Chapter-35

Ozpin

Immediately, Ozpin noticed some extremely odd things. First of all, he was in a large hallway lined with wooden tables at the side. Flowers hung from the seams as several along with banners fluttering.

He was sitting at one of these tables along with several people with brunette hair, all dressed in fur clothes and laughing alongside each other. He noticed wooden mugs containing a liquid he did not recognize along with meat being roast on fires between these tables.

Ozpin could see a massive oak tree in the middle of the hallway, near which he spotted more elaborately dressed people talking to each other. Two of them were dressed as if…

As if this is a wedding. Ozpin realized. There was a man sitting beside the bride who looked a lot like Saber. He had the same silver hair like Saber as well as the same blue eyes. Although unlike Saber, his hair was much longer. They were sitting with an older man who Ozpin could tell was the Saber lookalike's father.

Yet Ozpin was taken aback by the cultural features of what he was saying. The only place on Remnant whose culture bore any resemblance was Sylfirheim, the former haven of the silver-eyed warriors that was destroyed in 3 BGW.

Could this be in Sylfirheim in an earlier time? Ozpin thought before shaking his head. All of Sylfirheim's residents were silver-eyed warriors. And Ozpin could not spot a single person in this hall with silver eyes.

"She is a beauty, King Volsung." The groom told the older man.

King Volsung? I don't recognise that name. Ozpin thought. He couldn't understand how it is so difficult to identify this place. He had roamed Remnant for millenia. He knew which region had which culture. So why could he not tell where he was?

The man smiled. "That she is, King Siggeir. Signy as always been the fairest of my children alongside Sigmund. He is quite a fine lad." He spoke slapping Sigmund's back as the man smiled softly.

"Of course, he is of the Volsung Clan after all." Siggeir replied although Ozpin frowned at his tone.

That is the tone of a greedy man looking to associate himself with power and wealth. Ozpin thought. It reminded him of the nobles in his court as King Osmond attempted to get on his good graces to access his power and wealth. Siggeir reminded him of that.

"No need for such flattery." Volsung replied before raising his mug.

"May Frigg bless this union. To the Volsungs and the Siklings!" He spoke as the rest of the hall cheered and raised their mugs too.

Ozpin again frowned at the word 'Frigg'. The name had been uttered with the reverence one would have talking of the gods, but he could not find any relation of this 'Frigg' with the brother gods.

As Ozpin continued to ponder, the doors swung open and Ozpin noticed someone come in.

They were an old man in a mottled cape, bare-footed, with linen breeches around his legs and a hood over his head. Where his right eye should be, there was an empty socket with scars running out of it. His left eye was shade darker than Sigmund's blue eyes. In his hand was a simple sword.

Despite his appearance, Ozpin could feel the aura of authority and power radiating from this man.

This presence… Ozpin thought in wonder. He hadn't felt something like this since he met the God of Light.

Two ravens flew in and sat on Ozpin's table, picking away at some of the meat as the man walked by. Everybody was frozen still, speechless.

As the man passed by Ozpin's table, his head turned slightly towards him and his one eye looked straight at him.

He knows… Ozpin thought as he felt a jolt of nervousness shoot through him. He didn't need any words to know this man knew exactly who he was.

The man stared at him silently for a moment before continuing forward. He looked at Sigmund before walking up to the tree.

Everyone looked at the man as he stood in silence before he stabbed the sword's blade into the tree trunk.

"The man to pull out this sword from the trunk shall receive it from me as a gift, and he will find out for himself that he never bore in hand a sword better than this." He spoke, his voice soft and smooth, yet reverberating through the hall.

The man began walking out, taking one last look at Ozpin before walking out the door.

All was silent before Sigmund turned to Volsung. "Was that who I think it is…?" He spoke in shock.

"To think the All-Father himself would grace this occasion, that too bearing a gift." Volsung spoke.

