Beta'd by Priapus, Ainz Ool Gown, and Old Man of the Mountain

– Yang –

"You look…" The Champion of Mistral started, looking at Team Wildberry with a concerned frown. "Exhausted."

"Hm?" Yang blinked at Pyrrha in the middle of chewing her food, answering right after swallowing. "What do you mean? I feel fine."

"I-I meant your teammates in particular," She clarified, glancing at Weiss, Blake and Levianna. "A-are they okay?"

Yang turned to look at them, all tired in their own ways. Blake was blankly looking at her food on the table, life missing from her eyes as she repeatedly whispered 'He's not normal' under her breath. Levi's face was planted on her plate full of food, completely frozen. And Weiss had both hands on her head, eyes wide looking as if she regretted every choice she had made in her life.

Ah, memories. She used to feel the same when she started her training with him.

Yang blinked a few times before looking back at Pyrrha with a smile. "Yeah, they're fine. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't look like it," Ren quipped, equally worried as his teammate. "Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Yeah, they look dead." Nora agreed, stuffing her face with pancakes.

"I don't think that's the issue here, Ren," Pyrrha said. "They've been like this for a while now."

"It's fiiiine," Yang waved their concerns off with a roll of her eyes. "It'll pass, trust me. I went through it too."

It'd been a week since her team passed Reid's test and began their training, and of course, as she expected, the guy did not hold back against them one bit. Her team went through the same thing as she and Ruby did, broken bones and all. It was quite the sight.

Yang herself didn't have a lot of issues with training anymore. Her body was resilient enough to tough out a lot of Reid's attacks, even without Aura, and she'd gotten so used to his patterns and style that she was actually able to counterattack a few times.

Of course, she didn't do a lot of damage, if any, but compared to the rest, excluding her sister? Oh it's like night and day. Hell, unlike them, she's able to stay on her feet even after her Aura is shattered, and she doesn't really lose a lot of power anymore. Sure, she can't use her Semblance once that happens, but it's an achievement alright.

Yang was almost tempted to ask Reid for a few extra rounds. She felt a whole lot more confident now, like she could take on even professional hunters. That's what Reid told her anyway, that all she lacks now is experience.

One hell of an ego booster if she had to say.

Though, she must say, her team was catching up pretty quickly, seeing that her boyfriend was going extra hard on them, especially Weiss. It wasn't exactly a secret that the heiress' Aura levels weren't quite as high as they were supposed to be, likely one of the lowest in Beacon, but through sheer skill and Semblance power, she was able to catch up easily, becoming one of the best in the academy.

Reid referred to her as a Glass Cannon at some point, and Yang was inclined to agree. Weiss was likely the most skilled in the school, and with the most powerful Semblance as well, even if you didn't include her summoning. The only thing holding her back was her Aura pool, which was expected. Weiss likely had the least experience among them.

Though, with this training? That wouldn't be the case for long. She was catching up fast.

As for Blake and Levi, they were making great progress as well. Blake was definitely the most experienced out of them, who according to her, used to defend against Grimm attacks in Menagerie, and those were pretty common last she checked.

Levi seems to be less nervous and not afraid of pain as much anymore. Anyone would be when you constantly break your Aura or bones fighting literally the most powerful man on Remnant, who had no qualms about being brutal.

But they were big girls, they could handle it, and Yang sometimes got to spend quality time with him afterward, so she wasn't complaining. She'd admit to herself that there was an odd and morbid sense of catharsis seeing her friends get the ass-kicking she'd been receiving for a month now, but that was staying with her.

"R-right…" Pyrrha cleared her throat and tried to change the subject. "So I've heard a rumor that Mr. Astera took you as apprentices. Is that true?"

"Yup," Yang grinned. "Since we're the best in our year, he decided to take us in."

"Woaaah. Thash sho cool!"

"Swallow before you speak," Ren calmly scolded his partner.

"Incredible," Pyrrha said. "I couldn't begin to imagine what that must feel like to you all. I'd be very honored had he chosen us."

The blond blinked.

"But I suppose we weren't up to par with you," She continued with a sad smile. "I'll admit, it feels frustrating, but this clearly proves that you four are the better team. I'm… very happy to see you in such high places."

