DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY

*** Patch ***

Taiyang sighs. He turns to his Scroll again to be met with the sound of static.

"Just turn it off Tai. Without the CCT, there's no point." Qrow grunts.

"Communication down across the entire Kingdom. No way to contact the outside world... and Ozpin's missing." Taiyang groans. "Things look bad right now."

"Yeah..." Qrow nods in agreement. "How are they?

Taiyang scratches the back of his head. "Pyrrha has refused to leave his side except for when she needs to eat or drink. The rest of her team come and go from Beacon. They're aiding the city with its repairs and driving off Grimm."

"Glynda's doing most of the heavy lifting when it comes to the repairs at Beacon and the city." Qrow sighs tiredly, "Any ideas on our next steps?"

"I don't know... There are so many questions." Taiyang sits down on a couch. "Qrow, what the hell happened to him?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Qrow sits across from Taiyang. "By the time I'd arrived, Ruby was laying unconscious next to him and Pyrrha Nikos. As for Pyrrha... she's refused to say a word."

Pyrrha is sitting by the side of a bed, staring despondently down at Jaune. His once golden hair now has streaks of gray, and his skin is pale and cold. She holds one of his hands in her own, hoping the warmth from her hands would transfer into his. She hears a knock on the door frame, but does nothing to acknowledge it.

"Pyrrha. It is time for dinner. Please come down and join us." Taiyang says softly. She gives the slightest nod, but does not move. Being familiar with loss, Taiyang lets out a sympathetic sigh and turns to leave.

After remaining by Jaune's side for another minute, Pyrrha gives his hand a soft squeeze and reluctantly leaves the room.

*** Another Room ***

The sound of birds tweet outside, and warm sunlight streams into the room and onto a bed. A few moments later, Ruby's eyes flutter as she wakes to see Taiyang asleep in a chair. Pushing herself up into a seated position, she lets out a quiet sigh, stirring Taiyang awake.

"Ruby!" He gets up and kneels by the bed. "You're awake!"

She rubs her eyes. "What... happened?"

"Your uncle Qrow found you, unconscious. He got you out of there and brought you home, safe."

Ruby looks down at her sheets in thought, memories still a blur. "Wait! Yang! Is she alright?!"

Taiyang flinches. "She's... she's gonna be alright. She's too strong to let this stop her." His eyes water for a second before he forces the tears down. "I'm just glad to have my girls back at home."

"What about the school? And Vale? Were the Grimm cleared out?!"

Taking a deep breath, Taiyang organizes his thoughts. "Things are under control at Vale and the school. That thing... whatever it was that was spawning Grimm during the attack, was last seen near Mountain Glenn. It sounds crazy, but it seems to be avoiding Beacon and the city, despite both being pretty vulnerable right now. Things right now are just... kind of a mess."

"It's always a mess." A voice interrupts. Ruby and Taiyang look to see Qrow standing by the doorway. "Tai, mind if I have a minute?"

"What? I can't stay here?!" Taiyang responds, sounding upset.

Qrow looks directly into Taiyang's eyes. "Tai. Please."

Standing up with a sigh, Taiyang kisses Ruby on the forehead and turns to leave, but not before shooting a glare at Qrow. As Qrow approaches the bed, he grabs the chair and spins it around to face the bed and sits with a slouch.

"So, how you feeling kid?"

"Um... I kind of hurt... all over."

Qrow chuckles and crosses his arms. "Makes sense. After what you did."

"What I... did?"

He leans forwards. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Ruby's eyes slightly squint as she tries recalling her memories. "I... I ran up the side of the tower, and when I got to the top, I..." She gasps, "Jaune and Pyrrha! Are they...?"

Qrow sighs, "Pyrrha's fine. In fact, you'll find her in the guestroom."

Ruby's eyes start to water. "And... Jaune?"

Her uncle scratches the back of his head. "That's... a little more complicated. He's the reason why you'll find Pyrrha in the guestroom."

"What do you mean by complicated? Uncle Qrow, please tell me he's okay!"

"That's the thing kiddo. His condition is... odd. You can go see for yourself once you have the strength to walk." Qrow gestures with his hand for Ruby to continue. "So when you got to the top, what happened?"

Clutching her bed covers, Ruby looks down as she now remembers the scene that night vividly. "I got to the top... and I saw Pyrrha kneeling next to Jaune... so much blood... I thought he was-" Ruby pauses as tears uncontrollably fall. "Then I saw Cinder... and then everything went white!"

