A.N: Merry Christmas from Saint Nicholas, y'all. Is that sacrilegious? Ah, whatever. It's the first chapter of the RWBY Campaign. Barring any surprises, I think this is a great way to close out 2020. Enjoy everyone.
Chapter 1 - New Hope
Patch Island, a small island just off the coast of the kingdom of Vale. A nice place to raise a family, if you are into that sort of thing of course. That was, undoubtedly, the best way to describe that little island. However, as the island burned in hellfire, one could only think of all those families that were in danger.
Though the Cult of the End had become a known enemy to the people of Remnant, attacks were still quite unexpected, due to the people of Remnant not yet being used to combating such unique threats. They had been relieved when there had been a lull in attacks for unknown reasons. However, that was small comfort for those who did die from the occasional attack.
Ironically, because of the Cult's existence, the people of Remnant took the news about the master of Grimm, Salem, surprisingly well. The beauty of the human race is that when faced with their own destruction, you will find that people are stubborn and determined, rather than just the type to roll over and die. Of course, hiding Salem's immortality certainly helped.
Unfortunately, Patch Island was still in grave danger. The combat school, Signal Academy, was being used as an evacuation center. This spot made the most sense due to most of the local Huntsmen being involved with Signal in some way, be it faculty or even guards. One such Huntsman is Taiyang Xiao Long, the father of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long.
When Taiyang was briefed on what was happening by his brother-in-law, Qrow Branwen, and his daughters, he was definitely skeptical. However, while he did have his disagreements with Qrow on occasion, his brother-in-law was no liar. And he certainly did not raise his girls to be liars, that was for sure. So, he started working out to get himself back into shape for the inevitable conflict. And now here he was, protecting the school he taught at. As destruction raged on outside Signal, getting closer, Taiyang took stock of the people who had managed to make it within Signal's walls. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a lot of families. He recognized a few of the older kids. They were kids he taught at Signal. He saw Zwei, the family corgi, going around and cheering people up with his presence alone.
His scroll started to ring. His expression darkened at this. He knew the only reason he would be called these days. Though he dreaded what he was about to hear, Taiyang answered his scroll regardless. "Tai," he heard the voice of one of his coworkers and a fellow Huntsman, Heinrich Eisen, "they're here."
Taiyang slipped out unnoticed. Not even Zwei noticed his master/father was gone. Taiyang was soon outside of Signal's main building. He joined up with Heinrich, a tall man with silvery-grey hair tied in a man bun and a scruffy beard. Two hatchets with built-in Dust compartments were strapped to his back.
"How many?" Taiyang asked.
"Kat counted forty eight of them," Heinrich responded before his expression turned grim and sorrowful, "I...I lost contact with her, shortly afterwards."
Taiyang's expression darkened. He knew that look on Heinrich's face. He had that look several times.
"Hey," Taiyang quickly put on his best smile, "it's Kat. I'm sure she'll be fine, Heinrich."
Heinrich smiled sorrowfully at Taiyang's statement. However, Taiyang could tell that it failed to comfort his coworker. "Tai," he said, "there are only sixteen of us here in fighting condition. They outnumber us 3-1. And just a squad of them can take out entire Atlesian battalions."
Taiyang hummed at this. "Can we get as many of the evacuees as possible out of here?"
"Where would we take them, Tai?" Heinrich asked.
"Anywhere would be better than this, this is about to become a warzone."
"Tai, these people are going to burn all of Patch to the ground. There is nowhere better than here." Heinrich's expression darkened even further. "The only thing we can rely on is the possibility of any of the major kingdoms' militaries coming to save us. Otherwise...this is going to be our last stand for sure."
Tai narrowed his eyes. "I haven't given up yet, Heinrich. And neither will you, you got that? You used to tell the kids to keep a brave face in battle, no matter how tough things got, so start living up to what you taught, damn it."
"Tai...this isn't what we trained for. This isn't what we trained the kids for." Heinrich reminded Taiyang. Signal Academy taught students to fight Grimm, like every other school that trained future Huntsmen.
"We trained those kids to survive." Taiyang told Heinrich. "And that's what we're going to do. Do you hear me? We're not dying yet."
"Tai…" Heinrich began as a thick fog suddenly set in.
Taiyang's eyes widened. "An attack?" He was immediately on guard. "But we had Kat stationed several miles out! How could they have gotten here this fast? I thought we had more time!"
"Tai!" He heard Heinrich yell from close by.
"Stay close to me, Heinrich!" Taiyang yelled, immediately dropping into a boxer's stance. "Back to back! We can keep an eye out for the enemy and watch each other's backs too."
"R-right." Heinrich said with a nod.
Taiyang kept a brave face as he watched for the Cult's advance. Inwardly, however, he could not hide the fact that he was preparing for what could very well be his death. Raven, Qrow...looks like I'll be going next. He thought grimly. Summer...I'll see you soon.
Taiyang's eyes widened when he saw several shadowy figures as far as his eyes could see within the fogbank. "Well done, Kirimoto." He heard the voice of one of them. "It looks like we've caught twelve Huntsmen...and four others seem to be inside with a lot of civilians. Looks like we hit the jackpot."
Taiyang forgot his fear and glared at the shadows. They knew civilians were in here. People who wanted no part of the fight. And they meant to kill them anyway. They were as wicked as Ruby and the others told him. As wicked as the media and the kingdoms said they were.
Well, if I'm going down, I'll be taking as many of them with me as I can.
Taiyang took a deep breath, ready to fight until the very end and hoping that Heinrich was willing to do the same, in spite of his fear.
What many in Remnant do not know is that there were indeed two brother gods who abandoned Remnant. However, to the pious, what happened next would be considered divine intervention.
"SMASH!" Taiyang was startled as a sudden mighty gust of wind came roaring in from the sound of that young man's voice, blowing the fog away in a near instant, revealing all 48 members of the Cult of the End who had come to attack Signal Academy. More specifically, four Acolyte squads led by four Deacons.
"What? My fog!" Taiyang heard one of them yell in shock. He could only assume that it was Kirimoto.
"R-reinforcements?" Heinrich stammered in shock.
"You all did a great job protecting the people of this island, but you can leave the rest to us." Taiyang looked to the rooftop of Signal Academy and saw four figures had taken a spot at the edge.
"Have no fear," Izuku Midoriya gave a big, reassuring smile to Taiyang and the other nine Huntsmen who had almost been in a nearly unwinnable situation, "the Traveling Strike Force is here to help you!"
