– Weiss Schnee –
With her eyes slowly opening, Weiss yawned quietly and scanned the unfamiliar room she was in. It took her quite a while to comprehend where she was at the moment, blinking a few times and frowning in confusion, but then her brain finally caught up to her, prompting her to sit right up as she clutched the blanket close to her chest.
Her face turned red, not getting over the fact that she made love to a legendary hero. She whipped her head to the other side of the bed, thankful that Reid was nowhere to be found. She did not want to be seen like this, it was way too embarrassing.
As the awkward feeling went away, it was replaced by both contentment and gratitude. Aside from having the best night's sleep of her life, Weiss could barely believe what happened last night. Everything happened too fast, and she initiated it in the first place.
Yes, it wasn't exactly the quality of a dignified woman like her, spreading her legs for him on their first date, but how couldn't she? After all the things he said to her, Weiss didn't want to end it so prematurely. She wanted to spend more time with him.
He didn't seem put off by it, so that reassured her at least. She was very happy that she had her first time with someone she loved. Not many people get that luxury, her mother certainly didn't. Well, kind of, her parents used to be in love before.
And she wasn't very sure about Winter. She doubted her older sister was still a virgin, but to her knowledge, she also didn't have a boyfriend. Unless she's in a secret relationship she didn't want to be disclosed to their father? That would make sense. It's not like the Atlas Military didn't allow relationships between colleagues, and the General would most likely help keep such a thing secret.
Speaking of, what would her sister think? That Weiss actually had sex with Reid Astera? Would she be mad that she gave her virginity so easily? Proud to have given it to someone of such status? Indifferent about her sex life entirely?
Well, Weiss wasn't exactly looking forward to finding out She wasn't ready to tell any of her family about this. She still needed time to come to terms with it herself. In all honesty, it still felt like a dream. To think someone so overwhelmingly powerful physically and politically could also be so gentle and loving…
The SDC heiress squealed like a child in joy as she hid behind the blanket. Is this what it felt like to be deeply in love? If that was the case, then she absolutely loved this feeling. Weiss could admit that she'd had a crush on him for a very long time, but now it had gone way beyond that. Just thinking about Reid made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She didn't even mind sharing him with Ruby anymore, as long as she got to spend time with him too.
A few minutes went by as she thought about what had happened last night before she grabbed her scroll from the table nearby, seeing a message from her lover. It told her that there was a change of clothes he bought for her in the bathroom, and to get down to the training grounds after an hour.
Ah yes, they had that test today. She should get ready, then. Freshen up and maybe have some breakfast if there was time. She was getting quite hungry, and fighting on an empty stomach wasn't wise.
Weiss closed her scroll and went to the bathroom, glancing at the outfit Reid had gotten for her. It was akin to some sort of white military outfit that somewhat reminded her of what the Atlas Military Officials wore, with tights, a white coat, and a white hat.
She was slightly confused at his choice of fashion, but wouldn't be complaining. It wasn't exactly bad, she always did like Winter's military outfit, but it was still a bizarre choice. It likely had a purpose, though. Probably.
After spending a few minutes taking a cold shower that felt heavenly, Weiss put on the clothes and went down the stairs, noticing how amazingly and oddly comfortable it felt. She expected herself to have to grow accustomed to it, but no, it felt strangely natural.
Soon after going down the stairs, Weiss flinched as she saw both Ruby and Yang in the living room watching some cartoon show. They were glued to the screen, looking very into it, making her thank her lucky stars that they didn't notice her.
The blood rushed to her face once again. Oh gods, what will they think of her once they realize what she and Reid had done? After their first date? Would they view her as some shameful whore who would let anyone have their way with her? A total harlot with no dignity?
True, Ruby knew about her and Reid, but Yang didn't, but would eventually figure it out and the blond would relentlessly tease her about this for gods know how long. Until the heat death of the universe probably. Maybe she could sneak by them? But the door to the outside is right next to the screen, they'd easily see her.
Perhaps she could go behind them and down to the training grounds below. She could simply wait for a few minutes there, ignoring her hunger for a little while. Then she could come back up and nobody would notice anything weird. She'd given them the image that she was an early bird after all.
Yes, that sounded smart. She just had to–
"Oh! Morning, Weiss." Ruby suddenly said, making the Heiress flinch. "Wow, what's with these clothes? You look so cool!"
Damn it, busted.
Wait, that's fine, they didn't notice her coming down the stairs. She could still get away with it if she played her cards right.
"You think so?" Weiss crossed her arms shyly, enjoying the praise from the younger girl.
"Yeah! I like the hat."
"I see. That's very kind of you to say, Ruby." The SDC Heiress responded, slowly calming herself. "I think you look very cute too. The colors of your outfit suit you."
And she meant it. For whatever reason, Weiss didn't feel as jealous when looking at Ruby anymore. Yes, perhaps a twinge of envy since she was probably still closer to Reid than her, but she just couldn't bring herself to hate someone like Ruby.
If anything, Weiss felt like she should strive to be a role model for her. Sure, Yang was there as her older sister, but perhaps she could learn to be more graceful than the brutish blond. That would be a start.
"Thanks!" Ruby beamed, grabbing the hems of her sailor uniform's skirt. "Reid gave it to me a while back."