"The All-Father…" Ozpin spoke. This 'All-Father' was also a god. Of course, it explained why Ozpin could feel the old man's presence pressing down on him when he entered the hall. But none of the brother gods would…

Unless…He is not one of the Brothers. Ozpin thought in surprise. He was well aware of the cosmic origins of the Brothers. Who's to say there aren't other gods out there among the stars.

Could it be that this 'All-Father' descended on Remnant without him knowing? But then there would be mentions of this 'All-Father' somewhere.

"So, the All-Father said this sword is the gift for whoever pulls it out of the Barnstokkr?" Siggeir asked.

"Yes. And it is a fine blade." Sigmund spoke. Ozpin had to agree. Whoever was the smith that forged this sword had immense skill, because Ozpin could not spot a single scratch on the sword, and its edge was extremely sharp.

"If the All-Father wishes to give a gift, then we are honored to accept it." Volsung spoke.

"Well then, as the groom, I suppose I should go first." Siggeir spoke as Volsung gestured for him in agreement.

Siggeir walked up to the sword embedded in the Barnstokkr wrapped his hands around his hilt.

It will not come out. Ozpin thought. It reminded him of a king in Sanus during the age of mystery whose book contained a wealth of knowledge about magic. Whoever could read it will gain its knowledge.

Siggeir then pulled, but instead of coming out, the sword remained stuck. Siggeir grit his teeth as he tugged harder, but the sword refused to come out.

Everyone watched as Siggeir struggled to make the sword even budged before he fell back, huffing and panting with his face red.

Volsung looked at him curiously. "Well, does anyone else want to try?"

Most of the attendees got up and tried their hand. Ozpin, of course, noticed that he couldn't do it because he was nothing more than an apparition observing the scene play out in front of him.

All those who came up, failed. Some even tried to come together in a group and pull, but the sword did not budge.

"Why don't you try, King Volsung?" Siggeir asked huffing and panting.

"No. Even if my bloodline comes from the All-Father, I don't believe I can pull it out." Volsung spoke before Sigmund stood up.

"You wish to try, my son?" Volsung asked as Sigmund nodded before walking upto the Barnstokkr. Ozpin could see the wariness in the boy's eyes as he stared at the sword's hilt. He couldn't blame him. What could he do when others older and stronger than him failed?

But when Sigmund grabbed the hilt, the sword slid out of the trunk without any resistance and Sigmund stared at the blade in his hands in surprise.

Everyone's eyes widened as Sigmund stared at the sword.

"And so begins the tragedy of the Volsungs." Ozpin heard the same old man's voice again but couldn't see him anywhere.


The scene shifted. Ozpin was now on a battlefield in a coast, with the sky grey and covered with clouds as rays of sunlight poked through. Two armies fighting each other with intense brutality.

My gods…none of them have aura. Ozpin thought. It brought him back to those times when Vale's kingdoms fought with each other with swords and without. This was exactly how it was like.

In the chaos, Ozpin spotted Sigmund, now much older, in armor wielding the sword. He moved at blistering speeds, like a grey blur as he slaughtered the enemy soldiers. The sword cut through armor as if it was paper. The enemy threw whatever they could at him, spears, arrows, even stones, but Sigmund deflected all of them with the sword. Some of them even seemed to miss him despite being thrown from close range, somehow like Qrow when he really pushed his semblance.

Ozpin could see the fear and terror in the eyes of the enemy soldiers as nothing seemed to do harm against Sigmund, who tore through the battlefield like an unstoppable force of nature.

It was at that moment that Ozpin felt a familiar presence and noticed the All-Father, now clad in a black coat with a black hat lower over his head. He was looking down so Ozpin couldn't see his eyes. He stood in front of Sigmund with a long spear in his hand.

Ozpin gasped at the sheer amount of magical power radiating from that spear, as his mana core felt like it was being pulled into the spear. Ozpin fed mana into his eyes and could see invisible wisps of magical energy all converging around the spear's tip.

T-That spear's magical power is baffling. It's more than even Salem's most powerful spe... No…this magic is on par with the combined magical power of all humans in the Age of Mystery.

