A few months passed after I killed the third Titan, and a lot has happened since then. I haven't increased much in power, being much too focused on my experiments and expanding my business. I've only tested my Susanoo, which is silver in color, on some Grimm, and holy hell it's strong, even in its incomplete state. One half-hearted slap was all it took to wipe out a whole pack of Beowolves.

I was smiling for the rest of that day.

However, when it comes to my students, well, a lot has changed. Ruby and Yang improved so much that they don't suffer any weakness from broken Auras anymore, so they can fight at full power regardless of how low or high their Aura reserves are, which is a huge thing because they're so much stronger now. They can probably take out a team of experienced hunters on their own now, and that's not counting magic or Senketsu.

Their overall stats have exploded in growth to supernatural levels compared to the known limit here. For example, here are Yang's stats.

Name: Yang Xiao-Long

Title: Sunny Dragon

Age: 17

Race: Human

Level: 133

HP: 10,500

MP: 12,000

AP: 25,210

STR: 334

VIT: 218

DEX: 249

INT: 150

WIS: 150

CHA: 170

LUK: 150

To compare, Qrow's strongest stat, which is DEX, is only 230. Yang's stats in comparison to S-ranks are already insane. Without counting Senketsu for Ruby, she's probably my most powerful student right now. Shit, if I pit Yang against Fenrir and give her a few potions, she would probably win handily.

Fuck man, I'm just so damn proud of her and Ruby. They've become so strong already.

Their magic training has been going smoothly too. Yang has a more comfortable time since fire is a bit easier to control than light, but Ruby is no slouch either. They can cast impressive spells now. For example, Yang can easily copy most of my fire spells, even somewhat copying my style of primarily using close-ranged spells alongside her martial arts, and while yes, hers are at a much lower refinement level, she makes it up with her high MP.

As Weiss, Blake, and Levianna, they've grown decently too, even without magic. They're a bit behind Ruby and Yang, but their weaknesses aren't as prominent anymore. Weiss for instance doesn't have low Aura compared to her peers anymore. It's lower than my other students, but above average compared to first-year Beacon students.

Getting slowly used to this new routine helped me clear out my schedule a lot better than before, so I was able to make some time for a little date, and I promised Weiss that we can hang out today after she's done with Beacon, seeing that I don't really have anything to do.

Levianna is more comfortable and is less afraid of pain after what I had her go through. Her stats, while the lowest out of the five, are still much higher than the average first-year Beacon student. Her higher confidence is the real improvement though.

As for Blake, well, she's the most experienced, so there isn't really much she can work on for now aside from her physical strength and Aura control in general. She's the fastest one to catch up in that regard though.

She's also been acting pretty strange recently. She's starting to get pretty nervous when around me sometimes. I can tell that Blake wants to tell me something, with how she's acting, but she's too scared to talk to me about it. Afraid of me reacting negatively maybe?

Whatever it is, I'm not pressuring her to do anything. I don't want to make her uncomfortable and drive her away from me or her team.

Speaking of pressure, I think I'll start teaching them Haki soon. They're pretty much physically and mentally ready for it. Starting with Armament since it's the easiest from what I've observed. I have a feeling that at least one of them will be able to use Conqueror's.

As for those already learning Haki, Kiryu has gotten really good at using Armament. I'd go as far as to say that he's an expert right now, which isn't really surprising since the hardest part was getting it working the first time, and this is the Dragon of Dojima we're talking about. The problem is teaching Observation and Conqueror's- well, assuming he can even use the latter- and those are a lot tougher to pull off.

Qrow, however, hasn't made a lot of progress. He's still struggling to manifest it, and I can tell it's making him feel terrible. There really isn't much I can do other than talk to him about it. I think his own mental blocks are what's preventing him from making him able to use Haki. Doesn't take a genius to realize that the guy is depressed as hell. I'm not sure how to go about it, though.

In other news, nothing much changed from my business on the surface aside from the many, many offers of investments or advertisements, but I did improve on the automation of the potions and brainstormed a lot of ideas while waiting on Ozpin's word about Menagerie. First, as I said before, I don't want to only sell potions, knowing that I can easily expand into other things. Opening a security branch for my Golems, a weaponry branch for my enchanting, and so on.

As a matter of fact, and while this isn't my business directly, I've made a deal with a couple of other companies that'll make my merch. Clothes, toys, and so much more. It feels so odd to see my face plastered nearly everywhere in Vale, but it also feels kinda good. This positive spotlight is one hell of a drug.

It'll also get me a lot more money, and with enough money, I'll probably be able to buy actual farms for my potion ingredients, using magic to make higher quality stuff that I can even put on sale. With magic, I can quite literally dominate the market for everything, even stuff like food.

Like, remember that magical apple tree in my basement? Yeah, that one is all grown already, and it's already producing some good shit I can use for a lot of other stuff, primarily alcohol and food. According to Ruby and Yang, it tastes 'a bajillion times' better than regular apples.