"That makes the two of us."
Weiss caught the blond staring from the corner of her eye, prompting her to glance back after a blink.
"Morning. Very unlike you to wake up at this hour." Yang followed up with a knowing smirk, pausing the cartoon they were watching. "What, was Reid too rough on you last night?"
"What? That's nonsense. I'll have you know he was very gentle with–"
Weiss' words got caught in her throat as she realized what she said, face burning in embarrassment as Yang's smug smirk widened even more. The heiress looked Yang right in the eyes, pointing at her with a shaky hand.
"What- You-" She stammered. "How did you know?! W-who told you?!"
"Chillax, Weiss-cream." Yang rolled her eyes. "I knew this was going to happen the moment I heard you had a date with him."
"B-but you– I-I can explain!"
"It's alright, Weiss." Ruby patted her on the head, smiling and blushing slightly. "I um, also had sex with him on our first date. It happens."
"What?!"
"Oh please, get on my level." Yang grinned. "We did it before a date."
Weiss froze, taking a few seconds to process what the hell she just heard. Yang… she was his lover too?! She thought it was only Ruby, but it was both sisters all along?! How did she not…
…it all made sense now. She didn't give it much thought since she thought it was just Yang's flirtatious nature, but the looks she gave Reid and the ones she received from him were all telling. Of course, they were also having sex behind her team's back– it happened months ago, and Weiss had been none the wiser. That's why Ruby was ultimately alright with sharing because her sister was already in on it.
He's actually building a harem. Weiss realized. It was technically his responsibility, but she didn't expect him to take it very seriously. It's not exactly easy to make one much less prevent it from being broken apart. She expected Reid to at least take a few years.
What if there were more?
"It's not a competition, Yang."
"I'm just saiyan." She winked at her younger sister. "Eh? Get it?"
"That's not funny."
"W-wait, you're saying you three were in a relationship the whole time?!" Weiss cut them off, looking directly at Yang. "Why didn't you tell me?!"
"Eh, well, honestly I thought you'd be discouraged if I did." Yang shrugged. "I wanted you to give it a shot before I told you anything. It's not fair if I took away your chance immediately."
This response bewildered the heiress.
"But why?"
"Cuz you looked really happy with him, I guess." The blond answered. "That's enough reason for me to not ruin it for you."
Weiss' heart skipped a beat at the honesty in Yang's words.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Yang put an arm around her shoulder. "You may be a little stuck-up sometimes, but you're still my friend."
Weiss ignored that little quip in favor of feeling very good about herself for finding a great friend like Yang. She was over the moon seeing Reid's words being proven to be correct– that the blond and everyone else genuinely liked her as a person.
But she still had to know one thing.
"Thanks, Yang. It's very thoughtful of you." She replied honestly. "But I have to wonder. Is there… anyone else that is also in a relationship with Reid."
"Velvet," Ruby answered.
"...V-Velvet?" Weiss blinked, not sure if it was the same one she knew. "You mean Scarlatina? The Faunus?"
"Yup. That Velvet." Yang confirmed with a nod. "We don't see her often, but that's because she works at Reid's company. She's not the training type."
"That… makes sense, I suppose." Weiss frowned slightly. "I didn't expect it to be her of all people."
She'd never even seen the two interact before. If she did, it was probably too insignificant to remember. Since when was that the case, though? Was it recent, or around the time he started dating Ruby and/or Yang?
Weiss had to admit, she was slightly annoyed that she wasn't even his second lover, but at the very least, he meant what he said to her that night. The fact that she had his love was enough to make her feel content.
"You should start getting used to it," Yang said vaguely. "Anyway, there's some food on the counter there. Reid wants to talk to you about something pre~tty important. Velvet is actually downstairs with him."
"Of course." Weiss nodded. "What about Blake and Levianna?"
"They're in Beacon," The blond answered. "They'll be here soon, though. The test starts in half an hour, so there's time."
But Reid said he wanted to see her very soon. Is it something unrelated to the test? Possibly. She didn't know what he could want from her at the moment, but maybe it was about the new Dust elements he'd been working on.
Maybe he wanted her thoughts on the subject too since he wanted to involve her in it last time she checked. If that was the case, then Weiss would be sure to give him all the knowledge she had about Dust and would help him to the utmost of her ability.
It's not like she was only doing this for him. She had found Dust very fascinating from a young age and was lucky to have been born into the Schnee family.
To think mixing Dust was actually possible…
– Velvet Scarlatina –
There were many things Velvet expected Reid to tell her when he told her to come down to his training grounds that day. She wasn't sure of any of them obviously, but she had some ideas regarding his vagueness.
She wasn't one bit expecting him to tell her about the existence of magic, though.
Mostly she thought he'd offer her a place to train with them, which she would've declined. Yes, getting the offer to learn from the strongest man in history was a one-in-a-million thing, but Velvet wouldn't have even become a huntress if not for her debt. It wasn't exactly something she wanted to do in the first place. Honestly, it was either becoming a huntress or prostitution, and the former paid way more.
Plus the fact that she'd learn how to defend herself if someone came to collect 'early', or if she failed to pay back the amount she owed. But now there was no need, not when the debt is already paid. She didn't like fighting and never would.
