She could not control the storm. That much was an impossibility regarding the compatibility of her two powers with each other. Aura was simply not meant to be made abundant in the environment in the way that she had inadvertently unleashed upon the world of Remnant. The storm of aura flashing above the outskirts of Atlas and Mantle was a result of the mass amount of aura that her poor N-Field simply could not handle at the current moment.
Until such a time came when her usage of aura superseded her current production within her Palace of Beginnings, Kirakishou was unfortunately limited to manipulating the storm through other means, so as to not damage the seedlings present inside Mantle and Atlas.
If Kirakishou could not control the storm, then she would manipulate the storm's effects upon the world. And as a torrent of rain fell upon those blessed by her arrival, the resultant world would grow to her design.
And her design alone.
As such, she began to move. The time had come. General Winter had deduced her plan, as Kirakishou knew she would, and would now act within the designs of the Relic of Choice.
"Judica, Madulin," she turned to both of her little dolls and they sent pretty smiles her way, "it is time to greet the denizens of Atlas and Mantle. If you would, focus your attentions upon those based on the earth."
"...And the vehicles flying above?" Judica asked with a cute little tilt of her head.
"What shall you do with those?" Madulin completed her sister's question with a mirrored tilt of her head.
Kirakishou gave a pretty smile of her own, and heat surfaced atop the cheeks of the formerly conjoined dolls. "A pure rose shall deal with them herself."
"Okay~" the two little dolls titted happily, before leaping forwards all of a sudden and willingly throwing themselves off the spire overlooking the twin cities of Atlas and Mistral.
She turned her attention to the world of sky flying above her, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Her N-Field surged with aura and, unlike her time spent carefully nurturing and cultivating appropriate channels to efficiently funnel her newfound power, Kirakishou instead directed her energies directly into the atmosphere surrounding Atlas and Mistral.
Clouds, deep and dark and beautiful in their own way, grew exponentially as more and more aura was fed into the system. The first shots were fired from those above, and a multitude of aura-enhanced projectiles was sent flying Kirakishou's way. Kirakishou directed her staff to the ground beneath her feet, further expending mass amounts of aura to forcefully enrich her N-Field environment and grow a wall of crystal that took much of the force of the assault for her. However, the crystals proved themselves unable to fully repel the combined assault of the airfleet and the wall crumbled, as many crystalline shards flew toward her all of a sudden.
None of them hit Kirakishou, for she had stood in this very spot for the entire purpose of avoiding the crystalline backlash. It had been one of the main reasons why she had conjured the crystalline spire in the first place, in order to angle the impact trajectory of the crystals in a way that would both ensure her safety and demonstrate her combat effectiveness to those watching the battle.
The secondary reason had been to alert both Atlas and Mantle, specifically both General Winter and Ozpin, to the arrival of both Kirakishou and the conjoined sisters that worked alongside her pure self. For the two figures to meet within their gilded castle of steel, Kirakishou needed to make something of a grand entrance so as to force their hands into action.
Turning her attention up toward the airfleet, she smiled. There were so many of them, so many machines angled toward her. Why, they were so close that she could feel the hesitant touch of her N-Field as it tentatively prodded at the potential future seedlings, akin to a lonely little child grasping a new potential toy. Or, perhaps, it was her own reach grasping outwards?
She smiled and chose to act.
Crystals shattered beneath her, as a web of pale white vines manifested in its stead, moving outward to eclipse the sky. The vines manifested with a rigid circular lattice, growing from her point of origin and establishing a three-dimensional field for which her pure self was able to stand. The various Atlesian military vessels dodged and weaved as she knew they would, as their expertly configured programming allowed them to accurately map her vine growth and establish safe areas.
The Relic of Choice was an annoying little tool, but she did not mind its guidance for this particular outing.
None of the potential seedlings had been harmed. None of them deserved to be harmed in any way. She wanted them to be safe, to be happy. So that her pure N-Field may grow to bond alongside that of her beloved Master.
She glanced downward, momentarily, and eyed the battlefield caused by Judica and Madulin growing to meet the standing soldiers of Atlesian heritage and their Mantle-born relatives. The two formerly-conjoined dolls certainly enjoyed their newfound powers, utilising their collected semblances to a sizeable effect. Alongside the magical energy generated by their acquisition of Salem, their semblances appeared to be highly destructive. She could see a veritable forest growing out of the very snow surrounding Atlas, turning the white-clad terrain into a hodgepodge of growth.
The sky thundered ominously, and Kirakishou allowed herself a brief moment of reflection as was dictated by the Relic of Choice. It was optional, but she allowed the moment nonetheless. There was more to gardening than simple efficiency, after all.
"...You poor little toys. You never really did understand what was occurring around you, did you?"
Pausing to shake her head, Kirakishou did not need the knowledge given by the Relic of Choice to recognise the missiles sent her way, as the various pieces of explosive ordinance detonated against several of her vines as the mass of explosives were sent towards Kirakishou's pure self.
Her vast web of vines was assaulted, and Kirakishou felt herself fall. She felt the joy of the opponents who drifted into her N-Field's reach, and she experienced the precise moment when joy turned to alarm, as a menagerie of colours flashed from the sky. Bolts of varying colour and shade bounced around the vehicle-laden aerial battlefield, as the aura-enriched discharges sought the beings holding the most aura in order to ground themselves. And, despite Kirakishou's immense reserves of aura, her pure body did not hold any of the nebulous material.
Instead, the denizens of Atlas and Mantle flying through the sky on their weapons of war found themselves paying host to an electrical discharge unlike any other. A discharge that did not target the body, but the soul. Their vehicles were left untouched, yet failed all the same as their pilots were rendered temporarily unconscious by the auric backlash of the sudden strike. Her N-Field lashed out, triumphant, as multitudes of potential seedlings momentarily found themselves thrust toward the immaterial plane during their unconscious phase. Crystals grew from the ground, not through Kirakishou's own direction but instead through a deep need for expansion.
And as the internal piloting systems controlling the Atlesian war machines automatically piloted the vessels while their owners slept, the skies were rendered silent save for the occasional crackling of thunder overhead.
She smiled.
There had been no major toys of import inside the Atlesian airfleet. Nothing in the vicinity was of particular interest to either Kirakishou or Ruby Rose in the immediate future, as indicated by the Relic of Choice.
Kirakishou turned her attention downward once again, choosing to focus on the sleeping city of Mantle.
They were so plentiful!
