Chapter 10 - THE IRONCLAD GENERAL

-Roman Torchwick-

'Was this...was this truly the end…?'

I glanced out at the jeering crowd, their faces warped and demonic in the haze of the setting sun, no…this was merely their true face. Humanity was already monstrous, already corrupt, already… I dissolved into a flurry of hacking coughs, staining the tinder beneath me a hearty crimson, the post I was chained too likely the only thing keeping me standing at this point as the untreated wounds sustained at burned white hot.

'Was this farce really to be my fate?' I turned my head upward to glance at the cold stone buildings of Vale's capitol, the lack of joy within its walls, the filth pervading its streets. 'Executed for the entertainment of the human masses, helpless, not even able to die among my people, among my brothers and sisters?'

No, no they had already perished on the field of battle, already burned alive by the Kingdoms and their pet Magi's foul sorcery...

"Adam Taurus, Faunus, Commander of the White Fang Mercenary Company, you are hereby charged with inciting armed rebellion and promoting subversive sentiment towards the established Kingdoms of Remnant among your fellow demi-humans, the sacking of numerous settlements along the borders of Mistral, Vale, and Vacuo, acts of cruelty and murder inflicted on noble and commoner alike." A whining nasally voice rose up from the grey bearded man at the foot of the massive pyre, his voluminous green robes ill-fitting, almost to the point of swallowing him whole in their depths. "A great many atrocities can be placed at your feet criminal, and at the feet of your "revolution". I suspect there are those here would even go so far as liken you yourself to no better than the ancient Creatures of Grimm!" Gods this fool liked to hear himself talk, and what's worse the crowd itself was eating it like the sheep they were…no, that would insult the livestock. "For these crimes you have been sentenced to public execution by fire, under the order of the High Council of Remnant. Your name forever to be used merely as a warning, an example to those who would challenge the might of mankind, something to be reviled, pitied..."

'What did we fight for Blake, what did you give your life for!?'

I screamed wordlessly at the sky as the scorching heat met my feet, the smoke searing my lungs. Tears, burning hotter than even those flames dripped down my face, not of sorrow or remorse, but anger…the purest fury of one scorned by those he only sought to raise. 'This world spat on us, you saw the good in it, and how did it repay you!?'

Death, cold and brutal, that was what had met my people, my friends. They had died for a cause birthed in a dingy basement, a pipe dream that we would no longer be slaves to those who saw us as less then mortal, less than human.

In the corners of my vision I could make Faunus in the crowd, some with faces downcast at the death of a crusader, others cheering side by side with their oppressors as the criminal suffered. Their betrayal pierced me like a knife to the heart, deeper than any blade or bullet, my teeth clenched in defiance. We'd worn the faces of monsters for them, we'd sacrificed and bled our last on the soil of battlefields for them! And yet now that sentiment, that act of symbolism, would become our legacy for all of history to ridicule.

In that moment I became more than Adam Taurus, a bull headed Faunus that had risen from the shackles placed on him by society by the sweat of his brow and the skill of his sword arm, and became truly what they saw of me.

"DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!"

Fitting words for a monster I supposed, one that gloried as he ripped himself of his bindings to bite hold of the weak little man who thought he owned my life around the neck and tear it free in a gurgling scream of blood and viscera, one that promised he would see the world burn before the end as his brothers and sisters had burned across the battlefield...

"Oh fu…!?" my eyes sprang open as my body reared upwards off the desk almost the the point of falling off the chair, a cold sweat on my brow while hands rose on reflex to beat away at the encroaching flames. Then I took a moment and blinked, taking in the light of the mid afternoon sun my as sleep addled mind recoiling at the sudden odd lack of pain, of searing heat...except for the fiery burn that tingled on the back of my palm of course, Saber must've noticed my discomfort, with amusement knowing that animal. "Gods...Wh-What the hell?"

The question was rhetorical, pointless, I knew exactly what it had been and who precisely was responsible. Still that knowledge did little to help my now utterly destroyed sleeping schedule, already bad enough given the Queen Bitch's constant demands for results, nor did it beat down the sudden anger leaping in my breast. It wasn't even my own emotion, merely the bleed off from my Servant's weakly veiled consciousness, and that if anything only soured my mood all the more. That damned connection...

"S-Sa...!?"