So she was ready to say no to the offer, but she'd try to convince him to take her team instead. That way, he can get three students instead of one, and her team would perhaps forgive her when she told them that she was planning to quit.
Velvet went down to the training grounds, firstly not expecting Weiss there as well, who was apparently there for the same reason, but she didn't mind that much. Weiss was… well, she was alright. She seemed good-natured enough, if a little dense when it came to certain social cues, but she was fine. Clearly, not all Schnees were horrible.
So after a few minutes of chatter with the SDC Heiress, Reid finally arrived and casually told the two that they now have magic because they slept with him. Velvet had to process it for a few minutes, with Weiss recovering first.
"T-that's insane." She said. "Magic exists? And Dust was made of magic all this time?"
"I know it's hard to believe, but that's how I was able to mix those Dust crystals." Reid clarified. "I had a fundamental understanding of how the energy worked, unlike most scientists these days."
"How do we know this for sure?" Velvet questioned, not quite believing him just yet. "I-I'm sorry, but this is still hard to believe for me. Do you have actual proof?"
Reid grinned and snapped his fingers as three different elements appeared out of nowhere. An intense fireball, a big bubble of water, and a hard rock all floated above his head. Velvet flinched, eyes widening in shock. There was no sign of any Dust on him– he only wore a white tank top and jeans.
"Y-you're telling the truth…" Weiss whispered. "So all this time, your Semblance wasn't pyromancy?"
"Nope. My Semblance is actually kinda similar to Yang's, but it's all about steam." He answered. "Hell, if you want more proof that you have magic…"
He turned around, looking at the two sisters who were sparring in the distance.
"Ruby, mind coming over here for a second!"
Ruby and Yang stopped as the former rushed to them in the blink of an eye with her Semblance, looking at Reid eagerly as rose petals fell everywhere.
"What's up?"
"Care to demonstrate?" He said. "I need some hard proof that magic exists."
"Sure."
Ruby raised her hand, and suddenly, a sword of light emerged. With that, neither girl had any room to argue. Both knew what Ruby's Semblance was – she just used it in front of them – and she could tell that it was quite different in color and composition from a hard-light construct.
Magic did exist, and apparently, they had it as well.
"What's this, a new spell?" Reid asked, looking a little surprised himself. "Didn't know you were good enough for that yet. Looks very well made too. Good job."
Ruby puffed her chest in pride as Reid ruffled her hair.
"Heh, now I have a backup weapon in case I lose my baby girl in a fight." She said.
"Guessing your next goal would be to make a light scythe?" He asked.
"Yup!"
"Amazing..." Velvet muttered, slowly getting her bearings. "B-but I don't understand, why are you telling us this?"
"Because you deserve to know." He answered like it was the most obvious thing ever. "I would've told you a lot earlier, but I didn't know how to break it out to you, you see. I was also kind of waiting for you to accidentally tap into it at some point, but that never happened."
"How can we do that?" Weiss asked. "Tap into it I mean."
"Depends on what kind of element you have," Reid replied, patting Ruby's head. "Ruby here can use Light Magic, which is very advanced. Yang uses fire, which comes naturally to her. I, however, can use multiple elements because I'm awesome."
"Says the Kaiju…" Ruby said under her breath.
"Shush." Reid lightly flicked her forehead.
"So what can we do?" Velvet questioned, ignoring their incomprehensible banter and feeling intrigued.
"That's what we're going to figure out now." He said. "For Weiss, I have an idea."
"Ice Magic," Yang interjected, approaching the group. "I'm betting all my life savings that Ice Queen has Ice Magic."
"S-shut up!" Weiss' face flushed, amusing everyone. "You don't know that!"
"Close your eyes and try imagining the coldest place possible." Reid cut them off. "Use those thoughts and pull them into reality."
"I–" Weiss held her tongue, cleared her throat, and nodded. "Fine."
All was quiet as they waited for Weiss to do what she was told. The heiress took a deep breath and extended her arms out, shutting her eyes. After a moment of silence, Weiss suddenly gasped in surprise but quickly refocused, and a tiny shard of ice formed in her hands.
Even Velvet was shocked at this– This was absolute proof that magic existed. There was the tiny possibility that Ruby and Yang were also in on this 'lie' so there was some doubt in her mind, but with Weiss seemingly not knowing about it too, yet still able to draw it out?
There was no way she could deny it now.
"I-I did it," Weiss said.
"Hahaha! I knew it was Ice Magic!" Yang laughed, elbowing Weiss. "You owe me!"
The heiress didn't even give the blond a glance as her eyes sparkled in childish wonder at the power in her hands.
"Look, Reid!" She glanced up at the Titan Slayer, showing him the cold crystal. "I did it! I can do magic too!"
Admittedly, Velvet was excited too. If Weiss could do it, that means it was possible for her too, right?
"What about me? What can I do?" Velvet asked, equally eager to try this out for herself.
"As I said, we're gonna have to figure it out," Reid said. "We're just lucky that Weiss got it first try. We don't know what you can do at the moment."
"Ah…" Velvet's smile faltered for a moment, feeling slightly disappointed but still understanding. "I guess that makes sense. Think we can do it soon?"