With that, Izuku and his three closest allies in the Traveling Strike Force leapt onto the battlefield. Taiyang gasped, immediately recognizing one of them. "Ruby?!"
Ruby Rose looked over her shoulder and gave her father a reassuring smile and a wave. "Hey Dad," she said, "you can leave the rest to us, okay?"
"H-huh?" Taiyang could not believe how confident his little girl sounded. "Ruby, you don't mean you plan to fight all of them alone, do you?"
"Well, I'm not alone. That's what I've got these three for." Ruby said, smiling at her three friends. "You boys ready?"
"Always." Gon Freecss nodded with a grin.
"Oi, Cult-bastards!" Asta yelled. "You might wanna just send your strongest ones at us right off the bat, got it!"
"You can't be serious." One of the Deacons frowned at Asta for suggesting such a ridiculous thing. "We're not here to fight fairly, brat. This is an extermination. We're here to kill everyone."
"Get them all!" Another Deacon ordered as the four squads charged ahead.
"We were trying to be nice." Gon lamented. "Taking them all down at once is way more humiliating than just beating up their strongest guys."
"I count forty eight," Izuku said, "so we can divide them up evenly."
"Aww, but it'd be more fun to make it a competition." Asta complained.
"We need to take them out quickly for the people in Signal, Asta." Ruby reminded the short Magic Knight. "We don't have time for silly games. We'll take 'em out quick and then regroup with the rest of the TSF."
"You say that, Ruby, but I know you'll find some way to keep score in your head. Maybe like, how fast we take them out?" Asta teased, making Ruby blush in embarrassment, knowing he was right.
"Jerk," she muttered half-heartedly before speeding ahead, leaving behind a trail of rose petals. However, shockingly, this time it was different. Ruby was going as fast as she always did when using her Semblance, Petal Burst. However, her body was still corporeal. The only sign that she was using Petal Burst was that her body was leaving that trail of rose petals, like a slipstream.
Ruby had evolved her Semblance. It was no longer just a living meteor. She had evolved her Semblance to remain in her human, physical form if she so wished it, for the sole purpose of what she was about to do.
"Red Burst!" Ruby yelled, slashing through the entire Acolyte Squad coming towards her with ease.
The Acolyte Squad charging at Ruby stopped in their tracks and gasped as Ruby sped into them. The Deacon in charge of them, a snow-white haired youth who's bangs obscured his eyes, gasped at how quickly she had torn through his squad. And he was next. "Solid Fog!" He yelled, acting quickly and generated a giant hand made of fog that blocked Crescent Rose, revealing that he was the one named Kirimoto.
Meanwhile, Izuku Midoriya quickly leapt right into the middle of the second Acolyte Squad. A few made moves that seemed like they were about to attack the ninth bearer of One For All, only to realize their attacks would hit each other as well. They were firing in a circle, the worst thing you could do as an armed and dangerous group of individuals.
Izuku smirked as he immediately went to work, punching one Acolyte in the jaw and sending him airborne. I may not have Mr. Aizawa's Quirk, but I can copy his fighting style. He noted, delivering a roundhouse kick into the side of another Acolyte's head. Page 28 in my hero notes about the Underground Hero, Eraserhead: Get right in the middle of the group, cause confusion and hesitation…
And be too damn fast to be tagged!
The Deacon in charge of this particular squad, a bald man with multiple piercings on his face by the name of Kuroyomi, looked on in shock as Izuku tore through his squad easily. Useless, he scowled in frustration as dark matter began to form in the palm of his hand, I'll end him myself.
Asta grinned and brandished his grimoire. Two of his Anti-Magic swords appeared. He quickly tossed one into the air while gripping the second. He then leapt atop the sword he had tossed. The Acolyte Squad attacking him all gasped when they saw the sword suddenly fly like a witch's broom.
"Coming through!" Asta yelled as the sword flew right into the crowd with him atop it.
Asta swung his second sword wildly, knocking the Acolytes to the side as though he were hitting them all with a baseball bat. The Deacon in charge, an older man with a beard trimmed into a small triangle named Yamato, quickly stepped up, brandishing a naginata.
"If it's a battle of weapons, then look no further. I shall be your opponent." Yamato twirled his naginata and pointed it at Asta. "Prepare yourself. I'm going to turn you into a human pincushion.
"Janken Rock!" Gon punched the ground, creating a shockwave that sent the final Acolyte Squad flying into the air.
The Deacon, a rough-looking man in a silver mohawk stepped forward with folded arms. "Useless pricks, the lot of ya." He grunted. "Fine, let old Deacon Reigo show you losers how it's done."
Reigo cracked his neck. "I heard about you from that Phantom-creep. You may have been able to take down Tetsuichi, but he relied way too much on his defenses to be an effective fighter." Reigo smirked. "Allow me to show you what happens when you screw with someone who can actually hit you back properly."
Gon frowned. "He actually did hit pretty hard you know."
"Yeah, but what's the point in hitting hard when there's no substance behind it. Tetsuichi's stupid metal body only gave you the experience of getting smacked in the face by a metal gurdur. What I'm about to show you is the experience of being mauled by a vicious lion."
Reigo's body then started to expand as red lightning danced around his body. He trained his gaze slowly on Gon. "Beast of Wrath: Targeted Rage!"
Gon watched with an unreadable expression as Reigo's body became massive with muscles. "When I select a 'target' for my rage, my strength increases exponentially until I've eliminated the target. The only trade off is that my strength vanishes after said target has been eliminated." Reigo explained.
"But, when I train my rage on a particularly dangerous target, my power is quite useful!" Reigo cackled. "That's why among the Deacons, I'm referred to as 'The Cleaner,' the man who makes the problems of the Cult of the End go away."
"Now then, let's be-" Reigo was suddenly cut off as Gon was suddenly in front of him.
"Janken Scissors!" Gon yelled, cutting Reigo right down the middle.
Reigo choked and sputtered in disbelief. "What...what…"
Gon laughed sheepishly. "Er...sorry about that." He said. "I know you were talking about what you thought were some really important stuff, but...well, you really left yourself wide open there. And, well, I just had to take the chance."
"But...I...no…" Reigo choked out before his body split in half.
Gon rubbed the back of his head. "Wow...that was a bit too easy." He mused. "Guess the training paid off. Well...actually, that guy was kind of dumb."
Yamato, meanwhile, tossed his naginata at Asta. "Duplication!" The Deacon yelled as the naginata suddenly multiplied. "Piercing Storm!"
Asta gasped as the many copies of the naginata fell towards him. "Those naginatas aren't made of magic." Yamato noted, knowing exactly who Asta was. "Your Anti-Magic swords won't do anything against them!"