"Anything else?"

Wiping her tears, she continues, "I remember... my head hurting."

"Ruby. That night you met Ozpin. What was the first thing he said to you?"

Though confused by the question, Ruby tries to remember. "I... I don't know. I think it was something about-"

"Silver eyes. "Qrow finishes for her. "That's an extremely rare trait."

"So?"

Leaning back again, Qrow gives Ruby a serious look. "You're special, Ruby. And not in the "Daddy loves his special angel" kind of way. You're special the same way your mom was." Ruby's eyes widen at the revelation. "Remnant's full of legends and stories. Some of them true, some made up, but there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago. Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down." Qrow chuckles. "It's a ridiculous story."

"And... you think that I might be..."

"Well..." Qrow laughs. "There are dozens of Griffons laying at the base of Beacon Tower, petrified and crushed to stone. Why do you think I was able to get you all down safely?"

Mind racing, Ruby realizes something. "Wait. How did you know what Ozpin said to me the night we met?"

Qrow stands up and walks to the window. "All those missions I go on... all the times I'm away in some far-off place... it's been for Ozpin. But he's missing right now. Something's been set in motion, and with Oz gone..." He sighs.

"And what could I do? If I'm so special, then I can help, right?"

Her uncle walks to her side and rubs her head affectionately. "You can help by getting some rest. You're in no condition to do anything right now." He turns towards the door. "Rest up, kiddo."

Jaune's eyes slowly stir open. Wasting no time, he takes in the surrounding environment and diagnoses his condition.

'An unfamiliar ceiling, but a warm bed and still alive. Safe to conclude I wasn't taken by enemies. Ah... there's Ruby... Yang... Pyrrha... and that Qrow fellow... who's the last one? The father perhaps?'

He sits up on the bed as stares at his reflection on a mirror at the opposite side of the room.

'Burning that much blood essence has taken a heavy toll on me... but how much?'

With a sigh, Jaune closes his eyes and concentrates. After a few short moments, his eyes reopen upon verifying the full extent of his current condition.

He turns his gaze towards the doorway and sends a smile.

"Good morning, Pyrrha."

"Jaune!" Pyrrha gasps, then rushes to the side of the bed. "I... I thought you were never going to-"

A hand comes up and gently flicks her on the forehead.

Having heard the commotion, Ruby, Qrow, and Taiyang rush into the room.

"What's wrong, Pyrrha? Did something happen to-" Ruby's sentence gets caught in her throat.

Jaune gives a playful wave. Wiping her eyes on her sleeves, she sits on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" She asks.

"A tad tired if I had to be honest." Jaune cracks his neck. "How long was I out?"

"It's been about a week since the attack," Qrow responds with his arms crossed. "Sorry to say this when you've just woken up kid, but we've got questions that need answering."

Jaune raises a hand up, stopping Ruby and Pyrrha from protesting. He nods understandably. "Of course, but there is critical matter we must attend to immediately."

They stiffen at the serious tone.

His stomach loudly growls.

"I am hungry."

*** Later that afternoon***

Seated around a dining table are Taiyang, Yang, Qrow, Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Jaune.

With an eyebrow raised, Jaune asks, "Where are Weiss and Blake?"

The conversation around the table goes silent. Yang sets down the fork in her left hand and replies, "Weiss's father... came for her. After the attack on Beacon."

Ruby in particular looks distraught.

"No one outside of Vale right now knows what happened here. Before the CCT went down, the last thing people saw was Atlas attacking innocent people and Grimm destroying the city. Everyone's scared, and no one knows who to trust. So, daddy Schnee came back to take her back to Atlas, where he thinks it's safe." Qrow sarcastically emphasizes.

"And Blake?" Jaune sighs out.

"She..." Yang takes a deep breath. "After we'd evacuated the city and was taken back to Patch, she... said that she needs to visit home to see her family."

Her voice trails off before continuing. "Apparently, Sun is following Blake back to Menagerie."

"I see..."

The sound of glass slamming onto the table surface brings everyone's attention to Qrow.

"Since it looks like we're playing the let's ask questions game, you have some explaining to do."

"I suppose I do owe you all an explanation," Jaune nods and takes a bite of food.

"Alright then." Qrow leans back. "I've heard you disappeared a few days before the attack. Then, you're suddenly back when the attack happens. What's the deal?"

Setting down his utensils and folding his hands, Jaune organizes his thoughts for a moment.

"Where to begin... Many of the things I say will not make sense at first, so bear with me. I'll provide context as the conversation progresses."