Madulin had never seen so many people before! W-Well, none that were moving on their own, of course. Prior to her subsequent revival after the failure with Suigintou, Madulin and her sister Judica had only ever witnessed so many people in one place when they had gone to inspect all of Kirakishou's gathered seedlings. But they had all been so very still and solitary, confined in their own little crystals as they slumbered, dreaming their own perfect lives. Seeing people move about was something else, entirely!
As she ducked a sudden barrage of dust-infused soundwaves, Madulin laughed a happy laugh of her own volition, turning to briefly lock eyes with her conjoined sister as both girls grinned excitedly.
Huntsmen, huntresses…
They were so unique!
Humans… faunus… person… people… There were so many terms, so many unique subtleties to each individual being, that Madulin felt like she was in a world of jewels to be forever inspected and cherished, than any true battlefield as the scores of falling individuals would pointlessly label their arrival in Atlas. She did not want to hurt them, not did her conjoined sister or even Kirakishou, but she couldn't help but wonder how such beautiful creatures could be so very fragile.
Watching Kirakishou tear through the airborn forces in her own unique way, Madulin felt a degree of exhilaration flood her form. Following their unfortunate defeat and prompt extermination at the hands of Suigintou, blasted doll that she was, Judica and Madulin had been promptly resurrected by the doll above them in order to bring about the defeat of Salem. And, even then, their participation had been rather lacking in the fight. By the time they had taken centre stage, Salem had been all but defeated. Now, however, Judica and Madulin were able to fight to the best of their abilities and show the humans and faunus of Remnant the true power of a doll.
They were no Rozen Maiden, pure beings that they were, but they were still dolls and thus held a dedication to beauty and grace to uphold.
Judica moved closer to her, and the separate became conjoined once more. Looks of repulsion and disgust were sent their way by the very team that had previously assaulted Madulin and her sister with their foul weapons, along with a gathered accompaniment of Atlesian soldiers in the general vicinity. Together, the two dolls smiled pleasantly, paying distinct homage to their creator and benefactor above.
"Silly little humans."
"Silly little faunus," she parroted her sister.
"You're all about to fall."
"You're all about to be ours."
Information was sent directly to their N-Fields courtesy of Kirakishou, and blessed understanding was passed down upon their pleased forms. They were opposing Team FNKI, of Atlas. A group of militarised huntsmen and huntress trainees that, once upon a time, had participated in the Vytal Festival so very long ago. Briefly, they had known of Team RWBY, the Vale-born team that had contained Kirakishou's Master, Ruby Rose. According to Kirakishou, Ruby Rose had been intrigued by their fighting style- one that favoured team attacks and sporadic movement.
With a battalion of gathered Atlesian soldiers now placed under their command, Madulin figured that they would be somewhat intriguing toys to play with.
Flynt Coal, the leader of Team FNKI, appeared to be the one giving out orders to the rest of the gathered ground forces in the area, seemingly via using a piece of headgear that was worn by the others. Madulin grinned. He would be their target.
"Such beautiful music you play~"
"But, we feel it would be best if you danced to other strings!"
The leader of Team FNKI reacted quickly to their sing-song tone, barking out a set of orders to his gathered troops and teammates. Thunder and lightning thrashed about above them all, as Kirakishou's gathered aura manifested violently across the battlefield in shifting hues of colour.
A volley of ordinance was directed towards them, courtesy of the gathered Atlesian troops firing off their weapons under the command of Flynt Coal. One of Flynt's team members, Neon Katt, moved with the volley, using Flynt's own method of assault, some form of sound-based instrument, to propel herself forward.
Judica and Madulin turned to each other and clasped their hands together. In their conjoined form, Judica and Madulin shared control of their own body, and their control extended to their consolidated powers as well. Tapping deep into their flourishing immaterial N-Field, the conjoined dolls summoned a dome of earth from the very ground to surround their pure form, using the force known as 'magic' as a medium for their powers.
Opting to be something of a playful entity, Madulin chose to further her abilities and target the ground once again with their powers, forcefully growing roots deep within the ground until they burst from the earth and rapidly grew into a thriving forest contained within the earthen dome. As bullets of all sizes and shapes impacted the dome itself, Judica and Madulin waited for the precise moment that the dome began to crumble before they joined their power once again, thrusting their own magical force against the interior of their dome.
The size of the blast wave was excessive, as vines and dirt were violently propelled outwards by a wave of tonal energy that shifted through the colour spectrum as it moved outward. Stones and vines crashed into dozens of gathered soldiers, with their N-Field quickly sweeping up those fortunate enough to fall into unconsciousness, while the remaining soldiers were quickly set upon by their controlled vines. Team FNKI appeared capable of expertly dodging their immediate assault, with Flynt Coal using his percussive instrument to direct much of the earthen shrapnel away from his allies.
Up above, Kirakishou continued to move, and Madulin excitedly reveled in her particular viewing angle of the pure doll, giggling to Judica all the while. It would seem that their little doll friend favoured the colour white for a great many pieces of apparel, indeed.
Perhaps, in the future when Kirakishou was able to reunite with her Master, they could all play together?
Curiously eying an approaching group of Atlesian soldiers and huntsmen armed with a variety of melee weapons, Madulin decided that it was time to refocus on the current situation instead of fantasising about their peach-blonde sister. Madulin could see that the group was being led predominately by two members of Team FNKI, a blue-haired male and another grey-haired male, both wearing Atlesian combat garments and armed with their own specialties. Tapping into Kirakishou's gathered knowledge, Madulin identified the blue-haired youth as 'Kobalt', while the other was known as 'Ivori'. Kobalt was a skilled fistfighter, according to General Ironwood's memories, while Ivori favoured a whip as his primary weapon.
She turned her head toward her beloved conjoined sister, who mirrored the action and they steadily leaned forward, before their lips met in a chaste kiss.
When they pulled back, the soldiers were still approaching. Fire forged from weapons was readily heading toward the two, while the sounds of aerial vehicles stalled into a terse silence as Kirakishou did what Kirakishou does best. However, at that moment, Madulin didn't bother paying attention to Kirakishou, for she only had eyes for her sister, and for the toys racing toward their inevitable defeat.
Aura raced though their conjoined body, as both Judica and Madulin pulled on their stores of energy contained within their N-Field. Madulin chose to sing first, opting to dictate a little song she found fitting for the good people of Atlas and Mantle. One forged not of this world, instead being born from a simpler time when all their benefactor could do was watch and learn.