Yang paused as her friend said that before her eyes gained a mischievous glint. Now that she thought about it, Pyrrha is pretty damn cute, isn't she? With a great body to boot, one she knew Reid would enjoy toying with quite a bit.

She had exclusively thought about her team and how to help that hunk seduce all of them, but why stop there? Why not help him get the Invincible Girl as well? Yang knew what she and Reid wanted- she'd be lying if she said she'd never fantasized about Pyrrha.

Yes, that sounded wonderful. She knew she picked the right guy when he shared his harem ambitions with her. Yang would help build that harem of his, and thoroughly enjoy the fruits of their labor when the time came. Call her selfish, but Reid awakened something terrifying within her, so it was clearly his fault.

Weiss, who has been listening intently, responded. "Please don't say that, Pyrrha. We're not better, we're simply lucky since Yang knew him before he was famous."

"Yeah Pyr, don't look so down," Yang added then leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Fun fact: Reid is actually okay with training more students."

"He is?" Weiss looked at her with confusion.

"R-really?" Pyrrha with hope.

"For real?!" And Nora with excitement.

"Yup, only issue is time," Yang answered. "He doesn't have a lot of it, but I'm pretty sure he likes teaching."

Jaune, who had been silent throughout the conversation, perked up and glanced at her, but didn't respond verbally. He quickly looked away when Yang met his gaze, making her frown a little. Well, maybe three of them. She doubted Reid would take him in once he heard about what he did.

"True, he must be busy with his company," Pyrrha said. "Especially for the next few months at least. He only just rebranded it recently."

"Yeah, he said he's planning to make it international as soon as he can," Yang confirmed. "When that happens, I doubt he'll even have time to train us. He's being hounded by every Kingdom already."

"Excuse me…" Jaune muttered, getting up from his seat as he picked his tray off the table before leaving.

"That must be stressful," The redhead said sympathetically. "It's already exhausting to have a handful of people do that to me. I can't imagine a whole Kingdom much less the whole world."

"Don't worry, he's a tough guy. He can handle it," Yang waved her concerns off.

"I agree," Weiss nodded. "Throughout my time with him, I've noticed that he's far more hardworking than most businessmen I've interacted with, and very much honest to us and himself, unlike them."

"You seem very close to him," Pyrrha stated.

Weiss blushed in response as Yang grinned.

"P-please, I'm only saying what I've observed. Our relationship is that of a student and master," Weiss cleared her throat. "B-but I must say that he's been very sweet to us the entire time. And I-"

"Eh, what Weiss said. He's a pretty normal guy once you get to know him," Yang cut her off before she started to gush. "He's actually pretty nerdy, too. It's kinda adorable seeing him so focused on potions or whatever project he's doing."

"I see. You're so lucky. I wish I was as close to him as you two are," Pyrrha said, making Yang barely stop a smug smirk from creeping up to her face. "By the way, I've never asked you how his training is like."

Weiss flinched, all the mirth drained from the atmosphere as she looked between her teammates. Blake was still muttering to herself, Levi didn't move an inch, and Yang had the biggest smile on her face.

"Yeah, Weiss," Yang elbowed the heiress lightly. "Tell us about his training."

"H-he's um-" Weiss met the gazes of Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. "Very harsh."

"Harsh how?" Nora questioned, looking curious.

"W-well-"

"Eh you know, endurance training and all that. See how long we can last before our Auras are broken," Yang said, severely downplaying the hell they go through while also making an innuendo. "It's tough, but you get used to it pretty quick."

"T-that's not-"

"Honestly, they're just drama queens," Yang elbowed her team leader a little more harshly this time to shut her up as she pointed at the rest of her team. "I'm sure you'll get through it easily if he took you guys in. Trust me, the gains are very noticeable."

Why would Yang lie about such a thing? Because she wanted to see their reactions when they eventually found out what they had signed up for. She savored that sweet, sweet moment of realization from her team, and she must say, she wanted to see that again.

If she told the truth, they might get a little discouraged, and that was no good because it also meant Pyrrha wouldn't get close to Reid. She knew it'd happen eventually, but she wanted it to happen sooner.

