The teen pointed out with a smile, "Was she cute?"
The dark haired man sighed, shaking his head.
"Oho! She totally was!"
"And how would you know?"
"Because you're embarrassed to talk about it smart-mouth."
"Foolishness…"
As soon as he said the word, Noland jolted up with a surprised look, immediately regaining his composure as he cleared his throat.
"This is pointless…"
"You're blushing on the inside, aren't you?"
"I may be a smart-mouth, but you certainly are an audacious talker that can't quite help himself."
"Oho, Noland biting back… I dig it." Dante smirked as he sipped some coffee, "You know, I'm starting to think you're the butter to my bread, Noland."
"As in we compliment each other well enough?"
"Yeah. We got a connection from a mutual benefactor, we've both got troubling histories, and we both have mouths on us that'd piss people off enough to want to kick our ass. Butter…" Dante waved to Noland before to himself, "Bread."
"I don't quite know how I feel about your analogy… But I suppose we do compliment each other in a few ways." The dark haired man spoke as he sipped some coffee, "Aside from that, what's our course of action now? I don't think Cordovin will be all too eager in lending us a ship, seeing as your 'Schnee' plot didn't quite pan out like you expected."
"Ah, so you did catch on."
"Simple enough scheme. Provide evidence that ms. Schnee is in your custody, they provide you with a ship. Only, Cordovin wishes to deliver ms. Schnee herself, which now provides us with a problem. How do we keep our ally with us, and get to Atlas?"
"We could steal one of their ships."
Noland let out a light chuckle, pausing briefly as he looked up at Dante.
"I keep forgetting at times you're serious when you mention an idea that's seemingly insane." The young man sighed, "Do you really mean to steal one of their ships?"
"Doesn't seem like the SO is open to negotiating with any one of us, so at this point it seems like our only option. Unless she has a change of heart, we're not getting to Atlas anytime soon."
"Fair reasoning I suppose." Noland said as he finished his cup, "What about ms. Kitsukami?"
"What about her?"
"The way she phrased it… I know ms. Kitsukami is a powerful individual given how highly you speak of her ability, but… If the Atlas Military has their eye on her…"
"It's me they have to worry about. And I don't mean that as a joke."
"Still… What did she do exactly for them to be cautious of her?"
Dante too had finished his cup, steadily lowering it on the table as he folded his hands together.
"A month or so ago… You see any white beams come down from the sky?"
"I did actually… Though from where I was, I and everyone else were relatively safe."
"I checked as best as I could, and as far as I could tell, those 'beams' only hit non-inhabited environments far from any establishments. As you probably guessed, Inuba was responsible, but she wasn't quite… herself at the time. The important thing to note is that something like that is never going to happen again, so there's no concern." Dante explained, "Doesn't mean she can't kick my ass if she's motivated to do so. Or anyone else's for that matter. Inuba's strong, even without that power from that time. If I had her insane focus, I'd probably have won my battles more often."
"You're already powerful as is, aren't you?"
"Dude, I'm just pure instinct, brutality, and ruthlessness with a splash of technique to my name. A jack of all trades while being a master of a lot. Inuba? She's the better warrior by leaps and bounds." The young devil shrugged, "And you know what? It doesn't bother me in the slightest. Frankly, I think it's kind of sexy if a woman can kick my ass. Huge charm points for me."
"You're a man of strange tastes Dante…"
"If a woman can kick your ass, that basically guarantees that she's-"
"Reliable?"
The young devil was in awe, but he immediately chuckled and raised up his hand for a high five, all while Noland stared at his hand.
"I swear if you tell me you don't know what it is I'm doing, I'm seriously going to kick your ass right now."
"I know what a high five is." The raven haired man said, finally reciprocating the gesture, albeit quickly.
"You know, you definitely have the etiquette of a noble, but a seriously shit attitude."
"You have the etiquette of a filthy commoner most of the time, but have the power to annihilate us all." Noland replied with a smirk.
There was an awkward silence between the two before both teens smiled, Dante being the only one to laugh.
"You really know how to bite when you mean it!" The devil noted, "So, you ready to head back then?"
"If you are, then I suppose I am."
"Honey, I'm-!"
Just before Dante finished his line as he entered the Cotta-Arc home, he heard Jaune yell as the blonde punched the wall, leaving a very large crack in it.