Asta regained his composure and frowned at Yamato. "Okay," he shrugged.
Asta then began swinging his sword rapidly as he batted each naginata away from him, much to Yamato's shock. This is just that storm of blades the Word Magic Devil used on me back then. Asta noted before smirking. And frankly, this is nowhere near as quick or powerful as his attacks were.
Yamato held his hand out and the original naginata returned to him, a benefit of having a weapon that was 'bonded' with him thanks to the experiments the Cultists scientists under the Patriarch's direction conducted for him. He's fast, Yamato acknowledged, however, I'm well aware that this one lacks the range his friends have. As long as I match his pace and keep my distance, I can still win this.
After batting the last of the naginatas away, Asta turned his attention back to Yamato, noting that he was keeping his distance. He gripped the sword currently in his hand, the Demon-Dweller Sword and smirked. Now it's really time to put my training with the Grandmaster to the test!
"Demon-Dweller Sword!" Asta yelled before singing the blade horizontally. "Black Slash!"
Yamato's eyes widened as a flying slash of black Anti-Magic was set loose from Asta's blade, flying towards him. He instinctively blocked it with a twirl of his naginata, only to be knocked off balance by the force of the impact. Asta grinned and took the chance. He flew straight towards Yamato with the sword he was flying on like a witch's broom.
WHAT?! Yamato could only think in disbelief, realizing that he was about to lose.
Asta swung the Demon-Dweller sword and slammed it right into Yamato's side, cracking his ribs from the side and sending him airborne. "I'm the Anti-Magic Magic Knight of the Clover Kingdom," Asta proclaimed proudly, "however...I am also now the worst nightmare of any bastard who threatens the innocent! Whether they've got magic, nen, whatever."
Meanwhile, Kuroyomi sighed in a bored tone as he calmly batted away an Acolyte that had been knocked towards him. "Well done, all of you." Kuroyomi said sarcastically. "Truly, you are wonderful examples for our faith."
Kuroyomi stared down Izuku, who was ready to now turn the full extent of his power on the Deacon. "You're fast," Kuroyomi acknowledged, "but that speed means nothing when you are swept off your feet, unable to avoid my own attacks."
With that, the dark matter in Kuroyomi's hand expanded and floated in front of him, Izuku gasped as he suddenly felt himself being pulled forward. "Dark Matter," Kuroyomi introduced the name of his Art, "if darkness is gravity, then the power of Dark Matter is a black hole, physically manifested to pull in all who are unlucky enough to be caught in my range."
Izuku briefly seemed concerned by this ability of Kuroyomi's. He then noticed that the Deacon seemed to be waiting for him to be pulled forward and off-balance to strike him while he was defenseless.
Izuku smirked, showing off an uncharacteristic confidence. One that was reminiscent of Katsuki Bakugou, along with the three friends he had trained so closely with these past few months. "So after that display of my Quirk, you want to pull me in close?"
Kuroyomi looked at Izuku in bewilderment. "You're pulling in a guy with super strength, not a great plan." Izuku told him as he suddenly let himself go limp, allowing himself to be pulled forward.
Kuroyomi narrowed his eyes and punched forward as the young hero neared him, only for Izuku to kick the air to propel himself over Kuroyomi, a trick he picked up compliments of Katsuki and the notes he had taken on his explosive-happy friend and rival. Now, Kuroyomi was concerned. Even more so as Izuku was pulled back down right towards him for a smash attack.
"Thanks, I'll gladly get pulled in!" Izuku declared before firing off his attack. "One For All 30%: Detroit Smash!"
Kuroyomi's head whipped to the side as the Deacon went limp before falling to the ground, knocked out before he even hit the floor.
Meanwhile, Ruby gazed in wonder and bewilderment at the giant fog fist that caught Crescent Rose. Kirimoto scowled. I can't hope to beat this one in a straight one on one fight, so I need to improvise.
"Fog World!" Kirimoto yelled as the fist of fog exploded into a giant cloud of fog that enveloped Ruby.
Ruby hummed at this. "So, he's going for a stealth kill, huh? Games with that kind of play-style never were my speed."
Ruby smirked. "Of course, I've got just the thing for dealing with a thick fog."
I may be able to speed around with Petal Burst while maintaining my physical form, but that doesn't mean I can't downgrade for situations like these.
Ruby then transformed into her old form when using Petal Burst and began flying around at her usually incredible speeds. Kirimoto froze in his tracks, having attempted to move around and strike Ruby from behind, and watched in horror as his Fog World was swept up in dangerously high winds that dispersed it with ease. The mass of rose petals then sped towards Kirimoto, who regained his composure and attempted a counterattack. "Solid Fog!" He yelled again, attempting to punch Ruby out of the air.
Ruby then split apart and moved around the giant fog fist, reforming herself behind Kirimoto. "You messed with the wrong world and the wrong family." She told him, her tone now surprisingly serious before swinging Crescent Rose upwards and sending him into the air, blood flying from the open wound on his body.
Taiyang watched in disbelief as all four Deacons fell against his daughter and these three new friends of her's. Two minutes. That had been all it took to defeat all forty-eight of the Cultists that had come to destroy Patch Island.
I...I can't believe what I'm seeing here. Taiyang admitted inwardly, shocked at how strong his daughter had become. That shock then turned to pride as he smiled. Summer, look at how much our little girl has grown.
Ruby's expression then turned into a victorious and happy one as she pumped her fist into the air. "Booyah!" She yelled. "The first victory for the TSF! All that training with Grandmaster Sojiro really paid off!"
Izuku unhesitantly ran over to high five, which she happily reciprocated while Asta and Gon did the same. "We struggled so much with these people back on Whale Island." Izuku pointed out to his friends. "And now look at us!"
The four young heroes were then drawn to the attention of applause. They turned to see their elderly teacher, Sojiro, the Grandmaster of Menou, entering the scene. It would seem that the old man had caught up with them and had caught the result of their fight. "You're absolutely right, Izuku." Sojiro praised with a smile. "I want you all to remember this moment. The moment where you got to witness the results of your training."
"It's just as Izuku said. You won your previous encounters with the Cult by the skin of your teeth. That was most apparent back on Whale Island." Sojiro reminded them. "And now, with a few months of training, you've all grown to the point where Acolytes and Deacons are no challenge to you all whatsoever."
Sojiro's expression then turned serious. "But do not rest on your laurels. There are tons of foes who's strength far surpasses these people. Keep growing, keep improving, or you will hit a wall again. And you won't be able to protect anyone if that does come to pass."