Yang quickly realized that she had a problem, but who cares? It wasn't like Reid was a bad person. She knew he'd make them all happy. Besides, it's for the good of humanity and whatever. And who wouldn't want magic powers? The past week of her secret magic training with Ruby and Reid had been a blast.

So she'd be doing good for her friends and the world.

It was merely her duty as a Huntress.

– Reid –

Looking over the reports and papers on my desk, I couldn't help but snort in amusement. Christ, these businessmen and politicians are desperate to get on my good side. I'm not exactly the best at this, but even I would know what their goals are. Bunch of parasites really.

Of course, there are genuine offers, and those aren't uncommon, but that's because nobody would want to fuck with the Titan Slayer. It's a sure way to get ruined in every possible way, but I'm pretty sure I'm being underestimated right now. Likely due to my age.

Which is… fair, to be honest. Like I said, I ain't the best at this yet, but I've studied a bit to at least do a decent job. My company will never go under due to lack of competition, and the only way to ruin it would be to consciously make horrible decisions, so I'm basically playing this on easy mode.

And while I love a challenge in most cases, this isn't one of them. It's been less than a month, but I already fucking hate doing paperwork or answering emails, just as I predicted. It's so tedious and boring, there's no sense of wonder like in my experiments.

Though, I won't lie, seeing sale numbers go up has this oddly satisfying feeling to it. Knowing it could only go up from here makes it even better.

Now I have a lot of options here: Specifically, where I should expand my business first. I have most of Vale covered as of now, meaning it's time to choose the second Kingdom to put my business in.

Atlas is the safest option among all of them, as it also includes Mantle with it. Most rich morons live in Atlas, so it's obviously the most profitable, and I'd also be helping the people living under the floating city as well, though that'll give the corrupt bastards a weapon. From a business perspective, it's one of, if not the best option, as it also gives me a good rep in there, something I need if I want to get closer to the SDC and make a deal with them.

Mistral is another good one. People there aren't as rich, but it's the most populated Kingdom because of the many villages around the continent. Gaining a foothold in Mistral is also good for my products themselves because of the farming culture. I can get a fuckton of high-quality ingredients for potions and magical experiments with ease, plus a good rep with the Caliban Mafia if I manage to get a deal with them, and that means an easier time to take control of Mistral's underworld.

Vacuo is probably the worst option on a surface level at least. The deserts are unforgiving, people die there all the time, crime is rampant, and it has the most powerful Grimm living there, the highest class barring Titans everywhere. But helping the military by giving them potions means more land for the Kingdom and fewer Grimm attacks in general, which is… basically all there is to it. More land, richer Kingdom, less crime and Grimm.

Though, I'm not taking any of those options, because the last one dwarfs them all in terms of positives.

"Menagerie?" Velvet tilts her head as she pours me a cup of coffee. "I didn't expect you to even consider it. Menagerie isn't exactly a rich Kingdom."

"And you'd be only half correct about that," I say, taking a sip from the cup. "Menagerie isn't rich because its riches are beyond the mountain range, where the deserts are. I've done my research- the Tamaletai Desert is one of the most dangerous places on Remnant, but it's also filled with materials of all kinds."

"That's true…"

"My potions will help the hunters and explorers of Menagerie to get in there and gather gold, gems, dust, and so on," I explain a little more in depth. "Thus making the Kingdom richer, in turn helping me get richer. Though, that's not the only reason."

Velvet remains silent, waiting for me to explain my reasoning.

"Menagerie is in a desperate state. It needs all the help it can get," I say. "I'm not the only one who benefits from this of course, as the Kingdom gets enough money, they'll be able to build a CCT tower, giving them an actual way of communication with the rest of the Kingdoms, and with me taking the initiative-"

"Other businesses will open up for there in hopes of gaining your favor," Velvet finally gets the picture. "Including it with the rest of the world."

"Exactly. Not only that, but my reputation with the Faunus, in general, will skyrocket. Seeing how I look like a Schnee, this will make a clear distinction that I'm not part of their family," I nod. "Which means less White Fang attacks on my products as a whole, seeing that I'm willing to trade with Menagerie fairly. Everyone will be happy."

