Disclaimer:This is a work of fan fiction using characters and/or scenes from the show RWBY, which is trademarked by Rooster Teeth, and the video game Persona 3, which is trademarked by Atlus. I do not, in anyway, claim ownership over the characters, the world, the story, or any other aspect belonging to either one. This story should not be, in any way, considered canon. This story is written strictly for entertainment and not for profit.
Warning: This story will exhibit slight differences in character behavior since I will be taking the liberty to fill in blank points in the pasts of various characters. As such, expect that many characters will not behave exactly as their canon selves. I will attempt to keep their core personalities intact, but slight changes will be unavoidable.
Warning 2: With the ongoing status of RWBY, it's to be expected that many of my ideas will, at some point, go against what is canon, such as when more of each character's respective pasts are revealed. I will do my best to incorporate what I can, but expect that many will be blended with my own ideas or perhaps even ignored completely if incorporating it will be detrimental to my existing story plans.
I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
Just a quick note for now. This chapter was uploaded from my phone as I am currently on vacation with my family and my laptop is back home. As such, line breaks will be missing and I'm sure to have missed a few things during my proofreading. I'll get it cleaned up after the holidays when I get back home.
But don't let it stop you from enjoying the chapter. XD
Chapter 18 – In Weilai
December 26, XX13
A deep evergreen carpet stretched out as far as the eye could see. In fact, it was all that could be seen in every direction.
Wine red eyes took in the scenery with a soft smile playing across her crimson lips, gazing down at the flora far beneath her. Beside her, crystal blue eyes were doing the same, just as appreciative but also with a healthy dose of awe.
"It's quite beautiful isn't it?"
The owners of both pairs of eyes turned around, their gaze turning to the inside of their airborne vessel as their friend and voluntary guide came up to them. But rather than stopping in front of them, the red-haired, green-eyed champion went to stand next to them, her own eyes gazing out the window of their private cabin – courtesy of Pyrrha's manager – at the very same scene they had been watching. Thanks to her fame and connections, they – though mostly Pyrrha – secured the use of the cabin at the very front of the ship, which offered a generous view of the landscape throughout their journey.
"I suppose if there's one thing I picked up from my Mistralian heritage, it's the appreciation of nature and beauty in all forms," added Pyrrha, a wistful smile blossoming on her face as she took in the sight before her. She had, undoubtedly, seen it many times before and yet the way her eyes twinkled in wonder made it seem otherwise.
A raised eyebrow came from the other redhead at that statement. "You make it sound as though you didn't inherit much else."
A rueful smile and a mostly mirthless chuckle was Pyrrha's response. "I suppose I did, didn't it?"
Mitsuru wasn't certain what to make of her companion's mysterious statement, but a faint light of understanding shone in Aigis's cybernetic eyes, memories of a previous conversation coming to mind. Even so, she couldn't claim to fully understand Pyrrha's feelings on the matter.
The trio continued to watch the scenery as it passed them by, the airship's distance from the ground making the passing seem slow in comparison to their travelling speed. Now and then Aigis's exceptionally sharp eyesight, courtesy of their artificial make, could pick out movement amongst the dense trees, oftentimes due to the Grimm that inhabited the forest.
The silence was eventually broken once more, this time by Mitsuru. She turned to her fellow redhead as she spoke. "Are there any Mistralian customs we should be aware of when we arrive? I would prefer to avoid a faux pas of any sort while we are there."
"There shouldn't be any that I'm aware of," Pyrrha responded without delay. "I'll let you know if I think of any but these days most social traditions are often only observed during formal occasions. Most people will usually ignore the absence of such during day-to-day matters."
Mitsuru didn't honestly think that it would go over as smoothly as Pyrrha believed it would be, her own experience with the upper echelons of society coloring her views, but decided to trust the Mistralian's opinion of her native land. Aigis was more willing to trust her from the start, but noted Pyrrha's use of the word 'most' instead of 'all'.
After a quick glance at her Scroll, said Mistralian turned to look at them. "We should be there soon. Half an hour at most. Do you have any plans for when you arrive? Since we'll only be together for two days, I thought I'd show you three around for the day, or tomorrow if your meeting at Adamas is today."
The former heiress nodded as she brought up a mental to-do list. "Asides from checking into our hotel, I already have a scheduled meeting with Director Claire this afternoon. It'll just be me today, since it's just a brief meeting. But depending on how things go, Aigis may accompany me tomorrow as well."
"So you and Akihiko will both be free for the day then?" Pyrrha asked Aigis.
Surprisingly, the answer came from Akihiko, who was taking a nap on the sofa in the corner of the cabin. Or rather, had been taking a nap. "I've got some things I wanted to check out while in Weilai so I'll be heading out on my own after we check-in." The trio of girls turned around just in time to see Akihiko rise to his feet, stretching his arms and neck in various ways. "Unless Aigis wants to come with me, she'll be the only one without any solid plans for today."
Aigis met Pyrrha's gaze and, despite the latter's best attempts to show otherwise, the blonde android could see a measure of hopefulness in the redhead's gaze. She wondered why it was the normally confident girl would want someone to accompany her for the day.
"I believe I would like to see the city," responded the blonde, watching as Pyrrha's eyes lit up ever so slightly. And while it was not her only reason for agreeing, it made her feel better to see the smile on the redhead's face. "I do not know when we will have another opportunity to visit, so I wish to make the most of our time here."
Mitsuru smiled and chuckled at the response, almost looking as though she had expected it. "Well said, Aigis. Still," she paused briefly to turn her attention back to Pyrrha. "The initial meeting won't take long. Unless something comes up, I should be free by around sundown. We can all have dinner together followed by a brief evening tour of the city before we settle in for the night."
"Sounds good." Akihiko agreed even before anyone could turn to him for his opinion. "We should meet up at the hotel before that. It'll be easier to go back somewhere familiar than trying to meet up in the middle of an unfamiliar city."
Plans were solidified over the next half-hour as they slowly approached their destination. And during that time, only Pyrrha herself missed the bright, yet strangely relieved, smile on her face.
"Attention all passengers." At that moment, all conversation ended as the announcement they had been waiting for came through the ship's speakers. "We will be landing in the City of Weilai shortly. Please return to your seats and cabins and prepare for landing."
The quartet barely paid the rest of the announcement any mind as they quickly went about ensuring they had all their belongings in order.
Considering it was only a three-day trip, for three of them at least, their luggage was quite small and light. Aigis's was mostly just for show since she intended to wear the Gekkoukan school uniform the entire trip, though she had her weapons and her new combat clothes packed just in case. Even Pyrrha didn't have much since she would be heading home to the City of Mistral after her business in Weilai, and with the Adamas Corporation, was concluded.
"Over here. I'm sure you'll want to see this."
At the redhead's urging, the three Japanese teens walked over to the window once more. When they took in the view before them, they couldn't help but gasp ever so slightly in response at the awe-inspiring sight before them.
The City of Weilai stood on the plateau of one of the many tall mountains in the area, surrounded by dense forests and steep cliffs that formed a natural barrier against land-based threats, Grimm or otherwise. Standing not far from the edges of the plateau were the city's massive walls, tall enough to rival what Mitsuru had seen of Vale's own defensive rampart. And along the walls were multiple, massive defensive weaponry. No doubt to defend against threats that the wall couldn't defend against, particularly the airborne sort.
But it wasn't the walls, the guns, or the city's placement that evoked their awe. Rather, it was the city itself.
Despite having read and heard about it, seeing with their own eyes the Mistralians' artistic focus still came as a surprise to the trio. The architecture was nothing at all like what they have gotten used to in Vale. In fact, only Beacon Academy's castle-like design even comes close. But even the school paled in comparison to the city before them.
The lines and curves of each structure were both practical in design – those that Mitsuru's limited knowledge of architecture could understand at least – yet aesthetically pleasing. One detail that drew her attention were the distinctly eastern designs on many of the buildings. Eastern by her definition at least. While she knew it to be true, logically at least, it still served as a reinforcement to the theory that the continent of Anima was, essentially, the remnants of the former continent of Asia.
What she found strange, however, was the fact that most of the buildings she could see were white in color. A handful to the left side were colored black while, to the right, a few were colored red. It was a strange enough sight that she decided to voice her thoughts to Pyrrha.
"Ah, that's understandable," responded the younger redhead, turning her gaze back to the city and gesturing towards the white-colored buildings. "It's not a detail most foreigners would know about, but the founders of Weilai, back when it was just a small town, were followers of a certain religion, one that fell out of practice decades ago. Though it's worth noting that it had quite a large following centuries ago."
"I don't know much about it, but I do know that its followers worshipped four Gods which were meant to represent different parts of nature. What you can see is the western district of the city, dedicated to the White Tiger, represented by the color white, hence the color of the buildings, the season of autumn, and the element of metal. Incidentally, or perhaps because of it, many of the buildings in that area are factories and manufacturing plants."
Pyrrha continues her explanation, unaware of the wide-eyed stares she was receiving. "The other three districts are colored black, red, and a combination of green and blue, dedicated to-"
"The Black Tortoise of the North, the Vermillion Bird of the South, and the Azure Dragon of the East," Mitsuru finished, causing her to be, in turn, the recipient of Pyrrha's own wide-eyed stare. And, much like the Mistralian earlier, the Japanese teen continued despite this. "Representing the seasons of winter, summer, and spring respectively, as well as the elements of water, fire, and wood."
"Th-that's right." Pyrrha nodded dumbly, still surprised by the sudden reversal and Mitsuru's surprising knowledge. "Have you read about it before?"
It wasn't too farfetched an idea for someone like Mitsuru to have come across the knowledge somewhere. The religion was old, but it wasn't as though they had done something to warrant their removal from the history books. It had simply fallen out of practice for reasons beyond her limited knowledge and understanding. So when Mitsuru nodded, Pyrrha relaxed only to be surprised by Mitsuru's next words.
"I have, but not just recently. In fact, the same belief existed in Japan, as well as in some of the neighboring countries. Not enough to call it a religion in itself, however. Rather, it was part of a religion called Taoism, though some would call it a philosophy rather than a religion."
"Oh." Pyrrha stared mutely for a brief moment, regaining her composure. "Were you…"
Mitsuru chuckled good-naturedly in response, having already anticipated the question. "No. It was merely a topic I read about in the past. I'm not a particularly religious or spiritual person. If anything, I'm merely a follower of many traditions, many of which are rooted in Shintoism, which was Japan's indigenous religion and, prior to its destruction, was one of its three major religions. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Shintoism was as old as Japan itself."
"That old?" Pyrrha was the one who was now confused and amazed. Was there any subject that Mitsuru did not possess even the smallest grain of knowledge of? More importantly… "You once said that the island you came from was far to the east of Anima correct? Could there have been others from there who arrived on the continent in the past? People who could have shared this-" she waved her hand at the city in front of the ship, "-belief with the Mistralians of that time? While old, I don't believe our own beliefs are that old."
'I'm quite certain those people were the ancestors of the Mistralians,' Mitsuru thought with amusement. And, seeing the twinkle in Akihiko's gray eyes, she was certain he was thinking along the same lines. "It's certainly a possibility. In fact, it's highly likely that explorers in the past might have found their way to Anima and simply never found their way back, or were unable to. There even exists the possibility that they had no desire to return and chose to settle on Anima."
The redhead nodded, agreeing with the possible scenarios that Mitsuru had described. "That could certainly explain the similar beliefs. But wouldn't that mean that a portion of Mistralians are descended from the Japanese?"
"Possibly, but not necessarily entirely from the Japanese," Mitsuru answered, truthfully but also keeping in mind their cover story. "Japan was not the only country to have those beliefs. Unless I'm mistaken, I believe it originated from China, which was a neighboring country. In fact, their territory was closer to the direction of Anima and their population was larger, making them a more likely possibility. But as I said, the philosophy surrounding the Four Sacred Beasts, as they are known by some, is part of a much larger philosophical school of thought. As such, anyone who is a follower of those teachings had the potential to be the one to spread it to Anima."
Pyrrha nodded thoughtfully, and Mitsuru could only imagine what sort of thoughts were running through the younger teen's head. "I see."
"Was there not a fifth?" Both redheads turned to Aigis, who was looking at them both with some slight confusion. "I seem to recall that there was a fifth, which was placed at the center."
Pyrrha was about to deny the existence of the fifth but, remembering the possible roots of one of Mistral's past religions, stopped and turned to Mitsuru instead.
The former heiress nodded without missing a beat. "Indeed. The Yellow Dragon, which represents the element of earth and the changing of seasons, said to have been the reincarnation of China's Yellow Emperor at the end of his life."
"Would its absence not imply that the one who spread the belief was not from China?" asked Pyrrha.
"Perhaps, but we cannot be absolutely certain," replied Mitsuru. "Things can change over the course of even a single year, never mind decades or centuries. Or perhaps someone simply found the idea of a man turning into a dragon ludicrous and chose to omit that particular detail at some point."
The Mistralian champion felt it was plausible enough, but couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that. Unfortunately, any further questions would have to wait as all four of them felt the shift in the airship's movements. A quick glance out the window showed them the cause.
They had finally arrived in Weilai.
"Is there any place in particular you want to see first?" asked Pyrrha, turning to her blonde companion with an eager smile as they walked out the lobby doors of the Midnight Dreams Hotel, where the four of them would be staying for the next two nights.
In response, Aigis looked around her, taking a brief moment to survey her surroundings as well as the various buildings within line of sight.
The city was, in a single word, beautiful. Her memories of other locales were limited to Iwatodai, Yakushima, and Vale, so it might not have been a proper comparison. Even so, she felt that Weilai would still rank high even if she had been able to see other cities, both in the past and the present.
Iwatodai might not have been the most traditional, bearing a significant western influence due to the passage of time, but there were enough eastern influences that Aigis could point out the architectural differences between Iwatodai and Vale.
And true to everything she had learned, both from the books and Pyrrha, Mistralians held art and nature in high regard. Here and now, standing within the city instead of gazing down from inside an airship, she was beginning to see just how true that statement held. At least, with regards to their artistic inclinations.