"Woah woah, what's happening here?" The young devil asked.
"Everything we did was for nothing!"
"That's not true!" Blake told the knight
"Really? Cuz it sure does sound like it!"
"If Salem can't be killed, then how are we supposed to win this?" Ren added to Nora's comment.
Everyone remained dead silent. Dante wanted to say something, but even he still didn't have a semi-formulated plan to achieve Salem's death. He was certain that the Relic of Destruction could achieve this, but if that didn't work…
…
…
If not even the Relic of Destruction could kill Salem, then Dante knew he needed to take an unorthodox approach.
If Salem would not die from anything made in this world… then he would force the Concept of Death onto her.
And to do that, he'd need a power that he didn't posses.
"Great plan everyone!" Jaune threw his hands up.
"No need to be an ass about it." Dante replied, closing the door behind him and Noland.
"Look, none of this is great, we know. But we're not the bad guys here." Oscar meekly spoke up.
"Are we sure about that?"
"What?"
"He's in your head, isn't he? Did you already know about this?" Jaune asked as he angrily walked over to Oscar.
"He didn't know any of it!" Weiss defended.
"How much longer can we even trust him?!" The blonde said as he grabbed and slammed Oscar into the wall, "How do we even know it's really him?! What if we have been talking to that liar this whole time?!"
Jaune raised up a clenched fist, but was immediately stopped by the devil, who grabbed his fist, and his other arm, and pushed him back. Jaune moved backwards a considerable distance, tripping over his feet as Dante stood in front of Oscar, one of his hands lowered in front of the farmer boy protectively.
"This male testosterone bullshit? Enough." The young devil gestured, "He's as much a victim in this as we are of Ozpin's schemes."
"And how exactly is that?!"
"Because to Ozpin the kid's nothing more than a freaking meatsuit!" Dante bluntly rationalized, "That's why! Oscar didn't want this, and he sure as hell didn't choose this. It was just thrown in his lap and he was basically told to deal with it. You think that's fair to him? You think it's fair for him to get smacked around because of some other idiots mistakes?" The devil spoke as he got up in Jaune's face, "You seriously need to check yourself. Take a walk. Go read a book. Something. Just take a hike."
Jaune tensed up, but Dante wasn't afraid in the slightest. Instead, he nodded his head towards the stairs, clicking his tongue as he did so.
"Go on. Get."
The blonde knight still kept his scowl, eventually leading off towards the stairs and slamming the door to his room once inside.
"I think it would be best if we had some time to ourselves." Ren noted, both he and Nora heading up the stairs as well.
"I think everyone should take some time to unwind." Dante started, "We'll talk tomorrow about what we're gonna do next, so… Just chill out. Yeah? De-stress."
As he spoke these words, everyone silently filtered out of the room, some disheartened a little, others not knowing what to do as they left.
Seriously… One step forward and three steps back… This isn't gonna be easy to fix. There's not a lot of hope at the moment, and tensions are high as it is. I need to figure out something, and I need to do it soon.
Dante peered into the mirror with a narrowed gaze, seeing his reflection as he let out a sigh.
First, Noland and I will handle this business with the Witch later tonight. Then… I gonna need to put even more thought into what we're going to do about Salem.
Interesting interesting, what could Dante possibly mean? Well, an answer to be shown in a future reveal.
Is the lewd okay by the way? More? Less? More?
Anyway, I've said all that I've need to say. I'm gonna try to get new chapters out quicker now that we've been ordered to "shelter in place" or whatever. So expect these chapters sooner. Aside from that...
I highly recommend you all go check out the freaking amazing story Rogue Huntsman written by Xera Stark. The story overall is absolutely fantastic and is a must read, so I suggest you seriously read it. You won't want to miss out. Plus, I'm working on it with him as a co-author, and my characters are in it too. So if you want to see a sort of alternate story and such with my characters in it, go on over and give Rogue Huntsman a read.
Questions? Ask them anytime. I will try to answer them without spoiling anything.
Please remember to review, follow and favorite this story if you really enjoyed it and want to continue seeing more of it. And hey, even tell others about this story!
With that, I bid you all an excellent week/weekend!
And remember... be kind to one another, stay safe, and stay healthy. Peace to you all.