I'll also get closer to them in general. Sienna, Kali, and Ghira I mean. I could probably influence them and get them to stop their attacks diplomatically without any bloodshed. I know Blake's parents aren't really happy with the current state of the White Fang either, but I know they have a voice in it still.

Less White Fang attacks mean fewer innocent people dying. From some of the old reports I read, the White Fang has been getting a lot more ruthless in the past couple of years, especially the squads positioned in Atlas, and it's a reasonable response to what they've been going through recently.

They were freedom fighters, but the media spun it around and made them look like terrorists from the beginning, so after decades of lack of support from everyone, they got rightfully pissed and decided to show them real terrorism.

It's not the right response, but I fully understand and sympathize with how they reacted.

"You'll lose face in Atlas, though." Velvet voices her concerns. "Your plans are in goodwill, and I'm very happy about that, but securing a position in Atlas might not be as easy."

"Who cares about those idiots?" I scoff, leaning back on my comfy chair. "Let them whine and cry all they want. We all know they'll be begging me to sell them my products eventually. And when the time comes, I'll wring them dry out of their money."

"Are you sure you're not a sadist, sir?"

"It's not sadism, it's called being rightfully vengeful," I respond, finishing my coffee. "Because fuck rich people, amirite?"

"Sir, you're rich too."

"Yes, and I fuck."

"I can't deny that," Velvet giggles, a light blush covering her face. "Would you like another cup?"

"Please."

I take a look at more paperwork as a pleasant silence takes over the office. Velvet also helps me out by taking a few papers, slowly going through them as she registers information in her work scroll.

I glance at her for a moment and decide to break the silence.

"We really need a board of directors," I say, making her look at me. "At some point, this will be completely unbearable for only two of us."

"That's true," Velvet agrees. "But unless you have trusted people that have experience in this field, there isn't much we can do."

She's right. The only person I can trust to do a decent job would be Kiryu. He beat billionaires in business at some point, so he's probably a great candidate for this, but only one more isn't enough.

"Do you?" I raise a brow.

"Sorry," She shakes her head.

I close my eyes as I try to come up with an idea. Two more other than Kiryu would be a good number of directors for a while, but I want people I trust. It's my main criteria for many things, and it's especially important in this case.

Ugh, this is annoying.

"By the way, sir" Velvet starts again. "You have an offer from Ms. Scarlett."

I pause.

"Who?"

"The Guild Master." She clarifies, handing me the report. "She's requesting quite a lot of potions."

Two hundred and fifty barrels, which is a lot. A single barrel holds up to 2000 bottles, so she basically wants half a million potions. The Guild has roughly around five thousand hunters of varying ranks, so this could last them a few years, assuming it's not for her personal use, which I doubt that it is.

Twenty-five of Strength potions, twenty-five of Dexterity, and a hundred for health and Aura each. Surprised she didn't bother to request for the other stuff, like intelligence and whatnot, but I suppose those four are what matters most to them.

I'm also surprised this Guild Master never bothered to request a lot sooner. I don't know what held her back- did she not trust me? I mean, I've been the Titan Slayer for a while now, so that can't be it. I'm guessing she didn't think I had the needed supply amount at the time. It's the only reasonable conclusion.

"I've never met the Guild Master," I say offhandedly. "Do you know what she's like?"

"Erm, well, not personally." Velvet answers. "She seemed like a 'no nonsense' type of person to me, though I've only seen interviews of her."

"Is she good at her job?"

"Very. She wouldn't be a councilwoman otherwise." She confirms. "She's been holding her seat for a decade now, give or take a few years."

"Is she strong?" I raise a brow. "I assume that strength is needed to be a Guild Master."

"Well, yes, she's an S-rank, but I'm not sure how strong she is specifically." Velvet says. "I've heard rumors that she's sought after for her Semblance."

"Which is?"

"She can heal others." The bunny girl answers.

"That's pretty useful." I praise. "My healing potions are great and all, but you can't carry an infinite supply of them."