Or perhaps, she mused, it was the part of her that identified as Japanese that favored the Mistralians' designs over Vale's. She was neither Japanese by blood nor by nationality but, having been created in Japan and having lived there, she considered herself Japanese as much as the rest of SEES. And, given the distinctly eastern style that the architects behind Weilai had chosen, it did not surprise her that she found it a much more pleasant, and most definitely welcome, sight compared to the western-styled Vale.
Moreover, there was a certain feeling in the air that reminded her of Iwatodai. She couldn't quite identify the reason, but Weilai felt more… open in some way.
"I don't believe there's anywhere in particular I would like to visit first," she responded after some time. Nothing she could see, nor anything she had seen on the brochure she had taken from the hotel's front desk, had caught her interest. And asides from the Adamas Corporation, which she would be visiting tomorrow anyway, she hadn't really thought very hard about what else she would spend her time doing while in Weilai. "I'll leave it to you to decide."
"Very well then."
"But…" Pyrrha paused, about to walk forward, when Aigis addressed her, sounding quite hesitant for some reason. "Are you certain you wish to walk around like that? I do not believe the weather is cool enough to require such clothing."
She hoped she didn't sound insulting in any way, but Aigis was thoroughly confused by her redhead companion's current choice in clothing. Gone were the smart clothing that the champion had worn into the hotel and, in its place, were a pair of baggy pants and a heavy, yet loose-fitting sweater. Her hair, which she normally wore in a ponytail, was now bunched up in a loose bun and hidden beneath the hood of her sweater.
Her confusion was further compounded by concern when she noted Pyrrha's sudden discomfort. She was about to apologize when the redhead shook her head. "It's… I'll tell you later. For now, I just want to enjoy what time we can."
She nodded in understanding but, needless to say, Aigis didn't truly understand her companion's discomfort. At the same time, however, she didn't want to press Pyrrha for details. Not when she and the rest of SEES were also guilty of keeping secrets.
"Thank you." The relieved and grateful smile on Pyrrha's face, however, let her know that she made the right decision. "Would you mind if we went somewhere to eat first, however? I know you don't really need it, but the meal that was served on the trip here wasn't as filling as I'd hoped."
As if to punctuate and agree with her words, Aigis's superior hearing picked up a faint rumbling coming from a certain part of Pyrrha's anatomy. And, judging by how two nearby faunus glanced in their direction, she wasn't the only one to hear it.
As she watched Pyrrha's face light up a bright red, her head huddling down and seemingly retreating into her hood, Aigis only had one thing to say. "I comprehend."
"The Director will see you now, Ms. Kirijo."
"Thank you," Mitsuru replied with a nod to the familiar, stern-faced secretary. It had been at least three months since she first made contact with the company, but she immediately recognized the woman she had spoken with briefly before speaking with Director Claire Bernard. It was, after all, a skill she developed to prepare for the day she would one day take over the Kirijo Group. Not that that would be happening now.
Right after walking through the door as the secretary, Kiria, held it open for her, Mitsuru took a moment to take in her new surroundings. Instead of an office where she had expected to find the Director finishing up a call or paperwork, the room she had been led to was actually a laboratory. Or part of one at least.
There were no massive, unidentifiable machines or equipment, or even the familiar, and stereotypical, laboratory setup with countless test tubes, beakers, and chemicals. It was a small, rectangular room which extended directly in front of her, a long window taking up most of the wall to her left while consoles were set against the wall below them. The wall to her right had multiple tables with piles and piles of paper stacked neatly on top of them along with a handful of people in lab coats sitting on chairs and reading or typing something on their Scrolls. There was also a large bookshelf on the far end of the room with binders thicker than her arm.
A few people glanced up from their work at her entry but quickly went back to work. One, however, and a familiar one at that, smiled and walked up to her. And as the familiar-looking woman came closer, Mitsuru's eyes rose higher.
"Ms. Kirijo," greeted the Director, a warm smile on her slightly aged face. "Wonderful to finally meet you in person."
"I could say the same to you, Director," Mitsuru responded with an equally warm smile. Behind that smile, however, was a bit of shock.
She had spoken with the Director several times since their first conversation, and even had a long string of e-mails on her Scroll detailing even more conversations. But seeing a person on screen and meeting them in person were two entirely different things. Case in point, Mitsuru could feel a slight stiffening of her neck as she did her best to make eye contact with the unexpectedly tall Research Director.
Fortunately, years of practice worked well enough that the older woman didn't seem to notice Mitsuru's shock. "I suppose a proper welcome is in order, but, sadly, we're a little too busy for that," she said with a hint of apology. "In any event, our main order of business for today is in one of the other labs so we may as well take a brief tour along the way."
They exited the room through the opposite door, Mitsuru briefly noting the steel-plated room on the other side of the window. The door led to a catwalk above a massive laboratory, one filled with all the equipment she imagined would be necessary for the corporation's research division. But rather than chemicals, the laboratory was filled with computers of various sizes and there was what seemed to be a small production facility in one corner, judging by the conveyor belt passing through multiple machines. Fitting, she supposed, for a company focused on technological advancement.
Thin walls divided the room into at least seven sections, each one looking different enough from the next to differentiate their work or function.
"Not the most elegant, I know," said Director Claire, leading Mitsuru across the catwalk. "But, for us at least, it speeds up things when just about everything we need for the first stage of production is inside a single area."
"The first stage?"
"Of course. This particular room is where new ideas or improvements are developed until we can produce a viable prototype. Once a handful are created, they're tested extensively to determine their capabilities and limitations, to root out any issues that may have been overlooked in the planning stage, as well as comparing them to existing products to ensure we haven't inadvertently downgraded in quality without realizing it."
They reached the end of the long walkway and exited through another door, which led them to a white hallway lined with numerous doors, each one with a steel nameplate. Several people were walking along the hallway, and more came and went as a door opened every few seconds to admit or reveal another. All of them, Mitsuru noted, were wearing lab coats as well.
"Once we've eliminated any and all lingering issues the prototypes have, we create yet another set of prototypes," continued the brown-haired woman, nodding as she passed a pair of men. "They are tested once more to see if there are any further problems that need to be addressed. This process is repeated until the company's testers are no longer able to find any defects or programming bugs."
"I imagine it must be quite the time-consuming process," commented Mitsuru, watching as a wry grin appeared on the corner of the Director's lips. "Though I suppose the results speak for themselves. Despite not having been released to be publicly sold just yet, our Scrolls have yet to fail us in any manner. Although, considering our lack of prior experience with one, it may just be that we see it as such a vast improvement over what we are used to that we cannot see its flaws."
"In some ways, that sort of perspective can help us as well," came the response. "The fact that you and your friends have adapted to it so well, despite having no prior experience, better allows us to advertise that the Scrolls are easy to use, even for first-timers. Complex and specialized machines are all well and good, but the common consumer cannot always be expected to be able to understand how something is used without precise instructions."
"Oh, there will always be one or two in a large group who need to be spoon-fed every single step," she added with a short roll of her eyes, almost making Mitsuru chuckle at the thought, "But, for the majority of the company's products, our goal is to be able to provide products and designs that are useable by just about anyone with a minimal amount of fuss."
Just then, a thought entered Mitsuru's mind as she caught sight of the words on the nameplate of the door they just passed. "Would that happen to include weapons the company is commissioned to create?"
"Of course," came the near instantaneous response, one that did not sound overly rehearsed. "The three weapons we supplied to your friends are no exception, other than the fact that they were not here to test them personally to fine-tune them to each user's preference. In that regard, I'm quite surprised that we haven't received any messages from you stating that there was a problem. Even if that problem were as minor as a balance issue."
"On the contrary, Yukari, Fuuka, and Aigis have stated that the weapons are of excellent quality," said Mitsuru, her words as genuine as they could be given that they were someone else's opinion. "You might have the opportunity to speak with Aigis about it, seeing as she is with me on this trip. Depending on her plans, she might be accompanying me tomorrow. If she does, I'll have her bring her weapons."
"In that case, I'll let Homura, our Chief Weapons Engineer, know that he may have a visitor tomorrow."
The remaining tour of the research area was spent either discussing the various rooms they passed, or in silence, neither one offering up any other topics of conversations.
Mitsuru found the tour reminiscent of her time as the Kirijo heiress, accompanying her father when he made his rounds of the company's many assets. Included, of course, were labs dedicated to studying the phenomenon known as the Dark Hour as well as continued research on the Shadows, though with more focus on stopping them rather than utilizing them. And while different, both labs were similar enough that she could easily determine the necessity for certain pieces of equipment.
Soon enough, however, the pair came to a stop in front of a laboratory, heavy steel sliding doors kept shut by machinery inside walls of similar make and a keypad to prevent unauthorized entry. It was one that housed a specific branch of research that Mitsuru was highly interested in after first hearing about it. More importantly, it was one that was tied to her and the rest of SEES, as well as their mystery-shrouded, white-haired benefactor.
Without a word, Director Claire opened the doors, punching in a code on the keypad while holding up her own Scroll to a scanner. It was a fairly insecure manner of entry, which made Mitsuru suspect there was something more to it than a simple code and Scroll lock. There were no sounds or indication that the passcode and Scroll were accepted, only the quiet hiss as the doors slid open to allow them entry.
They both entered without a word, only breaking the silence when the doors slid shut behind them with a soft hiss. "I notice only the labs in this area have this kind of security. Moreover, I'm surprised this is where it's being kept."
"This area houses the most secure labs," the Director says in response, leading Mitsuru over to the glass window separating them from the lab proper. "It's rarely used since most of our research and experiments aren't dangerous or secretive enough to warrant it, but we do have it just in case. As I recall, the last major project we had that required these labs was when we tested Dust as a power source with differing levels of refinement to determine its overall efficiency, lifespan, and maximum output." The brown-haired woman paused as she shot Mitsuru a small grin. "Needless to say there were quite a lot of scorch marks."
Mitsuru was certain that there were more than just scorch marks to clean up after that sort of experiment but didn't voice it out loud. Her ears registered the Director's words, but her eyes and attention were focused solely on the object behind the protective glass.
Seeing where the redhead's attention was, Director Claire turned her attention to the experiment area as well. "Quite beautiful, is it not?" she asked, her own eyes taking in the sight before her. "Never, in all my years, have I ever seen a Dust crystal quite like it, if it even is one. The shape seems almost deliberately formed rather than naturally, and the color is one that has never been documented in a Dust crystal, unless the Schnees have been holding out on us. Tests have also shown that it's close enough to a Dust crystal in that it can be used as a power source, but the power output is ridiculously high despite its small size."
She couldn't say much about the third part, but Mitsuru couldn't disagree with the first and second. The supposed Dust crystal really did seem like it had been carved rather than, as her readings have taught her, naturally formed in the way that precious gems and mined Dust crystals were.
It was small, very much so for what seemed to be a whole Dust crystal, being shorter than even her smallest finger and no more than twice as wide at its widest point. The shape of the crystal evoked the image of several feathers lined up in the shape of a wing, one made up of several pieces of crystal put together. A glowing, crystalline wing, but a wing nonetheless.
The color was, as previously mentioned by the older woman, undocumented. At least, with regards to any form of publication she found on the subject. It was a luminous electric blue, reminiscent of a spark of electricity as it jumped from place to place.
A soft chime came from her Scroll and, after a quick glance to her side, she discovered that the message came from the tall woman beside her. Opening both the Scroll and the message, Mitsuru's eyes scanned the lines of text while the Director spoke, more or less repeating the same things on the message, which detailed the results of their tests on the crystal.
"As I've already mentioned, tests have shown that the crystal generates power similar to known varieties of Dust crystals. However, we have been unable to measure the exact output." Mitsuru frowned as she heard, and read, those words, but did not interrupt. "No matter what gadget or machine we connect to it, or how many, the crystal is able to power them all. Unfortunately, its maximum output causes everything to either overheat, malfunction, or even explode due to the sheer amount of power. Even equipment meant to measure power output."
"What about its elemental alignment?" asked Mitsuru, eyes scanning the report on her Scroll for any mention of such. "Were you able to discover any such thing?"
"As far as we're aware, it doesn't seem to be aligned to a single element," came the resigned response. "Whereas standard Dust crystals are aligned with a specific element or reaction based on its color, the sample we have is completely unaligned. And that is bizarre, especially when you consider that we have things such as Gravity Dust."
"Unaligned?" The Director seemed to glance at her in approval at catching that specific word. "Does that mean that this crystal does, indeed, possess an element of sorts?"
"To be precise, it seems to possess qualities of all known Dust crystals as well as many other unknown qualities. In fact…" Director Claire paused as though considering what to say, her eyes gaining a hint of hesitance. "In fact, some have theorized that this could possibly be an extremely old sample of Dust."
All of a sudden, Mitsuru found herself much, much more interested in the theory. "In what way?"
There was a strange look in the woman's eyes, perhaps at her sudden interest along with a bit of shock at her swift response, but she indulged her all the same. "We have no evidence as we are reluctant to test it due to the nature of the tests, but some began to speculate that this crystal, due to its possession of multiple qualities that known Dust crystals only possess one of, would break down and degenerate, given time, turning into the Dust crystals we know now."
"That's… quite an interesting theory," commented Mitsuru. To herself, however, was a single thought that she made a note of to verify as soon as she could. 'And if this crystal is what I think it is then it just might be possible.'
Director Claire gave Mitsuru a look of interest. "You know something," she said. And there was no doubting the fact that it was a statement and not a query. "Is it the same then as the crystal you mentioned when we first spoke?"
"I have suspicions but nothing concrete just yet," confirmed the redhead, followed by a shake of her head. "And, unfortunately, no, it's not the same. The crystals I saw prior to leaving for Vale were a deep blue, glowing with a pale blue light. Moreover, they were much larger than this."
"Asides from the fact that both are crystalline in nature, do they have any other similarities that you can think of?"
"None at the moment I'm afraid. Hopefully I'll have the chance to return at some point to procure a sample." Just then, her eyes caught an interesting series of words on the report, which she didn't stop reading despite their conversation. "The crystal triggered a Dust explosion?"
If the Director was surprised by the sudden shift in topic, she didn't show it and just nodded. "That's right. While an external stimulus could force a reaction from Dust, it would normally take Aura in order to activate Dust's innate properties. However, whenever Dust, in any form, is brought close to the crystal, the Dust activates as though someone were using it."