"Yes sir!" All four young ones said obediently, bowing to their teacher.
Taiyang gazed at Sojiro in awe. Whoa, talk about having a powerful presence. He mused inwardly. The old man looks like a pleasant grandpa, but he's got the body of a warrior, and the eyes of a man who's witnessed years of battle...and has somehow come out of it a sane man.
"DAD!" Taiyang then instinctively held his arm out as his youngest daughter suddenly latched onto him.
"Hi." Ruby said cutely, much to the amusement of her three male friends and Sojiro.
"Ah, it's so good to see you!" Ruby squealed. "I've missed you so much!"
Taiyang chuckled, rubbing his daughter's head affectionately. "I've missed you too, sweetie." He said kindly.
Taiyang then turned to Heinrich. "Hey, why don't you go back inside and let everyone know things are okay now? It looks like we've got our backup."
Heinrich instinctively scowled. "Yeah...but why couldn't they have gotten here a bit sooner?" He asked. "Kat…"
Ruby's expression turned sad briefly as Heinrich trailed off. "Oi, what the hell are you writing me off for, Heinrich?" A female voice called out from the trees.
Heinrich and Taiyang both gasped as Katherine Butters, known affectionately as 'Kat,' limped out of the trees, managing a brave face all the while. "I know I barely got out of there, but I'm not dead yet." Kat pointed out.
"K-Kat…" Heinrich's eyes widened before he ran over to help her.
"Get her inside, Heinrich." Taiyang ordered. Heinrich was already doing just that.
Taiyang turned his attention back to Ruby and company. "It looks like you came just in time after all." He noted.
"He's still kinda right though." Izuku admitted. "There are still a lot of people we couldn't save."
"It's unavoidable, Izuku." Sojiro said with a sigh. "With how things are, all we can do is save as many as we can, and find justice for those we cannot save."
"With every one that gets killed by these guys we'll hit him twice as hard." Gon promised.
Taiyang looked at the old man. "So, let me guess, you this 'Grandmaster' I've heard so much about?" He inquired.
"And you must be Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby and Yang's father." Sojiro responded. "I've heard much from you from your daughters, and Qrow as well. Although, Qrow's description was a bit less flattering. Something about 'stupid blondes that don't know how to share.'"
"Yep, that's Qrow." Taiyang folded his arms. "Though he really shouldn't complain. One of those women had been his sister."
"That...might actually be a pretty good reason to complain though." Izuku sweat-dropped.
Sojiro sighed. "I feel as though I owe you an apology." He admitted. "I've just dragged both of your daughters into a war."
"No, stop right there, don't do that to yourself." Taiyang held his hand up to silence Sojiro. "It's certainly true that I don't want to see Ruby and Yang fight in a war like this. It was bad enough when this little bundle of energy ran off to Mistral with only a letter telling me goodbye."
Ruby blushed in embarrassment at that. "But, I know my girls. Ruby's not the type to back down when she thinks she can make a difference, she's like her mother that way. And Yang's her big sister, so of course she's going to look out for her."
"And besides, it's clear that you've been teaching my girls well." Taiyang added with a proud smile. "I can't even begin to tell you how happy it makes me to see how tough Ruby's gotten. And I know Summer would say the same thing if she was here right now."
"You've clearly been getting them ready. I can't be mad at you when you've been helping them so much."
"You're quite understanding Mr. Xiao Long." Sojiro said with a bow. "You have my thanks."
"That reminds me, where is Yang?" Taiyang asked, looking for the punchy blonde brawler. "I would think she'd be with you. Same with those other two girls who make up Team RWBY."
"Oh, they're cleaning up elsewhere with Uncle Qrow and a few of our other friends." Ruby smiled knowingly.
Meanwhile, Qrow Branwen took a swig of his flask as he casually strolled past several dead Cultists. "Guess luck's shifted in our favor." He mused. "There's a first."
"What you call luck, I call skill, Uncle Qrow." Yang Xiao Long grinned. "We kicked butt here."
"I agree with Yang. And I certainly do feel a lot more confident moving forward." Weiss Schnee added while Blake Belladonna nodded in agreement. Further away, Oscar Pine, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren were wrapping up against a few of their own enemies.
"It's not just Ruby's friends. We're cleaning out this island completely." Asta added.
Another section of the island looked like a hurricane had just torn through the place. And it was not because of the Cult. Several Magic Knights wearing robes with the insignia of a particular black bull were surveying the results of their fight with a small army of Cultists. "Looks like we've got to find a new limit to push past." Was all Yami Sukehiro had to say.
The rest of the Black Bulls nodded in agreement.
"Yep," Gon smiled, "they'll have things cleaned out before you know it."
Elsewhere, Biscuit Krueger and Kurapika could not help but feel a little miffed at Killua Zoldyck. He had torn through the group they had come across with the speed and lethality of an assassin before they even had a chance to attack themselves.
"You know, Izuku, you must be pretty proud though. Prouder than any one of us." Asta pointed out knowingly.
"Huh, what makes you say that?"
"I mean, we've all grown a ton, but considering the requirements the Grandmaster had for your classmates to join up with us, you must be especially proud of how much they've grown." Asta noted with Gon and Ruby nodding in agreement.
"I guess when you look at it that way, I am pretty proud. After all, Grandmaster Sojiro did basically give them a do-or-die test. Either pass and help out in the war effort, or fail and be sent home." Izuku remembered.
Sojiro could not help but smile. The results of that test had surprised even him that day.
Meanwhile, a large group of heroes-in-training, led by two particularly skilled pro heroes, were restraining several Cultists to be dealt with later.
Izuku smirked. "Of the nineteen students of Class 1-A that took the test to join up with us…"
"...All nineteen passed!"
An hour passed, and soon, the TSF was all reunited at the home of the Xiao Long-Rose family. Well, they were all outside the house, considering the TSF numbered at over forty people. While Team RWBY got reacquainted with Zwei (with a few other girls and Koji Koda getting in on it too), who Taiyang had brought back with him, the rest of the TSF were either enjoying the wide open spaces of Patch Island, enjoying the barbecue Taiyang had prepared for them as thanks, discussing the results of the last fight, or keeping a perimeter just in case a few stragglers decided to attack.
After finishing up his barbecue duties and then entrusting it to, surprisingly enough, Katsuki Bakugou, Taiyang found himself discussing what the TSF was planning to do next with the most senior members: Sojiro, his brother-in-law Qrow Branwen, Oscar Pine (who was being possessed by Ozpin for this chat) Biscuit Krueger, Shota Aizawa, Yami Sukehiro and Endeavor.
