"Dad," Ruby and Yang said, both shocked and confused by his sudden appearance. With a small gunt, Kratos slammed the Grimm on the ground and gripped its other tusk. Then with a single, quick motion, he snapped its neck and killed it.

Weiss looked at the evaporating corpse of the Grimm before noticing a hand being extended by Ruby. With anger in her eyes, she pushed the girl's hand away and got up. "I don't need any more of your help." Just then, the bell rang and the Schnee stormed out of the room.

"What's her deal," Yang asked.

Professor Port breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed his weapon as his students packed their things and headed for their next class, some shaken up by what had transpired. The professor walked up to Kratos and extended a hand. "Many thanks, Mr..." he waited for a name.

Kratos ignored his outstretched hand and said, "Kratos."

As the former God turned toward his daughters, Port said, "Ah, you must be the new instructor? Well, I should thank you for stepping in and saving young Schnee."

"Someone had to and it was obvious that you weren't going to make it in time."

Port grew red with embarrassment at the blunt, yet accurate, statement. He coughed and said, "Yes well may I ask what you were doing here in the first place? Not that I'm not thankful."

"Yeah, weren't you supposed to start your new class," Yang asked.

"My class let out early."

"Why," Ruby asked. (Transition to Kratos' first class who were either laid out on the floor unconscious or exhausted.) "Ah."

"In any case, how about you leave the combat training to me," Kratos suggested. "Weiss wasn't ready for this fight."

"Excuse me, but I have been teaching students for years now. I think I know when and if the students I teach are ready," Port argued.

"Except Weiss didn't know that the belly of a Boarbatusk was its weakness. She let herself get distracted by her surroundings and was overconfident in her abilities. She was not ready for this kind of Grimm."

"Well, I never," Port said as Kratos turned his back to him. "I'll have you know that I will be taking this to Professor Ozpin directly."

"See if I care." He stepped up to his youngest and said, "And as for you, I expected more from a leader."

"Huh?"

"You did little to help your teammate and that nearly cost her her life." Kratos then quickly switched from teacher to father as he grabbed her doodle and crumbled it. "I had better not see you doodling in class again. Have I made myself clear?"

Ruby's face falls with sadness and disappointment at herself. "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

Kratos' face softened up a bit at seeing his daughter's saddened look and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Keep your head on a swivel Ruby. Do not be sorry for this mistake. Learn from it and be better." He lifts his hand from her shoulder and begins to walk away, and as he passes by Yang, he asks, "What's your excuse?" hinting at her lack of action to help her teammate. Yang remained silent as she knew that whatever she said wouldn't please him. Instead, she silently grabbed her and Ruby's stuff before beckoning for her sister to come along to their next class.

Meanwhile, as Kratos was walking back to start his next class, he encountered an angry Weiss who was standing on a balcony overlooking Beacon. Weiss noticed him said, "Oh, Professor..."

"Just Kratos will do," he said as he stepped up beside her with crossed arms, overlooking the Academy as well.

"Oh, ok," she said. It was unorthodox for a student to refer to a teacher only by their name but Weiss didn't question him. "You're Ruby's father, right? Can I ask you something?" Kratos answered with a grunt and Weiss continued. "Do you think Ruby is capable of being a leader?"

"Ruby is young and naive," Kratos answered. "She doesn't know how the world works nor the dangers of being a Huntress. She believes it to be little more than a romantic fairytale come true for her."

"Exactly! She doesn't have what it takes to be a leader. It should have been me!"

"On that, we both heavily disagree."

Hearing him disagree with her after saying something she completely agreed with stunted Weiss. "Excuse me?!"

"While what I said about my daughter is true, I do not believe you would be a better leader. I'd even choose that idiot Jaune to be a leader over you."

"How dare you. I'm far more qualified than that dunce!"

"Tell me, Weiss, what makes you think you could be a better leader than Ruby?"

"I'm a far more exceptional fighter than her."

"Your skills on the battlefield are noteworthy, but they are rivaled only by your lack of discipline and humility." Before Weiss could counter him, Kratos continued with, "You've spent your entire life getting what you wanted, but now you're surrounded by people who will not give in to your demands so easily, and that burns you up inside."

"That's not even remotely true," Weiss said with crossed arms. "Well, not entirely true." Her arms fell as Kratos' words rang true within her mind.