"So far we've only tested it with small amounts of Dust, both powdered and crystalline, with the exception of the first one, which was accidental. Due to how volatile the experiments seem to become, we decided to cut off that avenue of research for the time being and focus on gathering as much data as possible. But, a few months before you first made contact with us, there didn't seem to be any new data to be gathered, though we kept a constant watch on it in case that changed."
"I see."
Mitsuru continued to scan the rest of the report, but it was all as the Director had just said. The ability to not only act as a power source, but also activate all nearby Dust within a short distance, was quite an interesting fact to learn, one that had her mind running at double speed. Combined with the farfetched theory that the research team had come up with, she was certain, now more than ever, that her own theory was on the correct track, if not outright correct.
Soon enough, the pair exited the lab and began their trek back to the Director's office to discuss a few more things. But all the while, one thought continued to run through Mitsuru's mind. 'Regardless of how things go, I'll definitely need to bring Aigis in with me tomorrow.'
"I'll be right back," Pyrrha said, rising from the booth and leaving Aigis by herself.
The blonde watched her companion make her way to the other side of the room, entering one of two doors near the corner. With a hint of amusement, Aigis realized that that was one room she would never really visit for normal reasons.
Crystal blue eyes scanned the interior of the small, almost literal hole-in-the-wall, café where they stopped so Pyrrha could have a quick lunch. So as not to arouse suspicion or unwanted attention, Aigis ordered a small salad and the pair sat at a booth at the back. The salad was to be part of Pyrrha's order so, upon its arrival, Aigis slid the shallow bowl across the table. And when she was finished a few minutes later, the redhead passed it back not long before her own order arrived.
They passed the time with a bit of conversation, mostly about the city and where Pyrrha planned to take her that afternoon. The planned tour was nothing grand, both of them agreeing that the best places to see would be better off visited when they were with Mitsuru and Akihiko so that they wouldn't miss out on anything.
"Pardon me."
The unexpected voice shook Aigis from her thoughts. Glancing up, she found an older man, perhaps in his late forties or early fifties, standing beside the table. He had a weathered, slightly wrinkled face, with strong features. His hair, a heavy mix of red and gray, was tied in a high, spiky ponytail. His clothing was reminiscent of a blue, long-sleeved, Chinese style shirt but extending down to his knees in four parts, loose white pants wrapped with white tape just above the ankles, and black slippers, ones she recognized as the kind worn by the stereotypical martial artists in popular fiction, and in real life, back in her time.
But what caught her attention the most was his sharp, gray-blue eyes. There was a hardness, a steely resolve, in them that Aigis had only seen when her friends were preparing to fight. More than that, however, was the manic and hungry gleam she could see in them. That part reminded her of the predatory gaze she had once seen in the eyes of Strega's leader.
At the same time, however, nothing in his posture suggested that he had approached her with the intent to fight. He wanted something, that much she was certain of, but whatever it was he didn't intend on taking it by force. At least, she hoped that he did not intend to have it escalate that far.
"My apologies for disturbing you," said the man, his voice strong and firm despite his age, "But I was wondering if you could indulge me for a moment."
As much as Aigis wanted to turn the man down, something in his manner told her that he wouldn't leave without whatever it was he wanted. As such, she nodded but remained wary.
"My thanks. I promise you that I won't take much of your time." The man gave a brief bow in thanks before rising and meeting Aigis's gaze once more. "My name is Li. I'm an… acquaintance of sorts… of young Ms. Nikos."
Aigis was immediately on guard, her body tensing every so slightly. She was well aware of Pyrrha's fame just as much as she was aware of the many ways one would want to exploit said fame. And if Pyrrha hadn't explained it earlier, then Aigis would have realized there and then the reason for the redhead's concealing choice of clothing. The man's eyes were sharp, however, and he smiled in amusement at almost the exact moment she tensed, causing her tension to rise even further.
Even so, the man just grew even more amused. "I assure you, I mean no harm. It has been some time since we last spoke and I merely wished to ask about her wellbeing."
"Then why not approach her yourself?" asked Aigis, still wary of the man.
"She clearly does not wish to be recognized, if her clothing is any indication." She had to concede that point to the man, but she would remain cautious all the same. "She is not the sort to engage in casual conversation, especially not for an extended period of time, with one whom she is not comfortable with, so I felt it safe to assume that you were aware of her identity. As such, I felt it best to approach you, instead, and give her the privacy she desires."
She wasn't quite convinced but she didn't feel as though the man was lying. Hiding something, most definitely, but not outright lying. Eyes still filled with caution and distrust, Aigis nodded, an unspoken sign for the man to go on.
"My thanks for your time. I shall leave you now, before Ms. Nikos returns." She was surprised by his words, so much so that her eyes widened in shock, even as the man bowed once more and turned to leave. But before he did, he half-turned back to her with a knowing grin. "And I believe it would be best to keep this meeting to ourselves for now. No need to worry Ms. Nikos when all she wishes is to remain anonymous."
The man, Li, left without another word, leaving the blonde android staring after him in disbelief, her electronic brain still trying to make sense of their conversation. It was to this sight that Pyrrha returned from the restroom.
It took Aigis a while to convince her friend that she was fine and that she had just seen something strange. Not out of respect for the man's wishes, but because, like him – that is, if his words were as sincere as he made them out to be – she felt that there was little need to worry Pyrrha, especially when nothing truly significant had taken place.
Thankfully, the redhead didn't press the issue very much. After settling the bill, which the Mistralian insisted on paying in full since she was the only one who actually ate anything, the pair left the café.
Her appetite finally sated, Pyrrha, her hood still on to minimize the chances of being recognized in public, proceeded to give the android a brief tour of the area close to the hotel. It wasn't much, but, then again, the city as a whole was never meant to be a tourist destination.
Some people came to visit Weilai's business sector. It was, without a doubt, the best place to go almost regardless of what one was looking for, partly due to the presence of the Adamas Corporations headquarters. Household appliances and tools, personal items and gadgets, protective gear for both civilians and professional Huntsmen, just about anything and everything one might want or need from the common to many obscure and bizarre objects could be found in one of the countless stores and shopping centers found in the city.
Others came to try their own luck at plying their trade. Many saw Weilai as the final step towards 'true' success as a businessman, merchant, or anything along those lines. And with the sheer amount of competition in the city, even the best needed to remain steadfast and vigilant lest they walk away a failure due to a single moment of complacency or arrogance.
Others, still, came to the city for safety. It was a known fact that small towns and settlements rarely lasted longer than a handful of generations, if even that. Not unless, of course, there was a strong presence of skilled Huntsmen in the area, or in the town itself, to ward off the growing threat of the Grimm. Even so, more and more people were choosing to migrate to the larger, better protected, cities. And, as the city responsible for the kingdom's continued technological advances, there was little better choice than Weilai.
Regardless of their reasons, few people came to Weilai just to sightsee. True, there were a few who wanted to see the city for themselves, but such people were far and few in between. At least when compared to the sheer number of people who came for other, often more productive and lucrative, reasons. Even so, there was simply not much to see in the city. The city was beautiful, just as many Mistralian cities were, but there was little in the way for entertainment for the common tourist.
Still, Pyrrha did her best to show Aigis things that might interest her. It was, surprisingly, easier than she thought.
Perhaps it was because the blonde had come from a vastly different culture, or perhaps it was, by the android's own admission, because she was relatively inexperienced due to her young age. Pyrrha had, expectedly, raised an eyebrow in confusion until Aigis reminded her that she had been active for less than two years despite having been built over ten years ago. Either way, she was curious about a great many things and her eyes lit up with interest and delight at the smallest things.
She was, Pyrrha mused with a smile hidden by her hood, like a small child seeing the world for the first time.
And then, just as quickly as that thought came, Pyrrha's smile inverted as the realized that Aigis was, technically, a child. Her appearance was that of a teen even though her body was only about a decade old. But despite her body's age, her mind was, in many ways, that of a child even younger than that.
She may have been given the knowledge of many common things to aid in her integration with the world, with combat being the main bulk of said knowledge, but she had not necessarily experienced all of it. It was like reading or being told about flowers but never actually seeing, touching, and smelling one until many years later. Or a sheltered child, with highly overprotective parents, being told about the world but never once being allowed to step outside the house.
Aigis knew a great deal, and had even experienced many things that Pyrrha never imagined someone her age – or at least someone who looked her age – would experience, that much was true. But in many ways, the blonde android was very much a child. A very sheltered child whose eyes wouldn't necessarily look out of place on a seasoned Huntress, but a child nonetheless.
But in the end, all that realization did was make Pyrrha more determined to make sure that Aigis enjoyed her time in Weilai.
Thankfully, nobody recognized her just yet and, subsequently, ruining their day.
The quartet composed of Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, and Pyrrha entered their room, a two-bedroom suite on the second-to-the-top floor of the hotel, a little before midnight, having been given a grand tour of the city by Pyrrha herself after an equally grand dinner at one of the city's finest restaurants. And while none of them had the proper attire for the venue, all it took was a quick presentation of her ID to prove her identity and they were given a private room usually reserved for VIPs and business meetings, foregoing the need for more formal attire.
"I must admit," Mitsuru began to say with a smile not long after entering the luxurious suite. "I wasn't expecting too much considering the city isn't very accommodating when it comes to tourists, but the visit to the temple was quite the unexpected surprise."
Well, perhaps 'grand' was an exaggeration with regards to their city tour. There wasn't much to see in the city save for the Adamas Corporation, the extremely large shopping district, and the old, but still maintained, temple located at the very center of the city.
Of the three, the temple interested the Japanese trio the most due to the similarities in belief. Pyrrha was even certain that she heard Akihiko mutter something about the designs being 'too similar to be a coincidence'. It only strengthened her own belief that the Mistralians, and herself by extension, were partly descended from travelers from their homeland, if not the Japanese themselves.
It felt strange thinking about it, if she were being honest, but some part of her felt strangely elated at the knowledge that they shared blood, however distant and unlikely it was.
Akihiko chuckled at his friend's words. "That's an understatement if I ever heard one. And it's not just the temple. If I wasn't thinking about it I might have started thinking we were still in Japan, just in another city, and not somewhere else entirely."
"I can't say I thought the same, but I can certainly understand where you're coming from," the redhead replied with a brief, but similar chuckle.
The four settled down on plush and, in Akihiko's opinion, overly soft sofas facing one another, a wide window to their side offering an unimpeded view of Weilai.
Akihiko didn't take long to broach the topic he had been waiting to bring up since earlier that night. "So what's the plan for tomorrow?" he asked Mitsuru, who hadn't revealed much, or anything at all, about her visit to the Adamas Corporation's headquarters earlier that day. "We gonna be doing a lot of business with 'em?"
"Truthfully," Mitsuru began to answer without delay, "I'll only need Aigis with me but you're welcome to come along if you want."
"Don't really have anything else planned for this trip so I might as well," the boxer replied before glancing at Aigis. "So we're taking that route then?"
Surprising all three, the redhead shook her head. "I'm still reserving judgement on that matter. For one thing, nothing I've seen or heard suggests that they have the expertise necessary and I'd rather not have Aigis be their learning platform." Akihiko nodded, both in agreement and understanding even as Mitsuru continued. "No, I'll need Aigis present for another matter. I'll let you know more tomorrow," she said to the blonde in question. "For now, I believe we should turn in for the night."
Nobody disagreed, and the quartet split up into pairs to turn in. Mitsuru and Pyrrha in one bedroom, and Aigis and Akihiko in the other. The arrangement the elder redhead suggested suited them all just fine, even the latter pair.
Despite possessing a feminine form, Aigis had no true concept of feminine modesty, though she understood the logic behind it, and thus was not embarrassed to be rooming with Akihiko.
On his part, Akihiko saw Aigis as female but, as she was not truly flesh and blood, did not see anything wrong with the arrangement. Moreover, Aigis was, technically, naked whenever they went into Tartarus in the past. And even stripping off what covering she had left would only reveal mechanical parts.
And it said much about how Pyrrha was adjusting to the knowledge of a Semblance-wielding android that she hadn't voiced any complaints about their arrangement.
The two redheads were soon dressed in their nightwear, though Mitsuru took a brief shower as was her norm, and all but two lights were shut off. Pyrrha was about to step into her bed, knowing that the other three would not be sleeping until midnight had come and gone, when she noticed that Mitsuru was reading something on her Scroll.
Or rather, she noticed the scowl on the older girl's face even as her fingers went to work. Given her focus on whatever it was she had read and was typing, she hadn't noticed Pyrrha's concerned expression nor her decision.
"Is something wrong?" she asked as she approached.
If Mitsuru was in any way startled then Pyrrha would have to applaud her ability to hide it. The way her scowl melted away as she looked up was simply masterful. Had she not seen the scowl with certainty beforehand then she would have passed it off as a trick of the room's currently dim lighting.
"Just a little bad news." It didn't escape her notice that Mitsuru didn't mention where or from whom the bad news came from. "Hopefully it doesn't worsen to the point where I'll need to personally step in."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"Not at the moment, no. I'll keep the offer in mind though if it does get to that point."
"And I'll do everything I can to help if that time comes." With a quick 'good night', Pyrrha returned to the bed and slipped under the covers, her back turned to the direction where Mitsuru was sitting.
But, even as she drifted off to sleep, the red-haired champion could not help but think about what she had just seen.
For as long as she had known Mitsuru, not that it had been very long, she had never once seen the older girl worry about anything. Concerned, yes, but never to the point of being stressed. The look on her face earlier had been the latter. The crease on her brow was more pronounced that she had ever seen before, and her lips had tightened as though stopping herself from speaking, or cursing, out loud. Whatever news she received must have been fairly serious.
Still, it must not be too bad. If something had happened to one of her friends then she wouldn't have stayed silent, let alone pass it off as a minor matter.
Reassuring herself that Mitsuru would tell them, or at least Akihiko and Aigis, if the matter was important, Pyrrha purged the heavy thoughts out of her mind. And soon enough, she gently drifted off into the land of dreams.
December 27, XX13
The next morning was fairly eventful. At least, from Pyrrha's perspective it was.
One of the first things she noticed was that Mitsuru's Scroll was in near constant use that entire morning, the small white device receiving and sending messages every few minutes. Sometimes within less than a minute.