Unless you have an inventory of course. I have like, a couple of hundred potions floating in there. Still, though, a healing Semblance is pretty damn good, especially if you assume she can heal herself with it.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda looking forward to meeting her soon. She'd be the third council member I'd be meeting, the first and second being Ozpin and General Slate respectively, and seeing what her job entails, I assume she's at least genuine.

Azura Scarlett. Let's see…

Once I put her name in the search bar, I look at a couple of pictures of her, and I quickly understand why Velvet had that impression of her. The woman is pretty tall, probably six foot and over, with a resting bitch face, long and messy teal-colored hair, and reddish orange eyes.

Huh. Feels like I've seen her before somewhere.

Well, whatever it is, she's hot.

– Titania –

She hated to admit it, but she really underestimated this job, mostly due to her lack of skills for such a profession. Cooking was one thing- she could do the job since she could always look up recipes or whatever. Taking care of the garden and plants was easy since she only really needed to water them most of the time, occasionally getting rid of weeds and whatnot. But cleaning?

Cleaning the whole mansion was already a pain in the ass, but having three annoying idiots running and playing everywhere covering the whole estate in mud was a whole other level of irritating.

The Ruby girl was aware enough and she helped around sometimes, and she was cute so she got a pass, but her little puppy and Reid's bus-sized wolf were another stories entirely. The puppy was a little understandable, he was young according to the girl, but that damned wolf…

That damned wolf was scarily intelligent. He knew exactly what he was doing and didn't give a shit that she had to clean after him. She didn't know why he loved to mess with her like this, giving her a smug look every time he ran through the mansion covered in filth, but he definitely had it out for her.

Why was he so big anyway? Yes, there were records of animal companions gaining some kind of a gigantification Semblance, but he was that huge all the fucking time. And it's not like she could catch or scold him- the asshole was way too fast for her, and didn't give her the time of the day.

And it's not like the Titan Slayer made it any easier for her. He forced her to wear this stupid Valean maid outfit, or what he calls a 'French maid outfit', whatever 'French' meant, because it's her 'work uniform', but both knew that wasn't true. Now Titania was confident in her sex appeal, and admittedly felt a little proud of herself whenever he checked her out, but this thing wasn't easy to move around in.

Damned skirts.

So Titania quickly realized that she hated this job, but this was literally the only thing she could do right now. Leaving meant no more protection from the Titan Slayer, and Salem was definitely out to get her for her defection.

At the very least the pay was damn good. Her new boss was legit leagues better than Cinder or Salem, because he actually paid her upfront, and wasn't threatening her life if she didn't comply with his demands. The guy clearly thought highly of himself like them, but he wasn't so damn insecure about it that he threw a tantrum whenever she made a snide remark.

In fact, she had begun to feel comfortable around him now. Cinder was a cold bitch who'd glare and get all haughty with her whenever Titania called her out on her bullshit, but Reid either just clapped back or laughs it off.

Salem was too scary to mess with, and Titania was smart enough to know that fucking around with a demon was a death sentence.

So maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Having a reasonable boss when the previous ones were too bothersome was truly a blessing. Who would've thunk it?

She still missed Emerald, though. Silly bootlicker.

She rubbed her eyes tiredly as she continued sweeping the balcony. How the hell did it turn out like this? From an assassin to a maid? Really? Well, it was probably better than whatever Cinder is doing. Titania didn't have to sleep with her eyes open or worry about food.

…She could really do with some help around here, though. She was the only one taking care of this place right now, with the occasional help from Ruby and that quiet middle-aged man. What was his name again?

Ah well, not like it mattered to her.

Titania sighed as she was done with this section of the mansion, stretching her arms while letting out a satisfied groan. Something caught her eyes down below in the garden, prompting her to look at Ruby in her red and black bikini and the two canines.

She couldn't quite hear what the girl was saying, but she was clearly displeased with the two dogs, who were covered in mud and dirt. Titania was amazed to see Ruby's scolding actually working, making the giant wolf and the tiny puppy whine and lower their heads.

She didn't know what the difference between her and Ruby was - she tried so hard to do the same but to no avail - but at this point, she couldn't give a shit. Seeing the little shits being put in their places was satisfying enough.