"Ring-a-ring o' roses,"
"A pocket full of posies,"
The world shuddered as the ground beneath them cracked and fell apart, and even still the dolls continued to sing, as a menagerie of green vines ripped out of the ground. The vines were green-shaded duplicates of Kirakishou's own vines, with thicker vines made out of many smaller pieces wrapping around each other. Unlike their peach-blonde friend, Judica and Madulin's powers were also accompanied by a dense burst of concentrated magical energy, which the dolls channeled into a vast outburst of rich orange flames.
Nature did its course, and the vines were quickly inflamed. Yet, ever still, they continued to move.
And move they did, toward the Atlesian soldiers.
"A-tishoo! A-tishoo!"
"...We all fall down."
The resultant mass of inflamed vines ripped across the battlefield, bathing the area in heated growth. And, yet, the soldiers did not cry out in fear or surprise as they had assumed. No. Instead, Judica and Madulin watched as they acted, without pause or hesitation, marching through the mass of their assault with little regard for their own safety.
And, immediately, the conjoined dolls discovered why the Atlesian soldiers appeared so very brave in the face of their overwhelming powers.
They held personal shield devices.
It was interesting. According to the memories that Kirakishou had gathered from General James Ironwood, personal shielding technology had been one of many personal devices that the late General had been working on prior to his capture. The memories had stipulated that, while personal shielding was indeed possible, the dust requirements alone were far too expensive for even the wealthy capital of Atlas to ever afford. Hardlight dust was a synthetic component that required a significant investment to electrolyze, and the cost of mass-producing vast quantities of hardlight dust would be utterly astronomical.
And, yet, the evidence of Atlesian accomplishment was laid bare right before their very eyes. A swarm of heavily armed and highly dangerous individuals was heading right for them, looking none the worse for wear than they had been at the start of their encounter. Only, now, they were the slightest bit warier of Judica and Madulin, having likely been only informed of Kirakishou's abilities, and thus previously disregarding the two conjoined dolls as a nonissue.
Now, too, were Judica and Madulin wary of the Atlesian forces.
They knew, intimately, that their beloved Rozen Maiden Kirakishou would have effortlessly torn through such forces with little issue. Thus, in order to impress her, Judica and Madulin would work to achieve the same level of skill.
Neon Katt raced towards them, the brightly coloured and heavily armoured cat faunus member of Team FNKI moving quickly in thanks to her roller skates, and a boost by Flynt Coal's unique instrument. Judica and Madulin pouted, as they were once again forced to separate and go their own ways.
Adjusting their form at a rapid pace, Judica and Madulin separated into two individual bodies, as clockwork vine-laden limbs grew in the spaces voided by the departure of their sister. The cogs in their chest slowed to a stop, however, their intent was filled and forever moving forward to chase the pinnacle that was their peach-blonde Rozen Maiden.
Reaching over toward her sister, Madulin found Judica reaching for her as well. Their hands were clasped together for a brief moment of blissful intimacy during the auric storm over Atlas, before the two separated their handhold. However, a vine grew between their hands, joining them together even as they moved further and further apart.
The Atlesians were rapidly approaching, Neon Katt more so than the others due to her speed, and for the first time in their battle… Judica and Madulin moved. Their conjoined N-Field responded quickly as they accessed the semblance connected to Harriet Bree, the fallen member of the Ace Operatives of the Atlesian Military. While their little secret regarding the Ace Operatives had unfortunately been spilled following Suigintou's timely intervention, they had still been able to retain the Ace Operatives after Kirakishou had repaired them both.
Flashing towards the group of Atlesians in parallel speed, the formerly-conjoined dolls wielded their connected vine like a rapidly approaching blunt-force weapon, impacting harshly against the group of Atlesians and sending the majority of them flying backward. A small number of Atlesian soldiers were able to react to their sudden movement and duck in time, avoiding the strike. Among those with faster reaction times was the entirety of Team FNKI, who seemingly possessed a higher skillset than the majority of those that Judica and Madulin had encountered so far.
Ivory and Kobalt had banded together to narrowly dodge the vine, with Kobalt actively tackling Ivory at the precise moment to allow both huntsmen to avoid the attack completely unscathed. Meanwhile, Neon had effortlessly jumped over their vine, using a boost from Flynt to propel herself over the body of a fallen soldier.
Flynt, seemingly, had broken the vine through the use of his semblance, the aptly named Killer Quartet. Three copies of the man had been created, all boasting a copy of Flynt's weapon, and their combined performance in conjunction with the rapid pace of their vine had bent the appendage and applied enough tension to snap the vine entirely. Judica and Madulin turned to face the group of Team FNKI as they assembled beside each other in military formation, as the two formerly-conjoined dolls dropped their broken vines in agitated synchronicity, little pouts on their faces as their cheeks puffed out.
Annoying.
Their N-Field activated again, as the dolls cycled their manifesting semblances. An upgrade from Kirakishou had removed their limit of a single semblance per body, and both Judica and Madulin were able to possess copies of the same semblance at the same time, instead of having to constantly switch all the time. And, while Harriet's semblance was quite useful on the battlefield, Judica and Madulin had accomplished what they had needed to do with the semblance. They were tired of playing around. Now, they wanted to do the task they had come here for, if only to make their benefactor smile. And they knew just how to accomplish such a goal.
Hardlight shields could protect the body without fail, but even a body supported by a shield was still forced to yield to the laws of motion. An object in motion, even one with a state of motion transferred to it by another object, was forced to react to the change. And, simply put, humans and faunus were not built to be pushed into breakneck speeds so quickly, auric and dust augmentation notwithstanding. Many of the Atlesians had been rendered unconscious by their vine attack, and Kirakishou's N-Field had been ready and waiting.
They would be safe in their shielded bodies, and the N-Field would ensure that they never needed to fight ever again.
Unless, of course, they were into that sort of thing, in which case the N-Field would give them all the dreams of fighting that they wanted. Madulin, and by extension her sister Judica, weren't the type to judge what people wanted.
...There was a pause on the battlefield, as the endless movement of airships stilled, and Kirakishou moved into the city.
She… the airships were still there, yet they did not falter or move to capture her. It would seem that both Kirakishou's, Judica's, and Madulin's strategies had all employed the N-Field to some degree. No doubt exactly as Kirakishou had planned from the very beginning. At this point in her short life, Madulin had learned to expect many scenarios to revolve around the blonde-haired doll, who seemingly worked without fail to incorporate plans within plans, all of which served her purpose to some degree.