The second thing she noticed was that Mitsuru's Scroll was white. More importantly, it was an older model from about a year or so back. There was no way that she could be mistaken. After all, she had been in the same room when Mitsuru took the red-colored Rotulus model, though mainly because it was the only one left after she let everyone else pick their color of choice.
And the third thing she noticed was the worry that the older girl tried to hide from the rest of them. The only reason she had caught on was because she had seen that same worry the previous night. That, and the fact that she kept glancing at Mitsuru as discreetly as she could.
Mysterious new Scroll aside, a part of her worried that something happened to the others. Something very bad. But, she reasoned to herself, Mitsuru's worry wasn't deep enough, wasn't strong enough. She was confident that, had something of that nature occurred, she would have booked a flight back to Vale, the first one that was scheduled to depart, the moment the message came in. Or, in the worst possible scenario, she might have leveraged Pyrrha's fame in order to secure a flight if one wasn't readily available.
So that left just about every other possibility, many of which she probably hadn't even considered, or ever will.
Asides from Mitsuru's hidden worries, breakfast was a normal affair, with the four of them discussing plans for the day and, more importantly, the night that would follow once their errands and obligations were done. Barring any unforeseen events, the four of them would dine together again later that night and go for another brief tour of Weilai's nightlife.
They departed the hotel not too long after breakfast, taking only a brief moment to let the meal settle and to double-check their preparations. And all too soon for Pyrrha's liking, they arrived at Adamas's main office. Even as they approached the front desk, the receptionist's eyes lit up with recognition, and then confusion. The latter had faded away just before they reached her.
"Good morning Ms. Nikos, Ms. Kirijo," she greeted professionally, not showing the slightest hint of curiosity she no doubt had at seeing the two of them enter together. "Mr. Shamay is in his office, Ms. Nikos. And Director Claire has been expecting you, Ms. Kirijo. I'll have someone escort you and your companions to her office."
"Thank you."
As the young woman behind the desk made the arrangements and informed the necessary parties, Pyrrha turned to her three companions, hiding her earlier discomfort with a smile. "I suppose this is where we part ways for now. I'm certain I'll be here longer to finish up my obligations, so there's no need to wait for me."
Mitsuru nodded without delay. "Alright. We'll let you know what our plans are later on in case you want to meet up."
"That sounds wonderful." With those final words, Pyrrha walked into the elevator, a bag carrying her weapons slung over her shoulder. She had time for a brief nod and a smile before the elevator's doors slid shut and she was whisked away.
It wasn't long before she was standing in front of Astorias Shamay, her manager, discussing what they would be doing for the day. As expected, she would first be displaying her skills in a practice match to ensure she hadn't slacked off while at Beacon, not that anyone expected her to. What would follow was more of the same things she used to do prior to attending Beacon. Meetings, interviews, photoshoots, conferences, promotional and public relations events, social gatherings, and even a new advertisement or two.
It was clear that the next few days in Weilai was going to be a busy one for her, despite being on vacation from school. And it went without saying that her return home would include more of the same due to Mistral being her home city.
Such is the price of fame, she thought for the umpteenth time with an internal sigh.
"Does it look familiar to you Ms. Arisato?"
The blonde adopted a thoughtful expression as she gazed at the mysterious Dust crystal beyond the protective glass. Her eyes, just a few shades darker than the crystal in question, took in every detail from the color, to the shape, to the size. And all the while, she kept in mind the details of the research report that the Director had let her review earlier.
Unfortunately, the Director's hopes were clearly not meant to be answered that day. The statuesque woman didn't even bother to hide her disappointment when Aigis shook her head. "I was hoping you'd at least recognize it, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Given its miniscule size and what it's capable of, I believe it's safe to assume that this particular Dust crystal is an incredibly rare sort." She turned away from the mysterious crystal to face the redhead behind her, noting the speculative and thoughtful look on the silver-haired teen next to Mitsuru. "Is there any particular route you wish to take with regards to it? Ms. Elizabeth did specify in her agreement that research into it would proceed according to your decisions."
"I do." Mitsuru had thought long and hard the previous night about what to do with the strange crystal that SEES's benefactor left behind. And the results of the preliminary testing, combined with her own personal theory, made it quite clear what the next step should be. "Continue testing its capabilities as well as its limits. However, I want any tests that may risk its destruction, or even damaging it, to be detailed and sent to me first. It may limit the results, but I believe it would be best to leave such test until there is no other path to take, lest we risk damaging it or even destroying it before learning anything significant."
Director Claire nodded without pause, her own thoughts coinciding with Mitsuru's. "Considering this is the only sample we have, I believe it would be both prudent and practical to proceed cautiously as well. We may not be able to conduct as many tests, but I believe we should have a reasonable understanding of the crystal's capabilities given time. And speaking of which, is there any particular name you want to give it?"
The redhead glanced at her long-time friend, only to receive a shrug as though to say 'Don't look at me. I don't have any idea what to name it.' A similarly blank expression was on Aigis's face, though Mitsuru could see the blonde glancing at the crystal now and again. After a moment of thought, Mitsuru came up with what she felt was a fitting name. "Let's call it 'Dawn' Dust."
Evidently, everyone found the name both interesting and perplexing in differing amounts, if the looks she received were to go by. "Dawn…" repeated the Director, glancing at the crystal in question as though testing the name. "It's certainly an… interesting name, and it definitely looks close enough to the color of the sky during daybreak. Though I suspect that's not quite why you chose the name."
"No, it's not. Call it intuition, if you will, but given what we know I feel that it's quite the fitting name." Despite her calm expression, Mitsuru couldn't deny the slightly perverse sense of pleasure she felt at hiding her true reasoning for choosing that particular name. One that trailed all the way back to her personal theory.
"I can't completely disagree with that," nodded the Director. "I'll let you know more once I've spoken with the team assigned to this project. And as requested, I'll let you know whe-"
A sharp chime cut her off as her own Scroll rang. Normally she wouldn't bother while she was with someone else, but the melody that played when the message came in was one assigned to messages coming from certain people within the company. More often than not, they were messages that she could not afford to not read as soon as she received them. Excusing herself, she pulled out her Scroll to read the message in question.
Not long after, she turned to the three teens before her with a wide grin.
"How would you three like to meet the Invincible Girl?"
After an amusing moment where Mitsuru revealed that they were already acquainted with Pyrrha, enough to call her their friend,that they had actually travelled to Weilai with her, and that they were actually staying in the same hotel suite, the Director led the trio to another part of the building where Pyrrha would, according to the message she received, spar with her tutor to determine how her skills have grown since her departure for Vale.
"I understand that Pyrrha is quite the celebrity," began Mitsuru as they made their way across the building. "But is it normal to send out messages to let people know that she will be here?"
This time it was the Director's turn to laugh. "Not for the majority, of course," came the jolly response. "But the directors and department heads are almost always informed if Ms. Nikos will be here for an extended period of time. This gives us the chance to consider whether we need or want her for something, advertising more often than not given that Adamas is her corporate sponsor. The Engineering Department, for example, may have come up with an improved design for her weapons or armor and want her to test it. Though more often than not, it's the PR Department that have need of her."
It wasn't really that different from certain celebrities in their time, Mitsuru noted. A sponsor helps them from behind the scenes while, in turn, the celebrity would endorse their sponsor to help them gain more recognition in turn. There were sure to be more details to the deal, there always was, but for now she was certain that it was more of the same as it always was.
It seemed, to her at least, that there will always be things that remained the same even as everything continued to change.
When they pushed past another pair of doors, the sound of clashing weapons reached their ears, only muted. Stepping into the room, they found themselves standing in a viewing deck above the combat area where they found their friend and classmate sparring against an older, red-haired man, the latter wielding a simple spear that was longer than he was tall.
The sounds were coming from the screens to the left where the recording equipment was located. Manning them were a handful of technical staff and standing behind them were two men in corporate attire who were pointing at something on the screens every few seconds and speaking in low tones to one another.
"That man…"
Aigis's muttered words drew attention from their host, who followed the blonde's gaze down to the champion's opponent. "Ah, that's not her father, or even a relative, if that's what you're thinking." The Director's words were clearly a result of thinking that Aigis made the assumption due to the man's red hair, which was a very close shade to Pyrrha's own. Aigis decided not to correct the older woman. "That man is Master Li, the man who claims to be the master of over a thousand weapons."
"A thousand?" Akihiko's tone was skeptical, which was understandable, but Mitsuru could both see and hear a hint of respect for the older man. She supposed it had to do with his own hobbies and personality.
"Mind you, no one's ever seen him demonstrate that much," added the Research Director. "But what little he has revealed caused quite a lot of people to not completely doubt his claims."
Were anyone to ask Akihiko for his opinion, or even Aigis's, they would have heard the two side with those same people.
Though he was only well-versed in boxing, Akihiko's experience did lend him a sharp eye when it came to assessing the skills of an opponent. Even Mitsuru had that same ability due to her fencing, though to a lesser degree. It was, if he were being honest, the main reason why, barring Aigis for obvious reasons, he still held the most wins among SEES in their Combat Class. The second reason was simply that he took his physical training far more seriously than the others, even prior to Beacon.
Helping train the other members of SEES, creating the optimal training regimen suited for their individual styles and needs, training against metaphorical and literal monsters like Elizabeth and Thanatos, and even training against their Aura-powered classmates and friends, and even a teacher at one point, only served to better this particular skill of his. Only Aigis was better at it than he was but that had more to do with her physical nature rather than experience.
And right now that same hard-earned ability was telling him that the older redhead facing off against his classmate was highly unlikely to be a mere braggart. Even if the number of weapons mastered was an exaggeration, his skill was undoubtedly genuine.
The spear in his hands was nothing more than a dark gray, metal staff with pointed ends. In fact, Akihiko felt it was more appropriate to call it a javelin even if it wasn't being used the way a javelin was traditionally used, namely being thrown. The man wielded it the way one would a quarterstaff, spinning it around with ease born of talent and practice, but just as often thrusting a pointed end at the younger, female redhead like one would a spear or pike.
Akihiko didn't know anyone who used a weapon like it – though he had seen a handful of Minato's Personas using one briefly – but discerning gray eyes could see a miniscule portion of the immense amount of skill the man kept hidden. Pyrrha was clearly outmatched the way a newborn child was unable to match a trained Huntsman. Only by grace and necessity did the older man not end the fight within the first two seconds, instead prolonging it in order to impart what little martial knowledge he was willing to part with.
But even while holding back, he was nothing less than a force of nature given human form. Every strike brought to bear the strength of a crushing wave, every thrust of his weapon was as swift as a bolt of lightning, every motion an unstoppable hurricane, and any form of retaliation was met by an immovable and impenetrable mountain.
And standing against it all was a mere mortal girl who made no effort to hide how much she was struggling.
To the fairly well-trained eyes of the three spectating teens, with Aigis being the most suited to observing the more minute details of the fight, their red-haired classmate was almost exclusively on the defensive. It was a strange sight to see, even knowing that, despite her fame, Pyrrha was still just a seventeen-year-old girl who was well below the skill level of even the average Huntsman.
And yet there it was.
Miló was swinging every which way, the red and gold blade just barely fending off the older man's relentless storm of attacks. Akoúo was used similarly, constantly raised and in motion to keep its owner from being struck. Such was the ferocity of the attacker that Pyrrha seldom made any offensive moves. And on the rare occasion that she did, her attack was knocked aside with contemptuous ease long before it came close to its target. Were her opponent any other man, Akihiko was certain that he would be laughing and gloating at how easily and prematurely he had stopped her attack.
Idly, he wondered what the redhead champion's fans would think if they saw their idol the way she was now. Sweat pouring down her face, all four limbs shaking ever so slightly with exhaustion as she continued to struggle against a vastly superior foe. Not even her half-hour bout against Aigis had left her looking this exhausted. And while her Aura meter was still well over two-thirds of the way full, the fact that she had yet to land a single hit was just as telling as a more depleted one.
This was not a fight.
It was not even a training match. Not to Akihiko.
While Master Li's expression never once changed, a confident grin seemingly frozen on his slightly aged face, his actions throughout the fight spoke of things that the boxer was certain only a few people in the room would understand, if even that many.
No, it was absolutely wrong to call the spectacle before him a fight.
Now the only question was 'why'.
A handful of theories sprung up in his mind within the first few seconds. A dozen more came within the next minute. And yet more came with every passing moment, each one just as feasible yet highly unlikely as the last.
He simply lacked the necessary information and context to understand why things were happening in this manner.
His thoughts were cut short when a loud buzzer sounded off to the side. A quick glance showed that it came from the speakers on the console that was monitoring the fight. Another glance showed that Pyrrha's Aura meter had just fallen below the halfway point. It was well above the point where fights were usually stopped, so he felt it safe to assume that it was something that had been agreed upon beforehand.
But even so, his mind never left the question that he had been pondering just moments ago. Even as Director Claire escorted them down to the waiting room outside the combat area – something about wanting to speak with Pyrrha for a moment – Akihiko's mind was more focused on his own thoughts.
And such was his dedication to it that, before he knew it, they were already standing in front of Pyrrha and her teacher, the former introducing the three of them to the older man.
"…om Beacon. Akihiko Sanada, Mitsuru Kirijo, and Aigis Arisato." Hearing his name pulled the silver-haired teen away from his thoughts. And while Pyrrha didn't seem to notice his preoccupied state, her teacher was another matter, if the way he was looking at him was any indication.
"A pleasure to meet you all," said the older redhead. When Pyrrha didn't introduce her teacher, Akihiko realized that he had already missed that part of the introductions. "And a pleasure to meet you again, Ms. Arisato." That, however, came as a surprise. "I certainly hope you enjoyed the tour my student no doubt took you on yesterday after we parted ways. Though I suppose she might have escorted all three of you and not just yourself."
Had she been anyone else, Akihiko was certain that Aigis would have been blushing like a schoolgirl – the normal kind and not the Huntress kind – at the attention everyone was suddenly giving her. Then again, who wouldn't be interested in hearing how the two of them had gotten acquainted with one another.
True to form, Aigis maintained a disciplined, if somewhat stoic, expression as she nodded. "We did," she said, answering the unspoken question while also confirming Master Li's latter statement.