Sigmund spotted the All-Father and charged at him, assuming he was another enemy soldier.

"No!" Ozpin exclaimed as the All-Father raised his spear's staff at speeds rivalling Sigmund's, the sword crashing into it and breaking into two.

Sigmund's eyes widened before he noticed the single eye of the All-Father staring back at him.

Ozpin noticed realization dawn on his face before resignation set in.

"The sword's broken! Get him!" One of the soldiers yelled as the All-Father melted into the crowd of enemy soldiers and disappeared. Sigmund stared at where the All-Father was, the excitement of the battle frenzy gone from his eyes.

Sigmund continued to fight, striking down several enemy soldiers, but his speed and strength had severely reduced after the sword broke, and several spear-wielding soldiers stabbed at openings in his armor from multiple directions, all fatal.

"Ggh!" Blood flew out of Sigmund's mouth as the enemy soldiers pushed him down, his gaze looking at the sky as the soldiers cheered before running off to fight the remaining soldiers.

Ozpin stared at Sigmund looking up at the heavens as night fell. Ozpin then noticed a bunch of women come up, chief among them a woman with purple hair like Saber's. The woman's eyes had dark bags on them along with marks made by tears.

She spotted Sigmund and rushed to him, kneeling down.

"Milord!" She cried in a hoarse voice as she looked at his wounds, as Ozpin realized this woman was Sigmund's wife.

"Hjordis…" Sigmund spoke weakly as Hjordis looked at his wounds.

"Where's…your father?"

"He's dead…" Hjordis spoke. "Lyngvi and his soldiers have entered the palace. Me and the other women escaped." She spoke as Sigmund groaned in pain.

"Quick! We need to get him healed!" She exclaimed to a maid before Sigmund's hand grabbed Hjordis' arm.

"Hjordis…I met the All-Father…" Sigmund spoke as Hjordis stared at him. "What…?"

"He broke the sword…" He spoke looking at the pieces of his sword. "My time has come…"

Hjordis stared at him before her eyes widened. "No, milord! We can still save you!"

"I-I can see the Valkyries coming…" Sigmund spoke as Ozpin noticed several young women in white robes with hoods over their faces come down from the sky. They had rings of light on their back as well as spears made of light and golden shields. Their red eyes were emotionless as they descended upon the battlefield and began carrying the shimmering forms of soldiers up into the sky.

"The Gods are waiting for me in Valhalla…" Sigmund spoke as Hjordis began crying. "P-Please…Please accept treatment, milord." She spoke as the maid came back. Ozpin looked at the scene, remembering Taiyang's breakdown when he'd told her that Summer wasn't coming back.

"No…I'll only slow you down." Sigmund spoke before putting his hand on her stomach. "Besides…you have someone whose life matters more than mine." He spoke as Ozpin noticed the telltale bulge on Hjordis' stomach.

"Go with our son…The Norns have woven a great life for him…" Sigmund spoke wincing.

"My sword…" He rasped as Hjordis brought the two pieces. "Reforge it for our son…in his hands, it will be even more powerful than it was on my hands. With it…he will be the greatest of the Volsungs."

Hjordis looked down at the broken blade. "And…what will be its name?"

Sigmund smiled. "...Gram."

"Gram…" Ozpin repeated Sigmund's words. "So, Sigmund and Hjordis are Saber's parents." He spoke.

I can understand this is part of Saber's life, but I'm still missing on something. Ozpin thought.

"Now go…It is time for me to join my father and brothers in Valhalla…" Sigmund spoke as a tearful Hjordis kissed his forehead. Sigmund smiled before his hand fell limp.


The scene shifted. Hjordis was standing in what looked like a king's court, with a bundle in her hands. Her face was tired but had a bright smile on it.

Ozpin noticed the bundle was a newborn child, with the same eyes as Saber as well as his silver hair.