"You really didn't have to do this much for us, Taiyang." Sojiro noted.
"Nonsense, barbecuing is a time-honored tradition for fathers." Taiyang joked before his expression turned serious. "Now let's get down to business, what exactly are you planning to do next?"
"Seriously, Tai, quit being so accepting of this craziness, it's kinda freaky." Qrow deadpanned. "You're talking to people from different worlds. I'm still not used to it yet."
"Qrow, it's been bad news after bad news since you all left for your little training trip." Taiyang said with a sigh. "There's been a lull in those Cultists attacking until today, but it looks like other bad guys have been running around and picking up the slack for them. Remnants of the White Fang, crazies who worship the Grimm, and then there are the rumors of an uprising in Mantle against Atlas."
"And it all originates from those doomsday-loving freaks." Taiyang reminded him. "So yeah, I've long accepted this 'craziness,' as you put it."
"Smart man," Aizawa nodded.
"Well, I suppose we should get right down to it and tell you what our first move will be." Sojiro noted. "This is something we discussed with General Ironwood before we came here."
Taiyang's eyes widened at what came out of Sojiro's mouth next. "We're heading into Vale. We're going to take back Beacon Academy."
Several hours earlier, the Traveling Strike Force had indeed been at Atlas to meet with James Ironwood. Attending the meeting were the aforementioned most senior members of the TSF, along with, oddly enough to the general, the four young heroes Sojiro had been personally training for the past few months.
Ozpin, who had taken over Oscar's body for this meeting, could not help but feel relieved at the sight of Ironwood now, compared to how he had seen him before. Ironwood had a scraggly beard before and visibly stressed eyes. But now the beard was shaved off, and his eyes actually looked a bit more hopeful now.
"It's good to see you all again." Ironwood said with a nod. "And as for those of you whom I have not met yet, it's a pleasure to meet you all. I am General James Ironwood, commanding officer of the Atlas Military, and Headmaster of Atlas Academy."
Endeavor, Aizawa, Yami, Biscuit, Gon, Asta and Izuku all took turns introducing themselves to Ironwood. "Now, let's get down to business." Ironwood leaned forward. "I'll bring you up to speed on what has been happening since our last meeting."
"For starters, Cult activity has gone down exponentially." Ironwood revealed, surprising Sojiro and the others. "This has made defending the kingdoms easier, thankfully."
"Why would they suddenly slow down?" Yami frowned. "They strike me as the full-speed ahead type."
"It's our gain," Biscuit cut in, "better not to stress too much about that when it's allowed us to prepare without worry."
"It does become a concern if they've been preparing some superweapon though." The ever-negative Shota Aizawa offered.
"They've had thousands of years to prepare a superweapon, Eraserhead." Endeavor pointed out. "I don't think it's something like that."
"Either way, it has helped us shore up our defenses, and we're grateful for that." Ironwood got back on track.
Sojiro hummed, wondering what could've put a stop to so much of their activity. Was it...no, it couldn't be…
"That said," Ironwood continued, "it seems that vicious organizations seem to be picking up the slack. Remnants of the White Fang, under the control of the Royal Four and Adam Taurus are attacking shipments of weapons and Dust. I had operatives in Vacuo that are reporting a group that worships the Grimm are gaining a greater foothold as well."
"I'm surprised Salem didn't contact 'em sooner." Qrow admitted.
"Salem was all about working from the shadows." Ozpin reminded Qrow. "Until the Cult of the End showed up, she knew that a direct fight would be difficult even for her forces. Now, she has a reason to reveal herself to these Grimm worshippers. She has the Cult as her backers."
Ironwood's expression contorted into one of discomfort. "Mantle is beginning to grow more rambunctious as well. I've been trying to find the leaders of Olympia to have them taken into custody before an uprising starts, but...they're hard people to find."
"Tread carefully there, James." Ozpin warned him. "If you aren't careful, you'll become the villain of all of Mantle."
"I know, I've specifically ordered my men to stand down and avoid confrontation. I have many soldiers from Mantle. I don't want to start a war with Mantle because terrorists are riling them up."
"And I take it we haven't heard anything from Theodore either?" Ozpin inquired, referring to Shade Academy's Headmaster.
Ironwood sighed. "We're in the final stages of getting the CCT back online through something called the Amity Communications Tower,, but we're still working a few bugs out. The whole system was designed to work with all four kingdoms. We had to basically rebuild the CCT from the ground up due to Vale's tower falling."
"The CCT?" Yami raised an eyebrow.
"A wireless communication system between the four kingdoms." Ozpin explained before sighing. "A system that went down after Vale's tower fell during a devastating attack on Beacon Academy."
"...Wireless?" Asta was confused now.
"The point is, we can't get any news from Theo with the tower down." Qrow sighed. "I always did hate the design to be honest. Never understood how anyone thought a system where if one went down, they all went down was a good idea."
Ironwood instinctively glared at Qrow for that statement. However, he quickly got back on track. "Unfortunately, those operatives I had sent into Vacuo were killed shortly after they gave me the news about those Grimm worshippers. They were never able to make contact with Theodore. I didn't send anyone else in due to the concerns on the homefront. We'd be shorthanded if I keep sending operatives to their deaths."
"Understandable," Ozpin nodded, "and I think we can take this as a 'no news is good news' situation. If Salem had destroyed Shade Academy, she would've found some way to spread the word."
"Besides, it's Theodore. I put my trust in him." Ozpin admitted. "He's probably the strongest of the Headmasters right now, no offense, James."
"None taken," Ironwood nodded, "I'm well aware that Theodore is very powerful. As long as he's alive, Shade will most likely be fine."
"And as long as Shade is fine, the Sword of Destruction will likely be fine as well." Qrow added.
"Mmm, and that brings me to the next important matter." Ironwood looked at Ozpin. "As of now, two of the four Relics are accounted for. There's the Lamp of Knowledge, which is in your group's possession, and the Staff of Creation, which is in Atlas' possession."
Ozpin nodded. "That leaves the Sword of Destruction in Shade, like Qrow said." Ozpin's expression turned grim. "And the Crown of Choice, which is thankfully still in Beacon's vault."
"How can you be sure?" Ruby asked.
"Well, the truth is, only I know the location of the Relic of Choice. Even Qrow and Glynda are unaware of the vault's location." Ozpin revealed.
"That's true." Qrow nodded.