"Sure. I was hoping to do that now, but Weiss slept in and I'm running a test soon. Just go back and take care of the business, and I will call you back when I am done here." He gave her a thumbs-up before glancing at Weiss. "Speaking of the business; Weiss, I know it's too much to ask, but do you think you can help us handle its expansion?"
"Pardon?" She blinked in confusion.
"We're pretty short-staffed on higher-ups, and I told Oz that I'll be hiring myself. I didn't want him to give me people who turn out to be very untrustworthy." Reid said. "So I thought I'd ask you once I had a chance. You'd probably be the best of us in this kind of thing, so I could really use your help."
Ah, getting help from someone with significant experience in the field? Smart. He was right when he said that Weiss would be the most suitable since she likely studied a lot of economics and business, and likely did her own deals as well. She didn't know if Weiss would agree to it, though.
"It would be my pleasure!" Weiss agreed instantly with an eager smile.
Nevermind.
"Nice. Thanks!"
"Of course. I'd be honored to help you build your company, but on one condition."
"Yeah?"
"I want you to teach me about magic." She demanded playfully, extending her arm to him. "Not just how to use it, but everything else. Where it originated from, its purest fundamentals, and what can be done with it."
To their surprise, Reid's eyes suddenly sparked with enthusiasm, smile widening even more.
"You got a deal." He nodded, shaking her hand.
Just then, the loud 'ding' of the elevator pulled their attention to Blake and Levianna who walked to the training grounds. Blake paused as she saw her fellow Faunus, looking a little stunned to see her there, but Velvet merely smiled in return.
"Velvet?" She muttered before quickly glancing at Weiss with a raised brow. "What's with the get-up?"
"I–"
"She got promoted." Yang cut her off. "From student to girlfriend."
"Don't tell her that!" Weiss blushed deeply.
Blake smirked, but Velvet caught the twinge of annoyance that passed her face, and immediately realized what it meant. No way, her too?! Velvet glanced at Reid, who looked back at her and winked knowingly. Just how many was he planning to get into his bed?!
He was insatiable. That or greedy if some of his business tactics were any indication.
Probably both.
"I'll be leaving now, sir." Velvet told him. "Give me a heads-up when you're done here if you can."
"You got it." He nodded.
"Good luck, girls." She smiled at the group of students who all said their farewells.
Once the doors of the elevator closed, Velvet gazed at her hand. She took some time to think about her newfound power and one idea got stuck in her head. Could she… maybe use her Semblance for it too? Reid did say he has more than one element, so maybe it is possible.
She wondered what Coco would think of this. Or the implications of it anyhow. She didn't think that her team leader will be very happy to know that Velvet was getting creampied by her boss nearly every day and loving every single second of it.
…Yeah, she should probably never find out about this.
– Reid Astera –
I did always think that Weiss likely had the greatest potential next to Ruby considering that her grandfather was one of the most powerful Hunters, but I'd still underestimated what she was capable of.
Her situation regarding magic feels like a mixture of the sisters. Her mana pool is nearly as big as Ruby's, and she's able to instantly make a spell like Yang. Seeing just how easily she caught up to the rest Aura-wise, plus her broken Semblance to consider, well…
Simply put, Weiss has the most potential out of anyone. The fact that's suited to be a leader is simply icing on the cake. Given enough time, I can see her leading armies with ease. With a tactical mind like hers, it feels like she was born to be a general.
Seeing her lead her current team plus Ruby against my most powerful golem makes me confident of that.
The girls, unlike last time, are doing very well against Indra. They're calm, they resist many of his blows and have even pushed him back a few times. Ruby, Yang, and Weiss' Alpha Beowolves are on the offensive, supported closely by Blake and Levianna, with Weiss occasionally rushing forward to blindside him via point-blank Dust explosions.
He's still holding back of course, and I forbade Ruby from activating Senketsu's battle mode, but even still, they're doing very well, much better than I anticipated. They've grown a lot.
So much so that I kinda want to prevent them from entering the Vytal Tournament. They'd stomp everyone there, and that wouldn't be very fun I think. But at the same time, I don't want to take that opportunity away from them. It happens once every four years, so this is the only time they can enter.
To think the Teaching Profession is that busted. I should start focusing on Gwyn and his magic soon.
With Yang and Ruby being the primary offense pair, Indra is being kept on his toes, barely blocking and evading the sisters' strikes. His large size is already making it tough for him to dodge, especially with how tiny they are in comparison, but he's still holding his own pretty well.
The golem twirls his spear around, deflecting Ruby's swing, who uses her Semblance to avoid a counterattack and circle around him to strike his back. The sisters got him from both sides, with Yang throwing a flurry of punches and kicks. Indra quickly lets out an electric discharge that pushes both girls away before focusing on the younger of the two.
As Indra thrusts his spear toward Ruby, Levianna rushes forward, using her Semblance to dash and kick the Golem's weapon out of his hands, before dashing back to her original position.
Yang quickly creates a perfect opportunity to deal a great amount of damage by kicking the back of his knee, making him kneel backward. Blake charges forward, using his chest to flip and kick him in the face, leaving a clone charged with fire Dust that explodes in his face.