Ah, so this is showing Saber's birth. He thought as the king walked upto Hjordis with a smile.

"He looks a lot like his father…" He spoke as Hjordis' smile turned bitter.

"He does…"

Sigurd's sharp eyes stared at the king with a level of intelligence Ozpin did not expect from a baby.

The king chuckled. "I can already see he will be a formidable warrior like Sigmund…Perhaps undefeated in battle."

Hjordis smiled. "Which is why I want you to choose his name, King Hjaprek.."

Hjalprek's eyebrows shot up. "My, my…I'm not even related to your family in any way, yet I've been given the honor of naming your son?"

Hjordis giggled. "You took me in and chose to protect me even after I revealed to you my status as Queen of Hunland. In my eyes, you've become a part of my family."

Hjalprek smiled sheepishly. "Please don't make me embarrassed…" He spoke with a chuckle before looking at the boy.

"Hm, as for his name…"

Ozpin perked up. This is where he finally gets to know who Saber is.

"His name will be Sigurd, son of Sigmund."


As Ozpin remained motionless in his dream, someone walked by his door. Shirou stared at the door before entering spirit form and entering Ozpin's room.

Shirou raised an eyebrow when he noticed Ozpin, who he knew could wake up at the slightest of noises, was in deep sleep. His eyes then noticed a green circle under his bed.

Ah…he's under some spell. This is a good opportunity to go. He thought before going out, picking up his scroll and calling Sigurd.

"Shirou?"

"Ozpin is incarcerated." Shirou spoke.

"Incarcerated? What do you mean he's incarcerated."

"He's in some sort of trance because of some spell resembling a summoning circle." Shirou spoke.

"I see. I'm on my way then."

Shirou smiled before heading to Ozpin's office. He spotted Sigurd standing in front of the CCTS tower. They nodded to each other before going into spirit form, slipping past the Atlesian guards and heading into the elevator.

They went up to Ozpin's office and passed through the door.

"Now…what secrets is Ozpin hiding?" Shirou spoke.


Ozpin was now looking at a young Sigurd, riding on a grey horse with Gram in his hands,cutting down the enemy with even more ferocity and speed than his father Sigmund.

"There you are, scion of Volsung!" Ozpin heard a loud voice as he spotted a number of men in armor staring at him in hatred.

"King Lyngvi." Sigurd replied coldly as he raised Gram. "It is time I avenged my father."

"Your father had it coming! All because he pulled some pointy stick out of a tree, he gets the woman I desired?! Hjordis would have been mine if it wasn't for him!"

Ozpin notice anger simmer within Sigurd as Lyngvi talked of his mother. Sigurd then dismounted his horse and raised Gram.

"Oh…you want to fight, boy? Even when my armies destroyed your father?"

"You had the All-Father's protection, Lyngvi." Sigurd spoke. "But this time, he won't be there for you."

"I do not need the All-Father's help to cut your head off, insolent child!" Lyngvi spoke as he and the others dismounted as well.

"I WILL SHOW MY STRENGTH TO ALL OF MIDGARD! AND I SHALL DO IT BY EXTERMINATING THE VOLSUNG CLAN!" He bellowed.

Lyngvi then charged at Sigurd, who stared calmly before launching himself at him. Lyngvi's eyes widened in shock at Sigurd's speed before Sigurd drove Gram into his stomach.

"What…?" Lyngvi spoke before Sigurd ripped out Gram and swung it at Lyngvi's neck. Ozpin looked down at Lyngvi's head rolling over, his wide eyes staring up at Ozpin while his headless corpse collapsed.

That wasn't a fight, that was an execution. Ozpin noted. He hadn't been expecting Sigurd to finish off Lyngvi that easily, but again, he should have remembered all the things Sigurd had done working for him.

"Brother!" One of Lyngvi's companions spoke before they charged at him. The battle went just like Lyngvi's, as Sigurd cut them down with no mercy.

Sigurd turned his bloodstained face towards Ozpin, who continued to stare, feeling uncomfortable at the aura Gram was giving off.