I take out one of the magical apples from my inventory as my students arebusy sparring. Bright blue in color, cool to touch and so much more delicious than regular apples. I've tested in cooking, and all the things I've made with it came out spectacular.

[Mana Apple]

An apple rich in mana

Restores 50 HP and 500 MP

On the surface, it isn't really much, and that's true. I used it in potions and it didn't really do anything impressive, but having something only I can grow would give me a complete monopoly. This isn't something you can just grow normally, because, unlike a regular apple tree, you need mana instead of water. Pure mana, so Dust doesn't exactly work as a substitute.

Getting back on track, the Vytal Festival would be the perfect opportunity to start opening up and advertising my two new branches of business. Golems and enchanted weapons are gonna sell a lot as well. I'll hold back on the quality of the enchanting as I don't know who could be buying them, but I'm not half-assing the Golems because I can easily put a failsafe in them. In the end, they're all connected to me. Making them intelligent enough to process what's good or right is a must.

Can't have bandits getting them to harass and invade villages under my watch. Hell, I might as well put a few of them in every village free of charge, with one Golem having the strength of three to four hunters combined.

Though, that's gonna cost a lot of materials. I have the money for the regular stuff, but I'm out of the fantasy OP bullshit like Manasteel. I only have that frost metal I got from Fenrir, but I ain't using it yet. I'll save it for my Magnum Opus, and I have ideas for what that's gonna be.

I'm thinking of some kind of unbreakable armor or something along those lines. Sure, my clothes are enchanted to protect me, but nothing's better than good enchanted armor. Plus, I kinda want to have a more 'heroic' image with a cape and everything, as silly as that sounds.

As much as I love my current casual attire, I gotta complete the look. I have a designer suit being made by the Adel Fashion Organization, so getting some armor for my hero image is a must now. Also, armor keeps you alive, so, you know, that's pretty important.

A poke to my side stops my train of thought, prompting me to look at a small golem carrying a tray with multiple glasses of apple juice. Well, mana apples, but the juice looks nearly identical to a normal one, aside from the almost-invisible light blue particles.

"Thanks, buddy." I praise it with a pat on the head before stepping forward and speaking into the microphone. "Alright girls, that's enough sparring for today. Come over here and get your refreshments."

The five girls stop their fighting and lower their weapons, all heading towards me. It's still pretty early, only 10 AM, and they came here at like, four hours earlier, but they've been training for hours nonstop, without even potions since I didn't want them to grow so reliant on them. And yes, I do think seeing half of them getting fully woken up by being flung across the fighting grounds is pretty hilarious.

Yang leads the way, her breathing slightly labored from the more intense sessions over those four hours, but gives me a grin nonetheless. Everyone else follows suit, with Ruby and Blake walking side by side as they talk.

The sight is sweet to the eyes– the girls were wearing gym outfits since they didn't want to damage their Beacon uniforms or their combat gear, hugging them so deliciously tight and bringing out all their curves. Waist, thighs, ass, cleavage– and all the parts that mattered

Yang, being the greatest wing woman in the multiverse, was the one who insisted on the group that they get the tightest kind of outfits they could find from what Ruby told me. Bless her heart.

But admittedly, it was getting kinda hard to ignore at this point, not when the sweat had dampened their clothes and made some of them almost transparent. For fuck's sake, Yang isn't wearing anything underneath. I can see nearly everything.

But of course, I'm a gentleman and would never use my Sharingan to take in every inch and burn it into my memory. Too specific? Well, that's because I'd never do that. I'm a hero who everyone looks up to, not some pervert.

"First off, get your drinks here." I point at the tray of apple juice, deactivating my Sharingan before any of the girls notice. "It's my own recipe, so tell me what you think."

"Ooh, that looks good," Yang states, the first to take one off the tray. "It's ice cold too. You spoil us~"

One by one, they all take a glass and sip from it, showing only positive reactions. Ruby nearly chokes from how fast she's drinking, and of course, being her, she finishes before the rest even got to taste it.

Yang and Levianna were the second and third to down it respectively, the former seemingly surprised at its taste before glancing at me with a knowing look. She probably noticed that this was magical in nature, and if anything, I'm a little shocked Ruby didn't notice. She should've felt some kind of spike of energy going through her, even if she never used her magic today.

The other two also don't notice, but Weiss made sure to savor every sip, looking more composed than the rest of the girls as she probably doesn't want to look unladylike in front of me, which I find incredibly adorable.

Blake, who I can sense enjoying the taste, is still looking nervous and deep in thought.

"That was the best thing I've ever had," Ruby says, licking her lips and handing me the empty glass. "Can I have another?"

"I'll make more later," I respond, ruffling her hair. "For now, I have an announcement for you all."

They all straighten their postures and look at me with the intent to listen. This is the first 'announcement' I'll be making for them, so I understand the surprise they're feeling right now. Even Yang and Ruby didn't know anything about this.

"You girls are grade A prodigies." I start praising. "The time you spent training here might've been short, but you've grown a lot faster than I anticipated. I have no doubt that a single year is all it'll take you to be better than most S ranks out there."