Distracted by that, Ruby uses the moment to land a powerful blow, using the momentum of her sniper shot alongside her Semblance to kick him directly in the face, actually sending him flying several meters away. Indra quickly recovers mid-flight, landing on his feet.
"Well done, girls," I say, stopping the fight. "That's test one you all passed with flying colors. I knew you had it in you, but wow, even I'm surprised."
They all seem happy with that, and they should be. They've been fighting for what, ten minutes? So on top of their great performance, they all have amazing stamina. They're only slightly tired, with the sisters being a bit better off. They did start with this training first.
Also a lot of sex.
"Whoa there, don't put down your weapons just yet," I smirk, making them stop in their place. "Test two is about to start now. Indra!"
My Golem, who is on the other side of the arena, turns to look at me.
"Stop holding back."
Don't kill them, though. Or cripple them.
His eyes glow brightly at that command before he looks back at the girls. Electricity begins to spark around his armored body, his fists clenching as he crouches. As lightning suddenly strikes him, Indra rushes forward faster than any of them can predict, punching Ruby directly in the face.
Ruby is sent flying to the other side of the arena, smashing into the wall. The hit was strong enough to damage her regardless of her Aura as blood pours down her nose. She is still conscious, however, growling as she grips Crescent Rose tightly.
Yang is the first to react, throwing a punch, but the lightning around Indra electrocutes her as she gets close, pushing her away. He rushes toward Blake, who is barely able to evade via a clone, but he wasn't planning to attack her.
Instead, he grabs the spear that was on the ground, twirling it around before getting into a new stance. Ruby charges at him from behind, but he easily anticipates it, dodging the blade of her scythe before swinging at her.
The blow goes wide as a big Beringel from Weiss, tackles the golem, but he easily kills it, the summon not even buying them a second to regroup as Indra charges at the girls, the booming sound of lightning making Blake flinch.
He aims at Weiss, thrusting his spear at her, but Yang gets in front of her and barely deflects the attack, her gauntlet cracking from the force of the blow. Indra spins his spear and hits Yang on the head with it, shattering the ground underneath them alongside her Aura with that attack, and as he prepares another blow while she is stunned, Weiss creates a wall of ice with Dust between them, which does nothing as he easily breaks through it, landing a hit on Weiss that breaks her Aura as well.
Levi dashes in and grabs the two girls away from harm, the ice wall doing nothing to stop the powerful Golem, who quickly chases after them, not giving them a moment to breathe. Levi is doing her best to avoid his swings, dashing all over the place with her Semblance. A check with Observe tells me that she's losing a lot of Aura with her spamming it, but she's holding it fairly well.
Ruby is able to catch up just as the green-haired girl is out of Aura, swinging at Indra with all her might. The Golem blocks the attack, swinging back in a wide arc. Ruby barely manages to flip over the attack, aiming her sniper point-blank at his face.
Right before she attacks, Blake jumps over her shoulder, landing an axe kick right on his head, which seemingly stuns him for a moment. The Faunus aims her gun at him, and the two girls shoot at the same time.
To their shock, Indra dodges the bullets with his massive speed, countering with a very heavy lightning-fueled kick and punch that breaks their Aura with ease. Ruby and Blake cry out in pain as they're sent sprawling over the ground, making me frown in distaste. I really hate seeing this. Maybe I've gone a little too far…
In a surprising turn of events, though, a pillar of flames suddenly erupts as Yang, blood dripping down from her forehead, lands a punch so powerful, the shockwave alone nearly breaks the entire arena apart.
As if that's not enough, all the girls stand up on their feet, continuing the battle even with broken Aura. Yang and Ruby begin using their magic, unleashing huge fireballs and powerful beams of light on the Golem. Even Weiss, who is still just a beginner, somehow managed to create crude weapons of ice that she threw at Indra.
Blake and Levianna see the whole thing going on with shocked looks but quickly snap out of it as they return to the fray, refocusing on support. With the addition of magic, the girls are able to overwhelm Indra for a bit, but he's still much faster than them.
But even still, they keep at it under Weiss' commands. She's a bit rattled at her Aura breaking into such a serious fight, but she's still able to keep her cool. Yang seems to focus more on defense, even though her weapon is reaching its breaking point, and Ruby is as relentless as ever.
As crazy as this is, Indra seems to be struggling more now than before.
I knew they wouldn't have won this fight, but for a single moment there, I thought they'd surprise me. I didn't expect them to fight tooth and nail for this victory– they're already at their limits, and they shouldn't be able to stand anymore.
I'm honestly at a loss for words. They've utterly annihilated my expectations.
"That's enough." I say, making everyone freeze.
"We can still fight!" Yang says, looking annoyed and desperate. "Just let us–"
"You pass." I cut her off. "All of you do. The test was never about winning this fight."
"I…" Yang blinks, staying still for a moment before falling to her knees. "Oh my god, it's finally over."
"Yay~" Ruby celebrates before also flopping down on her face.
Like dominos, all of the girls fall over, barely conscious but happy with the results.
"I thought I was gonna die." Levianna whines, on the verge of tears as she's comforted by Blake.
"It'll be okay now." Blake soothes her teammate, patting her head. "We did it."
"We still have one test left," Weiss says, wiping the blood off her cheek. "Don't rest just yet."