The scene shifted again, and Ozpin found Sigurd lying down in the grass in a plain, this time with a hint of wariness in his eyes looking at…

"!" Ozpin stumbled back in shock as an enormous white dragon the size of Mount Glenn's wyvern roamed around.

"A dragon…?!" Ozpin exclaimed. Dragons were scared creatures, said to be the messengers of the Brothers, and encountering one meant you had the blessing of the gods.

So for Ozpin, who had never ever encountered a dragon, he could not believe the sight in front of him.

Saber must be having this All-Father's blessing… Ozpin thought yet frowned at the lack of reverence in Sigurd's eyes. In fact, he was hiding from the large dragon.

The dragon's blue eye stared at Ozpin as he froze up. Ozpin didn't know what abilities dragons had, but if it was related to the All-Father, who could see his apparition, it probably did too.

The dragon looked in curiosity, although Ozpin noticed it wasn't at him. But before he could note anything else, Sigurd suddenly jumped up and drove Gram under the dragon's left shoulder.

Ozpin's mouth fell open at the sheer blasphemy of what he was seeing. Gram's blade glowed blue before his entire world turned white.

When everything cleared, Ozpin noticed the area had been charred in a massive radius, while the dragon lay with a giant hole in its shoulder.

"Who…are you, human?" The dragon spoke in a deep voice. "None have ever been able to pierce my hide, let alone reach my heart, so…how?"

"Fafnir, son of Hreidmar, I am Sigurd of the Volsungs." Sigurd replied. "And this is the blade Gram, forged from the Embers of the Sun and blessed by the magic of the All-Father. It once belong to my father Sigmund, yet was shattered in a clash against the mighty Gungnir. Now, it is reforged and stronger than ever."

Ozpin could see a hint of a smile on Fafnir's jaw. "Ah…the demonic sword of ruin…so a Volsung does live."

Sigurd narrowed his eyes. "Where is the wealth of the Nøkken, once possessed by Andvari?"

"...Hehehehe…" Fafnir chuckled. "So you were sent by that coward Reginn…I suppose I should have seen it, seeing as how I stuck a knife through father's chest to obtain that wealth. It is in my cave near this place…But someone would have to be an insane fool to take it."

Sigurd, who'd turned to leave, looked back. "The ring."

"...So Reginn told you about the Ring's curse, yet you still seek it? Have you lost your mind, you young fool?!" Fafnir spoke as blood came out of his mouth.

"...You slaughtered hundreds just so that you could stay stuck with a mountain of gold that is of no use to you. It is better that that wealth be used for some productive purpose." Sigurd replied.

"You already carry the demonic sword of Ruin! Take Andvari's ring, and you will be cursed with tragedies for the rest of your life! You will die a cruel death and join the depths of Hel than meet your kinsmen in Valhalla!" Fafnir yelled in disbelief as Sigurd closed his eyes while Ozpin's eyes widened.

Saber is…cursed? Ozpin thought. Now he thought back to all that had happened to them so far. All the bad things whenever Saber is around.

So…he is like Qrow but even worse? Ozpin thought in surprise. How much more has Saber kept from him?

"If this wealth is the death of me…so be it." He spoke.

"...Very well, then enjoy Hel…" Fafnir spoke before falling limp. Sigurd pulled out the dragon's heart before heading onto his horse and riding off.


Ozpin witnessed a few more scenes, seeing Sigurd meet his lover Brynhildr, but then being cursed to forget her and marry another woman, while Brynhildr has his step-brother murder him.

In the end, Ozpin watched in shock as Sigurd lay on his bes beside his wife Gudrun, a wound stabbed through his glowing blue heart while a golden ring that gave off a dark aura glinted on his finger and later Brynhildr killing herself by burning herself on his funeral pyre.

Ozpin noticed more events he couldn't perfectly understand, such as Sigurd's and Brynhildr's daughter Aslaug marrying a man named Ragnar Lothbrok, or later Aslaug's sons invading a land named 'England', but it was clear Sigurd's story was over.