And I mean that. I actually had a bit of trouble in the last sparring match I had with them all, and that was a week ago. Admittedly, I didn't use the Sharingan for it, but that's still a very good achievement because what I did use was my fire, my current strongest elemental magic.

The girls all react to that praise in their own way. Yang and Ruby grin confidently, Weiss and Levianna blush and beam, and Blake, with the least visual reaction, smiles a little, only for said smile to get replaced by a slightly nervous look. I can sense mild guilt as she looks at her teammates, but also a bit of determination once her eyes lock with mine.

I act as if I don't notice it as I continue what I was saying.

"Thank you, s- Reid," Weiss says.

"Yeah, sir. Thanks~" Yang glances at her team leader with a smug grin.

The smile on Weiss' face drops immediately as she glares at the blond. "What?"

"Nuthin'." She snickers.

"I'm at least trying to be respectful." Weiss scoffs, getting defensive.

"I'm sure, I'm sure."

"So I gave it some thought and decided that all of you are ready for the next stage of my training." I continue, ignoring their banter. "But only if you complete a test of mine."

"What kind of test?" Levianna asks.

"A three-part trial," I answer. "One will test your teamwork skills, the second is all about your own personal strength, and the final one will show me just how much willpower you have."

"Willpower?" Blake tilts her head.

"You'll see." I wink at her and then address the rest. "I'll give you a little hint and say that it's gonna be the toughest. The test will begin the day after tomorrow, so rest as much as you can until then."

The vagueness of this test makes them all feel worried as they have all learned what it could mean when it's coming from me, especially Ruby and Yang since they're more knowledgeable about my more 'dangerous' experiments.

"So we'll keep it short for today. Go and take a shower. Ruby, I can only do so much for you to skip school, so you need to go to Signal today." I say, making her groan. "The rest of you have two hours before your classes at Beacon start. Remember what you promised me."

"We won't let you down, sir." Weiss nods in determination. "I swear on the Schnee name that Team Wildberry will be the best in Beacon."

"That's a little too extreme, but I know I can trust you all if the last few months are anything to go by" I respond, slightly exasperated at Weiss' constant seriousness. "Go on now, you don't want to be late, do you?"

The girls all smile and leave the training grounds. Well, except Blake, whose eyes still look nervous as they dart between her team and me. I raise a brow at her as she doesn't move from her spot, and eventually, I get too curious and ask.

"What's wrong?"

She flinches, and as she's about to open her mouth, Weiss calls out for her from the elevator.

"Blake, what are you doing there?" She says in confusion. "Come on, let's go."

"I–" She starts before taking a deep breath. "You girls go on ahead."

"You're not coming?" Ruby asks.

"I will, I just…" She pauses for a moment, glancing at me. "I want to talk to Reid about something."

Ah, finally worked up the courage. I'm guessing it's something important if she was this hesitant even with how high my REP with her is. I'll say, I'm pretty proud of her for taking the first step, but damn, took her long enough.

"Right…" Weiss narrows her eyes. "Well, we'll wait for you at the usual cafe."

"Sure." Blake nods, and with that, they leave the room.

"So what's up?" I ask.

"I um…" She fidgets a little, looking away. "I need some advice."

"Sure. What about?"

After a few seconds of awkward silence, with Blake giving me quick, nervous glances, she sighs deeply and takes off her bow, revealing a set of cat ears on her head, which surprises me greatly. Now I knew she was a Faunus, but I didn't expect her to reveal it to me first. As far as I knew, none of her teammates know it.

"I'm trusting you with this, so please, I want you to listen to me before you say anything." She starts, looking pretty vulnerable for the first time since I met her.

"There's a lot to talk about here," I reply. "So let's get comfortable first."

Blake nods as her cat ears twitch, not expecting a reasonable response, and sits on the chair nearby.

This might take a while…

– Blake Belladonna –

She realized how extremely risky that little decision of hers was, but at this point, Blake couldn't keep it bottled up anymore. The guilt only got heavier and heavier as the days went by, and to make matters worse, she grew fonder of her teammates and Ruby after every training session, even Weiss.

It started to feel unbearable for her, so she needed someone she could talk to, someone she knew was reasonable enough to listen instead of immediately calling her out. She couldn't just stay quiet anymore.

The Titan Slayer, or Blue King now, was that kind of person if the past few months were anything to go by. And not just from their interactions, but how much good he's doing for the world. Blake spent enough time to ensure that his benevolence wasn't an act, and while he had his moments of greed and arrogance, she always reminded herself that nobody is perfect. Everyone liked money, and anyone with half of his reputation will act cocky from time to time.

Admittedly, Ruby was somewhat similar to him in a way. Perhaps a more awkward and shy version of Reid, but sharing his kindness and understanding nature, maybe even more so. Blake liked the younger girl, as they shared a few hobbies and interests. She understood why Yang always called her 'a bundle of energy and joy'. When Blake got her going, Ruby never stopped talking. It was adorable.