"Heh, stupid dogs," She muttered to herself with a smirk. "You get what you deserve."

As the younger girl was seemingly done with her scolding, she rushed towards the far end of the estate, straight to the beach. Titania held her gaze for a solid few minutes, feeling a twinge of envy at the carefree Ruby.

The girl was nice and all, but she was so damn happy all the time, even when there was nothing to be happy about. Titania couldn't really comprehend it. It kinda irritated her sometimes, too. She wouldn't be smiling so much if she went through the same bullshit she had.

She rubbed her eyes again with a sigh.

It didn't really matter. Getting jealous wouldn't change a damn thing, and she wasn't about to get pissy over a nonexistent issue. That wasn't her style at all. She just wanted to live stress-free and comfortably.

Titania scoffed to herself and continued to do her job.

For a split second, however, something in the distance caught her attention. A weird… moving thing in the ocean, and once she squinted her eyes, she noticed a dark silhouette in the shape of a snake wiggling around, before it quickly vanished out of sight.

What the hell was that? A Grimm? Well, probably. Aquatic Grimm do occasionally get close to land, observing and retreating if they felt danger. Should she warn them? It was what she was supposed to do, but then again, there were three adults in there with Ruby. That Branwen dick, her dad, and the nice middle-aged man, not counting the giant ass wolf sitting there too.

She looked back at the hallway before grinning slightly. It's either tell them and stick around for a bit or continue sweeping the floor, and she knew exactly what she was gonna do, so she threw away her broom and jumped off the balcony.

Titania wasn't doing anything wrong, no sir. She was just doing her job and being a good member of society. Wouldn't want the poor girl to be taken away by some nasty Grimm. She was definitely not slacking off. Never in her life.

Sometimes, she loved this new job of hers.

– Qrow –

It's not every day he got to genuinely kick back and relax like this- the most he could do was a bar to pass out in before being woken up by Ozpin for another mission. It was tiring, if he's completely honest, so having the kid force him to stay here as a 'vacation' was nice of him.

Of course, it isn't exactly a vacation since it was technically also a mission, but this one had enough leeway in it that it might as well be called something else. He had like, two more months? Or something like that. At least, until he learned this Haki power.

Which he doubted was possible. He tried, he really did try to learn how it worked and manifest it, but there wasn't even a hint of progress. He'd just stand there, looking really hard at his hand trying to 'will it' into existence like how Reid put it, and was rewarded with nothing.

This Kiryu guy, though, was the complete opposite. It was kinda… admirable to see the guy not giving up in the slightest, even without seeing any progress. Qrow didn't hold it against him of course, he was just the better out of the two. Qrow couldn't really bring himself to continue with this training.

From his sunlounger, Qrow observed the man as he tried to unleash his Haki, deeply focusing on this singular act. He wondered why Kiryu seemed far more hopeful than he was when Qrow knew for certain that the man went through pain as well.

Aura comes from the soul, but sometimes it reflects on an individual's appearance, and nobody could deny the signs. Kiryu was probably similar to him if you notice how the light in his eyes seemed dim in comparison to people like Reid or Ruby. He just looked tired. The phrase 'Eyes are windows to the soul' was far more accurate than people thought, especially for veterans.

So it baffled the huntsman to see this man still so idealistic and hopeful. Like, why? He couldn't really get it. Why bother trying when you know how fucked it can get? Knowing it'll probably get worse from here?

Qrow scowled as these traitorous thoughts crossed his mind and rubbed his face tiredly. No, this was just him being too cynical and ignoring the actual hard work being put in by people like Reid and Ozpin. They were making the world a better place, there was no doubt about that, but they're a terrifyingly strong kid that came out of nowhere and a wizard likely thousands of years old respectively, and as far as Qrow knew, Kiryu was just a regular guy.

So how did he make it look so easy? What was the difference between him and Qrow? What was the latter lacking? Their conversation that one time resurfaced in his mind, making him frown in thought. Was it faith? Was that why he was like this? Because he had faith in himself?

Could something as simple and ridiculous as that really make that much of a difference? Was that really what drove him forward? …Would it be wrong for Qrow to be the same? Could he still have faith in himself even after so many past failures?