This was…odd. Ozpin thought. He only knew Saber's real name. But everything else…only gave him more questions. And hence, it was all fruitless.

Perhaps I should be forceful now. Ozpin thought in resignation before closing his eyes to leave.

"I have gained the knowledge I seek…"

"Now I return to reality, a wiser man with knowledge to speak…" Ozpin spoke as his mana core began dimming before suddenly glowing blue.

Ozpin's eyes widened as he found himself back on the battlefield where Sigmund died with the same grey sky and rays of sunlight poking out. Ravens flew in the sky with resonating cawing as the 'Valkyries' descended to take the souls.

"You still have questions, don't you?" A familiar voice spoke as the All-Father suddenly appeared in front of Ozpin, wearing the same clothes as he did when he fought Sigmund.

Ozpin jumped. "What…! What is this?!"

"What else do you think? I disrupted your spell to keep you here a little longer, Man of the Infinite Souls…"

Ozpin froze up at the mention of his title. "H-How did you…"

"I knew you would come to see Sigurd's life, Ozma. I was waiting for you to finish. Apologies for the scare, I do not mean any harm to you."

"Why…?"

"So that we could talk." The All-Father replied as his gaze swept across the battlefield. "As a fellow seeker of knowledge, I admire your resolve." The All-Father spoke.

"And also…I wished to talk to a resident of the planet of the Twin Dragons."

"Twin dragons…? Are you not…related to the Brothers?" Ozpin asked.

"No…I am not. I know of them, but I have never met them." The All-Father spoke.

"Then…who are you?"

"I am Odin, All-father of the nine worlds, slayer of Ymir, King of Asgard." Odin replied. "One of the many deities of the pantheons that preside over the Planet Earth."

"Wait…Planet Earth…" Ozpin spoke before realization struck him.

"Sigurd is from a different world?" He spoke in shock. It explained all the odd things he'd seen about him. Yet, he could not believe that Sigurd was from a different world. Remnant never possessed any mysteries that could allow someone to cross worlds. Magi can confirm that so much mana is required that it would be approaching the realm of the gods.

"I trust that explains all your questions?" Odin asked politely.

"It…does, but still…" Ozpin spoke. He'd lived for 3000 years, yet he could see there were still things out there that could surprise him.

"It will take time. But moving on, the main reason why we're talking. At this moment, the Saber in question is looking through all of your secrets."

"Maidens?" Sigurd questioned as he and Shirou sat looking at Ozpin's screen. It had been a bit annoying when they saw that Ozpin kept all his files in a softcopy, but thankfully, the Holy grail did provide them with the technical know-how to operate such things, so they eventually got in.

"Interesting…keep moving." Shirou spoke as his hand went towards a drawer on Ozpin's desk.

Ozpin's eyes widened. They were doing what?!

"I need to get back!" He spoke in panic. "They're…!" He went to chant another spell but suddenly

"Gianed O ledgowonk…" Ozpin began before shaking his head. Why did his mouth sputter utter nonsense?

"Do you really think you can bypass my power to get out?" Odin asked with his left hand raised and his fingers twirling lightly.

Ozpin then realized that it wasn't such a good idea to go against a god as powerful as him. "But…"

"You know Sigurd's secrets. He knows yours. Is there really any point to protesting?" Odin spoke as Ozpin slumped.

"Do not be dejected. With who you will be facing, it is for the best that you show him what you know and he shows you what you know. Because you still don't have the full picture even from all of this."

Ozpin clenched his jaw. "But…it is too risky. Even after all of this, I have not known anything about him. How can I reveal everything when I can't see the full picture?" Ozpin replied, remembering all the betrayals he'd suffered.