But adorable wasn't enough. She was more certain that Ruby would be far more forgiving than anyone in this group of friends, but she didn't think the younger girl would be good at giving advice. Reid, however, was different.

Seeing how good he was to her kind made her feel a lot more comfortable around him than she'd like to admit. It was quite refreshing, though. Strangely, while she liked her teammates – Weiss included – something about Reid specifically was comforting.

Maybe it was how easygoing he was, seeing how normal he acts around them even though he's still as ruthless as ever in training, or perhaps it was the fact that he's railing both Yang and Ruby behind their backs.

It's like they weren't hiding it anymore, even Weiss and Levianna started to become a little suspicious. Blake knew a long time ago of course, and sometimes she cursed her second set of ears because from what she heard, they're… well, pretty wild.

She almost asked Reid if she could just quit. She can handle overhearing the occasional vulgar begging and moaning from Yang and her sister, but every single day? How's she supposed to cope with that? She doesn't even want to listen to them going at it, she's not some pervert who gets off on voyeurism.

The worst part was when she almost walked in on them once and had a first-class view for a few seconds that she couldn't get out of her head, getting a very good look at Yang's lewd body and Reid's exceptional equipment. Blake thanked her lucky stars that they didn't notice her that one time. It would've been a disaster.

But that's for another time. She needed to focus on the actual reason why she decided to start with Reid when it came to who she really was. His first response gave her hope that he'd understand why she decided to hide her heritage.

So they sat down and Blake told her as much as she could without revealing anything about the White Fang, still unsure if she should go that far. She trusted him well enough, but Blake had to test the waters before telling him something that big.

Reid was silent the whole time, not showing a positive or negative reaction. He simply listened and nodded as she spoke until she stopped. A moment of silence passed, and Blake couldn't handle the pressure, thinking she might've hurt him by lying the whole time.

"I-I'm sorry." She apologized softly, not knowing why she cared about his feelings all that much. "I should've been honest from the start, I know that."

"You wouldn't be struggling like this if you were, yeah." He responded bluntly, making her flinch. "But I can understand what you're going through."

Blake paused and glanced at him.

"You do?"

"In a way, I have secrets too," Reid said, patting her on the shoulder. "It hurts to lie to someone you like, that's true, but you know, sometimes you really don't know how to go about telling the truth, right?"

"Y-yeah…" She nodded.

"I fully get that." He responded. "But other times, there are things that you have to tell your friends, even if it ends up breaking your friendship."

"I-I know, but I just…" Blake rubbed her arm as a troubled look took over her face. "My whole life was a constant fight. My parents and I always suffered whenever we were outside of Menagerie for years. Even though we tried to be as peaceful as we could.

"And it's not like Menagerie was any better." Blake scoffed, getting more heated. "Everyone relied on my father to make a difference. He was under constant pressure, and he barely made any progress. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to see your own dad always blame himself because a protest ended up doing nothing in the long run?"

"I imagine it was horrible." He guessed, looking at her in sympathy. "I'm sorry."

Blake nearly went on a rant, saying how unfair it was for her father to try so hard to make a change before he was just discarded like he was nothing. How she spat on the faces of her parents' efforts when she got consumed by hatred and vengeance, how despicable she felt about it. She only barely stopped herself from dumping all that out of nowhere, letting out a shaky breath instead.

She really appreciated his response, though. Even if he didn't know the full story, it still felt good.

"I was scared when I got into Beacon. Everything felt overwhelming and I didn't know what to do. I almost ran away from it too." She chuckled bitterly. "I didn't want to go through what I had gone through as a child. I didn't know what kind of people go to hunter academies, butin my experience, they were rarely ever good people. I had to hide my ears, and I was lucky that the Belladonna surname was common."

"I see." Reid nodded.

"But after the first few weeks with my new team, I felt… I don't know, calm. Comfortable. For the first time in years." Blake said. "Yes, maybe I get in a fight with Weiss sometimes, and Yang can be annoying, but this team is the first group of friends I've ever had, and I don't want to destroy it."

Reid opted to stay silent.

"I'm scared that if I say anything now, they'll never look at me the same way again. That they'll feel I betrayed them." She muttered, feeling very vulnerable right now. "But I know it's wrong to keep this lie going any further. I don't know what I'm supposed to do."

She didn't want to admit it, not even in her head, but there was no denying the truth. Blake loved her team, her only source of comfort aside from her mom, who probably didn'teven want to see her face anymore for what she did to her own father's legacy.

She wasn't delusional enough to think that they'd never be able to figure it out, and not just her heritage, but her past as well. And if the time came and she never bothered to tell them about it, there would be hell to pay.

"Should I just tell the truth?" Blake questioned quietly.

"I think you already know the answer to that," Reid responded, making her wince.

"But what if they-"

"There's no ifs or buts, Blake." Reid cut her off. "You have to tell them, for your sake and theirs."

Blake didn't reply verbally, opting to bite her lips in silence.