"You've… met?" asked Pyrrha, looking back and forth between her teacher and her classmates. The unspoken 'when' and 'where' was practically on her lips, though manners prevented her from prying too quickly. Not that she even needed to ask. Anyone with even a tiny sliver of social awareness could see the questions she wanted to ask.
Her teacher was most definitely one of those people. "Yesterday, in that small café not too far from the southern monument."
"He approached me at our table while you were in the restroom." And Aigis, despite her limited social experience, was another, answering the next unspoken question even before Pyrrha could hint at it. "We had a brief discussion, then he left just before you returned."
"I didn't wish to intrude any longer than I already did," continued Li. "Besides which, it was quite apparent that you wanted privacy."
"You stated your desire to remain anonymous for the most part, so I made the choice not to bother you with the knowledge that someone had recognized you."
While the back-and-forth between the two made for an amusing sight, mostly because of the confused – and was that frustration he spotted? – expression on Pyrrha's face, Akihiko's focus was on the elder redhead. Now that he was this close, he could see something in the older man's eyes that no camera or video recording could capture. And when, in the very near future, he would mention this finding in the presence of Aigis, the blonde would confirm having seen the very same thing.
In the older man's eyes was a deep hunger for something Akihiko could only guess at. He had seen that same look in the eyes of at least one other man in the past. Those were the eyes of men who would go to any lengths to obtain that which they sought.
Of those he had known, one would eventually realize that his path was leading him down a road that would lead only to his own destruction. Even so, by the time he had realized his mistake he had already lost much more than he was willing to pay. And while he chose not to give up on his goal, the path he then chose to take towards it was far less likely to lead to further tragedy.
Others were not so fortunate. Or even willing to change. Akihiko could recall at least two others who pursued their goal with such zeal that they chose not to pay heed to the cost. Partly because the cost they paid came not from them but from others, and partly because they felt that their end goal, their ambition, was worth any price that must be paid.
Given the man's age, combined with the fact that he still possessed such eyes, Master Li was highly unlikely to be one of the former.
And the fact that he was Pyrrha's teacher, and had been for years, bothered Akihiko far more than he would like to admit in present company.
"Akihiko?"
Mitsuru's voice, despite the soft volume and tone, drew him out of his spiraling thoughts. For a multitude of reasons, one did not simply ignore Mitsuru Kirijo when she had something to say.
"Later," he murmured back, eyes still watching as Master Li took a moment to laugh at Pyrrha's confusion.
"Don't be so surprised," he barked out alongside his laughter. "I was told you would be arriving yesterday. With enough patience it becomes a trivial matter to wait at the city's sole port to await your arrival. From there, I merely followed at a distance to observe how you've changed since your departure for Vale months prior." There was a glint of amusement in his eyes to accompany the grin that blossomed on his lips. "Though I have to say it was a surprise to see you with not one, but three companions. All of whom you seem to be quite comfortable with."
Pyrrha made to speak but her teacher cut her off, though not impolitely. "I don't mean to belittle you in any way. I just did not expect such a sight. I recall telling you that I disagreed with your opinion regarding how your fame would affect your relationships with your peers. The fact that you bore that mindset going in is the same as walking to a fight while thinking only of your disadvantages and the possibility of defeat."
The younger redhead looked suitably admonished by her teacher's words, the comparison more than enough to impart the scale of her mistake. "'Strength of arms are as a dull, rusted blade when wielded by a weak heart.'" The words she spoke were clearly that of someone else's. And Akihiko didn't need to consider the possibilities very hard to realize whose words they were.
"Indeed," responded Master Li, a sharp, approving grin on his face. "Since you remember it so well, try, then, to remember that crossing a stream is not so different from crossing a river. The scale may be different, and the dangers not quite the same, but at the heart of it all you are still crossing a body of running water."
It took a moment before Akihiko saw understanding dawn in Pyrrha's green eyes. Soon after, she bowed her head in gratitude and, if his eyes weren't mistaken, a little bit of shame. Was she perhaps embarrassed at having overlooked something that was, in hindsight, so simple?
"Well, enough lessons for now. We'll have time for that in the coming days," announced Master Li, his grin fading and making way for a friendlier smile. "For now, I can safely say that your skills haven't suffered in your time away. In fact, your skills have advanced by a not so insignificant margin. It's quite clear that Beacon Academy lives up to its reputation as the best of the Huntsman Academies."
"Thank you, Master Li." Once again, Pyrrha bows her head, accepting the older man's assessment and praise. "But I should mention that not all of my improvements were a result of the training provided by Beacon's staff, though they certainly played a major role."
"Oh?" All of a sudden, the hair on the back of Akihiko's head began to stand on end. A brief but undeniable chill running down his spine as though to warn him that something terrible was about to happen. It didn't help that the red-haired man's eyes once again gleamed with well-veiled hunger even as his voice took on a tone of interest. "Then, to whom or what else do we owe your improvement to?"
The Mistralian girl turned, her hand rising and gesturing in their direction with an open palm facing upwards. "Despite his age, Akihiko is well-read with regards to various exercises and training methods. Initially, I kept to the training routines you laid out for me before my departure but, after seeing how well his friends took to his training, I decided to see if he had any advice he could give me regarding my own training."
Master Li gave a nod of approval, eyes examining Akihiko more closely now. "A prudent choice. Youth is not all foolishness and ignorance, age is not wisdom and sensibility."
Akihiko was about to respond, hoping to downplay his aid while praying that the older man would turn his gaze away. But before he could, his red-haired classmate continued to speak. "Asides from Akihiko, Aigis has also been a great help."
If Pyrrha's earlier words was enough to cause him worry, her latest statement caused every single alarm to thunder and blare inside his head. He could not fathom the reason for such a feeling, but he had never been the most rational person. Despite the cool demeanor he preferred to portray in public, he had always listened to his instincts first and foremost, emotions and logic alternating between second and third depending on the situation. And right now, every last bit of instinct was telling – no, screaming at him that revealing Aigis's combat prowess here would be the biggest mistake they would make yet.
"Aigis is, asides from myself, the only undefeated first-year student in our Combat Class and is, in my opinion, easily my equal in combat." Now Master Li's attention was solely on the blonde, and Akihiko could see the intensity of his interest grow exponentially. "Both times we've fought ended in a draw," Pyrrha continued to say, seemingly unaware of her teacher's predatory gaze aimed at Aigis. "And while neither she nor I were fighting at the limits of our strength, I believe that both she and I have a near equal chance of obtaining victory were we to fight at our absolute best."
But it wasn't just Master Li whose attention was on the blonde. Standing next to the trio of Japanese students, Director Claire was also giving Aigis an appraising glance, though with far less in the way of ulterior motives hidden in her eyes. "Well now, isn't that interesting," she muttered, just loud enough for them to hear. "I don't know whether to call Shamay to see if he can make use of this as some sort of rivalry to boost your image, or to see if the company could make Ms. Arisato a similar offer and have you two work side by side."
"Perhaps a spar between the two, with the necessary people observing, could help?" Master Li suggested helpfully. "Such things are beyond my expertise so I believe it would be best to leave such decisions in the hands of the more knowledgeable."
And in response, Director Claire's eyes lit up with enough excitement that it was almost palpable. "I'll have to run it through the others but I do believe that should be possible."
It wasn't just the two adults, however, as even Pyrrha's eyes betrayed her own elation. Akihiko, on the other hand, could not possibly feel any less excited as he already was. A quick glance at the two girls beside him showed that he wasn't the only one, though not for the same reasons. Mitsuru, at least, looked to be thinking things over and would most likely not allow it to take place. At least, not then and there. In the future, perhaps, but not now. Aigis was concerned but was glancing at him and Mitsuru for their decision.
"I'd certainly like to see how a third match will end," added Pyrrha, perhaps not intentionally trying to tilt the scales. Although she knew that Aigis would be unable to fight with her full ability, the chance to see who was better in terms of pure physical ability was still too much to pass up.
While many might have said that his feelings were mistaken, given that he was clearly in the minority, Akihiko wouldn't have cared even if they openly said that he was completely paranoid. He lived most of his life following his instincts over anything else. He wouldn't start doubting them now. Not when they were warning him so strongly.
"Let's hold off on that." And with those five words, Akihiko had everyone's attention on him. "As much as I wanna see it too, Aigis doesn't have her weapons and she isn't that good at hand-to-hand." He tried his best to sound casual, but he wasn't sure he could hide everything from a man like Master Li. Hopefully he at least had the consolation of not having given away his true reasoning. "Besides, even if it won't take long we'll be heading back to Vale tomorrow morning and we've got a couple of things we still need to take care of today."
More than one person looked disappointed, but he was satisfied by having cut off an impending disaster and, hopefully, delaying a future one as well. Though he would have preferred to completely eliminate the latter, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Not with the look in the man's eyes.
"A pity," said the elder redhead, reaching up to stroke his chin as he looked at Aigis appraisingly. "I, myself, was looking forward to watching such a battle. While my student is hardly the strongest in her generation, it has been quite a long time since she has met an equal. Regardless, it relieves me to know she has found one." Turning to Pyrrha, he said, "It would seem that your decision to study at Beacon Academy has already borne fruit."
Glancing at the three friends she had made at the aforementioned school, watching as the two older teens began to discuss something in hushed tones while Aigis briefly entertained the Research Director, Pyrrha didn't even try suppressing the small, soft smile that graced her lips. "Yes. I'm certainly glad I made that decision. And I'm certain it is one I will never regret."
The four teens parted ways not long afterwards. Pyrrha left to freshen up and to attend a few meetings with her corporate sponsors. Akihiko and Aigis left for a bit of additional sightseeing as well as to run a few errands that Akihiko had been unable to finish the day before. Mitsuru, meanwhile, remained behind to finish up some business with Adamas.
To be precise, she was meeting with Homura Toukou, Adamas's Head of Engineering. While the man mainly worked on designs for the company's products, he was also an accomplished weapon-smith. In fact, he had been the one to design the weapons currently used by Fuuka, Yukari, and Aigis. It was with that thought in mind that Mitsuru had asked for a meeting with him.
At the moment, the bald, tan-skinned, middle-aged man was sitting behind his desk in a plain black business suit, looking over some documents on his Scroll with a dour expression. "These are quite… intriguing," he said with a rough, gravelly voice, eyes still roaming the display screen of his Scroll. "And your idea certainly has merit, most especially given your current career path."
Finally, he slid his Scroll shut and set it down on the desk, midnight blue eyes glancing up to meet Mitsuru's. "Though I hope you understand that what you're asking for isn't going to be inexpensive. The price the three weapons your benefactor ordered on your behalf won't even come close to what you're asking of me. More importantly, it's not something that will be finished anytime soon. I wager it will take at least three months before all of this is finished, perhaps at least another month more depending on other projects that may crop up between now and then."
"I'm well aware," Mitsuru replied without hesitation. "However, all this is for the safety of my friends and myself. Money is a small matter compared to that. And though I would prefer to have it finished sooner rather than later, I'm well aware that you have other priorities and obligations."
Left unsaid, or rather best unsaid, was the veritable fortune that Elizabeth had left them. And armed with a better understanding of Remnant's economy, Mitsuru now realized that she and her friends had essentially been gifted enough assets to rival what the Kirijo Group once had in a past long gone. The only difference was that the Kirijo's assets were capable of generating even more revenue, while theirs was mostly monetary assets at present, save for the investments into Adamas that Elizabeth made on their behalf.
"Well, it's your money so I'm hardly going to turn this contract down if you're this sure about it," the man replied without humor. "Give me a moment to collect the forms you'll need to sign. I'm sure you have other things you'd rather be doing."
In no time at all the necessary paperwork was read, examined, re-examined, and thoroughly understood, ending with a pair of signatures on each page plus a handful more on certain pages. Mitsuru wasn't certain, but she thought she had seen a hint of amusement in the bald man's eyes as she scanned each and every line on the contract with intense scrutiny.
Soon, the two parted ways with a handshake, the older of the pair filing away the contracts and starting work on the order. But while he was doing so, the Scroll on his desk began to blink and ring signifying an incoming call. One hand strayed to his Scroll to accept the call. It wasn't long before the blank display of his Scroll brightened as a face came into view.
"So what did you think?"
"Definitely someone to keep an eye on," he replied without glancing away from his work, responding to the familiar voice of the Research Director. "She's smart and meticulous, went through all twenty pages of the contract before signing a single page. She didn't say anything, but I wager she saw a handful of loopholes we put in there for the company's safety. Maybe even all of them for all I know."
"Ambitious too, if this little project's anything to go by," he added before the older woman could respond. "She doesn't strike me as the sort to just play the stock market and be content with her investments. If she can afford this, then I wager everything I have that she'll have her own little business not long before she graduates from Beacon. Or maybe even a not-so-little one. She's certainly got the brains and the drive for it. Give her a couple of years after that and she just might be the CEO of the next budding corporate giant."
"Any ideas what it'll be about?"
"No clue," he said, accompanied by a brief shrug. "Dust and technology are pretty much the two biggest markets on Remnant. If she goes after Dust, she'll have the SDC to contend with. And everyone with even a quarter of a brain knows how hard the competition will hit her the moment she's on the rise. Same goes for technology and Adamas. The only other market I can see that's in high demand is security."
Had he bothered to look, he would have seen the Director's confused but intrigued expression. "Like a private military company of sorts?"
"More or less. But the only reason that particular market hasn't been claimed is because we already have Huntsmen. Unless she can find some way to compete with the Huntsmen that'll be a steep, uphill, losing battle from the beginning. Huntsmen don't belong to any one kingdom regardless of where they studied. Similarly, the law prevents them from retaining their Huntsmen License if they choose to work exclusively for a single company. Or even for a multiple companies. Pretty much anything that may make them less than neutral in the eyes of the law would be considered illegal. Atlas only have their 'Specialists' because those guys don't mind not having a license. Not like they really need it since the Atlesian Military pretty much does everything a Huntsman does, and more."
"Adding to that, a Huntsman License is easy enough to get," Homura added without pausing his work. "Even people who've never been to a Huntsman Academy won't have too much trouble getting one as long as they know how to fight and know enough about certain subjects, so there's practically no reason for any skilled fighter not to get one. The fact that they'll almost never run out of jobs to do is a huge bonus, never mind a ton of other benefits for basically having one of the most dangerous jobs in all Remnant. She'd need to have quite the silver tongue to convince anyone to give up those benefits and sign up with her."