"Honestly!" a female voice different from that of her sister or Kirakishou caught Madulin's attention, and she turned to the brightly-coloured cat faunus. "You two are actually pretty strong for a couple of underlings. I mean, we'd trained to take down Kirakishou, so it's pretty impressive that a couple of small fries are lasting so well against us, all things considered."
Judica walked over to stand beside Madulin, and the two dolls surveyed Team FNKI, the two opposing groups both standing confident on the battlefield, surrounded by unconscious bodies and constantly battered by heavy rainfall and flashes of lightning that lit up the environment in a menagerie of shifting colours and hues.
"...Sister, I think she means to mock us…" Judica poked her in the side, and she swatted the offending hand away. She was a doll. She wasn't supposed to be ticklish.
"Moh~" Madulin cocked her head in an imitation of their patron, smiling pleasantly at the group of Atlesian huntsmen and huntresses. "If that's the case, they're not doing a good job at it. Kirakishou has already broken through their paltry air support, and we've been able to handle the ground forces with little trouble, even including the strange protective devices they wear."
"Oh, you like them, do you?" Neon giggled, giving her body a little twirl as if to show herself off. Madulin balked at the display, feeling decidedly uncomfortable. "They're a little addition from Atlesian R&D. One of the perks of-"
"-Having Kanaria give you all insights on how the Rozen Maiden abilities operate," Madulin finished with a tiny little smirk of her own. "Oh, but how could we have known that I wonder?~"
"You're remarkably well-informed," Ivori stoically commented from the side, the grey-haired whip-wielder seemingly unconcerned with their flaunting knowledge of state secrets. "It will do you no good, however. Atlas will survive, as it has always survived."
"But that's not what you're all trying to accomplish, is it?" Neon taunted with a knowing look. "Rozen Maiden are all about their N-Fields. Or, well, Kirakishou is. Little Kanaria is actually a half-decent person to be around, once you get past the artificial nature and her hilariously clumsy attitude. She isn't like Kirakishou, trying to collect people like toys. Like dolls. Compensating for something?"
Judica and Madulin glared at the cat-tailed huntress, knowing an insult when they heard it.
"...You're also remarkably well-informed about the Rozen Maiden, for a couple of sacrifices meant to stall for time," Maudlin frowned. She could feel a tenseness in her body, as her eyes seemed unable to turn away from the girl that had dared mock the one she cared for so deeply. "I'll be sure to enjoy playing with you in the N-Field, a great deal."
"Fortunately for us, you're never going to have that opportunity," Flynt Coal spoke for the first time, a hardened edge to his tone. "Neon, go!"
As Neon Katt sped toward them once again, Judica and Madulin privately admitted to themselves that there were definitely going to savor their time with Team FNKI, in both the material and immaterial worlds.
"...She… carved through Atlesian Air Support in a matter of minutes…" Winter Schnee murmured aloud, utterly lost. How in the world had she torn through them all with such little issue? Even discounting her abilities, Atlesian Air Support should have at least been able to distract the seventh Rozen Maiden for a longer period of time than a mere couple minutes of effort.
The dolls Kirakishou had sent to combat the ground forces were having some manner of difficulty facing Winter's gathered forces, but everyone gathered alongside her knew that the strange twin dolls were nothing more than a distraction. Kirakishou was their primary adversary, first and foremost. No matter what occurred with the dolls, the Atlesian R&D tech would ensure their survival, but if they did not stop Kirakishou and her N-Field, all would be for naught.
Beside her, little Kanaria nervously tugged on her pants, clutching Winter's form for support. Winter Schnee was well aware that, for all her surprising insight into the world of the Rozen Maiden, Kanaria was still a little girl who was scared. Whether it be of Kirakishou or the storm that followed her, was a non-issue in her eyes.
Without hesitation, she sent a reassuring smile to the little greenette doll, who nervously attempted to smile back.
"Impressive speed," Jacques Schnee remarked. "Compared to how the other Rozen Maiden faired against Summer Rose, this 'Kirakishou' appears leagues above the rest in terms of combat effectiveness."
"I-It's because of her N-Field…" Kanaria remarked, tentatively pulling away from Winter in order to march toward the holographic display. The little doll pouted when she couldn't reach the dials to manipulate the display, prompting Winter to conjure a simple earthen block for the doll to stand on, through the use of her glyph semblance and dust stores.
"Yes, her N-Field. From the reports that I have been able to access, it appears to be quite expansive," Jacques Schnee commented distantly, drawing something of a queer look from Winter Schnee on the side.
Seeming almost bolstered by Jacques Schnee's commentary, and the intrigued looks on the faces of the other gathered members of the Atlesian Council, little Kanaria continued on.
Notably, she switched the display from a close-up feed displaying the technical readouts of the idling Atlesian Bullheads and various gathered military airships to one depicting reports of the vast storm that had signaled Kirakishou's arrival long before she had visibly appeared in Atlas.
"...I don't know what this relic is, or why Silver Eyes and Maidens really matter for Kirakishou's Master, but I do know that Kirakishou fuels all of her changes through the mass amount of energy she harvests from her N-Field, the Palace of Beginnings. Even before we arrived in this world, she was required to attach herself to other souls in order to survive, let alone manifest her powers in the real world. Now, we see the effect that such a power has brought. This storm isn't natural."
And as General Winter surveyed the scene, depicting a number of mounting concerns regarding the torrential rain and severe electrical discharges, Winter found herself noticing the distinct lack of alerts.
Even during the brief time that Kirakishou had appeared to interact with the Atlesian Air Support, where the storm had grown to encompass the area directly outside both Atlas and Mantle, not a single communication had been relayed detailing any damage to the gathered airborn vehicles.
Even now.
Everything was fine.
"You're suggesting that Kirakishou is controlling the storm?" Councilman Sleet requested clarification, eyeing the little doll curiously. He, alongside Councilwoman Camilla, had been quickly briefed regarding the Four Relics following Ozpin's sudden intervention and subsequent damning revelation regarding Kirakishou's likely target in Atlas. Both Councilors had been remarkably quiet following their briefing, choosing to stay silent as they all witnessed Kirakishou tear through Atlesian Air Support with her N-Field, and only now had they spoken aloud.
"No!" Kanaria shook her head, pouting. "I'm saying that she isn't controlling it! The storm is too much for her. Too much energy, too much aura. She doesn't have space for all that aura inside her N-Field."