"You're probably going to clear that, too." I shrug, approaching the girls and throwing them a few recovery potions. "If your performance in this test was anything to go by anyway. You girls did incredibly. I'm beyond proud."
That was enough to get them all smiling as they drink their potions, their wounds disappearing instantly.
"I'll give you a few minutes to cool down," I say. "I'll go check up on Indra. Probably gonna have to repair him."
With this said, I leave the girls on their own to discuss and talk about the tests. I approach Indra, patting his shoulder as he kneels in front of me.
"You did well, too, buddy." I praise him. "I'll fix you after everyone's gone him. Just wait for me in my hidden base, alright? Make sure nobody is following you."
Indra nods and stands up, leaving the training grounds. I notice a lot of his armor was cut or bent, proving that they did a lot of damage. HP-wise, he's only at 23k. Way too low, almost destroyed him too. Seems magic is a lot more effective on him than physical attacks since that's when he struggled against them.
Speaking of, not looking forward to explaining that to Blake and Levianna.
I should try upgrading him when I get the chance or make another Golem that covers his weaknesses. But I'll think about that later. For now, let's hope the girls have what it takes to finish the last test.
Let's be honest though, they'll probably pass that too.
– Blake Belladonna –
The time she spent training under Reid gave her the idea that, yes, the test will be very difficult for them. It's obvious– if his exaggerations were the truth, then they're already more powerful than most hunters. Two levels beyond S-ranks as he put it before. And she'd be inclined to believe him. He's strict, and wouldn't lie to feed their ego.
She didn't expect herself to be pitted against that Golem again, or nearly lose her life. Yes, she knew Reid would stop the fight before anything that severe happened, but it still felt that way to her and the rest. Blake's arm was almost broken when the Golem shattered her Aura.
Blake knew of Indra's capabilities since the first time they got their asses handed to them, but to actually be able to get him on the defensive was amazing. She didn't have a personal vendetta against him, but this rematch showed her just how much they'd grown since then.
Seeing the progress they made right in front of her felt good. Being this powerful felt good.
However, another thing caught her eye when the battle reached its end, and it was when Yang unleashed that flame power. She noticed it before of course, but at the time, she chalked it off as an extension of her Semblance, even though Yang said the fires were just for looks.
Sure, she was a little suspicious but thought nothing of it ultimately. It was when Ruby and Weiss did the same, the former using some kind of light power and the latter forming ice out of nothing, not even Dust.
That's when she realized that, yes, there was something off. They had some powers she'd never heard of before, and while Blake would rather not pry into other people's personal lives, she needed to know this.
So when she asked on their break, the three girls all looked positively nervous, with Weiss blushing profusely, almost passing out from how much blood rushed to her face. Yang looked a little guilty, though, which made Blake feel a little uncomfortable. Was it something big that they were hiding?
"W-well…" Ruby started. "How do I say this…"
"You can tell them if you want," Reid said from the other side of the training grounds, and Blake wasn't sure what he was doing crouching there. "They've already seen it. Better not drag this out any longer."
"Ah, okay, good." Yang sighed in relief. "I thought you'd be mad that we used it."
"Eh, maybe a bit annoyed, but it's fine." He replied. "I trust them to know about it too."
Blake felt strangely moved by this, but her confusion overshadowed that as she looked at Ruby for an answer.
"It's magic," Ruby answered after a moment. "I know it sounds insane, but magic exists, and Reid gave it to us."
"Magic?" Levianna parroted. "L-like, actual magic? Fire, water, earth, wind– that kind of magic?"
"Gross oversimplification, but yes," Reid confirmed. "No Semblance, no Aura– completely different thing."
"And you had it since when?" Blake questioned, slightly surprised at herself for immediately believing them.
"Ruby and I had it before you girls joined the training," Yang said, smirking at Weiss. "Weiss only got it last night."
"And how do you get it?" Levianna asked. "You said Mr. Astera gave it to you? How?"
"Dunno, ask Weiss." Yang shrugged, smirk widening.
"Wha- Yang!" The heiress cried out, face turning even redder. "Don't make me say it!"
"Girls, you can talk about this later." Reid quipped, saving Weiss from having to explain it. "Your final test begins now."
Blake squinted her eyes in suspicion, but let it go for now. The group all stood up, dusting their clothes as they gazed at Reid, who stood behind a line of chalk. The Faunus blinked in confusion, not figuring out what they need to do, but waited for his clarification.
"Your final test is as simple as it could get." He said. "I want you to cross this line."
"...That's it?" Weiss uttered after a moment, frowning in confusion.
"What's the catch?" Yang asked, crossing her arms.
"No catch," Reid smirked, obviously lying. "Just cross it and you pass."
There's definitely a catch here. Blake knew he was hiding something that'd make the test the hardest one so far, somehow harder than fighting Indra. They needed to be cautious if they wanted to pass.
Ruby was the first to take a step, and as soon as she did, a sudden weight crashed down on them all, nearly bringing them to their knees. Blake's pupils shrunk as she forgot how to breathe, not moving an inch as the terrifying pressure of the Titan Slayer froze her in fear.