"And the project she has you doing?"
"Too high maintenance, especially in the long-term and in large numbers." He hadn't even paused to think about his answer, one hand typing out something on his Scroll while the other was filling out forms on his desk. "Not unless the influx of jobs she gets matches what the Huntsmen get. But then that would mean less jobs for Huntsmen, which will certainly make a lot of people unhappy. Not only that, but to get to that point that she'd need to prove, beyond all doubt, that her people are the undeniably better option. That may take too long, cost too much, unless she's got enough cash to burn while waiting for that point."
"And we've already established that she's as far removed from the 'stupid' end of the scale as possible," said the Research Director, nodding along in agreement even though her conversation partner wasn't even looking at her image on his Scroll. "Either way, we don't really know that she'll go down that path. I can't say much because of my own contract with her, but depending on how things turn out my project just might be her starting point, but certainly not enough to stand on its own."
"She'll still be someone to watch out for," concluded the Head Engineer, finishing up the forms on his desk and setting the pen down. Only then did he turn to face the older woman's image on the Scroll. "Anyway, any other reason you called? I doubt it was just to talk about the company's youngest shareholder."
The levity on the woman's face and demeanor faded, replaced by a much more professional and serious one that she often bore. "The latest set of test results are in," she began, her tone also more serious. "I've sent them to you so you can go over them at your leisure. I've also scheduled a meeting two days from now to discuss what changes we can apply."
"We've also received the latest report from the lab in Oster." Upon hearing the name of one of Adamas's outlying branches, Homura's expression sharpened like the very blades he so often created. "The company's latest brainchild has hit a few snags and the local team is requesting assistance to go over the latest issues. I'm thinking of sending you along with a handful of others to see if the issues can be resolved quickly."
His eyes turned back to his desk and Scroll just as quickly as his hands went back to work. "Forward the list of those who'll accompany me once it's finalized and let them know. I should be done with my preparations in two days. We'll leave the day after."
"Everything should be ready by then. Be sure to let me know what supplies you'll need so I can get it all approved by Elmas as soon as I can." Receiving a silent nod in return, the Director prepared to end the call from her end only to pause. "I'm sure I don't need to remind you how important it is that we succeed."
"I'm well aware," he replied, his tone unchanging. Then, turning away from his current task, he gave his superior an uncharacteristically stern gaze. "Rest assured, provided there are no unexpected issues, then the world will bear witness to Mistral's glory before the end of the next year."
She had always been in a position of power, even from a young age. And while she did not always make use of it, it was always there, in one form or another, whenever she needed it. Sometimes it wasn't the correct sort of power for a given situation but she still had power, nonetheless.
Power, as she once read, begets and attracts power. And having been born into it, she lived a life where obtaining even more power came easier compared to others.
Information was one such form that power could take and one that she had little trouble obtaining more of, whether through other people or through her own efforts. An understanding of how the world and nature worked opened many opportunities and could aid in solving many problems. Knowledge of past events and how they shaped the present allowed one to better manipulate the present to shape the future. Learning of the intricacies of the human mind and heart led to smoother communication with, of even manipulation of, other people. And, often, she had heard that understanding one's self leads to a happier life.
Conversely, she had also experienced times when she was powerless. Although such events were far and few in between, each one had a profound and long-lasting effect on her. Enough that those effects still lingered to the present day and far into the future.
Her current situation was another of those times. Thankfully it was only a minor matter. Even so, she had gotten used to having the upper-hand in such situations that not having it irked her somewhat, though she would never show it openly or even speak of it to those she didn't trust implicitly.
The fact that the person she was speaking with was one such person, however, somehow made it even more irksome.
"What exactly had you so worried earlier?"
His unease hadn't gone unnoticed to Mitsuru's observant eye, but the reasons eluded her. There had been no threat at that time, physical or otherwise, to make him react in such a manner. While there had been talk of having Aigis and Pyrrha spar, she wouldn't have allowed it and would have made her own excuse had Akihiko not done so before she did. Even Aigis was no doubt aware, even if Mitsuru had spotted a spark of interest. Still, for him to take the lead like that was… unusual to say the least.
He had refused to speak earlier, claiming the need for privacy. As a result, she had spent nearly the whole day waiting for such an opportunity to come, all the while trying to work out for herself just what had gotten him so agitated. Now, at long last, the opportunity presented itself. Pyrrha had a business dinner to attend, leaving only the three members of SEES in their hotel suite.
"Don't trust that man." What Akihiko had to say, however, was not what she had expected. "I don't know what he's up to, but don't let him get too close. In fact, I'd prefer if he never saw Aigis fighting anytime in the future if we can avoid it."
Now that was certainly strange. To Mitsuru at least. "I'd have thought you'd be the one among us to get along with him the best. The way his eyes gleamed at meeting someone strong or skilled was very much like how you used to be. You're still like that, in fact. You're just not as zealous as before."
"That's why I don't trust him," Akihiko spat out firmly, turning away and walking over to the window.
Confused by his response, Mitsuru and Aigis followed after and went to stand a short distance behind him. His hand rested on the window frame at head level, his body leaning forward with his forehead nearly resting on the cool glass which began to mist over ever so slightly from his breathing. From her position, she could see a portion of his face reflected on the glass.
"I know what kind of person I am," he began, his voice low. "I know what kind of person I was. And it's exactly because we're the same that I don't trust him."
"You make it sound like you don't even trust yourself." It was simply a result of how she interpreted his words, but she still wasn't happy knowing that the possibility existed.
"I don't." His words froze her in place as one thought after another rushed through her mind, trying to find some possible explanation for his words. "Or at least, the 'me' of the present doesn't trust the kind of person the 'me' of the past was." His solemn words reassured her, somewhat, but she didn't even need to speak out loud for Akihiko to know what her next question would be.
A loud sigh came from his lips, the glass in front of his misting over enough to hide his reflection from her gaze. If she didn't know any better she might have thought that he had done that on purpose. "Back then, all I cared about was getting stronger. Strong enough that I'd never lose anyone or anything important to me again."
"And I understand that," pre-empted Mitsuru, already seeing where his thought process was leading. "And I'm certain that Shinjiro, regardless of his opinion, understood why you made the choices you did."
Akihiko didn't seem to even acknowledge her words as he continued to speak soon after she did. "I never realized just how much it would cost me. Before I realized it, I owed far more than I was willing to pay." His expression, or what little she could see from his half-reflected face, darkened for a brief moment before his expression went back to its neutral mask. "I'll never stop regretting how stupid I was back then. It's a burden I'll carry until I die."
Then his face darkened once more. Not with remorse or sadness. Rather, this time his face bore a mask of anger. "But that man is different. He's like how I used to be, always looking for ways to become stronger, better. Ways to get to his goal as fast as he can. But he's also got the eyes of people like Takaya and Ikutsuki."
Those two names sent a brief shiver down Mitsuru's spine. Despite the passage of time, and despite SEES's success over the two zealots, Mitsuru would never forget the crazed and fanatical gleam in their eyes whenever they spoke of the Fall and their skewed perception of salvation. And yet…
"Are you certain?" And yet she couldn't help but doubt what Akihiko was telling her. Certainly the man possessed such a manic gleam in his eyes but to compare him to the likes of Takaya Sakaki and Shuji Ikustuki? "Isn't that a little excessive?"
The shrug she received took her aback. "Who knows?" With all the certainty previously in his tone, hearing him admit that he may be wrong was just so uncharacteristic of him that she found herself briefly speechless. "I'm not asking you to trust me blindly on this. Not when all I've got to back me up is gut instinct." Akihiko glanced over his shoulder to make eye contact with Mitsuru, his gray-eyed gaze conveying just how he felt about the red-haired man. "Just be careful around him. I don't know what he wants, or even how he'll go about getting it. All I know is that it's a bad idea to get too deeply involved with him."
The silver-haired boxer fell silent after that, offering no more words and just blankly staring out the window, seeing something only he could see. No longer in any sort of mood to socialize, whether with Akihiko or Aigis, Mitsuru retired to the room she shared with Pyrrha. With the absence of her fellow redhead, she had the room all to herself and, more importantly, privacy to process what little information she had gleamed from Akihiko's words.
Mitsuru wasn't one to rely on things as subjective as instinct or intuition. Even her own was heavily subject to investigation until it became less intuitive and more logical. As such, she wasn't sure what to make of the other teen's opinion of the man they knew as Pyrrha's private tutor. Especially given their differing opinions.
She had looked into the man not long after leaving Adamas and what she found painted him as a well-respected man all across the continent of Anima. He was just as respected in many places outside the continent, most especially by the Atlesian military and various Huntsmen and Huntresses, for his martial prowess.
In addition, although Master Li was not a licensed Huntsman, he was known to travel remote towns and villages to volunteer his services for weeks at a time, teaching basic combat skills and defending them from the Grimm and the occasional raider during his time there. The fact that he had become the private tutor of Pyrrha Nikos, prior to her rise to fame as the four-time regional champion, only added to his own fame, even if it invited questions. But even with his new responsibilities, he still found the time to travel the continent and, sometimes, the other continents as well.
He was easily one of the, if not the, most famous individual in all Anima.
But like with any celebrity, even if he had not acted out of a desire to be famous, any light shone on his life generated a shadow. In his case, it was the lack of such desire and motivation that invited questions from the skeptics who could not believe that such a man existed. After all, what sort of man gives and risks so much but asks for next to nothing in return?
In addition, the absence of any form of career led to questions about his lifestyle. It was well-known that he refused any form of monetary payment for his volunteer work, often only asking for a roof to sleep under, food during his time in the settlement, and some supplies for his trip to wherever his next destination was. And despite the generosity offered, he never once asked for more than necessary, taking and receiving only what he absolutely needed. No more.
Reporters and such that inquired into his finances, openly or otherwise, discovered that he did not own a single bank account with any bank on Remnant. Even the payment he received working as Pyrrha's private tutor was always distributed to various charities across Mistral, with only a small amount remaining in his possession in order to fund his next trip to whichever town or village he chose to visit next.
Understandably, there were many cries of disbelief among the investigators. Many had assumed that the banks were lying. After all, they were not obligated to reveal any information and, as such, might have lied in order to stop the queries outright.
But one bank had decided to nip things in the bud and gave one reporter access to their database. Such an opportunity came with countless stipulations and contracts, dozens of signatures from both parties along with multiple, non-related, witnesses, but both sides felt it was well worth the trouble and cost as they walked away with what they wanted. The bank was no longer hounded by reporters, save for the scant few who still believed that the truth had been hidden away prior to the agreement, and the media people, for the most part, finally received undeniable confirmation.
Other banks followed suit not long after, fed up with all the polite and not-so-polite inquiries into the non-existent accounts of a man who was not even their client.
In addition, Mitsuru found an old news article which, with Master Li's explicit permission, released information showing that he owned no land or properties within any town or city in the kingdom. The closest he had to a home is a small shack far removed from civilization in an undisclosed location in the northern parts of Anima. Even then, he admitted that he can count the number of times he returns there within any year on one hand.
For all intents and purposes, the man was but a kind-hearted wanderer, roaming from one place to the next and offering his services as a means to earn what little he needs before moving on.
Yet the man was hardly a saint. After all, there were many reports of him having killed bandits and raiders without offering any opportunity for diplomacy. What was truly worth paying attention to was the fact that he had, many times, gone out of his way to hunt them down rather than just defending the town or village that needed aid.
As a result, there came demands from select people that the man be held accountable for the loss of life. He was neither a licensed Huntsman nor a member of any law enforcement group. As such, his actions could not be considered an act of justice but an act of murder, or vigilantism at best. And, since he had hunted them down, no fair and just court of law could consider it self-defense.
The man who claimed to be a master of over a thousand weapons was as famous as he was infamous. Loved just as much as he was despised. Respected just as much as he was feared. The only difference was who was asked.
Yet, in his own words, he was just another man who was doing what he felt was right, regardless of how people may perceive his actions.
Mitsuru could only theorize as to why there hadn't been even a single attempt to arrest the man despite there just as many people who wanted it to happen as opposed to those who saw his acts as good and just.
So exactly what was it that Akihiko had seen? What exactly was it that he felt from the man, beyond the resemblance to himself, Takaya, and Ikutsuki, that made him feel so strongly about this? What made him insist on a level of caution beyond what Mitsuru would normally have given the man?
Countless ideas and theories buzzed around Mitsuru's head that night, not at all unlike a fly trapped in a jar
December 28, XX13
The breakfast table that the four occupied the next day carried a strange tension, one that Aigis could not readily explain.
At first, she thought that it might have been Akihiko's warning the previous night weighing on Mitsuru and the boxer himself. But that did not explain Pyrrha's own silence. Since she was absent when Akihiko aired his concerns, Aigis could only assume that her troubles stemmed from some personal or work-related issue.
As a result, the blonde android found herself unable to speak up beyond the basic greetings. She was more than aware that she was still far too inept when it came to dealing with such sensitive matters so she opted to refrain from questioning them on their silence.
At the very least, she would refrain from doing so with Pyrrha, whom she did not feel she shared a close enough friendship so as to inquire about what was potentially a sensitive matter. If the redhead felt differently, then she would be the one to approach Aigis just as she had opened up to the blonde many weeks ago. And just like the fateful night that led to the Mistralian champion to challenge the high school boxing champion, Aigis would offer what help she could, even if it was as simple as a listening ear and a few words of comfort.
Akihiko and Mitsuru, on the other hand, were more than capable of dealing with the issue surrounding Master Li. The former, as the one who sensed that something required caution, would no doubt keep a close eye on the man should they ever cross paths again, something that was very likely. The latter would do as she did best, gather information and prepare them should the man turn out to be a threat in any way.
For now, however, all she could do was wait and prepare to help as best she could when it became necessary.
Eventually, the silence was broken just as the three human occupants of the table were finishing their meal. "Will you be returning directly to Vale?" asked Pyrrha, her words bearing a strangely stiff intonation that Aigis just barely managed to pick up. "Or were you planning on visiting somewhere else before returning?"