"...Storage problems, hmm?" Jacques Schnee murmured with a furrow of his brow, intrigued. "It would make her choice of action with the Atlesian Air Support questionable at best. If our readings are correct and Kanaria's hypothesis rings true, then choosing to add even more people to her N-Field would only exacerbate matters with the storm. Their personal shielding devices will ensure their survival, and their excess aura will further stress her capacity."
"Uh-huh!" Kanaria smiled at Jacques, and Winter Schnee felt a peculiarly shrewd sense of dissatisfaction at the interaction between the two, one born from years of torment under the man. "It's because she doesn't care at this stage. Nothing really matters to Kirakishou except for her goal. And if her goal is to reunite with her Master using this 'relic' thingie, then one little storm raging out of control won't matter to her. She still has access to all the aura generated by everyone inside of it. She's just limited to how much she can store long-term."
"Right now," Jacques added, before continuing when General Winter motioned for him to explain. "It's as Kanaria says, she still has access to the aura generated, so provided that she continues using it in vast displays as she did outside Atlas, then there's no issue. The storm fuels her growth and her growth fuels the storm. The only issue comes afterward. Which, if she is given access to a relic capable of building a connection to Ruby Rose, who is to say that the same relic isn't capable of improving her storage capabilities?"
"...You're suggesting that the Relic of Creation is to be used to bolster Kirakishou's N-Field?" Ozpin spoke up for the first time in a while, the aristocratic features of Whitley Schnee contorting in apparent discomfort. "It's possible. However, any activation of the Relic at the current moment would cause catastrophe for Atlas and Mantle both."
"How so?" Councilors Sleet and Camilla immediately spoke up, while Jacques Schnee merely sent a raised brow in her direction. Winter Schnee grimaced, as Ozpin turned to stare at her with a curious look.
"You hadn't told them?"
"I did not," General Winter shook her head. "There are state secrets and there are secrets that, if brought to light, would eradicate both Atlas and Mantle singlehandedly. Outside agents, both those belonging to the Rozen Maiden and… others… could potentially gather this information, even from the most stalwart of individuals."
"An understandable motive for any other circumstance other than the one we currently face," Ozpin partially agreed with something of a curt nod, while the other Councilors appeared far less agreeable. "To explain," Ozpin turned to the others, "the Relic of Creation is currently being used to keep Atlas afloat. If Kirakishou were to access it and remove the Relic from its chamber, Atlas would collapse atop Mantle, destroying both cities."
"But she wouldn't do that!" Kanaria yelled out, frustrated. Blinking in surprise at the current outburst, Winter Schnee turned back to the little doll, having slowly ignored the little girl's prodding in the midst of conversation.
"What do you mean, little one?" Ozpin spoke for the group, his voice soft and soothing in spite of Kanaria's mounting ire.
"That's not how she operates! You just saw it! Ugh!" Kanaria fiddled with the holographic display, flashing through several readouts before finally settling on a live feed of the idling Atlesian airships. "Look! None of the ships have fallen, because it would injure those inside. Kirakishou isn't trying to hurt anyone physically. She only knows how to hold people inside her N-Field. Dropping one city onto another one would cause so much… so much death… that she'd never do it! Even her! Even for her Master! She doesn't see people as something to be hurt, she sees people as something to collect at every opportunity. She has to have another plan."
Jacques Schnee made a noise of interest, sounding vaguely curious if not downright intrigued. "An interesting assessment," Jacques commented, inwardly mirroring Winter's own thoughts on the matter. "You're suggesting that Kirakishou would seek to ensure that those in her path remained physically unharmed?"
"Uh-huh!" Kanaria nodded, before turning to the others. "Those shields you made aren't going to be destroyed, they're only going to serve to ensure she's able to collect more and more people without difficulty."
"Naturally, a great many would prefer death to a lifetime trapped inside a fantasy," General Winter ceased the discussion with a curt prompt, moving Kanaria to the side in order to manipulate the holographic display on her own. She switched it to a localised view of the outer edges of Mantle, focusing on Kirakishou's current whereabouts. "Kirakishou is moving through outer Mantle using the city streets. Whether her objective is capture or utter decimation of opposing forces, her N-Field is advancing all the same, right alongside the storm. We're already receiving damage reports."
Councilwoman Camilla gave a curious him. "Look at how she moves. A brisk stride, never looking back, never looking to the side. There is no curiosity in her movement, no hesitation. It is clear that she has a goal in mind. And if her goal is truly the Relic of Creation…"
"Then why is she in Mantle?" Councilman Sleet finished for his peer, crossing his arms. "Even assuming Kanaria's suggestion regarding Kirakishou's mode of operation rings true, General Winter's hypothesis regarding her main goal springs Kirakishou's current location into question. Discounting the shield surrounding Atlas, there is nothing to prevent Kirakishou from simply ascending to Atlas through the use of her vines. Mantle is objectively worthless in her quest, save for feeding her N-Field."
"Ah, but Mantle isn't entirely without value, as you just explained," Jacques Schnee interrupted with a nod specifically aimed toward Kanaria. "As our little Rozen Maiden identified, Kirakishou still sees value in Mantle as something similar to fuel to power her N-Field. Now, considering our previous discussion regarding the storm and its connection to the N-Field, namely being due to Kirakishou's lack of available storage space for aura, one can infer that even Kirakishou would not seek to gain even more aura that she cannot reliably contain unless she has a reason for it. Even if she wanted to gather more of us, the standing point is that she simply cannot. Not yet."
Winter Schnee nodded along, reluctantly, as did the rest of the gathered councilors and Ozpin himself. As did little Kanaria, who appeared to be smiling slightly and crossing her arms, looking mighty proud that someone had finally listened to her. She sighed. Even now that she had become the General of the Atlesian Military, her Father was still making things difficult for her, in his own particular way.
"And, as Kanaria said," Ozpin interrupted with a sudden movement of his own, stepping forward, "Kirakishou still maintains the ability to use any aura she gathers, even if she cannot reliably contain it for an extended period of time. Therefore, one can infer that her actions outside Atlas are in preparation for the immediate future, regarding some as-of-yet unforeseen goal. Likely an attempt to reach the relic."
General Winter idly turned her attention to little Kanaria, wondering.
Was it time?
...No, she decided. Not yet. They couldn't afford to blow their ace in the hole. Not until the most opportune moment.