Everyone displays varying signs of confusion at the strange disclaimer.

"Prior to the attack, I was deep in the Emerald Forest, where I'd be isolated away from the public. The arrangements were made by Ozpin and Glynda. The reason for why this was necessary was because I was facing a test of sorts, in order to get stronger."

"Test?" Ruby raises an eyebrow.

Humming in thought, Jaune poses a question.

"What are your thoughts of your place in the universe?"

"U-uh... um... what?"

"Worlds outside of Remnant, the afterlife, how the universe originated, nature of reality. Take your pick."

Jaune nonchalantly lists off.

"With our constant fight for survival against Grimm, we don't really have the time to explore philosophical questions like that. In case you haven't noticed," Taiyang replies with slight annoyance.

Jaune leans forward with a dead serious expression, looking straight into Taiyang's eyes.

"Those weren't philosophical questions."

Taiyang involuntarily flinches.

Holding a palm out and concentrating for a brief moment, the outline of a small white tiger appears. It roars once, sending shivers down everyone's spines, then dissipates into nothingness.

"Wait, what was that?!"

"Was that a Semblance?"

"No, Jaune's Semblance is different."

Jaune poses another question.

"Did you all know the universe has a name?"

Everyone pauses and does a double take.

"... What?"

"The universe. It has a nam-"

"We heard you the first time!" Yang yells exasperatedly. "What the hell are you talking about? And how did you do that?!"

With a mischievous grin, Jaune says, "Coincidentally, Hell has a name as well."

"..."

Jaune coughs into his hand, then looks at Qrow and Taiyang.

"Both of you may think that you're privy to the secrets of the world, but in reality, all of you are nothing but frogs in a well."

He pauses for a moment and takes a small breath.

"To be brief, the universe is called The Three Realms. As the name implies, three realms make up the whole. Those three are Heaven Realm, Earth Realm, and Mortal Realm. I know for a fact that Remnant resides within the Three Realms, or more specifically, the Mortal Realm."

"I think our leader's lost his marbles..." Nora whispers to Ren, who understandably, looks slightly skeptical.

Jaune ignores the comment and continues.

"There is a practice known as cultivation prevalent throughout the Three Realms. To be frank, finding an individual who hasn't at least heard of it is rare, let alone an entire planet. Never in my life had I heard the terminology Aura and Semblance before I'd arrived here at Remnant."

"Arrived?" Pyrrha questions.

'It's finally come to this.'

Jaune heavily sighs, "Think back to the very first days of Beacon. What was your first impression of Jaune Arc before initiation?"

Counting on her fingers, Ruby lists with ease. "Awkward, dorky, not good in a fight, unreliable, and vomit boy."

Yang, Ren, Nora, and even Pyrrha nod in agreement.

Eyebrow twitching at the last, unnecessary entry, Jaune asks, "And what about after initiation?"

"Um... still kind of weird..."

'...'

"But oddly reliable."

"And one of the best, if not the best, fighter in our school." Ruby honestly replies. "No offense Pyrrha."

Pyrrha puts a hand up. "None taken."

"Don't you find that strange?" Jaune asks.

"I suppose... that is indeed rather odd." Ren brings a hand up to his chin. "All of us went through years of combat training prior to Beacon. Determining at a glance if someone is accustomed to combat is second nature to us. For all of us to have been wrong about Jaune is... unlikely, to say the least."

Qrow seems to realize something, then asks Jaune with a cautious tone, "Are you suggesting..."

"Someone finally realizes what I'm getting at. Indeed, I'm similar to Ozpin," Jaune chuckles. Qrow and Taiyang are stunned, while everyone else are confused.

"Uncle Qrow... What does he mean by Professor Ozpin?" Ruby asks nervously.

With a deep sigh, Qrow responds, "This was supposed to remain a secret until later. You see, Oz isn't exactly like a normal human. From what he's told me and Tai, when he dies, his soul will seek out a like-minded host to become the next Ozpin. Basically, he reincarnates and has been doing so for a long time."

"But... does that mean Jaune is also..." Nora gasps in realization. All eyes turn to Jaune.

"Yes," Jaune nods. "I reincarnated into Jaune Arc's body."

"But how? And why?!" Nora exclaims, mind boggled by Jaune's confirmation.

"Jaune Arc passed away when I'd reincarnated into this body. It's a key difference from Ozpin," He calmly replies.