"We'll be returning to Vale as planned," Mitsuru replied. Unlike with her fellow redhead, Aigis could pick up no anomalies in her tone, as though her previous silence was due to choice and not circumstance. "From there, Aigis and I will travel to Patch to join our teams for the rest of the end-of-year break."
Akihiko picked up from there even before Pyrrha could turn to him. "I've got some things I wanna work on so I'll be staying in Vale."
"I see."
Left unsaid, though understood by all, was that his own team had planned to remain in Vale. With his return, Team ANKR would be complete once more. Mitsuru's arrival at Patch would also complete Team KYBT while Pyrrha's own arrival at Domremy, even if only for the last few days of their vacation, would complete Team JACN.
With a brief pang of sadness, Aigis realized that only her own team would remain incomplete during the duration of their break from the academy. Weiss had opted to remain at Beacon for the entire two weeks, rather than join the rest of Team ASYR on Patch.
Regardless of the Schnee heiress's reasons, it was, to Aigis, a painful reminder to of her inadequacies as a team leader. Mitsuru was practically born to lead. Akihiko had very little difficulty adjusting to his role and, though only a school club, being the captain of Gekkoukan's boxing team lent him some experience. Junpei, despite having no experience at all as a leader, had slowly come to display a boisterous sort of charisma that worked well for him and his team.
Anyone looking in from the outside would see things differently. To Aigis, however, the fact that everyone else were such capable leaders made her feel as though they were the rule and her the exception. How could she not?
Junpei handled the situation with Jaune so well that the only son of the Arc family not only managed to remain at Beacon, but also received the blessing of his entire family to follow through on his decision. He hadn't done it without assistance, nor had it been a smooth operation, but it had happened under his supervision and, more importantly, because of his decisions.
Mitsuru also handled Blake's issues masterfully. Even if things had gone down a risky, if not outright lethal, path, Aigis was certain that Mitsuru had made the correct decisions at every turn. Even if, at one point, it meant staring down her own teammate.
On the other hand, Akihiko had his hands full with his team just about every day. Or rather, he had his hands full keeping just one member of his team in line. While not malicious or dangerous in any way, Nora's rambunctious antics made for quite a headache inducing scene, moreso for the team leader who would no doubt receive the brunt of any scolding from the school's professors should the hyperactive girl's shenanigans go too far. To be fair, Ren did most of the work to keep his childhood friend from crossing that line, but Akihiko had taken it upon himself to try and do his fair share, given that he is the team's leader.
Yet what about her? What had she done for her team that could rival her fellow team leaders?
Her relationship with Fuuka was as expected, since they had been working together for over a year.
Ruby was easy enough to understand and get along with. A young girl who dreams of being the ideal Huntress, a heroine for all intents and purposes. In addition, she was well-versed, and highly interested, in weaponry and designing them. Perhaps that played a part in her relationship with the humanoid tactical weapon, but Aigis felt certain that the friendship the younger girl offered was genuine and not strictly due to her mechanical body.
Weiss, unfortunately, proved the most troublesome of her three teammates. It wasn't that she was actively sabotaging the team – it would have been easier to deal with that, strangely enough. Rather, it was her inaction when it came to socializing and bonding as a team, something that Aigis was too socially inept to deal with. And no matter what the girl said, Aigis was absolutely certain that Weiss's quiet defiance had to do with the blonde herself.
Weiss wouldn't turn away if they met, but she left without acknowledging Aigis with so much as a glance. Weiss wouldn't ignore her if they spoke, but she did her best to end the conversation as soon as possible. She did not disobey or disregard Aigis's orders or advice during team combat, whether their own or in Professor Goodwitch's class, but Aigis noticed the heiress's reluctance, sometimes even open annoyance, at having to follow someone else's lead. Her lead to be precise.
Just what was it about her that was so upsetting, perhaps even repulsive, that Weiss was all but actively avoiding her?
Weiss hadn't been very open at the start, not to any of them, but for the past few weeks Aigis noticed that she was conversing more and more with Fuuka. Often it was their joint project of trying to understand Aigis's internal systems as well as their self-appointed task to learn more, but she also noticed that now and then they would discuss other matters, school and their studies for the most part. Yet, as the days passed, she realized that they began to speak of other, more casual things.
She also wasn't fond of Ruby, often due to the younger girl's relative immaturity, but there was a glaring difference in how she treated the two of them. Where she tended to ignore Aigis as much as she could, she seemed to see everything about the young, red-hooded girl. Every flaw, every mistake, every little imperfection was seen by cold blue eyes and thrown back at the silver-eyed girl.
In addition, she often let it be known that she felt Ruby was squandering her time and potential. Under that light, it became clear that Weiss was, in her own way, trying to help Ruby reach that potential. But then, what did that say about her near complete refusal to acknowledge Aigis?
Moreover, Weiss had become much more considerate to Ruby the past few weeks. At least, before the issue of the latter's academics came up. Prior to her near apoplectic reaction to Ruby's academics, the heiress had taken to speaking in, slightly, gentler tones, with softer words and expressions, even if she was still as demanding as before. That may or may not return to how it used to be, but it was still, as a whole, better than her mostly unchanged behavior towards Aigis.
'Perhaps this is what frustration feels like,' she mused as she stood in front of the window, gazing out into the cityscape while everyone else went to pack their belongings. 'Unable to do anything and not knowing what to do, yet wanting to do something, anything at all.' It wasn't a feeling she had much experience with and her current situation only made her distaste for that particular feeling grow.
Approaching Weiss and confronting her was out of the question. Aigis had seen, several times in fact, just what happened when someone involved the heiress in such a situation, especially against her will. But dancing around the issue and waiting for her to make the first move wasn't working at all. Weiss seems content to leave things be.
Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said of Aigis.
Was it foolishness to want to attempt something that even she could admit had a low chance of success? Perhaps it was. But, even so, she couldn't let that stop her from trying.
After all, did they not once stand against something said to be undefeatable? Did they not, even if only in part, succeed in preventing the extinction of every living being in the world?
And yet, to one who was created for combat, the mere thought of confronting a social problem of that scale filled her with more hesitation and trepidation than the thought of facing down the likes of Nyx and Thanatos. It was understandable, but a large part of her felt shame that she could not even bring herself to consider the option that would, one way or another, expedite the situation's resolution.
"Aigis? Is everything alright?"
The soft gasp of surprise that might have come from a normal person was easily suppressed by the android as she turned around with a passive expression, all traces of her turmoil hidden so well that even Mitsuru might not have realized that something was wrong. As it was, Pyrrha was not as adept at reading people as her fellow redhead and, thus, did not notice anything amiss beyond what she might have already seen.
"I am well," came the prepared response, a small nod accompanying her words. "I was merely thinking about some things."
"…" Pyrrha gazed thoughtfully at Aigis's face as though seeing something there. Without a word, she walked forward to stand beside Aigis, her own emerald irises gazing out into the sea of steel and stone outside. "You're thinking about your team, aren't you? About Weiss?"
Caught off guard by her accurate summation of her worries, Aigis couldn't keep her surprise off her face, mouth slightly open and eyes wide open. Even so, she did not speak, as though afraid that confirming the redhead's words would also confirm that her worries were, in fact, reality and not merely her imagination or paranoia. Yet, after a brief moment of hesitation, she nodded minutely. Unpleasant as it was, the truth was not something she wanted to turn away from. That was not the kind of life she had chosen to live.
Perhaps taking Aigis's silence as confirmation, or understanding that the blonde would not offer further information on her own, Pyrrha continued to speak. "She may be silent most of the time, or perhaps because of it, but Chidori is incredibly observant. I'm sorry if I'm overstepping my bounds. I may not be a member of your team but I just want you to know that I'm willing to listen to your problems if you need someone to speak with. After all, even if all one can do is listen, sometimes it is enough. Or, at least …"
Pyrrha paused long enough to turn her head, facing Aigis and giving her a soft but knowing smile. "…that's what a good friend of mine told me once."
The significance of choice of words weren't lost on Aigis, nor were Pyrrha's less than subtle hints. Yet those same words brought an unbidden smile to her lips, one that no doubt showed her relief. And just like that night when Pyrrha had asked to speak with her, Aigis spoke of her troubles, hoping that her friend would have even some small nugget of wisdom to share.
At the end of her tale, Pyrrha was looking quite pensive, her eyes looking at something far beyond the cityscape before them. Farther, even, than the mountains in the distance.
"Weiss is… complicated." While not necessarily something she didn't already know, Aigis waited patiently for the explanation. "You no doubt know that she comes from a family of high social standing, one known all across Remnant, and was raised to one day take over the company in the future. I've heard that she has an older sister, yet I'm unaware of why Weiss would be designated the heiress. Either way, growing up with such high expectations placed upon your shoulders will leave a profound effect on someone's development."
Recalling something she overheard Pyrrha telling her team once in Beacon's dining hall, Aigis realized that she was doubtlessly speaking from experience. Though her fame did not grow until the past few years, the Mistralian's prodigious combat skills had been enough for the people in her life to expect great things from her.
"I've not heard her say anything about what she plans for the SDC's future, but Weiss clearly and, somewhat surprisingly, sincerely wants to excel as a Huntress," continued Pyrrha, unaware of Aigis's current thoughts. "To me, that speaks of her desire to excel on her own merits, rather than to simply accept what is given to her, birthright or no. But, as you've already seen on a few occasions, her personality can be like a King Taijitu. Many times you see the Weiss that wishes to stand on her own. But there are also times when the part of her that is the heiress rears its head, all but demanding that her desires be served to her on a silver platter. And although rare, both sides of her may even be present at the same time."
"… Such as when she wished for Ruby to excel but demanded too much of her, heedless or uncaring of Ruby's limitations or own desires," Aigis realized after a brief moment to think about Pyrrha's words.
"Precisely," nodded the redhead, turning to face Aigis briefly as she did so then returning her gaze to the outside. "It's an unfortunate truth that many among the higher social classes tend to believe that 'the end justifies the means'. More often than not, those means include acts that may even bring harm or misfortune to others. And even if she were to deny it, Weiss's thought process still heavily mirrors this thought process."
"She is not a bad person," Pyrrha added quickly, not wanting Aigis to come to an incorrect conclusion. "Not once, at least as far as my own interactions with her, have I felt that she was malicious in any way." She gave a tight smile, clearly amused by something but not feeling entirely joyful about it. "I do feel that she, like many others, wish to use my fame or ability for their own purposes. She most likely wanted me as her partner, or at least as a teammate, for a stronger, more successful team like everyone else was hoping for."
"Selfish, but not malicious," Aigis concluded, sounding quite certain despite the doubt on her expression.
The taller girl nodded, showing her agreement with the conclusion. "To a great extent, yes. Perhaps she will change," she said, then shrugged. "Perhaps not. We're all still quite young so I'd like to believe that there is still time before we, myself included, become set in our ways. But…"
Pyrrha trailed off, but Aigis had already begun traveling down a thoughtful path. 'Change…'
The redhead's words brought to the forefront of her mind the memories of that year spent with her friends. Memories of SEES, both past and present, brought with it everything she knew about her friends and comrades. And as prompted by Pyrrha's words, Aigis thought of their own behavior during that tumultuous time, both those she had witnessed and those she had only heard of from second-hand accounts.
Mitsuru and her penchant for secrets, how she bore the brunt of guilt and responsibility for SEES and her family, even that of things beyond her control.
Akihiko and his endless thirst for strength, his burning desire to keep his friends safe from any and all harm at any cost, even that of his own safety and, in some ways, the safety of those same people he was trying to protect.
Shinjiro and his anti-social behavior, rude and gruff at the best of times and openly violent at worst, walking with hunched shoulders as though to reflect the weight of the burden he carries.
Junpei and his immaturity, his shortsightedness and childishness, his earnest yet misguided attempts at recognition.
Yukari and her impulsive nature, her unyielding conviction to see wrongs made right, almost heedless of the dangers to herself and to others.
Fuuka and her kind and quiet nature, timidity bordering on reclusive, a hidden desire to be accepted without first having to fulfill some condition.
Ken and his precociousness, vengeful yet grieving, seeing only his goal and blind to what would come after.
Chidori and her apathetic nature, caring for seemingly nothing save for the quiet peace that only solitude and death could deliver, avoiding the formation of attachments to anyone or anything so as not to fear its inevitable loss.
And last, but certainly not the least, Minato and his quiet nature, caring little for things that did not concern him and yet giving his all for the things that did.
Barely past their mid-teens and yet already such complex personalities and egos have emerged, all but defining who they were as people. Whether they became such people due to their own choices, the environment they grew up in, the consequences of other people's choices and actions, or any combination of the above along with countless other factors, it didn't change the fact that they were the people Aigis had gotten to know after her unexpected reactivation on Yakushima.
And within the span of but a single year, those same personalities changed. A gradual, almost subtle, change yet one that was noticeable. Some changes were even so apparent that even those who did not intimately know them came to notice.
Mitsuru stood taller, carrying herself with confidence and pride born of experience and growth rather than that which she had been born with. She also grew more open, more forthcoming, and, most importantly, she had stopped trying to bear every problem and burden, even that of her friends', on her own shoulders.
Akihiko's thirst for power did not abate, but was tempered by the knowledge, understanding, and acceptance that everything came at a cost. No longer did he push forward blindly, heedless of how his actions affected those around him, and uncaring of the price that must be paid.
Shinjiro, in that brief time he had returned to SEES, had not changed much after rejoining. Rather, he slowly began to re-open his heart to those around him. His friendship with Mitsuru and Akihiko was rekindled and, while he did not form such close bonds to his juniors outside of combat, his actions allowed everyone else to see the golden heart hidden beneath the rough and sharp edges of his stony demeanor. Ken more than anyone else.
Junpei, childish as ever but certainly not as immature as he had once been. His desire for recognition, to be something greater than what he once was prior to his awakening as a Persona-user, was now supported by a deeper understanding of the burdens of power and responsibility, and of himself. His decisions, while still quite rash and illogical most days, were made with a conviction and determination that few could match.
Yukari's impulsiveness, while not completely gone, was under better control along with her temper. The hardness born of past misfortunes and tragedies had softened to a degree, her infectious cheer now much more genuine rather than a well-crafted public mask to hide her fears and insecurities, her pain and sorrow, from her peers.