"I know it's scary, but think about what would happen if you don't tell them," Reid said. "It'll end up being a hundred times worse, and you know that, don't you?"

Blake nodded slowly after a pause.

"Then you know what you have to do." He gently put a hand over her shoulder. "And you know, I don't think you should worry about it this much."

The Faunus looked at him, bewildered at his easygoing smile.

"I don't know much about Weiss and Levianna yet, but I know for damn sure that Yang and Ruby won't think less of you for it," Reid assured her. "They're too sweet and understanding to let something like this get in the way of your friendship."

Blake felt some hope blossom within her, his bright smile making her heart skip a beat. A part of her really believed what he was saying, and even urged her to tell him the whole story. That she was part of the White Fang, and that she genuinely regretted the crimes she committed. He'd believe her, right? If he was ready to assure her that everything would be fine, then maybe she could trust him.

"Y-you think so?"

"I mean, you told me, and you don't see me getting pissed about it." He points at himself and winks. "And hey, if push comes to shove, I'll always have your back. That I can promise."

Blake blushed at his willingness to be as helpful as he could possibly be. Her heartbeat quickened as their eyes locked for a moment, however, she couldn't handle this tone shift and quickly turned away from his face. She already admitted to herself that he was pretty handsome, but was he always that good-looking?

Wait, what the hell was she thinking right now? This was the same guy that beat them to a pulp on a daily basis and even shamelessly fucks two of his students while obviously planning to seduce Weiss. He was nice and all, and she'd gotten comfortable around him, but there were limits. Yes, no way she'd let this man anywhere close to her, even if he fit her tastes to a T.

He was a total womanizer.

…A good-hearted, handsome one who she could probably end up staring at all day, but still a playboy. She's read enough romance novels – screw you, Yang, they're not just smut – to know that ending up with one of his kind will lead everyone involved to heartbreak.

Why was she even entertaining the idea? She should stop thinking about it entirely.

"T-thanks…" She muttered.

"Of course. Anything for my cute pupils." He said, making her flinch as he gently scratched her ears.

Blake almost melted under the divine feeling, but quickly snapped at him, slapping his hand away.

"W-w-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Her face turned bright red as she glared at him in embarrassment.

"My bad, I always forget that I'm not supposed to touch them." His smile turned sheepish. "...Your ears are a lot fluffier than they look."

Blake's face flushed even more, taking the compliment before looking away. Her heart pounded and her mind raced. Usually, she'd just kick someone's ass if they dared to do something like this to her, but she didn't want to look so ungrateful. His words of reassurance helped so much more than she had thought.

Blake's eyes darted around in hesitance. So much blood rushed to her face as she tilted her head towards him, deciding to at least give him this much as 'payment' for the help. She didn't like owing people and he looked like he had enjoyed it a lot.

That's it. That's the only reason she was doing this embarrassing. No other reason at all and anyone who said otherwise is lying.

"Y-you just surprised me. That's all." She mumbled, unable to meet his gaze. "...Y-you can touch them if you want…"

"Really?"

Why did he sound so excited about it? What was so fascinating about her ears?

"Only this once." She said quickly. "And don't you dare tell anyone."

"You have my word."

With her permission given, Blake closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his gentle hands scratching and rubbing her ears. She didn't think she'd ever let anyone do this to her, not even her team, but here she was letting her teacher have his way with her precious cat ears.

Blake thought about their earlier conversation and opened her mouth to tell him everything, finally getting the chance to let loose the pent-up guilt she'd been feeling for years since she left her mom on her own, but she couldn't. The whispers inside her mind prevented her from saying anything out of fear of him apprehending her with ease and throwing her in jail, instantly destroying anything she built in Beacon.

Why did he have to be so damn nice?

And why did she have to be so damn paranoid?

– Reid Astera –

5 Reputation with Blake Belladonna [100/100]

Affection unlocked

Perk gained

[Haunting Shadows] – 100 Blake Belladonna

When in dark spaces, you make no sound unless otherwise intended, and when you strike unaware victims from the shadows, your attack deals 5x more damage and gives you total invisibility for 5 seconds.

Partner Bonus: While with your partner, your presence is completely muted instead, so much so that no kind of sense is able to pick up on you.

15 Affection with Blake Belladonna [15/100]

How is every single one of my students so damn cute? I wanted to hug Blake so bad when she did that little tough act, even though she was the complete opposite on the inside. She was both enjoying the attention while also being in denial about it.

Under all that mysterious and cold exterior, she's as adorable as the rest of her teammates. I honestly did not expect it at all, and I'm the guy who senses emotions. Blake had me completely fooled before. She was always suspicious and judging, so I never really thought she had a cute side like this.

That aside, I did mean everything I said, even with the context of her actual past in mind. I'm proud of her for coming to me and asking for help. I knew it was hard for her to trust, but I like to think that I helped.

Poor girl. There has always been this underlying sense of guilt every time she's around her friends, and when she talked about it to me, it was so much easier to sense because of how big of a problem it actually is. It's been tearing her heart to shreds.