"Wait... you asked us about yourself before and after initiation. Which means that's the time frame you reincarnated into Jaune's body?" Ren's eyes widen.

Pyrrha releases a small gasp.

'Was it when... please... don't let that be the case.' She silently prays.

"Were any of you aware that Jaune Arc's Aura was not unlocked?" Jaune sighs. "So you can only imagine what happened when he was launched off a cliff without the protection of Aura."

They all gulp at the picture painted in their heads.

Pyrrha bites her lip and shoulders shake, racked with guilt.

"Is something the matter?" Jaune asks with concern.

With hands clenched tight, she stutters, "I-I... deliberated on securing Jaune to a tree with Milo when we were launched, but I'd decided against it. And because of my hesitation... h-he..."

Her eyes begin to water. "Because of me, he was-... And Penny too-"

"That's enough," Jaune gently chides. "The fault for Jaune's demise falls on himself. He was naive enough to think that applying to Beacon through forgery with no formal training background was a good idea. As for Penny Polendina, the blame lies partly on my shoulders."

Pyrrha gives a small glare. "Jaune, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but making baseless-"

"The spar between you and Mercury." Jaune interrupts her. "At the time, I'd realized he was probing your fighting capabilities and Semblance. I made the mistake of assuming he was simply scouting out competition in the Tournament. No matter how you cut it, I hold some responsibility for the events leading up to Penny's death, and her blood is on my hands just as much as it is on yours."

Ruby sadly looks down, silently grieving for her friend, while silently thanking Jaune for acknowledging her as a living being.

"Question." Nora raises her hand straight into the air. "You've talked about your sisters and family. Did you just make that up?"

'She's much more attentive than most give her credit for.'

Jaune shakes his head. "The original Jaune Arc is gone. However, when I took over his body, parts of his soul remained and merged with my own. This included his memories, aspirations, and perhaps even some mannerisms."

"I could have saved him..." Pyrrha whispers in regret.

Jaune rubs the back of his neck.

"Look, making mistakes or having regrets is natural. Use these hardships to reflect and better yourselves for the future."

"You're talking like you're really old," Qrow observes.

Jaune hums in thought.

"I'm fairly confident that I'm older than Ozpin."

'?!'

"I doubt it," Qrow grunts. "Oz is at least several thousand years old."

"What?!" Everyone exclaims.

"Oh..." Jaune blinks once.

The room sighs in relief.

"Then I'm older than Ozpin."

"...?!"

"Just... how many times have you reincarnated?" Qrow cautiously asks.

"Before my past life? No idea, as memories are typically erased when one goes through the reincarnation cycle." Jaune shrugs. "So from my current perspective, I guess the answer is once?"

"So you're implying that in just your previous life, you lived over thousands of years?"

Yang's eyebrow is raised.

"Remember the practice of cultivation I'd mentioned?"

Heads slowly nod.

"In simple terms, cultivation is the art of tempering one's body and spirit, in pursuit of the Dao. A natural consequence is increased longevity and strength."

"Dao? What's that?"

"The Dao are principles that uphold the universe. The Dao is truth, the path, or the way. Gaining insight into the Dao would allow the practitioner to harness and manipulate the natural world. However, there are risks in embarking on the path of cultivation. To the Heavens, to cultivate is to defy natural order, so, when a practitioner attempts to break through to the next level, the Heavens will test their worth."

'Truth?' Ren's eyebrow quirks up.

"So, you're saying that in your past life, you were one of these... cultivators?" Ren asks with his head tilted downwards and a hand on his chin. He suddenly looks up in realization.

"And you mentioned test... Emerald Forest... during that time period, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worse..."

Jaune lets out a small smile. "Impressive, Ren. After I'd passed my tribulation, I rushed back to Beacon."

He leans back and throws a glance at Qrow.

"And there's the detailed explanation to your original question."

"That left us with more questions than answers..." Qrow grunts in frustration.

"Why isn't this common knowledge in Remnant?" Taiyang crosses his arms.

"Beats me," Jaune shrugs. "This is the first time I've ever seen an entire planet ignorant to the existence of the Dao and cultivation. It is strange. The way the inhabitants of Remnant are so closely tied to the power of their spirit is astounding. In the cultivation world, having such a natural affinity is incredibly rare, but everyone on this entire planet seems to be born with such an affinity. Honestly, it's a mystery I'd like to explore when the opportunity arises."

Pyrrha shifts in her seat as she slowly raises a hand to grab Jaune's attention.