Fuuka was much more outgoing than before, at times being the one to initiate a conversation or plan an outing rather than simply going along. More importantly, she had become equally as outspoken, voicing her thoughts and opinions with confidence more than she used to.
Ken remained as precocious as ever, something that was unlikely to change any longer. At times, however, they would see him sometimes indulge in the childishness he had suppressed all those years ago on the day his mother died. Or rather, he stopped trying to hide that part of him. He understood and accepted that, despite everything he had been through, he was still a child and that the loss of a part of his innocence, however large that part may have been, did not mean he could not behave like one still.
Chidori had, quite possibly, changed the most, even excluding the time between the present and her release from her crystal stasis. What once was feared was now desired above all. What she feared to lose was now protected with every fiber of her being to avoid such a loss. And while still apathetic at times, the soft-spoken and cheerful Chidori that emerged in the hospital with the previous loss of her Persona, and the memory of the Dark Hour with it, could often be seen when she was around Junpei. Even if only around him, nobody missed the significance.
Minato remained almost exactly the same from the day she first met him. Quiet and reserved, bordering on anti-social, and preferring to keep to himself for the most part. And, yet, they had all felt it that fateful night. A flame burning within his soul, burning with a passion that did not seem to match his outward demeanor. A flame that threatened to burn and consume anything that dared cross his path. A flame that protected everything he held dear from that which sought to take it from him.
And then there was Aigis herself. Even she could see that she was not the same android, not the same person, today as she was when she had first been reactivated on Yakushima by the proximity of Minato and, through him, Death.
Logical to a fault, a near-complete lack of social skills, the inability to comprehend emotional reactions and decisions, and the lack of emotions in general were but a few of the problems that she had during the weeks and months that followed her reactivation. Even after her return from the Kirijo labs, following her failed attack on the newly awakened Ryoji Mochizuki, the revelations she faced and a new reason to keep going, it took nearly a month before she came to truly connect with her burgeoning emotions. And today, nearly a full year since their release from stasis, she was still trying to adjust to being closer to a human than an android in terms of behavior.
There was no doubt that all of them had changed, some more than others, but changed nonetheless. So why not others? Why not-
A hand on her shoulder gently drew her away from her thoughts, but a small part of her mind continued her train of thought. "Aigis? Is everything alright?" She turned to give Pyrrha a questioning look. Only then did she realize that the corners of her lips had, at some point, turned upwards into a small, gentle smile. Pyrrha had a smile on her lips as well, but it was tinged more with amusement and confusion, the latter most likely at the sudden appearance of Aigis's own smile.
"I'm fine," Aigis responded after a brief pause, feeling, for the first time, that she truly was 'fine'. There was a lightness in her that hadn't been there earlier, a measure of relief that had eluded her for an indeterminate amount of time. "In fact," she added, turning to look out into the city, the sight before her somehow looking much brighter than it did earlier. "I don't believe I've felt this… free in so long."
The amusement faded from Pyrrha's expression, leaving only confusion and curiosity. Yet despite her obvious desire to know more, the redhead remained silent and allowed a satisfied smile to grace her lips, turning back to the window but glancing occasionally at the blonde, whose own smile had yet to leave her face.
And, unbeknownst to the pair, two pairs of eyes watched from opposite sides of the room. And, much like the two they were observing, the owners of both pairs of eyes had small smiles playing upon their lips.
Pyrrha leaned forward on the safety rails, head tilted upwards and green eyes focused on the airship that was just barely a speck in the distance. Barely quarter of an hour had passed since its departure yet she could already feel the pangs of longing stirring within her. Or rather, only now was she willing to acknowledge the feelings that had begun to grow since waking up that morning.
Just the thought of spending the next week in non-stop meetings, photo shoots, business dinners, PR events, and the like was enough to dampen her mood. She wouldn't even be able to spend a full day with her family when she arrived at Mistral. She'd much rather play tour guide for her friends rather than appeasing her sponsors and 'adoring' fans.
Still, as much as she did not look forward to the coming week, she knew that it was very much necessary. Those events were, after all, the cost of being able to attend Beacon Academy rather than Haven Academy like everyone else wanted. Moreover, her tight schedule was also a result of her wanting to spend a few days in Domremy with her team. So, distasteful as it was, she would face them all head-on with her head held high just like she always did.
It didn't occur to her until she watched the trio of Persona-users disappear into the airship that their presence the past two days had done much to alleviate the troubles and burdens she normally felt while in Weilai, or even in Mistral. Just knowing that she would be amongst true friends at the beginning and end of each day, rather than the false or empty smiles that often surrounded her, had done wonders for her overall mood. Even the doubts that plagued her as to whether or not Mitsuru, or SEES, were still hiding some significant matter from them was not enough to offset her good mood.
And now she would be bereft of their company for the coming week. All the while, she would be surrounded by countless people hoping to gain her favor for one reason or another, heedless or uncaring of her own personal wants and wishes.
It was strange, she thought with a wistful sigh, that she would feel this attached to the three Persona-users. She wasn't particularly close to them, yet she felt a strange attachment that was only surpassed by her family and the members of her own team.
Of the three, she felt that she was closest to Aigis, her rival in combat. Though, if she were being honest, that rivalry was clearly a one-sided affair on her part. Even so, she had spent the most time with Aigis outside of class, mostly discussing the combat android's observations with regards to Pyrrha's combat style but sometimes discussing minor matters, even if the latter events tended to become awkward in some manner due to the blonde's limited social abilities.
Akihiko was, as she had learned, a kindred spirit. Both she and the silver-haired boxer strove to be the best they could be in their chosen field of combat, never once considering the possibility of defeat regardless of the odds of victory. They also had an endless thirst for competition, pitting themselves against equals and superior foes to continuously test their own abilities, never settling for anything less than victory.
Mitsuru was, of the three, the one she had the least connection to asides from being friends. She felt, however, that 'close acquaintance' may be a more accurate term for their relationship. Neither redhead had spent an extended period of time with the other outside of class and meal times. Even then, they did not interact with each other much. However, she held the older girl in high regard for a multitude of reasons, not the least the strength of her resolve.
Then again, that thought was quite inaccurate. It was not just Mitsuru who bore such steely determination. Akihiko and Aigis did as well. And so did the rest of SEES. Was it a surprise, then, that she respected them all, she, who many – herself not included – praised and looked up to as the epitome of martial strength of her generation?
Three people, each one so different from the other that, were it not for their shared experiences in SEES, they would have been seen as a highly unlikely friendship. And here she was, wasting what many would claim was her precious time, watching the airship as it became less and less visible in the distance and wishing that she were on the ship with them. Or, if fate would permit it, to have them by her side like they had been the past few days.
All of that, however, was nothing more than wishful thinking. Of course it was not meant to be. Each of them had plans of their own, obligations that needed to be fulfilled. It was incredibly selfish for her to want them, or even anyone among their little clique, to accompany her during the entire vacation period.
But no matter how much she rationalized it and told herself that it simply couldn't be, she couldn't stop the silent longing in her heart. Aigis, Akihiko, and Mitsuru, even if she and the latter were not very close, were among the first true friends she had made ever since her fame grew. The members of Teams JACN, KYBT, ANKR, and ASYR formed nearly the entire number of people who did not see her merely as the Invincible Girl, the Mistralian champion, or Adamas's golden girl. Outside of them, she could count the number of such people with one hand.
That thought alone made their company exponentially more enticing, more valuable, than anything Adamas or Mistral could ever offer her.
With a wistful sigh, she pushed off the guard rail, the airship now too far for her to see. She double-checked her clothing, making doubly certain that her hair was still inside the hood, before making her way out of the station. She walked with a hint of a slouch to further distance her current self from the confident champion people expected to see. Only this time her posture did not feel forced. This time, her shoulders truly felt burdened by some invisible weight dragging her down.
It did not take long for her to realize why.
Beacon had been that little taste of freedom she had been searching for since the day she understood the price of her fame. Though she could not completely escape, every day she spent at Beacon, every day she had the opportunity to be amongst friends, was a day outside the cage of fame she had unwittingly built around herself over the years.
And now, nearly four months since departing for the famous school, she was once again stepping into that cage. She did so willingly. But willing was not the same as wanting. So was it any surprise that she did not look forward to returning? That she wanted nothing more than to have been able to board the airship with her friends?
It was like dining on nothing but the blandest, most tasteless food and drink for years and then tasting even but a single spoonful of a meal cooked by the world's greatest chef. No longer could she be content with just having something to eat. A part of her had grown greedy and, admittedly, a little foolish, crying out that she would be content to have even just one single spoonful of that delicious meal each and every day rather than as many tasteless meals as she could eat.
That little taste of freedom had done little to quench her appetite. If anything, it only made her hunger for it even more.
But just as she would slowly but surely starve to death with so little nourishment, so too would she not be able to survive out in the world with just the company of her friends. Or, at least, it would be a thorny and dangerous road to take.
The first and biggest issue would be her contract with Adamas. Like most other contracts, breaking it without good reason - and such reasons were incredibly few based on what she remembered of the contract - led to undesirable consequences. Not the least was the financial aspect.
Her family was another. It had been, mostly, at their urging that she accept Adamas's offer of sponsorship back when a company representative first approached her.
A more public issue would be the media and society, as well as their reactions. She could already imagine countless newspapers, magazines, and social media sites coming up with one ridiculous theory after another. And, as taught by experience, telling the truth would not put all the rumors to rest. Rather, there were those who would suspect the truth as nothing more than a cover-up for some scandal of sorts.
And those three were only the major problems. There were still other problems that, in comparison, were minor things. But, in practice, even those supposedly minor problems would be difficult to deal with, especially after all the other problems begin to pile up.
Her shoulders sank lower as she walked into the hotel lobby, the eyes of those around her sliding past her form after nothing more than a brief glance. The doors of the elevator she boarded shut and the metal box traveled up to her, now empty and lonely, suite. Shutting the door being her, she looked around the suite, marveling at the sheer size of the two-bedroom suite.
Then, as though the departure of her friends only registered at that moment, she leaned back against the cool, wooden door and released a heavy sigh. She remained in that position for a decent amount of time, pushing away only after one last sigh.
And, half an hour later, she pulled open the door, now dressed in familiar shades of bronze, brown, and red with an equally familiar weight attached to her back. She paused just before she shut the door, glancing over her shoulder at the still empty room.
'Ten days,' she reminded herself as she boarded the elevator. 'Ten days and I'll be back where I want to be. Back where I don't need to hide behind false smiles.'
Knowing that she was only delaying the inevitable fate that awaited her, one that she had chosen so long ago, she turned away with one final sigh, resigning herself to her fate.
Far from Weilai, in a small village to the east, the local populace were just about to begin their day when tragedy befell them. The shouts and screams of confusion and panic came not long after. And barely an hour later only silence could be heard.
It would take almost a week before the situation is discovered by a passing team of Huntsmen. And in the days to come, similar reports would come in from various travelers regarding other towns and villages in that region.
The investigation that followed would bring to light one of the most horrifying, yet perplexing, events in recent times. Half a dozen settlements attacked without any information getting out. Tens of thousands dead without a single survivor. All happening within the span of a single week. All caused, if the information gathered is accurate, by a single person. Not by a horde of Grimm, not by a sole intelligent and powerful Grimm, but by a single person.
A horde of Grimm could not possibly attack and still leave every single structure intact. No Grimm, no matter how intelligent and powerful, would not be able to slaughter every man, woman, and child with a sharp blade or blade-like implement so quickly that many died without realizing it.
No. No matter how they rationalized it, only a sentient being could have killed so many without leaving behind a trail of destruction, or even a shred of evidence. No footprints or trails leading away, no signs of airborne transportation, not even video evidence despite the presence of surveillance cameras in some of the more prosperous towns.
With such an overwhelming lack of evidence to identify them, the culprit was given the epithet of 'Phantom'.
The only piece of information the investigators could gather accurately was also the one that struck fear into their hearts. Although there was no direct correlation between the settlements that were attacked, one thing was certainly made clear. Each and every attack brought the culprit closer and closer to the very heart of the continent.
The City of Mistral.
I really wish I could have gotten this done sooner but life seems to like throwing stuff my way these past several months. Unfortunately, most of them aren't things I can ignore or put off for very long so I had to shift my priorities from doing stuff I like and enjoy, like writing, to stuff that needs to get done ASA(F'ing)P.
No promises that things are gonna settle down soon, even once the holidays are over, but I'll reiterate the promise I made many chapters ago. No matter what, I WILL finish this story. I may not be able to update as quickly as I used to but I will keep working on the chapters even if it's just a few dozen or hundred words a day.
Another issue is the release of Volume 5. Now, I'm sure that just about everyone reading this, if not everyone, is up-to-date on the latest Volume of RWBY so I'm sure you guys and girls are aware of the many curveballs thrown our way. As such, some of my time had to be spent checking my story notes to see if I could fit those new details in as well as trying to fit them in without breaking my established storyline.
I know, it would definitely be easier if I ignore certain things but I'm a bit of a purist in that regard. I don't really like messing with canon facts unless I have an absolutely good reason to other than 'I just don't feel like using it'. The two 'Gods' as well as the version of Remnant's creation are two such things but ignoring that would mean ignoring related details.
I'm fairly sure I can incorporate those things well enough but I'm gonna need to go through ALL my story notes with a very, very fine-toothed comb before I implement those changes to my story plan. Still, that's a long way away so I won't have to worry just yet.
That said… I'm gonna be honest here. I'm not entirely satisfied with how this chapter turned out. I'm probably, most likely, not writing as smoothly and as well as I did before since I've got a bit more stress from RL on my shoulders. Still, I honestly do enjoy writing. It's just that the stress will affect me as I write, whether I want it to or not. I'll most likely edit those parts I'm not happy with in the future but there shouldn't be any major differences.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. And I hope that little tidbit at the end got you guys already anticipating the coming arc. There'll be a somewhat lengthy interlude coming up to see how the other teams spent their vacation, then we'll head straight back into the main story.
Happy holidays everyone.
Oh, and just a little hint but nobody needs to get me anything for Christmas. But if you REALLY want to then I suppose a review would be easy enough. XD
See you all next year!