Sojiro then spoke up. "Even so, I believe that the choice of our first major operation is evident, which I do believe is also on the agenda, right General?"
Ironwood nodded. "What do you propose, Grandmaster?"
"Send my team to Vale." Sojiro said in a serious tone of voice. "We'll take back Beacon Academy and secure the Relic. Even if Salem hasn't found the Relic yet, I don't doubt she's searching for it. The Relic of Choice is the only Relic that is up for grabs right now. We can't allow that to continue."
"And besides," Sojiro continued, "taking back a city and school that infamously fell to Salem's forces will make a tremendous statement. It will tell the villains who plague our worlds that hope has arrived in Remnant, and will be pushing back the darkness."
Everyone looked at Sojiro in surprise. An uncertain Qrow spoke up first. "Old man," he said, "I appreciate the thought, but can over forty people really take back an entire city? The Huntsmen of Vale have been working round the clock to retake the city and haven't succeeded."
"And now we're here to give them a hand!" Asta exclaimed. "We can do this! This is what we've been training for!"
"Asta, even if that is true, sending such a small force to secure an entire city isn't a surefire win." Biscuit shook her head.
"Maybe if we had the Atlesian Army on our side…" Endeavor offered.
"That might not be the best idea, Endeavor." Aizawa shook his head. "This kingdom is on the brink of a serious uprising right now thanks to Olympia. If their forces are weakened from helping us out, they could be putting themselves in serious danger."
"Then our focus should be on taking care of Olympia first." Endeavor decided.
"That's not going to work either." Ironwood sighed. "We haven't even found Olympia's location. I've had operatives comb every nook and cranny of Mantle, and we haven't found a thing."
"Perhaps if we investigated Mantle, our presence could draw Olympia out?" Izuku suggested. "If they're working with the Cult, then they could be under orders to attack us on sight."
"A good idea in theory, but Olympia also has the people of Mantle on their side." Ironwood sighed. "And be honest with me, young man, do you think you can bring yourself to attack civilians, even if they are trying to attack you?"
Izuku's expression darkened at this. Subduing rioting civilians had always been a gray area for him and for the hero society as a whole back in his world. "We'd play right into Salem's hands if we struck at civilians, especially Mantle's civilians." Ozpin noted. "Salem nearly destroyed Atlas' reputation by using the footage of the mechs attacking Vale citizens during the Fall of Beacon. If she manages to get the whole world on Mantle's side, our efforts to unite Remnant will fall apart."
Ironwood sighed again. "We may have no choice but to wait for Olympia to make the first move. I can prepare as best as I can for them, but we can't afford to play into Salem's hands through Olympia. And I don't doubt she and her new friends are using them that way."
"And besides, the people of Mantle may be protesting our rule, but they haven't gotten violent yet." Ironwood revealed. "While it is concerning to have the enemy hidden and on our doorstep, our defenses are keeping a very unstable peace so far."
"That means, our most pressing issue is indeed securing the Relic of Choice." Ironwood said with a sigh. "If Salem gets her hands on even one of those Relics…"
"The Relic of Choice would be a particularly dangerous one for an immortal like her." Ozpin nodded. "Even if the visions are random, visions of the future in the hands of an immortal are a dangerous combination."
"Okay, so we go to Vale, that still doesn't solve our biggest issue, the numbers problem." Biscuit reminded everyone.
"Well, we don't have to secure Beacon and Vale." Ruby offered. "All we have to do is get the Relic of Choice. That should be enough, right?"
Izuku shook his head. "No," he said, "we've got a big enough target on our back as is with the Relic of Knowledge. Think of it this way, Ruby, heroes take a huge risk with their secret identities being leaked. If we do get the Relic of Choice, we'd be leaking that information to Salem as well. We take it back to Atlas, which would make three Relics in one location. We'd paint a target on our backs, and Atlas as well."
"Vale's your home kingdom, right Ruby?" Asta asked. "Don't you want to take it back?"
"Of course I do." Ruby nodded before her face fell. "But...it's a question of whether we can pull it off or not."
Ozpin hummed at this, in deep thought of just how they could manage such a feat. "Ozpin," Sojiro spoke up, "if we were to take back Beacon Academy and Vale, how would we accomplish such a task?"
Ozpin sighed. "Well, for starters we'd have to remove the influence that continues drawing Grimm into Beacon."
"Influence?" Gon was confused.
"The Grimm Dragon atop the destroyed CCT Tower." Qrow immediately knew what Ozpin was talking about. "It was petrified by Ruby during the attack, but it's influence is still drawing Grimm there."
"Ruby petrified it?" Gon looked at Ruby in surprise.
Ruby laughed sheepishly. "Silver eyed laser beams, you know the drill." She muttered.
"Okay, so we destroy it." Asta concluded.
"It's not that simple, otherwise we'd have done it by now." Ironwood sighed. "From what I understand, there's such a concentration of Grimm in that particular area, even the most experienced Huntsmen are having trouble getting near it. And the ones who manage it cannot destroy it."
"Then it sounds like you need something with a bit more firepower." Asta offered before looking at Izuku. "This guy's Smash attacks are nothing to sneeze at."
Izuku blushed in embarrassment. "Thanks, Asta," he said, "but you're giving me too much credit here. I don't even know if my Quirk can destroy something like this."
"It's not a bad idea." Gon admitted. "If all it takes to break this thing is hitting it really, really hard, then Izuku's the guy for the job."
"Okay, for argument's sake, let's say Izuku's Smashes could break that statue, we'd still have to get him there." Biscuit noted. "Remember what General Ironwood said? There's a ton of Grimm concentrated around the area."
"Leave that to heavy hitters like me." Endeavor spoke up. "My Quirk is perfect for moments like these. And since the city is deserted, from what I understand, I can unleash my flames to the fullest."
"If we do go through with this idea, I can clear a path for Deku no problem." Endeavor's expression then turned serious as he addressed Izuku. "But listen, if that dragon is drawing Grimm in, you have to be quick. And if your attack does fail to destroy it, get the hell out of dodge."
"So Deku manages to destroy the dragon, then what?" Aizawa inquired.
"Well," Ozpin spoke up, "once that dragon's influence vanishes, the constant flow of Grimm should come to an end. That means if we can just secure a perimeter around the city, we can focus on extermination."
"Easier said than done, Ozpin." Biscuit spoke up. "This is where our numbers become an issue...as I've been trying to say."
"Our numbers only become an issue if we don't use what we have to our advantage though." Izuku pointed out before reaching into his pack and pulling out several notebooks.
"What are these, young man?" Ironwood inquired.