"This... tribulation you mentioned. Was that why you were in that condition that night?"

Ruby and Qrow both grimace at the memory of the pool of blood Jaune was laying in. Even with his experience as a veteran Huntsmen, the amount of blood present was disturbing to Qrow.

Jaune closes his eyes, recalling the vision he'd seen of Pyrrha's death.

"Before I answer that question, can anyone tell me what my Semblance is?"

"Isn't it those... weird attacks you do? The ones we can't see?" Ruby tilts her head in confusion.

Ren shakes his head.

"No, Ruby. Assuming Jaune is not exaggerating about the capabilities of cultivating, it's reasonable to say those attacks could be derived from said cultivation."

"Well, yes and no." Jaune chuckles. "Those were Aura charged attacks in conjunction with sword techniques. The reason why my Aura is invisible is because it is exceptionally dense and pure."

Jaune gives the group a grave look.

"Before I inform you, I would very much prefer you all do not spread knowledge of my Semblance without my exclusive permission."

"We promise, Jaune." Pyrrha sternly responds. Taiyang, Qrow, Ruby, Yang, Ren, and even Nora, give a serious nod.

He takes a deep breath.

"My Semblance, as I currently understand it, seems to give me an acute sensitivity to fate, especially so for those who I care for. Usually, it feels like a tingling sensation in the back of my mind. In more... extreme circumstances, I will receive a full blown vision of what's to come. Additionally, I have no active control over my Semblance. It seems to be a passive type."

"And you saw a vision during the attack on Beacon?"

Jaune nods solemnly.

Feeling her stomach drop, Pyrrha whispers, "What was the vision?"

"I saw you die..." He closes his eyes, reliving what he'd seen.

"An arrow pierced through your chest and heart. Then all that remained of you was ash."

Nora and Ruby instinctively grab onto Pyrrha's arms in horror. Ren, Yang, and the two adults are wide-eyed in shock. Despite their varying degrees of skepticism regarding the information Jaune has told them, there is no doubt in their minds that he would joke or lie about the death of a friend in such a manner.

Letting out a breath, Jaune continues. "After the vision had ended, I immediately rushed towards the top of the tower. However, I knew I wouldn't make it in time. So, I grew desperate and did the only thing I could."

He reaches up and pinches a lock of gray hair.

"I burned a portion of my lifespan in exchange for speed far beyond my limits."

'?!'

Ren musters up a shaking voice, "Jaune... How much did you..."

"Don't worry about it." Jaune gently smiles, "Don't you remember that I said a natural consequence of cultivation is increased longevity?"

Pyrrha's hands clench hard enough to nearly draw blood.

"Jaune. Look me in the eye and tell me that you're okay."

He slowly brings his eyes up to meet Pyrrha's. Her eyes are misty, but she keeps her gaze locked onto Jaune's.

Gazing back, Jaune replies, "The reason why I have my current appearance is due to the backlash. Fortunately, it is only temporary, and I will return to my normal appearance as I recover."

The room's mood brightens up.

"Well, why didn't you say so earlier! You scared us half to death!" Nora happily exclaims and claps the surface of the table. Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren, and Yang let out sighs of relief.

"Okay, for now let's ignore the fact that we're still coming to terms about you originating from outside of Remnant, and that you're reincarnated." Qrow says in a low voice. "What do you think our next move should be?"

'Straight to business?'

Jaune leans back in thought. "Before we can discuss anything regarding the attack on Beacon, I believe that everyone here should be informed about the forces at play."

He eyes Qrow and Taiyang, who briefly glance at each other.

With a deep sigh and a long drink from his flask, Qrow leans forward, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Alright... might as well just jump right into it."

"Contrary to what most of you may think, the Grimm are not just mindless monsters with no aim. They have a master who goes by the name of Salem."

Numerous eyes widen at the revelation.

"She's the true one that's behind the attack on Beacon, not Cinder and her companions."

Qrow takes another drink.

"Not much is known about Salem. She always works from the shadows, manipulating others to get what she wants, so that when it comes time to place the blame, we can only point at each other. And in addition to Salem, there are also the Maidens."

Pyrrha shifts uncomfortably.

"The Maidens, named after the seasons, each have access to incredible power without having to use Dust, which Ozpin says is magic."

Qrow shrugs, "It sounds crazy, but I've seen firsthand what one of these Maidens are capable of. Anyways, when a Maiden dies, their power transfers over to the last person in her thoughts. If the person in her thoughts is a male or an old lady, then the power goes to someone random. And Salem, is after the Maidens."