"Doubtful? Understandable. One who is stabbed in the back so many times eventually starts shielding their backs. But if you are so hesitant…" Odin spoke before striking the ground with his spear as the landscape turned hellish, with Vale being a complete frozen wasteland as grimm poured into the city like the breach. Ozpin could make out the corpses of Ruby Rose and her friends, the Beacon staff, Qrow and so many other huntsmen while a terrifying roar sounded in the skies.

Ozpin saw himself lying on the floor, and arrow through his head as Cinder Fall smiled with a bow in her hand, her eyes burning with orange flames.

And finally, he noticed a hooded figure holding the Relic of Choice in their hands in front of a pool of gold.

More flashes of images assaulted him, of the sky turning dark, of people screaming as a dark substance ate away at their bodies, of hordes of creatures pouring into cities, and Remnant itself exploding in a fiery explosion before the landscape returned to a battlefield.

"This…"

"This is what I have seen should you continue to be disunited. Sigurd doesn't know what you are exactly fighting, and you don't know how much the situation has changed. Other beings have entered this war with their motives. The enemy has grown stronger, but you haven't, because you are still treating this like it always has been."

Ozpin stared at the wasteland around him in horror, as a message Raven sent him rang in his words.

"Tell them everything."

"Raven Branwen is right. You can no longer afford to hide your secrets from them. Tell Sigurd and the others, and tell the silver-eyed girl. Because now things will only get worse from here." Odin spoke as Ozpin continued to stare at the landscape.

"How do I know this is true?"

"Use the relic of Choice. If you do not believe in what I'm showing you, perhaps you will be more accepting of your own god's power."

Ozpin felt a pit form in his stomach at those words. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't help but remember all the enemies that he has seen.

Creatures that do not look like Grimm yet can kill a team of professional huntsmen like a Beacon student can kill a beowolf.

Humans with magical powers and physical abilities beyond huntsmen

Ozpin found his denial growing weaker. Salem was truly forgoing all secrecy, with the help of a third faction that he can see is too much for him to handle.

He had been planning to tell Sigurd much later, but now…He realized the situation was much more dire than he thought.

And I promised Ruby to tell her everything… Ozpin thought.

"Fine…" He spoke. "But I still have questions. What were all those visions that you showed me?"

"I cannot answer that. What you saw was me transferring the Mystery locked in my eye to your sight for a moment. And that has attracted the attention of the Nornir. They have no power over you, but they can still disrupt me, especially when they are extremely cautious about me. I have several Perthro runes placed to hide this conversation from their sight. But if I reveal more secrets, it will be able to send enough ripples through the Well of Fate for them to find out and cut me off from speaking to you."

Ozpin frowned, disappointed but could understand why. From Odin's words, these 'Nornir' were not to be taken lightly.

"Excellent. Now that you're convinced, there is one last thing to do…" Odin spoke, walking closer.

"Wait, what are you…"

Odin's hand grabbed his head with a surprisingly strong grip for an old man as his thumb pressed on Ozpin's forehead while Ozpin suddenly found himself staring into Odin's glowing blue eye.

"Othala…Gebo…Mannaz…" Odin chanted, inscribing the runes on Ozpin's as Ozpin felt his body burn from high temperatures, with his right hand especially stinging.

Thousands of voices began whispering in his mind as everything turned into a blur before…

"AAAAHHHHH!" Ozpin screamed sitting up on his bed, his breath heavy.

What did he…do to me? Ozpin thought before remembering something.

"Saber…" He spoke before quickly heading off to his office.


Sigurd stared at the screen in utter shock.

Utilizing his crystallized wisdom, Sigurd had gleaned everything he could from the maidens.

"So…that's what Amber was…" He muttered, his mind going back to the beginning when he saved Amber from her attackers. She had the power to control the seasons themselves.

"Magi back on Earth would kill for such an opportunity." Shirou spoke and Sigurd had to agree. The level of power a Maiden displayed was on par with magecraft back in the Age of Gods. Any magi who got hold of this power like that would emerge as a dominant force within the Mage's association.

Which is why it is fortunate that Remnant lacked such people.