"Notes I've taken on my classmates...my new friends and teammates...my superiors...everyone in the TSF." Izuku revealed. "These notes can give us an idea on who best to use to secure Beacon Academy and the City of Vale."
"...You took notes on us?" Gon, Asta and Ruby could not help but feel their privacy had been violated.
"My friend, Shoto, for example," Izuku began, "he can use his Quirk to erect giant walls of ice. Shoto normally has to keep his Quirk in check because he always has to worry about catching innocents in the crossfire. But this is a different case entirely. And Shoto's been training hard the past few months."
"I have no doubt if we put him in a section of the city, he could pretty much wall off the whole area with ice. The only downside would be that we wouldn't be able to rely on him for the rest of the fight. And Shoto's definitely still the strongest one in Class 1-A."
"That's all well and good, but let's say Shoto could only do a tenth of that." Biscuit once again tried to be the realist here. "That still leaves 9/10 of the City of Vale, where there probably still are tons of Grimm pouring in from the chaos."
"We still obviously have a lot to work out, but all I'm saying is it is possible." Izuku responded with more optimism. "We just have to know how to use the people we've got, like how when heroes team up back in my world, they have to know how best to use each other's Quirks."
"Deku's actually got the right idea here." Endeavor admitted. "We may not have the numbers, but we do have people who are great in a variety of situations. It's all in how we use the allies we've got."
Ironwood rubbed his chin at this. "If you're willing to wait a day or two, I can provide you more allies to even the odds. Even if you do have the right idea, you still need numbers for a city filled with Grimm."
"James, we can't risk you leaving Atlas unguarded." Ozpin told him.
Ironwood smiled at this. "I'm not talking about my men, Oz. But, give me a few days and Atlas will be able to help you in another way."
"Remember when I was talking about the Amity Communications Tower? I said it was almost finished. We just needed to work out a few bugs." Ironwood reminded everyone present.
"Give me a few days, and my scientists can have it up and we'll be communicating with all of Remnant once more." Ironwood's smile widened. "And the inaugural message shall be a call to arms to take back Beacon Academy and the City of Vale. You'll have a volunteer army before you know it."
Taiyang fell silent, taking in everything the TSF just told him. "That's...wow." He could only say.
"So, what do you think, Dad?" Ruby had joined in during the conversation, leaving Zwei to play with the other girls.
"I mean, I do agree with Biscuit, it is a pretty reckless plan." Taiyang replied without hesitation. He then sighed. "Still, you are all absolutely right about one thing: taking back the City of Vale and Beacon Academy would absolutely send a strong message to the rest of Remnant, especially if General Ironwood really is planning to get communications back up with this Amity Communications Tower of his."
"That's why we're doing it. We need to take control of the narrative in this war." Ruby explained. "We show people that we can win, and it doesn't matter what the Cult, or Salem, or anyone else does. We're ready to fight and we can win."
"Spoken like your mom." Taiyang chuckled before his expression turned serious. "Do you honestly think you can pull it off though? I mean, from what I gathered, you do have a good plan. But the best laid plans have a bad habit of going very, very wrong."
"Very true," Sojiro nodded, "but after talking things out with General Ironwood, we all came to agree that this was for the best."
"What surprises me though, Taiyang, is how accepting you are of the existence of Salem. I know Ozpin went to great lengths to keep her a secret." Sojiro admitted.
Taiyang sighed, looking at Ozpin. "I'm not stupid, I always knew there was...something out there that was dangerous. Back when Team STRQ was a thing, Ozpin basically took us under his wing, giving us leeway we shouldn't have had, and missions we weren't ready for in an academic sense."
Ruby's eyes widened. Now that sounded familiar.
"And even after we graduated, Ozpin kept in close contact with us. Me, less than the others."
"I wanted to respect your desires to have a quiet career as a teacher, Tai." Ozpin promised.
Taiyang nodded. "Raven and I got together and had Yang and then she just up and vanished without a word. With how she was arguing with Qrow before that happened, I knew it had something to do with Ozpin, considering how highly Qrow thought of him."
Ruby could not help but gasp. Her dad, her goofy fun-loving dad, was far more perceptive than she gave him credit for. "And then Summer came into my life." Taiyang said with a sigh. "I saw her plenty of times after we graduated, but she remained the closest in contact with Ozpin, even more than Qrow did. Even after we got together, she rarely talked about her missions. She only shared the details of a few missions with Ruby and Yang, and those were minor compared to what I had seen her do as the leader of Team STRQ."
"That was a big red flag for me that there was...something out there. Something Ozpin was hiding, trying to protect Remnant from in secret. Something that involved Summer." Taiyang admitted. "She loved talking about her work, she loved talking about the missions she was on. If she was being secretive about her missions and only talking about the small-fry, there was something up."
Taiyang sighed as his eyes grew cloudy with sadness. "And then she went off on one of those 'secret missions' and never came back."
"...Taiyang…" Ozpin began.
Taiyang held his hand up, silencing Ozpin. "Don't say another word." He ordered. "I don't blame you for what happened to Summer, at all."
"Well, maybe I did at first, but then I realized she'd call me a damn fool if I did start passing the blame onto you." Taiyang admitted.
"Summer was an amazing woman who wanted to make a difference. Things may have ended tragically, but I'm proud that she lived her life doing what she loved and believed in." Taiyang revealed. "And if I have to pass the blame onto anyone, it's the crazy witch who seems to be running this dark little show in the shadows."
Taiyang then leaned forward with a serious expression on his face. "So," he said, "when do we leave for the City of Vale."
Ruby's eyes widened. "You're coming with us, Dad?"
"You sure that's a good idea, Tai? You've been out of action for awhile." Qrow pointed out.
"Hey, I've still taken the occasional mission to keep my strength up." Taiyang reminded Qrow. "Hell, I left Zwei with the girls at Beacon for that very reason one time."
Taiyang looked over at Sojiro. "Just so we're clear, this is personal." He said. "This Salem chick, she's caused my family pain from the get-go. I'm coming with you guys to strike a blow against her that she's going to feel."
Sojiro nodded in understanding. "Just as long as your goals don't hurt ours, we're happy to have you, Taiyang." He promised before turning to Biscuit. "Does that solve your concern about numbers, Biscuit?"
"No, it really doesn't. But, I'm sure having him on our side will help." Biscuit sighed.
"So what happens now, Grandmaster?" Aizawa inquired. "We just wait until the Amity Communications Tower is up and running and we wait for General Ironwood's call to arms, or something?"
"That would be the idea, yes."