"But why?" Ruby asks. "If she's able to control the Grimm, why would she need the Maidens' powers? Wouldn't the Maiden powers be irrelevant for her?"

"Hmm... Good question kiddo," Qrow chuckles. "Here's where it gets even more interesting."

"Not many people are super religious these days."

"This world's been around for a long time, long enough that people have created dozens of gods. But if you believe Ozpin, two of them are actually real. They were two brothers. The older sibling, the god of light, found joy in creating forces of life. Meanwhile, the younger brother, the god of darkness, spent his time creating forces of destruction. As you can imagine, they both had pretty different ideas on how things should go. Then one night, the younger brother went and made something - something that shared his innate desire to destroy anything and everything."

"The creatures of Grimm," Ruby quickly realizes.

"You guessed it. Having had enough, the older brother proposed that they make one final creation... together. Something that they could both be proud of, their... masterpiece. The younger brother agreed. This last great creation would be given the power to both create and destroy. It would be given the gift of knowledge, so that it could learn about itself and the world around it. And most importantly, it would be given the power to choose, to have free will to take everything it had learned and decide which path to follow - the path of light or the path of darkness. And that, is how humanity came to be."

Jaune listens to the tale with arms crossed and mentally scoffs.

"Here's the kicker. The four gifts to mankind - knowledge, creation, destruction, and choice - aren't just metaphorical. Each of them exists in a physical form, left behind by the gods before they abandoned Remnant, and each of them is extraordinarily powerful. If someone were to collect all four, they'd be able to change the world, and that's exactly what she wants. The Huntsman Academies were created to train generations of humanity's protectors, but they also serve another purpose - guarding the Relics. The schools are build around the Relics to act as fortresses. Not only would they be easier to defend, but they would constantly be surrounded by trained warriors. The hope was that hiding the Relics would keep mankind from using them against itself, and of course, keeping them out of her reach." Qrow concludes.

"What do the Maidens have to do with any of this?" Pyrrha asks, voice slightly raised.

"The Relics aren't just sitting in some dusty old room at the Academy vaults. Ozpin's predecessor had designed them in such a way that only the Relic's respective Maiden can get to them. Spring for the Relic of Knowledge, in Haven. Winter for the Relic of Creation, in Atlas. Summer for the Relic of Destruction, in Vacuo. And finally, Fall for the Relic of Choice, in Beacon." Qrow lists off. "At the moment, the status of the Summer and Spring Maidens are unknown. Winter is safe and guarded in Atlas, and Fall's power was taken by Cinder."

Ruby grows alarmed. "Oh no! Doesn't that mean the Relic at Beacon is in danger?"

"No." Jaune calmly replies to Ruby's panic. "Though her attack on the CCT was successful and global communications are down, the Academy is secure due to the efforts of the Academy's professors and Huntsmen. Make no mistake that Vale has indeed been weakened, but by no means is the Relic at Beacon in danger in the current situation."

Qrow nods and adds on, "The city's been cleaned up for the most part, and with the entire Kingdom on high alert, it would be difficult for Salem to launch another surprise attack."

Jaune looks down in thought and asks, "How long will it take to rebuild the CCT?"

"Months, easily." Qrow sighs. "This is assuming we even have enough building material, which brings us to another problem. That giant Wyvern Grimm was last seen flying into Mountain Glenn, and as far as we can tell, it's been constantly spawning Grimm. As a result, the supply paths on the ground have been cut off, and there's no way anyone would risk flying through that airspace either, due to that Wyvern."

"Why isn't the Kingdom sending Huntsmen and Huntresses to get rid of it?" Ruby asks.

"They can't afford to. Doing so would leave the city and the Academy in a more vulnerable state, and that's not a risk we can take right now," Taiyang calmly explains.

"Hmm..." Jaune waves his hand dismissively. "Leave that one to me, I'll take care of it once I recover."

"By yourself?"

Pyrrha nervously raises her hand. "Um... I didn't say anything while Jaune was comatose, but he's the one who caused that Grimm to flee to Mountain Glenn in the first place..."

"Just what the hell did you do to make it do that?" Qrow exclaims. "That thing's massive. It has to be at least several thousand years old!"

Jaune just shrugs in response. "Rather than talking about that Grimm, we should be focusing on planning and preparing for our retaliation."

"Huh?" Everyone throws Jaune a confused look.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm not one to just sit around waiting passively when provoked." Jaune gives a cunning grin.