So as the great teacher that I am, I'll always have the back of my pupil. I think I can convince Levi and Weiss to give her a chance if things go south, and I do trust both Ruby and Yang that they can see the bigger picture. The sisters are very compassionate.

She made the right decision to take this first step, and I'm very hopeful that she'll end up benefiting a lot from it. Now to wait for her to work up the courage and tell her friends. It'll probably take a bit, but I think I can nudge her to it. Maybe after the test I have in store for them? Yeah, I think that can work to Blake's advantage seeing that they'll most likely pass.

Now that I have a few hours for myself before my date with Weiss, I decided to go back to my estate and head straight to the beach, finding a chunk of crystals turning the sand around it into light blue color. This Titan's Stardust took a bit more to form, likely because I separated its head from its body for cool points. And honestly? It was worth it. People were still going crazy over what I did.

So once I collected the Stardust that formed from both body and head, which was a little under what the Forest Grimm gave me, I left for my new secret base where I do my volatile experiments and shit. I explored the cave systems underneath and found a huge, huge cavern there.

I'm serious. It's nearly as big as Vale's Golden Corner, which is a whole damn section of the city. That's already over 100 kilometers in length, and it's a huge space for a secret wizard base. Plus, it's so deep underground that I doubt anybody's gonna end up finding it. As if that's not enough, the place is also filled with Dust and other materials, like copper, iron, or gems.

So like any other guy, I hid it with Golems and Earth magic that I barely ever used. I knew people will end up wanting to visit the grave of one of the Titans eventually, so I made sure to conceal every tiny hole that could lead up to the cavern. Now I just have to find a way to suppress the magical energy that'll be coming out from my experiments.

"Gwyn, mind doing me a favor real quick?" I ask as I start setting up the place, placing ritual circles, alchemy tables, and so on. "Look around and clear out the cavern in case there's any Grimm around. And tell me if you find something interesting."

Gwyn materializes next to me and barks, dashing as a gust of wind follows suit.

So I have most of my inventions here, but my goggles specifically are going crazy. There's an overabundance of energy here, likely from how much Dust is around. That's pretty good since an atmosphere this heavy in mana can be helpful in rituals. And it outright feels better too.

As I finish drawing a specific circle, using my own blood as a substitute for chalk, I pull out a corpse of a slaver from my inventory, putting it in the middle. I also take out Sheekh's necklace, which is filled with dark and necrotic power, and clutch it in my fist.

There's something I want to try before I get to the actual soul fuckery. Call it a trial, but I think having a little bit of experience in Necromancy is safer than going full throttle without any prior knowledge.

I take Sheekh's book and flip through the pages until I find the low-tier undead ritual. It requires dark or necro magic to work, but since I don't have either of those, I'll use the necklace as a replacement for that. It should work.

I'm so glad this ritual doesn't need a chant. I know I'm gonna butcher the fuck out of whatever language necromancy uses.

I activate my magic, and the red circle made from my blood glows brighter and brighter until suddenly it turns black. Nothing that spectacular happens, only a tugging sensation trying to take the necklace from me as its energy pours into the circle, but nothing more than that.

Slowly, the corpse begins twisting itself, bones cracking and flesh tearing as it slowly stands up in a very unnatural way. The eyes of the zombie were milky white, with no sense or reason inside its gaze. It is nothing more than a soulless monster that listens to my every command. Even the Golems are a thousand times more intelligent than this.

Staring at the zombie, I finally understand why someone would find necromancy to be something unnatural and should never be tolerated. The very essence of this was abhorrent, it felt utterly disgusting.

But I don't agree with banning something like this. Say what you want to say, but there's no doubt that magic, even as repulsive as this, has its uses, and can be used for good. Magic has no concept of good and evil, it's the one using them that should be held accountable for their actions.

I note down all the things I've learned from this tiny ritual, every single emotion and thought I had when it was going down. I want to do more, but I don't have anything of substance that can be used in necromancy. The necklace is strong, but it's not enough.

I pause and stare at the undead, getting a few ideas. Maybe I can't do much for necromancy, but maybe I can do something with potions instead. This corpse is filled with necrotic energy due to the ritual. Perhaps this is what I need to make the perfect counter to potions?

I need to do some testing. I don't know how something like this will interact with potions, but I think I'm on the right track. Necrotic powers can corrupt magic, so would it be farfetched to say that they can corrupt potions? Things with magic as the main ingredient?

In fact…

I send a mental message to Gwyn, telling him to capture whatever Grimm he finds alive. I think I can make something with a few as test subjects.

I have five hours until my date with Weiss, and while that's really not enough to perfect it today, I'll still make sure to enjoy every second of it.

– Pyrrha Nikos –

Time truly flew fast if it had already been so long since she and Yang faced each other in the ring. Two, or three months? When before, they fought nearly every single combat class, initiated by the blond from her sheer eagerness to defeat the Mistral Champion at least once.