The more aura that Kirakishou gathered, the more difficult she became to accurately model. If Ozpin's hypothesis rang true and Kirakishou was indeed planning on expending a mass amount of aura, it would be better to wait until that particular moment.
Then, and only then, would Atlas strike back. For now, it was better to spend time understanding their opponent, rather than bumbling around in the dark and potentially wasting their one chance at ending the threat of the Alice Game once and for all.
Besides. She couldn't… she couldn't handle the thought of doing such a thing to poor, poor Kanaria.
They still didn't understand.
A pure rose can bloom as much as she wants, but after so much time spent blossoming even the most observant individuals can be blinded by her pure self.
Over and over had she witnessed their talk, timelines spent under the hypothetical of a diversionary walk through Mistral as her darling N-Field invaded Atlas under the guise of nothingness, blanketed by the illusionary force of Neo Politan's unique semblance, when wielded and boosted by the powers of Judica and Madulin. Of course, she wasn't doing that in this particular timeline, as she did not want to potentially damage the conjoined dolls, as she knew would occur were the dolls to ever step foot inside the floating city of Atlas.
Judica and Madulin could grow to love her. Hinaichigo could have grown to love her. In truth, so many of them could have grown to love a lonely white rose…
...This Relic… the Relic of Choice… it was an unsettling piece of apparel, showing her futures that cut deeper than any blade, that targeted her very sense of self.
Kirakishou, however, had herself set on one love. One Master. Her Master, Ruby Rose. And if she must sacrifice a hundred thousand timelines in order to set herself on the one path she truly yearned for, then so be it. Everything else was expendable, save for Ruby Rose.
The Relic of Choice was nearing its end. It had served its purpose, and would function only up until that one particular moment, where the passage of time collapsed into that one singular scene. That one singular power that eclipsed it all. Until then, the end would forever be near her, chasing an unsearchable target.
General Winter. Councilman Sleet. Councilwoman Camilla. Councilman Schnee. Ozpin. Whitley Schnee. They were all chasing her. Getting closer and closer to understanding her reasoning, all due to their final remaining member.
...Kanaria.
KANARIA.
She wondered if the little green-haired Rozen Maiden was happy in her new environment, with so many people listening to her words as if they were gospel. Thanks to her unique perspective on the current and future happenings, Kirakishou could even feel something akin to gratefulness towards the little Rozen Maiden Leader, for taking the time to understand Kirakishou herself to such a degree of complexity.
"...You know, for all of your power, you're a remarkably simple girl to track down."
Turning towards the source of the voice, she spotted a man standing by the sidewalk in an expensive outfit of golds and browns, holding an umbrella with his left hand as the rain of her storm battered Atlas and Mistral. There were a collection of rings fastened on each of his fingers.
"Arthur Watts, a pleasure to meet you in person," Kirakishou gave a little curtsy, smiling pleasantly at the man as she walked over to him. A flick of her hand dispelled the rain, as she sent it elsewhere for the current moment.
"Hm. Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you know of me, considering the nature of your powers. The Atlesian network has been abuzz with chatter regarding your appearance for the past day and a half. Battle strategies and civilian transport and the like. Seems they were prepared for your arrival."
"They were, as was expected. One of my older sisters is up there in Atlas, watching. Were it not for your interventions regarding the surveillance systems in this specific sector, she would be able to see us at this very moment. Impressive work."
"Well, I did design the very systems that are currently in use. Several years ago, might I add. It's honestly rather disappointing to see Atlas continuing to advance while those in Mantle are stuck with outdated tech serviced by buffoons."
Kirakishou giggled. "You're referring to Pietro Polendina? You may be interested in knowing that Pietro has advanced beyond his current position, and sits as the current chairman of Atlesian R&D. The task of servicing Mantle has been passed down to another."
"I am aware," Arthur Watts grumbled and shook his head, as she knew that he would when she revealed information that the man already knew. A necessary action that alleviated some of his tension, even if Kirakishou did not entirely understand why such an action was deemed a concrete requirement for a successful conversion by the Relic of Choice. "However, speaking of developments, a certain shadow syndicate has gone dark lately. Or, should I say, bright? It would appear that I may have you to thank for such a development."
"Ah, you visited my N-Field in the unnamed continent?" Kirakishou smiled pleasantly. "It must have been quite the trip. The beasts of dark have become somewhat unruly now that their Queen has been silenced. Even my pure self cannot fully contain their continued development."
As Arthur Watts began to speak, she idly conjured a wall of crystalline N-Field in a specific direction, blocking a shot from impacting her lower torso. Arthur Watts blinked, before grimacing.
"...Hm. What a shame. It would appear that we have been discovered."
She shrugged. There was little that could be done. They were always found, eventually. Whether it be by Atlesian Huntsmen and Huntresses, or by bystanders too curious to avoid the delicate touch of her N-Field, eventually Arthur Watts and Kirakishou would be seen conversing in the streets of Mistral.
A horde of Atlesian Knight-200 androids came racing down the main street, hundreds of them, easily, featuring bladed weapons and jet propulsion. A cursory glance at the future gleaned that they were, in this timeline, rigged to explode when in close proximity to Kirakishou herself. Curiously, they had been rigged with the same explosive dust combination as the one that Cinder's faction had used on her during the Vytal Festival Tournament.
Arthur Watts waved a hand, as several of his rings glowed. The visors of the Atlesian Knight-200s in closest proximity gleaned a violent red colour, and a small skirmish broke out when the red-shaded bots turned on the others.
"This way," Arthur Watts gestured for her to follow through a small building, to which he reached into his coat and produced a small iron key to unlock the door. "I have bought us some time, but they will be looking for us. General Winter, as it would appear, is several leagues more efficient in surveying the masses of Mistral, compared to her predecessor."
It was amusing to Kirakishou to think that Specialist Schnee, Winter Schnee, the older sister of Weiss Schnee, had ascended to the rank of General due to Kirakishou's acquisition of General Ironwood. From the memories that she had gathered from General Ironwood, the two shared something of a close relationship, and James Ironwood had come to care for Winter Schnee beyond the terms of engagement one would find in a strict militaristic setting. The man had been reconciling his feelings for some time, up until his capture.
Most notably, General Ironwood dreamed of a time spent with Specialist Schnee, with the two of them building a strong nation together, ripe with technologies that were beyond anything the current material Atlas could ever hope to currently achieve all on its own.