"And what happens if they make a move first?" Endeavor inquired. "Villains don't wait for us to take action."
"Salem won't make a serious push for the Relic if she doesn't know it's exact location." Ozpin shook his head. "She doesn't like to waste her resources like that. When she went after the Relic of Knowledge, it was only after she had Leo and the Spring Maiden."
"And as long as you're with us, she won't know where it is." Yami nodded.
"You could always hang around here, make camp and all that." Taiyang offered. "Or, I could reach out to Signal and tell them to offer some rooms to you if you'd prefer a roof over your head."
"Both options are most appreciated, Taiyang. Considering the situation, a place with fortifications would be more preferable." Sojiro replied.
"Cool, I'll go make the call then." Taiyang got up to reenter his house and take the phone.
Hours later, the entire TSF was back at Signal Academy, fortifying the school for their temporary headquarters. Ruby Rose, however, seemed to be gazing off into the distance atop Signal's roof in the direction where Beacon was.
How long has it been since I was back there? Ruby wondered. Just over a year?
Ruby should have been finishing up her second year at Beacon at this point. She should have been laughing with Team RWBY, Team JNPR and everyone else at this point.
And instead, here she was, about to fight a war to take back her home away from home.
"So this is where you were." Ruby was cut from her thoughts by a familiar voice. She turned to see Izuku, Asta and Gon coming up to the rooftop to join her.
"You know, there are plenty of people who'd be a bit upset if they saw you slacking and not helping with the fortifications, Rubes." Asta pointed out.
Ruby laughed. "You three gonna rat me out or something?"
"Wouldn't dream of it." Gon promised with a smile.
"Yeah, you're probably nervous, right?" Izuku asked knowingly.
Ruby sighed. "Is it that obvious?"
"You do kinda wear your emotions on your sleeve." Izuku noted. "We're all the same in that regard."
"You're nervous about going back, aren't you?" Izuku asked softly. "Beacon was your school after all, your home."
That part Izuku got. He could not imagine losing UA like Ruby lost Beacon. Hell, he almost did when the Cult initially attacked.
Ruby nodded. "...I lost two good friends when Beacon Academy fell. Two good friends I couldn't save." Tears welled up in Ruby's eyes as the memories came back. Penny being brutally dismembered. Pyrrha staring down Cinder as she was shot through the heart by an arrow and then burned to ashes.
"And now, after just over a year of moving further and further away from Beacon...I'm going back to where it all began." Ruby laughed bitterly. "Yeah, I guess I am pretty nervous. After what happened to Beacon and Vale...so many people would call taking it back a hopeless situation."
"But not you, right?" Izuku smiled.
"Not me," Ruby shook her head, "but...I do see Biscuit's points. This won't be easy…"
"Maybe, but think of it this way, you won't have to do it alone." Asta pointed out.
"We're a team, Ruby." Gon reminded her. "And if a few months of training with Grandmaster Sojiro have taught me anything, it's that we can do some awesome things as long as we stick together."
"Even if Biscuit is right, we can pull it off. It's like I said during the meeting with Ironwood, we can do it if we know how to use the assets we have." Izuku promised. "We're going to take back your home, Ruby. That's a promise."
Ruby wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. That was right, she had no reason to be worried. She was a member of the Traveling Strike Force, a group of the best, bravest heroes this side of the multiverse. They were going to take Beacon back. And they were going to show Salem her days of winning were behind her.
A few days passed. The TSF spent their days quietly, training, enjoying each other's company, and keeping up with the news about Vale as best they could. The senior members of the TSF in particular were working out the details of their strike on the City of Vale and Beacon Academy.
Then, on the third day of being holed up in Signal Academy, Qrow Branwen's scroll began to ring. Qrow gazed at the number and gasped. It was a call all the way from Atlas. Communication outside of kingdoms was always less reliable, even before the CCT fell. He took the call and his eyes widened at the familiar voice on the other end. "Wherever you are, you might want to turn on a TV, Qrow. Turn to the Atlesian Military's public channel." James Ironwood told him.
They were in the mess hall right now. Naturally, there was a TV for students to watch while enjoying their meals. Qrow ran over to the TV and did just that, and the group soon saw a picture of James Ironwood standing at a podium, about to give a speech. A pre-recorded message.
"Greetings, people of Remnant," said Ironwood, "you all know me as General James Ironwood of Atlas. What you don't know is how I am broadcasting this message to all of you."
"As you all know, it has been over a year since Beacon Academy, the City of Vale, and the CCT Tower within Vale fell to the enemy. Because of that, communications between kingdoms were cut off."
"However, thanks to the fantastic efforts of Atlesian scientists, I am happy to proclaim that problem is a thing of the past. The Amity Communications Tower, the new version of the CCT, is now online." Ironwood revealed. "I am proud to say that the days of darkness and isolation are behind us."
"And for the inaugural message, I say this to all of you." Ironwood's expression turned serious. "As you all know, months ago, our world was attacked by a mysterious organization called the Cult of the End, who have allied with enemies of Remnant to destroy us all."
"People of Remnant, we now have allies who are fighting back. A group of warriors who refer to themselves as the Traveling Strike Force. An organization that is about to take on their first major operation."
"Our new allies are moving to take back the City of Vale and Beacon Academy." Ironwood revealed. "They want to send a message to our enemies. A message that proclaims their days of victory are over, and that light will be taking back Remnant."
"And so, I close this address with a call to arms. If there are any able-bodied Huntsmen who wish to take part in this historic battle, fly to the City of Vale's safezones. Meet with the Traveling Strike Force."
"And help them send that message to our enemies."
The members of the TSF looked at each other knowingly as Ironwood concluded his message. They all knew what this meant. Though the fighting had not started, the Battle of Vale had begun.
A.N: Isn't it amazing what characters can accomplish when they're not being stupid to move the plot along? Is that a jab at anyone in particular? No way, why would you think that :)
Anyway, I am proud to introduce the Traveling Strike Force (TSF). And considering it's much smaller compared to the Alliance, I kinda like this setup more. I've talked about this before, but if I could do it all again, I would absolutely make the layout just the main cast, like with the TSF here.
And yes, the entirety of Class 1-A managed to pass Sojiro's tests. Will I reveal just what those tests entailed? Nah! I think I'll keep it as a 'noodle incident' kinda deal to add a little mystery. But as you can see, a few months of training with Sojiro has paid off. Acolytes and Deacons are no longer an issue for them.
So, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, we'll be setting up the conflict in Vale next time. Merry Christmas, and if I don't post again, Happy New Year.