And every time, it got closer and closer. Yang was already formidable since their first fight, but she'd been growing at such a rate that it kept Pyrrha on her toes. Last time, the duel ended in a draw, for goodness' sake! Of course, it was obvious why she'd been getting better so fast, seeing how she was a student of the Blue King, and Pyrrha felt admittedly jealous of her and her team for such an opportunity, but for now, she'd have to make do with what she had.

Unfortunately for the blond, seeing that she only ever challenged Pyrrha to a fight when given the opportunity, Glynda promptly started ignoring her every request. Yang grumbled and whined about how unfair it was and that 'rivalry is actually beneficial', only to get warned by Ms. Goodwitch.

Pyrrha didn't know what their teacher told the blond, but Yang never complained again.

Of course, that didn't mean they'd never fight again, and as Pyrrha opened the locker to grab her weapons, she felt oddly competitive. Yang finally got lucky and the randomizer picked her and the redhead to go at it one more time.

Admittedly, Pyrrha always hated her flawless streak and how it gave her that much fame and haunted her relationships and social life, but when said streak was in genuine threat of being ended in her last duel with Yang, she felt an urge to protect it.

That fight with the blond had made her push herself harder in training. It was so odd, she thought. Pyrrha always thought she'd welcome this long-forgotten taste of defeat, yet her heart burned with the desire to win for the first time in so many years.

She didn't know what it was that flipped this switch in her head, but maybe Yang was onto something about this rivalry concept. Was that it? Did Pyrrha consider her a rival, thus she did not want to lose to the blond specifically?

Maybe, maybe not. What she did know, however, is that she wouldn't be losing this match either. She knew that they'd fight again eventually, so she had made sure to extend her workout a few hours more, not knowing what kind of training the blond went through under Reid Astera.

But oh well, if she loses, then she loses. It might bum her out a bit – As Yang would say – but she'd take the loss with dignity. Staying humble was a warrior's trait after all.

After a deep breath, Pyrrha headed toward the battleground, gripping her sword and shield tightly. She glanced at her classmates on the stands, studying the faces of Yang's team and noting how confident they looked, before she turned her gaze to her opponent, quickly noticing that something was off.

Yang's hands were wrapped, and her weapons were nowhere to be seen. Pyrrha frowned in confusion, unsure what the blond could be planning before quickly realizing what this meant. It was nearly as disadvantageous to her as it was to Yang– the redhead wouldn't be able to use her Semblance to its fullest like this.

"So–" A cocky grin took over the blond's face as she got into her stance. "You ready?"

"You're fighting me without a weapon?" Pyrrha asked to be sure. "Are you sure this is wise?"

"Heh, yep." Yang nodded. "To be honest, they're kind of a liability right now. I can't rely on them against someone like you."

"And you think you can damage me without them?" Pyrrha raised a brow. "Confident, are you?"

"I'm not the same person you fought last time." Yang's grin widened as she winked. "And don't take this the wrong way, Pyr, but to him, you're pretty much nothing."

Pyrrha knew who she was referring to, but she'd be lying if she said that didn't sting her pride a little bit. Yeah, sure, he was the Titan Slayer, but underestimating her wasn't the right answer either.

"We'll see about that…"

Pyrrha's battle spirit burned at that comparison, mirroring the blond's smile as she felt motivated to win this. Well, no better way to prove that but to defeat Yang. Actions were better than words after all.

The two girls glared at one another, waiting for the signal to start the match. Yang looked as confident as ever, and her stance seemed a bit… different compared to what Pyrrha was familiar with. Sharper, more refined. How much had she benefited from the Titan Slayer's training?

She was about to find out, and as soon as Ms. Goodwitch called for the duel to begin, Yang rushed forward at a speed she had never once shown before. Pyrrha gasped as the blond was already in front of her in less than a second, throwing a right hook.

The redhead quickly calmed herself down and blocked the blow with her shield, redirecting the other fist with her sword to the side. Pyrrha raised her leg to kick Yang in the chin, but the blond easily evaded the hit by taking a step back.

However, Yang immediately dashed forward again, ducking under a sweep of Pyrrha's blade and countering by burying her fist into the redhead's stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She was not given a chance to retaliate as the blond locked her in a combination of punches and kicks, and every single one of them hurt like hell.

Pyrrha couldn't comprehend how these attacks were this painful. Yang wasn't even armed,for goodness' sake! How was she packing that much power? Hell, they hurt more than when she used the gauntlets. Just how strong did she get?

Pyrrha let go of her shield, using her Semblance to hit Yang with it on the nose. The blond stopped her onslaught and recoiled, flinching at the unexpected move, which gave the Mistral Champion enough time to go on the offensive.

She changed her maneuver, putting her all into attacking. She struck with her blades and used her Semblance to control her shield so that whenever Yang tried to counter, it would hit her in the back of her head or side.