Qrow didn't know how long he was sitting there, looking down at the sand as his pessimism and doubt clashed with this newfound hope, unsure if he should take the first step and if it was worth the effort. Quickly said hope began to die out, and just as he was about to give up, another memory resurfaced.

"If a worldwide hero believes in you, then why can't you?"

"Goddamn it," He groaned, standing on his feet. "Fuck you, you stupid kid. Why can't you just let me rot in peace?"

As indignant as he acted, he'd never admit that it felt good.

Shaking his head, Qrow approached Kiryu, who had his back turned on him. He hesitated a little bit but continued moving on, patting the man on the shoulder, prompting him to look back. Qrow was about to ask if he made any progress, only to freeze as he spotted the pitch-black fingers belonging to Kiryu.

"Y-you did it," Qrow's eyes were wide open. "You actually pulled it off."

"Heh, yeah. It isn't much, but I just proved that it's possible to do," Kiryu smiled and glanced at his hand. "It's still tough, though I got the hang of it."

"How'd you do it?" Qrow questioned, feeling a little more motivated having now learned that it was possible.

"...It's hard to explain," Kiryu answered after a moment. "When Reid said 'will it into existence' he wasn't trying to be vague. He really meant it."

"And how do you do that?" The huntsman frowned. "Is it like throwing a punch or something along those lines?"

"No, not really."

"How do you will things into existence?"

He didn't answer, though Qrow more assumed that he couldn't. It was hard to explain, that should be obvious, but at the very least now he knew that it was possible, so maybe it isn't so wrong to believe that he too can do it.

Maybe this was the first step to stop feeling so miserable all the time, though for all the hope he felt earlier, he doubted that this was the case.

"Oi," Another voice joined, prompting the two adult men to look at Salem's former subordinate. "Here."

She threw them two cans of beer they easily caught. Qrow frowned suspiciously at the girl in the maid outfit, still not fully believing her story or understanding her motives, but kept the accusations to himself this time.

"Thanks," Kiryu on the other hand nodded respectfully. "Are you done, or do you need any help?"

Qrow raised a brow at that. Awfully nice, wasn't he?

"Nah, just taking a break," She said, "Also, saw something weird in the ocean from the balcony. Thought you'd probably like to know about it."

"What is it?" Qrow asked.

"Dunno, some shadow underwater. Probably a Grimm." Titania said, glancing to the side. "Should probably call them back. Sun is setting."

Qrow looked at Ruby, Tai, Reid's wolf, and Zwei swimming pretty far from land. Tai took his daughter out to teach her how to swim with the two canines tagging along. Qrow sighed and scratched the back of his head.

He didn't know what a Grimm was doing so close to land, but hey, a breath of fresh air. He hadn't killed one of those in a while.

"Yeah, I'll go get them," He said, stretching his arms out.

He rolled up his pants and approached them, feeling the gentle waves of the ocean hitting his legs and knees. He'd transform, but too many people around. He didn't want that Titania girl to know about this handy power of his.

And hey, he hadn't swum in a while now, so might as well.

– Ruby –

"Ruby- ow, stop pulling my hair- we're nearly back to shore, and sea grimm never come in this close." Her father insisted as she desperately clung to his back and shoulders. "Why did you tell me you were getting over your fear of the sea?"

"I-I was doing fine until uncle Qrow told me there was a Grimm in there with us. And I want to get over it bec-" Ruby cut off with a mature cry of alarm that definitely wasn't a squeal as something brushed by her. "S-something touched my leg!"

This was supposed to be a simple swimming session with her dad, albeit deeper than she was really comfortable with because she'd convinced him that she was getting better about her fear of being too far away from land.

She had decided that the best way to conquer her fears was to learn how to swim because then there'd be nothing to be scared of. She couldn't drown if she knew how to swim, right? Right. That's how it worked.

Gwyn and Zwei tagged along, and both knew how to swim apparently, so that wasn't fun. Sure, Reid's doggo is huge and awesome, so she could see it, but Zwei is so tiny, and was like, four years old on top of having an unlocked Aura, so he'd live for thirty years or something.