As Kirakishou was led through a series of abandoned buildings connected through hidden code-locked doors and hatches, she couldn't help but admire the man in front of her. Much like Ruby Rose, Arthur Watts was a savant in his own particular field. While Ruby Rose held a deep fascination for weaponry and the huntress lifestyle, Arthur Watts favoured a technological approach to the world. Without Salem's influence pushing the man to a singular goal, Arthur Watts had instead expanded his interests into an advancement all of his own, fueled by his singularly sordid history with Atlas.
Yet even for a man of high technology, he never forgot his roots. The mechanical world still held value to Arthur Watts, and neither a scrap of knowledge in the mechanical nor technological worlds was hidden to Arthur Watts. All held purpose, all held value. All pieces of a puzzle.
Eventually, the young Rozen Maiden found herself situated inside an elaborate underground bunker of some sort, one that had been delicately maintained over a long period of time. Wires crossed along the ground like vines, thick and plentiful and connected to a great many systems and infrastructure throughout the seeming entirety of the bunker structure.
"...That should do for now," Arthur Watts mused to himself, before sighing. "It will take Atlas some time to discover your location. While I'm not entirely read up on the various abilities of the Rozen Maiden, I do know how Atlesian minds think, and a woman like General Winter will stop at nothing to protect her blasted Atlas from any and all threats."
Kirakishou hummed, vaguely interested. She had heard all of Arthur's musings before, of course, but she hadn't paid them much mind. Compared to the momentous occasion of being united with her Master and love, Ruby Rose, how could anything ever hope to hold her attention for any length of time?
Still, even she could admit that she was rather impressed with Arthur's elaborate setup. One did not need to see the future to know that such a creation would have taken a considerable amount of time and effort in order to accomplish.
"You're right, of course," Kirakishou smiled pleasantly. The man seemed to falter at her smile, having expected some kind of sinister intrigue akin to how Salem had seemed to enjoy enacting with her very presence. "General Winter, Winter Schnee, is contracted to Kanaria, one of the Rozen Maiden. With enough guidance, Kanaria could eventually lead Atlesian operatives to this location. They will experience some difficulties sending the locational data to the troops, however, thanks to your intimate understanding of the Atlesian broadcast systems in place."
Kanaria wouldn't have a chance in this timeline. Those that found her would accomplish such through their own skill. However, in several alternate timelines, their capture had indeed occurred due to Kanaria's own influence.
"You know of that, huh? Hm," Arthur Watts shook his head, briefly muttering under his breath. "No surprise there, though I'm impressed with your understanding of the situation. Yes, communications in the general vicinity are being scrambled. Knowing Atlas as I do, they will no doubt attempt to pinpoint the source of the blockage, which will lead them to a number of secondary systems I had installed for that very occasion."
She giggled.
"...Perhaps a pure rose should have paid more attention to those under Salem's watch," Kirakishou mused aloud, shaking her head as she moved to lean against a nearby wall, taking the appropriate precautions to choose an appropriate position that would not impact any of the delicate infrastructure positioned around the place. "Unlike Hazel Rainart, Tyrian Callows, Cinder Fall, or Dr. Merlot, you were able to thrive in the wake of the Rozen Maiden rather than fall to distant chances and idle whims."
"Well," Arthur Watts appeared slightly flattered by her vocalised thoughts, "it was only natural, I suppose. The others were tools to be used and, no doubt, even Salem likely believed such to be the case even for me."
"She did," Kirakishou supplied pleasantly. "Everybody was a tool to be used for her. Even Ozpin. Even the beasts of dark she controls. Even herself. Even Kanaria. Nothing was beneath her, in order to achieve her most desired dream."
Arthur Watts adjusted his collar, grimacing. Through her repeated observations of the man through her occasional bouts through the Relic of Choice, she knew the movement to be something of a nervous tic. In this case, however, it was used to settle his discomfort, one born from imagining a horrid outcome. One for both Salem and himself.
"Regardless, Salem has become a non-issue, and therefore I have been made available to certain… opportunities that were locked to me beforehand. Oh, and by the way," Arthur Watts gave a low chuckle. "Lil' Miss Malachite bids you congratulations for your successful return to Remnant."
Here, Kirakishou did not bother to hide her wide smile, amused beyond belief. The organisation known as 'Spider' had left a considerable impact on Remnant, after she herself had left a considerable impact on them. Or, more precisely, she could say that it had been Ruby Rose that had inadvertently manipulated Spider into becoming their playthings. Little toys with which to amuse themselves, for a time.
And Spider had most certainly worked to amuse her.
Through her actions, Ruby Rose had taught Spider that Kirakishou was a pure rose who held considerable opportunity for growth, both for Kirakishou herself and for Spider as a whole. Provided, of course, that Spider manages to connect themselves to Ruby Rose, and by extension to Kirakishou. To achieve this, they had sent Roman Torchwick and Neo Politan to Vale with information regarding Ruby Rose in their heads, in the hopes of sending Kirakishou herself to Atlas in search of her missing Master.
Of course, both Kirakishou and Lil' Miss Malachite had known that Ruby Rose was not in Atlas. However, the enigmatic leader of Spider had suspected that the remnants of Team RWBY would likely wind up in Atlas at some point in time due to one of their team members holding a considerable connection to the city. And, through the Relic of Choice, Kirakishou could confirm that Team RWBY had indeed visited Atlas, with her Master in tow.
One needed only to converse with Spider's connection in order to learn of such things, and what a wonderful hypothetical future conversation it had been.
...Will be? Will not be?
Will not be. Because Kirakishou did not need such information, neither in the past when searching through the future, nor in the present while searching for her Master. Their position was irrelevant. The Relic of Creation would see to that.
"Lil' Miss Malachite is quite the influential piece, isn't she?"
"Indeed she is," Arthur Watts chuckled amusingly. "Were it not for her connections, it would have been somewhat difficult to track your location, let alone arrive in such a prompt and timely manner."
"When dealing with Spider, one must be aware that their services do not come without considerable cost. What price did you pay, Arthur Watts?"
She knew, of course, but the timeline dictated that she must speak the appropriate words, pointlessly purposeful as they apparently were to one Arthur Watts.
And, as expected, the disgraced Atlesian R&D Technician crossed his arms. "Nothing that was not worth the hassle. From what it appears, Lil' Miss Malachite cared little for anything save for informing you of her involvement. A strange mindset for a shadowy information agency, but, I digress, it would appear that we've deviated somewhat from our original conversation."