I clenched my teeth before I could finish, taking a moment to address myself, to calm my nerves. Letting what vestiges of fear that remained slink away until I was confident I could speak without losing what remained in my stomach in the process. Appearances were everything after all, especially to a creature that could feasibly wipe out a kingdom in a single night.

"SABER!" The Servant had already appeared in a shower of crimson light before I'd even finished uttering the title, menacing as ever with his hand idly thumbing the handle of his weapon while his masked gaze took in the whole room in an instant with a twitch of his horned head, searching subconsciously for a target, for prey. I'd never gotten used to that hidden gaze of his, feeling all to well the fear a mouse might feel before the cat as my heart caught in my throat. Recovering the momentum, I remembered my supposed authority over Saber, but the slip had been noticed. "It happened again!"

"Excuse me, Master..." The Faunus growled, not even bothering to even try and hid the sarcasm in his tone as he formed the word, his mouth twisting unconsciously into a snarl "...but whatever do you...?"

"You know damn well what I mean!" I slammed my fist down before leaning back in my seat to catch my breath still tasting the boasting judge's blood on my lips, trying and failing to resist falling back into the dream for but a moment, feeling the embers licking at my heels, hearing the air shattering crack of Dust powered rifles, the bullets tearing into flesh... "Of all the stupid...I thought Cinder said this would pass!?"

"Since when has anything that red witch has promised run true?" The swordsman eased off, a derisive smirk spreading across his lips until it was swiftly consumed by another frown, his 'default' as far as I was concerned. "The memories and emotions you feel are a result of our connection strengthening through the Grail and the Throne of Heroes. Believe you me when I say it grants me no pleasure to see inside your sick twisted little head as well, human." So, the connection was a two way street then? That was...disconcerting. "As long as you bear the Command Seals this connection will remain. However much I've tried to suppress it however, the stronger emotions will inevitably..."

"Well try harder then." I waved him off, snatching up my bowler hat and placing it firmly on my head, sparing the Servant one last glance before turning back to the matter at hand. "Lancer's Master, the Arc kid, you found him I'm guessing? That is if you aren't too busy brooding over..."

"I have."

I let a small iota of pleasure bloom at the Familiar's anger, burning clearly through our so-called 'connection', it was an odd feeling, another little tidbit the Queen Bitch herself had left out. Of course seeing as all she had to deal with was the mad ranting of a fiery blonde monstrosity I doubted there was much in the way of coherent thought to bother her with, though that might explain all the shouting she'd been up to...

"Since encountering Berserker, the boy has been frequently moving between the abode of Archer's Master and an establishment in the ill-reputed parts of Vale, an obvious hub for criminal activity from what I was able to observe."

Nodding, I allowed my my consciousness to open to the Servant's memories, seeing as he saw and laughing as the familiar Night Club built itself in my mind's eye. "Well, that is a surprise." I'd frequented old Hei "Junior" Xiong's little watering hole plenty back in my younger days when I'd been starting off, the large man crucial in my short lived rise to power. Good times, at least until Vale's finest came pouring through the doors and put a gun to my head. "A good one though I suppose, anything else happen while I was out?" The servant cocked his head as I got to my feet, smoothing out the wrinkles in my coat with a resigned air.

"I felt a slight disturbance of what may have been Archer and another Servant towards the edges of the Bounded Field a short ways from here." I paused, biting my lip in thought though not saying a word, signalling the horned Servant to continue. "It was brief, though I think their may have been a conflict between them. Assassin would never have allowed itself to be detected so carelessly, and with the supposed alliance between Rider, Lancer, and Archer..."

"So, Caster then?" I finished for him, snatching up my cane and examining the rune inscribed head for any smudges or imperfections before spinning it to my shoulder with just that little bit of extra flourish. "Have you filled in anyone else about this? The Queen or any of her little toadies?" A shake of the head, a flash of resentment echoing through the bond bringing a smirk to my lips. "Good, thinking we should keep it that way, just between us. Wouldn't you agree?" I slapped the swordsman on the back genially before striding toward the door, pausing before opening the door. "You coming or...?" I glanced over my shoulder only to find the space woefully vacated, the Faunus vanished as though he had never been, probably running off to brood again in whatever little corner of the Manor he'd staked out as his own in the intervening hours of rest until his 'skills' would be put to use by our shared Mistress.