Her face began to fall as he continued, "Being a leader is far more than a title. Its a burden, and a heavy one at that, that one must carry on their own. People look to them for guidance, and it is up to them to lead. They must take on the weight of making hard decisions and live forever with the consequences of their actions, whether good or bad."

"Yeah, but..."

"The outcome may not have been to your liking, but do you think your attitude will change anything? That acting stuck up and full of yourself will turn the tide? Because if so, then you're better off trying to stop the sun from setting."

"Maybe...maybe you're right," she said with hesitation.

"Perhaps instead of whining over what you don't have, embrace what you do. Become a better warrior, hone your abilities so that you can assist your team and those around you, and help mold Ruby to become the best leader that she can be, and in turn, become the best Huntress that you can be."

Weiss looked down and gave a small nod, "I will...think about what you have said, Sir." Kratos grunted in response, and when the bell rang, he motioned for her to get going.

Weiss turned and made her way to class, and when Kratos was sure that she had left, he said, "If you're going to hide in the shadows, learn to mask your presence."

Ozpin stepped out from the shadows and said, "I wasn't trying to hide from anyone. I just didn't want to interrupt you and Ms. Schnee's conversation which, if I may add was quite inspirational. I think you may have gotten through to her. Quite a feat for your first day."

Kratos scoffed and turned toward him and said, "Whether she takes my advice or not doesn't concern me. But I will not have some snotnosed brat interfering with the progress of my child."

"Understood, but do try to remember that you promised to train all the students equally."

Kratos walked past him and said, "I know what I promised, but my priorities are Ruby and Yang."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes at the back of the former God's head and said, "Just try not causing your students to pass out again. They have other classes too." He watched Kratos leave before heaving a sigh and looking out over his school. Did he make the right choice? Should he just tell Kratos what was really going on? What if he found out? What if they weren't ready in time? There had to be another way to...no. This was the hand he was dealt by fate. He would have to make this work to his advantage, or all life on Remnant would cease to exist. With one last, determined look at Beacon, he turned his back on the warm sun and entered the cold shadows of his Academy.

(Meanwhile in the Land of Grimm)

"The Marked Man has begun training Ozpin's students," a figure shrouded in mist with glowing red eyes spoke in a low demonic like voice as they stood at the far end of a room.

A pale white woman with blood-red irises and black sclera sat at the end of a long table ambushed on either side by chairs filled with a body. "He is a washed-up old man who hasn't wielded a weapon in ages. Is he that much of a concern at the moment?"

"Our Lord finds him to be a concern, and that makes it your concern as well."

"What our Lord finds to be a problem is of no concern of mi..." Before she could finish her statement, she began choking and grasping at her throat as she is lifted by an unseen force. Those sitting at the table jump up and brandish their weapons to defend their leader, but before they could make a move they are tossed aside like ragdolls and held against the walls.

"You forget your place, Salem. Do not forget that it is our Lord who allows you to continue your feeble existence. It is he who will allow you your revenge on the Brother Gods. Do not forget this."

Salem and the others are released, and they fall to the ground. Salem glares at the misty form while rubbing her throat and asks, "What is thy master's bidding?"

"You will continue your quest to secure the Maiden's powers and the Relics hidden within the four kingdoms. As for the Marked Man," the doors behind the misty figure swing open and before them stood seven cloaked figures. "Leave him to me."

That about wraps this chapter up. Who are the mysterious man and the seven who follow him? Questions that will be answered in the coming chapters. The next chapter will be RWBY's first training session with Kratos so look forward to it. Also, yes, I could have just added all three of these into one big chapter but with everything going on recently, I just wanted to try and get them out as quickly as possible. The reason the last chapter was so short despite taking so long is because there was a death in my friend's family and I just wanted you guys to know that I was still here and still writing. But, with all that said and done, I'm back to writing and hope to get more chapter's out in the future. P.S. I've seen the last episode of Season 7 RWBY and know exactly how I want Kratos to get his Blades of Chaos back. Also, this story isn't going to be viciously as long as some of you have been asking. It's by no means going to be a short story but it's not going to be a hundred chapter story, or at least not how I'm envisioning it. Who knows, it might end up being a hundred but I don't see it that way. With that said, this story isn't exactly going to fully follow the show. Yes, they're still going to get the Relic of Knowledge from Haven and will go to Atlas but events leading up to this will be different. So, get ready. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and until next time. See ya!