She didn't know why every single cell of her body begged her to just run away, but she was this close to listening to them, yet her feet didn't respond to her. Blake was the most experienced out of the group, and she easily recognized the survival instincts overwhelming all her other senses.
Yes. It felt like she was looking death directly in the face, to which it responded with its cold glare that promised hell.
Reid didn't do anything special– he didn't exactly prepare some magic spell nor did he draw his blade. He wasn't even in his battle stance. He simply glared at them as the weight of his presence gripped their hearts tightly.
Everyone else was just as affected as Blake, with Levi unconsciously taking a step back. The girls were all frozen in place, some visibly trembling in terror. They didn't know how, but Reid was able to weaponize his presence, which she could understand. This was the real test.
Blake wasn't sure how long they stood there unmoving, but eventually, Ruby took the second step, still looking scared out of her mind, but pushing herself to walk, giving the rest some semblance of courage to do the same.
Yang quickly followed suit, then Weiss and Blake, with Levianna not wanting to be left behind. A few steps later, Reid grinned viciously, and the pressure got even heavier, and it did so with every step they took since.
Eventually, it got so heavy that they just couldn't move anymore. Yang even fell to her knees with a gasp, barely clinging to her consciousness. Seemingly hitting their limits, Reid scoffed mockingly, his attitude doing a complete 180.
"Giving up already?" He said. "Is this what all the training amounted to? Just how little do you girls want to be huntresses?"
Blake bit her lips in frustration, regardless of how hard her heart was pounding.
"If you don't pass this test–" The pressure felt heavier once more. "How will you ever achieve anything? How are you going to survive real battles? I won't always be there to hold your hands."
Yang grunted and stood back up, stepping forward once more.
"You'll one day face enemies that not even the might of entire armies can bring down. Monsters far beyond anything you can imagine." He continued. "I refuse to let you girls face these horrors unprepared, even if it means shattering your dreams. If you fail this test now, I won't let you hold a weapon ever again."
"That's not for you to decide," Ruby growled fearlessly, actually quickening her pace. "We'll be huntresses with or without your consent."
"We didn't come this far to fail now." Yang added, leading the charge alongside her sister.
"Then pass, or do you lack the spirit to be one?" He taunted. "You can't be a huntress if you can't cross this little line."
Feeling inspired by Ruby and Yang, Blake followed right behind them, and so did Weiss and Levi. The girls all ignored the increasingly heavier pressure that was now strong enough to crack the ground under Reid. Slowly but surely, they made their way to the finish line, and eventually, one of them finally crossed it.
Ruby was the first, followed closely by her older sister. As soon as they crossed it, both gasped loudly, seemingly not feeling the pressure anymore. Blake and Weiss were fourth and fifth respectively, the former panting as she almost forgot how easy it was to actually breathe. Behind that line, it had felt like the hardest thing she ever did.
This was no contest of course, but Blake felt bad that Levianna was left behind as the last one remaining. She struggled the most out of everyone, still not even crossing half the distance yet, and was on the verge of passing out.
Weiss looked the most worried, scared for her partner until Levi suddenly used her Semblance to dash forward, passing the line, but tripping and falling face-first on the cold ground. Everyone else blinked, looking at the girl in surprise before Reid sighed deeply.
"Christ, finally." He said. "I was waiting for someone to do that."
"That's allowed?!" Ruby looked at him in shock.
"Yes." He responded. "Magic, weapons, Semblance– anything that could've helped you cross this would've been fine."
"Why didn't you say that from the beginning, then?!" Yang and Weiss asked at the same time.
"I didn't say it wasn't allowed." He shrugged with a shit-eating grin. "Should've thought about it first, yeah? Turns out the klutz was the smartest one of the bunch."
"Th-thank you…" Levi said, not bothering to move from her position. "I wanna go home…"
"Think outside the box next time. It helps you stay alive. I would know." He continued. "Congrats, though. You passed even with the handicap you gave yourself, so I'd say that's pretty impressive. Great job, you're all ready for the next stage of training."
Blake fell on her butt once she heard that, breathing a sigh of relief. She was sure the three tests didn't pass the two hours mark even combined, but by the gods, it felt like they were doing this the entire day.
Even with how mentally and physically tired she was, Blake felt like she was on top of the world. To have gotten approval from the strongest man on Remnant, plus passing a test this difficult… She didn't know what to say.
Just a few months ago, she slept with one eye open, fearing when the White Fang would come to punish her for leaving them in the middle of a mission. She'd get nightmares of Adam killing her every night, and recently her team as well.
But now? Now she felt like she could take on the entire organization and emerge the victor, especially with her new wonderful friends. Sure, she might not feel that when the moment came, but she knew she was on the right track.
She wasn't afraid of them anymore.
"I'd say we go out and celebrate together." He continued. "I have reservations for a pretty upscale all-you-can-eat for all of us tonight."
"When did you have the time to make one?" Yang raised a brow.
"Yesterday." He answered. "I had faith you girls would pass the test."
"Awww." Yang cooed, looking a little moved by the gesture. "That's so sweet of you~"
"But before that–" Reid glanced at Blake. "Blake has something really important to tell you."
Blake flinched as she understood what he meant, looking nervous as the girls all looked at her.