She couldn't have this small dog beat her in this. She wouldn't allow it, she couldn't allow it. Her pride would be in tatters!

…Maybe Reid rubbed off on her a lot more than she thought he did.

Speaking of, she had asked him to teach her a few days ago, but he was too busy with his company, potions, and training to be able to make some time for that. She wasn't disappointed or mad about it because he'd always come back at night to faceplant on her lap before rocking her world.

But she thought that learning how to swim from the prince of sea creatures would be a lot better than from other people. Also, she just wanted to have another date with him, this time an ocean-themed one. That sounded awesome to her.

Then again, it'd be hard to have an ocean date if she was afraid of the ocean so much, so maybe learning how to swim beforehand was the better option. Otherwise, Reid will probably laugh and tease her again.

Tai joined her in peering into the water, somewhat hazy from the sand they were disturbing but clear enough that you'd think you'd see something if it was there. He shrugged "There's nothing there. Maybe a fish bumped into you or something.

Ruby frowned, not feeling convinced, but not sure why. "I-I guess..."

"Don't worry, Kiddo," Qrow quipped, walking by her side. "But we're well into the shallow now. Even if there is an aquatic Grimm, they never get close to land, and they'd stick out like an Ursa in a dance recital in water this shallow."

"Y-yeah, I guess-" Once again, Ruby flinched, feeling something touch her again, something that felt slimy and cold, and lingered for a moment longer than last time. "What was that?!"

She turned down but saw nothing. Ruby blinked a few times and tried to look for whatever thing touched her before her dad put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's just get back to shore then," Taiyang said, smiling reassuringly.

They were both startled by a deep growl, turning to see that Gwyn was snarling and peering out into the ocean as if looking for something, his hackles raised.

"Right, then. Tai. Take her back to shore, I'll check this out," said her uncle urgently, which was as surprising as it was gratifying to have him suddenly take her seriously.

Tai looked surprised, but didn't question it, scooping her up and starting to dash through the surf.

Just then, the thing touched her once again, but this time it turned her little surprise into heart-pounding terror as the thing wrapped tight around her ankle with a vice-like grip and tore her out of her father's grasp, along with Reid's familiar.

Panic gripped her as tight as the thing, her unprepared lungs suddenly filling with water, and her skin almost being sandblasted by the seafloor as it dragged her back out onto the ocean at an incomprehensible speed. The thing was pulling her out and down insanely quickly, and with her survival instincts kicking in, Ruby aimed both hands at whatever that thing was and unleashed two full-powered light beams, cutting off the slimy thing.

Ruby couldn't breathe and was quickly losing her consciousness, but she felt something grab onto her hands…

And drag her further down.

For a split second of clarity, she was face-to-face with the culprit, and even with her blurry and darkening vision, Ruby saw the gigantic black eel, spotted with white shell armor and tentacles around its jaw. Its weirdly shaped red eyes glared at her hatefully as its tentacles pulled her close to its maw.

In a last-ditch effort, using whatever remained of her strength, Ruby used all her mana for one big attack, shooting straight in its mouth. The giant orb of light made the Grimm flinch, seemingly not having expected it, and so took the full brunt of the magical explosion of light.

The eel screeched in pain and let go of Ruby, who couldn't even move her muscles anymore. Her struggles stopped as the last bit of her consciousness began to slip. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a few other tentacles approaching rapidly, only for them to be cut apart by a white blur.

The blur grabbed her by the collar and brought her back to the surface, high in the sky even, before gently letting her down. She felt something press against her chest roughly, but Ruby was in a torpid state, barely hearing the shouting and screaming of multiple recognizable voices.

All she could recognize now is that she was safe, and that was all she needed to know before letting go of her consciousness, and finally passing out.

Guild Master looks like Rose from "The Wrong Way to Use Healing" Light Novel. Look her up.

Imma start stealing the looks of other characters now and slap a different name on them.

I don't have enough imagination juice to conjure up my own designs for every oc.

Discord Server link: (Discord . gg / Rjjzt8erYK) no spaces. It's a relatively new server, but I might post exclusive content there. No, I'm not bribing you to join.

If you want to support me, here's my pat reon link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)