Except for Ozpin. Sigurd thought. He realized with a frown that he'd only learnt about the Maidens, not much about Ozpin himself.

Suddenly, the doors opened and Sigurd and Shirou stared at Ozpin, who had his hair more unruly than usual and his eyes darting from side to side.

He woke up! Sigurd thought in surprise. Shirou confirmed the spell was enough to dull his senses. Yet they hadn't considered how long it would last.

"Oz…" Sigurd then froze.

His magical power…What did he do? Sigurd thought. Ozpin's mana levels had skyrocketed and his aura felt strangely familiar. Sigurd reinforced his eyes and noticed an Othala rune, a Gebo rune and a Mannaz rune glowing on Ozpin's forehead. Instead of two brown eyes, now one of Ozpin's eyes was the same shade of blue as the All-Father's.

Wait a minute…The All-Father… Sigurd thought before noticing some marks on his hands. Sigurd immediately rushed over as Ozpin stared at him.

"I trust you've…"

"Show me your hand." Sigurd spoke as Ozpin frowned. "Saber…"

"Ozpin, your hand." Sigurd spoke as Ozpin lifted his hand. Immediately, Sigurd's eyes almost bulged out when he noticed a black mark of three horns crossing each other.

If the blue eye raised his suspicion, the mark was the final nail in the coffin. Sigurd could never forget those horns, for they were…

"...The Horns of Odin."


A/N: And the revelations arc begins! Sigurd and Ozpin take the first step towards each other's worlds. With that, this story's shallow segment ends and we can finally get a deep dive into the shadow war against Salem.

I took the entire dream sequence straight out of an english translation of the Volsunga Saga. Some parts aren't very accurate, such as Hjordis' final talk with Sigmund or Sigurd's conversation with Fafnir, but well...those two segments are boring because the dialogue and sequence of events are not written in a manner that puts weight on the scene. It is written and presented like an observation than a more emotional format. So, I'm not saying the scenes are bad, but they would not mesh well with storytelling in more contemporary works.

As for Odin...I just like mysterious characters who are intelligent and powerful. So, Odin's now hopping into the story.

This is just an extra upload seeing as I found the time to write this chapter, and most likely the Rowan's Shade chapter following this will be uploaded next weekend. If I do get the time, I'll upload the Rowan's Shade chapter tomorrow.

Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!


Content Analysis:

Perthro: One of Perthro's meanings is 'secrets', so It can be used as a cloaking rune.

Othala, Gebo, Mannaz: 'Othala' is often associated with Odin, one of Gebo's meanings is 'connections' or 'exchanges', and Mannaz symbolizes mankind. Combine them, and you can guess what Odin did.


Response to Reviews:

longbowchris50: Let's see.

TrueVirtuoso: As much as I like Daybit, I think we've had too many crypters who either ended their lives with good terms with us, or are living on good terms. Kadoc's now our ally, Ophelia showed how much she cared for Mash before her death, Hinato eventually mellowed out once she joined the throne of heroes, Pepe's just been nice towards us to the start and Wodime became a real bro towards the end. Beryl's the only one who's been a piece of shit through and through, and I would honestly prefer if Daybit's just an honorable villain who never comes to good terms with us. He won't be another Beryl, but he also won't go for the same positive ending as the other crypters.

Makimass: He's been nerfed a bit. But now I'm working towards slowly removing those nerfs because they have served their purpose and it would be a crime to deny you guys some servant action in their full power. By the end of this volume, the servants will be back to their regular power levels.

ZokuYuujinChou: Glad to hear that, but I have a lot of plans for the future. I don't want to be stuck writing Soulless Plains for the rest of my time on fanfiction. This story is already estimated to hit 200 chapters by the time I'm done, I don't want to take it up further, especially when I've even bigger stories planned out.

And alright, if you're so insistent, I shall grace you with another update on this holy scripture filled with words created from my golden fingertips. Praise me, reader, and bath in the light of my stories.

...Just call me 'cringe' already.