"I-I um…" She stammered, standing up back on her feet. "It's…"
"This is your best chance," Reid whispered, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Nothing could ruin the high of passing."
Blake opened her mouth to respond but said nothing as her mind raced. She knew he meant well, but hated that he put her in the spot like this. What if they don't take it well? What if what she says hurts them too much?
"Blake?" Weiss raised a brow. "What's wrong?"
"Yeah, you look pale," Yang added before making a random guess. "Was it you who stole Weiss' yogurt that one time?"
Weiss' confused look turned into a glare. "Was it?"
"We never figured out who did it, did we?" Levianna asked Yang, who shrugged.
"I'm pretty sure it's Nora."
"It'll be fine, Blake," Reid said, ignoring their banter and giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Trust me."
Blake looked at the silly argument in front of her and took a deep breath before slowly loosening the bow on her head, revealing a set of cat ears to her teammates. All of them were dead quiet once they noticed, and the silence easily got to her.
Until Weiss finally broke it.
"You're a Faunus?"
"I-I'm sorry for lying this whole time." She responded quietly. "I just wasn't sure what to do."
"I- well, I'd certainly feel better if you had told us that before." Weiss scoffed. "Why did you hide the fact in the first place?"
"Maybe she thought you were racist," Yang said bluntly. "No offense, but Schnees aren't known for being Faunus lovers."
"Wha- Is that why?!" Weiss looked aghast. "Were you judging me for that only?!"
"It was surface level, Weiss. And she was wrong." Reid said, patting Blake's head, making her face feel warm. "I talked to her once about this, and she said loved her team more than anything."
"Don't tell them that!"
"S-she did?" Weiss blinked, looking weirdly delighted. "Well, I suppose as her team, we're supposed to accept her no matter what."
"You're not mad?" The Faunus asked in surprise.
"Why would we be?" Levianna replied.
"I lied to you."
"Technically you never said you were a human," Yang argued. "So not really. Honestly, it's kinda our fault too we never noticed even with that flimsy little bow you put on your head."
"Completely fair." Reid nodded. "I'm shocked myself. We should work on your awareness next."
"So you don't hate me for this?"
"Damn girl, hate you? Why do you assume the worst?" Yang raised her brow, putting an arm around the Faunus. "We're friends, aren't we? I mean, Weiss is probably a little sore about it, but let's be honest, when isn't she?"
Weiss glared at the blond, who pointed at her.
"See?"
Blake couldn't help but giggle at Weiss' expense.
"C'mon now, let's go take a shower." She said as Weiss and Levi followed after them. "Also, can I touch your ears-"
"Don't."
"Aww but we're partners!" She whined. "Please?"
"No."
As they were on their way to the showers, Blake felt a huge weight lifting off her shoulders. She glanced at Reid with a smile of gratitude, and he responded with a wink, making her blush slightly, before being dragged to the elevator by Yang.
She might've not told them the full story, yes, but she was getting there. This had given her enough courage, and one day, she would tell them everything. If this was their response now, then she had hoped they'd understand her, even Weiss, who seems to have mellowed out.
She should thank Reid for this push. Without him, she wouldn't have even thought about it.
This day couldn't get any better.
– Reid Astera –
"You've been quiet this whole time," I say. "What's up?"
"So Blake." Ruby looks at me with a knowing look.
"What? I'm just trying to help my student."
Her pout doesn't move as she easily looks through my intentions.
"Okay, for the record, I do want to help her."
"I know, I'm just messing with you." She grins cheekily. "I mean, cat's out of the bag. They know about magic now, sooo…"
"Yeah, I wonder whose fault was that."
"Not mine, Yang did it first." She says quickly. "I didn't do anything wrong."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." I sigh. "It's not much of a problem, but do be careful next time, alright? This wouldn't have been pretty if it was someone like Ozpin who saw it."
"...I don't understand, why are you hiding this from him?" Ruby asks. "He already knows about magic, right? Why not tell him that we have it too?"
"I have my reasons, Ruby. He's better off not knowing anything about this. Not yet anyway." I answer.
"Why?" Ruby frowns slightly. "Why aren't you telling me?"
"...You're not ready."
"What do you mean I'm not ready? Didn't you say I'm strong enough to go Titan hunting with you?" Her frown deepens.
"Look, it's complicated."
"Reid–"
"This is not something up for debate, Ruby," I respond firmly. "Drop it."
Her glare sharpens, but she scoffs and rolls her eyes before walking away, making me sigh in frustration. That was a bit too much I think. I know she's just worried about this whole thing.
"Okay, how about this." I stop her. "If you fully complete my training, both magical and physical, I will tell you everything. And I mean everything about what's going on."
She pauses for a moment before looking back at me. "Promise?"
"Promise."
This seems to have put her in a better mood as she smiles and nods, rushing towards me to give me a peck on the lips before going after her friends and leaving me alone here. Before I follow them, I check my scroll, grinning at the message from Ozpin. A meeting with Sienna Khan and Kali Belladonna the day after tomorrow?
About damn time.
Sorry for not updating this in two months. I wasn't feeling very motivated to work on it, which explains why the chapter might not feel up to par. Feeling a little burned out ngl.
Not going to drop this, but updates might get less frequent till I get back to my groove.
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