Pyrrha did everything in her power to keep the blond in this one spot, not once giving her the chance to do anything at all. The redhead swung, shot, and stabbed at Yang's Aura, and she could not back away or dodge, and certainly couldn't block without her gauntlets.

But to her shock, Yang suddenly caught Pyrrha's blade with her hand before doing the same as the shield got close to her. The Champion tried to pry her weapons away but to no avail. Yang's grip was more than enough to keep her in place. What kind of absurd strength did she have?! Not even using her Semblance did anything– she was completely stuck!

The blond grinned, eyes glowing red as her hair burst in flames. Pyrrha began to panic as the overwhelming heat coming from her opponent made her nearly choke. Her attempt to kick Yang away did absolutely nothing as she responded with a headbutt. The redhead felt her world spin at the sheer weight of that attack, and could not defend herself from the incoming flurry of blows.

Those hurt even more, every hit feeling like a Fire Dust bomb exploding on her. The pain was one thing, but the heat from these hits was another thing entirely. Pyrrha couldn't understand why her punches felt like being pierced with a Fire bullet, but she honestly did not care right now.

Pyrrha tried her hardest to recover by jumping back, but Yang was so much faster than her, and easily caught up. Every time she tried to use her Semblance, it did absolutely nothing as Yang ignored everything she did now that her own Semblance was activated.

Yang landed a particularly powerful left hook that sent the redhead flying to the other side of the battleground, shield and blade making a deafening clang as they hit the floor next to her. Pyrrha struggled but managed to get back up on her feet, feeling something cold and wet drip down from her forehead.

She wiped it off and her eyes widened when she saw blood on her hand. Her gaze turned back to the confident Yang, hair on fire as tiny flames danced around her body. Pyrrha grabbed her weapons and got into a shaky stance, glaring at Yang who was slowly approaching her.

Pyrrha clicked her tongue, the confident look on her opponent annoying her a lot more than she'd like to admit, but right before she rushed forward, the professor called the match, stopping them both in their tracks.

"Enough. Both of you put up an astounding fight, but the winner is Yang Xiao-Long." Glynda declared. "Stand down."

"W-what?" Pyrrha almost couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I-I can still fight!"

"Your Aura is in the red, which means you've lost." Ms. Goodwitch responded. "Xiao-Long's is still in the green, however, thus she wins this match."

Still in the green?! Pyrrha barely stopped herself from saying that out loud. That can't be true–

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she saw the big screen above, showing that yes, Yang's Aura was still green. Hell, it was still around 75% full while hers was near 10% only. How was that even possible? She did not hold back one bit, and yet it wasn't even close.

The Champion of Mistral fell to her knees, feeling utterly defeated as she saw just how her opponent dominated her in this fight. Sure, she felt the relief of losing for once, in front of other people too so they could stop treating her like some unbeatable huntress, but at the same time…

…How did she lose so easily? And why did that annoy her so damn much? No, that wasn't just annoyance, it was anger. Anger at herself for getting beaten so effortlessly. She was always ready to take a loss, but not one this bad.

Pyrrha flinched as Yang extended her hand to her with a smile.

"Good fight." She said with a wink. "Gotta say, you really surprised me there with that shield throw semblance thing. You never used it before and it genuinely caught me off guard."

Still in shock, Pyrrha only stared at Yang in silence, who then frowned in confusion.

"Pyrrha? You there?"

"Huh? Y-yes, sorry. I just–"

"Didn't expect it? I don't blame you." Yang chuckled, taking her hand and pulling her back up on her feet. "Like I said, I'm not the same person I was last time."

"I can see that," Pyrrha responded as the shock washed away. "Just what kind of training did you do?"

"Oh, nothing special. Being Reid's student has a lot of benefits, trust me." Yang's smile turned smug, lowering her voice so no one can hear. "But that's not really important. Come on, let's go get changed before the next match starts."

As Pyrrha absent-mindedly followed the blond, she couldn't help but think about the kind of training Yang her team was going through nearly every day. How did she get so much stronger in just a few months? How could Pyrrha hope to compare when the Vytal Festival is right around the corner?

And if Yang was this strong, then what about her teammates? Had they all become as absurdly powerful as the blond? Can all of them individually beat Pyrrha in a fight? The mere thought of this was just insane. How could her own training hold a candle to whatever they were doing? Only a few more months until the tournament starts, and if team Wildberry got this strong in such a short period of time, then…

…Pyrrha needed this training too. She couldn't let herself be left behind like this, what kind of leader would she be? She needed to be prepared to do whatever she had to to convince the Blue King to train her and her team as well. They couldn't hope to win if this is what they were up against.

Next time. Pyrrha thought to herself as she gazed at Yang's back. I'll win next time.

With her battle spirit burning brighter than it ever had in so many years, Pyrrha swore to herself that she wouldn't be defeated by Yang or anyone ever again.

She smiled in determination as her competitive nature returned.

Team Juniper would win the tournament.

Like I said before, I never liked Blake, and I'm also not a fan of tsunderes

But somehow, Tsundere Blake still became a great combo. Weird how that works.

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