"We did indeed~" Kirakishou gave a light giggle, covering her lips with her hand in a curt manner. "There are, after all, a mass of Atlesian huntsmen and huntresses searching for the both of us, now that you have so blatantly shown your involvement to the forces of Atlas."
"Yes, well, it was an unfortunate necessity. Contacting you was simply impossible to do without drawing attention," Arthur Watts adjusted his outfit, before shaking his head and activating his rings. Nearby, a mounted display fluttered to life, and Kirakishou drew her attention to what was displayed on the device. "As you can see, Atlas is something of a cobbled-together mess of circuitry and machinery built atop the back of Mantle. Much of the infrastructure necessary for running Atlesian systems is based within Mantle, up to and including the shielding systems."
"Oh?" Kirakishou feigned interest, cocking her head to the side as was socially required for Arthur Watts to continue monologuing.
"Indeed," he smirked, "now, make no mistake, I have only something of a limited understanding of your reasoning and motivations regarding your sudden appearance in Atlas. However, the fact remains that you're here, exactly as Lil' Miss Malachite predicted. Given what has already occurred, I have but two simple requests for you, before I am able to help to the best of my ability."
She liked this part.
"You wish to be guaranteed freedom from my Palace of Beginnings? Done~" Kirakishou smiled to herself, before pouting at the look that Arthur Watts sent her. The man was suspicious, rightly so, considering that he had not spoken of his plan to anyone. "It is simple enough to guess," Kirakishou tilted her head to the side once more. "You survived Salem's attempt to sacrifice you all at Argus. You survived dealing with Lil' Miss Malachite, and you survived the return to Atlas and Mantle. It is only natural that you would wish to continue surviving, and a pure rose is happy to ensure that such a dream comes true, even if she doesn't entirely understand the reasoning."
It was, unfortunately, necessary. Antagonising Arthur Watts by refusing his weird little desire to be outside her N-Field would create hassles in the immediate future, delaying Kirakishou for a time long enough to cause some manner of difficulty in reuniting with Ruby Rose.
"...Right, of course," Arthur Watts grimaced, murmuring to himself. "Should have expected that. Knowledge is one thing, but learning how to apply it is something else. I shouldn't be surprised that you're capable of extrapolating information about others based on existing data. How foolish of me."
She hadn't done anything like that. She'd stumbled upon it during a random hypothetical future. It had been the one where she had decided to visit Atlas unclothed, in order to surprise Ruby Rose. Arthur Watts, apparently, liked to babble a lot when he was socially uncomfortable, and the sight of her pure form was more than enough to cause some manner of discomfort.
"You aren't being a fool, nor have you ever been a fool when dealing with the Rozen Maiden and our Alice Game. You have a lot to manage, here. There is nothing wrong with being surprised by one or two little things."
Arthur Watts blinked, before chuckling. "...Right. Here I am being consoled by a Rozen Maiden of all things. Bah. It's that time with Kanaria all over again," he shook his head. "Right. Er. Thank you for your words. Anyway, I have another request," he paused as if expecting Kirakishou to interrupt, only for her to smile pleasantly and gesture for him to continue. "What do you know about the floating city of Atlas and its ability to remain afloat?"
"A few things~" Kirakishou deferred, tittering lightly. "General Ironwood is a somewhat difficult seedling to interpret at times. He always seems to dream of a peaceful city, even when a pure rose directs his attentions elsewhere."
If Arthur Watts was uncomfortable by her description, he did not physically show it. Instead, there was a slight momentary silence broken only by the idle sounds of machinery running in the background.
"...Of course. Well, many would believe that Atlas is a city that remains afloat by the mass deposit of gravity dust crystals housed beneath the city. And, indeed, that is what official documentation indicates. However, in truth, there is a device hidden deep inside Atlas that keeps the city floating. All I humbly request is that you find the device and remove it."
"Would that not cause the city to crash down, flattening Mantle?"
In one timeline, Ruby Rose likened the scene to 'pancakes'. She had spent the remainder of the time questioning Ruby Rose as to the meaning behind the metaphor, before the two had giggled and kissed passionately amidst the crumbling ruined cities. It had been a beautiful moment.
"It would. However, such a thing wouldn't matter to a girl like you, now would it? After all, the city would be vacant at that point. I'm not oblivious to the happenings of your N-Field, nor the development of your… associates."
Beyond anything else that Kirakishou had encountered when dealing with Salem's associates, the fact that Arthur Watts had learned the truth of her N-Field before Salem herself was, by far, the most amusing thing she had ever discovered. Arthur Watts had been a hidden gem in the world of Remnant, passed over by both General Ironwood and Salem herself. The man had, with only the slightest connection to the world, learned more than both figures combined, and learned how to properly interact with her pure self in a way that uniquely benefited his own long-term goals.
Even if the Relic of Choice hadn't necessitated Kirakishou working alongside Arthur Watts and giving the man entirely what he desired, Kirakishou likely would have done it anyway, if only to thank him for being such a wonderful human being.
"You are correct. The destruction of Atlas and Mantle would be of no hassle to my pure self, as the seedlings contained within both cities would already be mine at such a point. As a result, I am more than happy to fulfill your requests, Arthur Watts."
"...Good. Good…" the man slowly murmured, before nodding his head. Eventually, he turned to focus on one of the displays, one that was emitting a quick series of beeps every few seconds. "Atlesian officials had breached one of the tunnel entrances and are on their way here. I'm stalling them with a series of automated turrets I've painstakingly installed over the past few weeks, but it will only be a matter of time until they overcome my defenses. We don't have much time until this bunker is neck-deep in Atlesian armed forces."
"I'm sorry," Kirakishou pouted, clutching her hands and tilting her head to the side in a way that her beloved Ruby's memories identified as a suitable apology procedure.
Arthur Watts stared at her, oddly disbelieving, before chuckling.
"No need for apologies, although the intention is appreciated. Now that my obligation to Spider has been completed, and you've listened to my requests, we can focus on getting you into Atlas. For this purpose, I've-"
"...There's no need," Kirakishou interrupted with a raised hand, pushing off from her position resting against the wall to move over to Arthur Watts and place a hand on his shoulder. The man tensed, yet remained silent. "A pure rose has her own plan of action. As you said, your obligation has been completed. You may leave Atlas and Mantle of your own volition. Do not worry, for the N-Field shall not attempt to gather you, nor shall it interfere with the various surveillance devices you have connected to throughout both cities. You shall achieve your goals, Arthur Watts, as shall I achieve mine."