No matter, it wasn't as if he was ever more than a thought away after all, and Neo would be more than happy to provide me with some company. She had just as much reason to owe Junior a visit as me after all, a nice little outing. So it was that I let out a laugh and let the rest of the Servant's dour mood fade, though I still made a point of grabbing a glass from one of the skittish little doll-like Familiars stalking about the halls, eager to wash the coppery taste from my mouth before I departed.

'Monster huh...thinking that lot might've been onto something after all...'

-Weiss Schnee-

I've been scolded and dressed down by my father at almost every opportunity since I could walk, endured the scandalous rumors and assertions cast by envious peers and professors alike for years, and had even managed to find a sort of internal balance in dealing with the utter fiasco that was fast becoming this latest Holy Grail war alongside a nigh unmanageable Servant.

Quite truthfully, none of those varied experiences was quite like the feeling of sitting in a well to do little tea shop across from the famed James Ironwood himself.

The man hadn't said so much as a word to me since we'd been seated, merely deigning to praise the establishment much to the honor of the staff, as well as sign a few autographs from those dithering fools that couldn't quite compose themselves. All of it with the same cool ease as one would expect of a well-known and accomplished magus, not to mention the public face of a kingdom famed for advances both technological and magical unmatched since the Age of Sorcery centuries past.

'Not to mention an enemy Master in the Holy Grail War...' Both pawns in the secret battle our respective families had waged for generations, and I was just sitting there fidgeting like some child out of her depth, too nervous to say a blasted word...

'Gods, how in Remnant do I keep finding myself in these situations?!'

(Vale Commercial District - One Hour Ago)

"Uh...General Ironwood right? It's um...an honor to meet you and all that, sir. Big fan of your work." The boy who'd seemingly just fallen out of thin air before my eyes glanced up at us, his eyes fixed on… "Gotta say that your recent charity work, inspiring truly, real man among men you are. And Miss Schnee…would not have expected black from you, bold choice. I approve."

I could feel my mouth working wordlessly even as I took an involuntary step backward, face reddening from rage and embarrassment in equal measure with a hand going to the hem of my skirt while the other was already raised and a rune forming to wipe this…this insolent cad from the face of Remnant entirely, the fear flitting across his thin face sending a tremor of vindictive satisfaction through me. Before I could unleash a cataclysm on this foolish perverted soul Ironwood cleared his throat, lowering my hand gently with his own though he kept both eyes fixed firmly on the pervert, a flick of his other hand acting as a signal for the golems holding him to drag him upwards to his feet none to gently.

"While I do appreciate the compliment…" the General said in a jovial tone, obviously trying to spare me my own barely disguised embarrassment, "...I received word that a Bounded Field had been established across this area geared towards attracting men and women of certain quality, strange in and of itself, and quite advanced in its construction." He gazed upwards, noting the invisible barrier and its component codes and variances with an appraising eye, seeming to deconstruct the intricate Magecraft involved in its construction piece by piece in his mind. "Would you be so kind as to explain its purpose for me? Such work deserves recognition after all."

"A Bounded…what's it now? Sorry, sir Mage but I don't really know what you mean by all that. Magic ain't really something I'm too familiar with you see?" The youth shrugged, an impressive feat in and of itself under all that added weight. "In fact, I was just out for a walk enjoying the sights and…!?"

"Spying on Miss Schnee here." The large man finished, smile quickly fading into a stern frown, one that had seen more than one council member buckle before him. One didn't come to control much of a kingdom's infrastructure by being overly flexible, or forgiving when the need arose. "I'm in no mood for stories on the behalf of a brainless lackey of a known terrorist. Your name and your reason for being here, now!" The golems were tightening their metallic grip, the boy's face screwing up in a pained grimace. "I won't ask nicely again."

"A-Ah, okay okay I get it! Ease off!" Frankly at this point I all for having artificial constructs redouble their efforts, but it seemed the General held a differing opinion as he brought his own palm up, the pressure on the man's limbs easing somewhat though still well in a position to remedy that. "Man, you Atlesians really don't play around. Must be the cold..." Seeing that neither Atlesian looked particularly amused by the comment he trailed off glancing at both of us in turn, even having the audacity to shoot me a sly wink. "Name's Mercury, ladies and friends call me Merc." Another wink, earning him another scowl while he raised his head to look at Ironwood in particular. "As for the reason I'm here well...you might say I'm just out grocery shopping."

"Grocery shopping?" The General queried, knelt down in front of his prisoner with a slight bit of difficulty, his movements somewhat stiff and I swore I could hear the dull creak of metal on metal. "You must think you're quite amusing, don't you Mercury?"

"Dad always did say it was one of my few redeeming qualities, that and the fact I can whip up a decent drink." The boy replied casually, another smirk splitting his features wide. "It's come in handy, let me tell you. I've got stories."

"And I'd be interested to hear them, back on my ship face to...!?" Even I was at a loss as the young man began chuckling to himself, a touch of concern entering the soldier's voice now, "What's so funny, boy?"

"Your face in about three...two...one!" I'd barely had time to open my mouth and voice a warning before the James' bulk flew past me, the other Master propelling himself away just in time to avoid the shimmering outline of a sickly green sickle blade that had seemed to scythed neatly downward out of nowhere directly towards where the man's neck had been a moment before, embedding itself in the stone a few inches in front of Mercury's appraising grin. "Oh ho, nice moves old man!"

The golems reacted quickly in the face of a possible threat to their Master, their mistake however was to derive their focus from the prisoner they held who took full advantage of the distraction. A sudden gust of air blasted outward from the boy's body, loosening their grasps even further before he almost appeared to twist in on himself like a top in an impressive display of footwork and kicks that treated the magically imbued iron and stone as if it were glass. Automatons shattered upon the meanest contact, their bodies bursting apart with explosive force in a whip series of cracks and bursts that littered the alley way with detritus.

"Close one Em, maybe you'll get him next time."

"A countdown, really?" A woman's voice, low and irritated, filled the air as a mint haired assailant with crimson eyes stepped into view through a strange rift in the air as her partner straightened up, brushing the dust and rubble from his jacket. "You idiot, I would've had him!"

"And let you get all the glory, yeah I think not." The mysterious assailant scowled, almost looking as if she'd turn on him herself if the other Magus said another word, which of course he did, quite unable to help himself. "Plus you look better when you're mad, sexier I mean."

'How did she...!?'

She'd caught us off guard, somehow she'd managed to get so close almost completely unawares...something that had completely escaped the notice of the sentry familiars I'd had scanning the immediate area, a move I suspected was mirrored by James. My first thought was that this woman might've been Assassin, the Master-Killing Servant designed and meant for such a task, but then I dismissed the terrifying notion with the cold knowledge that we'd likely have been killed already if she was. Besides, she didn't have the same sort of unique Aura as I'd witnessed in other Servants like Rider, Lancer, Archer, or even Berserker had possessed, her power formidable but nothing too extraordinary. Some sort of Mystic Code then, one that hid her presence perhaps, nothing more.

That was a relief at least, and a signal for me to lower the hand and the glowing pair of Command Seals that it bore across its surface. 'Had I really almost...get a hold of yourself Weiss!?' They were dangerous, their movements similar to Lie Ren and spoke of formal training, still it was hardly worth the loss of another precious seal. That, and it seemed the situation was already well in hand.

"That were some interesting tricks." Ironwood's voice boomed from further down the alley as he got back to his feet, another pair of golems flanking his sides, these one cast from steel and held up by spindly spider like legs that allowed them to crawl along the surface of the walls, glowing red orbs pulsing from blank facial plates. I could see another half dozen of the automata bordering the rooftops above, ready to pounce. Still, what gave the pair pause more than numbers was the sigil burning crimson across the back of the towering man's palm even through the stained white fabric of the glove he wore on his left hand. The symbol that he, to use a more common term, had the bigger stick up his sleeve. "Now unless you want to see some of mine, I suggest you bid a swift retreat back to your Mistress, with my regards!"

"What are you saying!? We have them surroun...!?" I rounded on the Master, eyebrows rising indignantly at the demand, but he silenced my protests with a glare before returning his attention to our would-be attackers.

"So, what will it be then?" The golems tensed, the pressure radiating from the Atlesian soldier almost palpable in the air as he exerted his will upon them. How he was able to control so many individual constructs at once with such ease and fine control... "I do have a busy schedule after all, not to mention I'd prefer to avoid making a scene."

The two lackeys looked to one another, sharing a nod between themselves that spoke volumes. They were frightened, and despite how much I would've denied it if pressed, I understood where it stemmed from. "Thinking we'll take you up on that kind offer, General." The girl stepped forward nodding, giving a short bow to both James and myself, though the way Mercury peered at me over her shoulder was enough to send a shiver down my spine at the intent behind it. "Lady Cinder will be interested to hear of you, I'm sure." And like that they were gone, fading away like a heat haze as if they never were, the traces of their Aura fading with them, leaving us quite alone with only the stirring and whirring of the mechanical creatures to break the tense atmosphere.

"Why?" I said tersely, shattering the silence like a hammer blow while the man across from me put his clothes back in order. "Why would you just let them go! We had them!"

"You're right, but then we would've had to deal with the one maintaining the barrier as well." The man said, brushing off his shoulder with a shrug in the direction of the Bounded field which I realized with a start had vanished as well. "A skilled Magi, as were those two who doubtless wouldn't have gone down without a fight and a fair bit of damage." He motioned about a the surrounding buildings and back towards the busy public streets off in the distance, the rush of midday traffic audible even from this distance. "I meant what I said about not making a scene, my families resources are sizable, but hardly limitless."

My mouth clamped down on the retort, easing my emotions before going forward, identifying and keeping track of the golems still poised to strike at a moment's notice, weighing my chances, they weren't good. "So, you came in person to investigate. Curious for a man with such a 'busy schedule' as you put it. I'd have thought you had people for such things, you do control an army, yes?"

The comment came off a touch more pointed than I'd intended but if the other Master took offense he didn't show it, merely snapping his fingers causing the constructs to back away, many vanishing entirely into the shadows of the city proper like the insects they were designed to mimic. "Well, when I'd gotten word of unregistered Bounded Fields popping up near civilian areas, and the disappearances associated with them, how could I not draw my own conclusions. Same as you I take it?" I flushed, fists clenching at the way the words sounded, like a teacher applauding a student's initiative, the condescension. Another part railed that this likely wasn't the case, that this might be genuine approval, but the pragmatic crushed that naive assertion as inconsequential at best.

This man was an enemy, this man is an enemy.

"Besides, I've been hoping for the chance to speak with you and this seemed like a fine opportunity to kill two Nevermores with one bullet." James continued, flashing that winning smile of his, the same I'd grown up seeing on posters, the same I'd seen at the man's wedding years ago where he'd cemented my dislike for him. "I think even a man with my responsibilities is entitled to a bit of time to catch up with his Sister-in-Law, don't you?"

'Why am even I here? An ambush perhaps, no…no, he could have killed me at any point before this, far from mundane eyes if he'd wanted to...and he doesn't seem the type. What could he possibly be…?'

"Are you feeling quite alright, Miss Schnee?" I'd been so wrapped up in examining the General's mannerisms, his calm demeanor, I was taken off guard when he finally spoke up, setting his cup down lightly to look at me with an expression that might actually have been genuine worry, though knowing the higher politics of mage craft and the rather tenuous relationship between our two families I highly doubted it. "Not partial to tea? You wouldn't be the first so called "highborn" I've met to disapprove of course, the taste isn't for every…"

"I'm fine!" I said, just a heartbeat too quickly to sound entirely genuine, immediately drowning the slip with a long draft from my cup and doing my best not to recoil as the steaming beverage scaled my tongue. "J-Just...Just fine! Merely collecting my thoughts in the wake of events." Not entirely false, my mind was currently working overdrive trying to connect the dots. A powerful public figure of renown conveniently stumbling upon myself and a would be Assassin of the Fall witch in some random back alley of Vale, merely a lucky coincidence on my part, or something more sinister, some ulterior motive I was missing? "I should thank you again, General. Without your aid I might actually have been inconvenienced by that oaf."

That was all he'd have been of course, an annoyance at most, a slight concern at worst. Dispatching as many of Ironwood's quality golems as the young man had was impressive yes, the hallmarks of a skilled practitioner of Reinforcement, but an actual threat? No, even alongside his curious companions I was confident I would've been able to dispatch the pervert in short order without my fellow Atlesian's aid alone or, if the situation called for it, I was the one with the Servant...I hoped.

'Get a hold of yourself, Weiss! What would Father say if he could you moping about like this!?' Probably something stern no doubt, another inevitable jab at my own inabilities and shortcomings however minor, more lamenting comments that Whitley didn't possess proper ability despite being the model son and how he was stuck pinning the hopes of the family on my inadequate shoulders. 'Inadequate, I'll show him 'Inadequate'!?'

The politician and soldier merely nodded seeming to miss the dark pall that seemed to cross my features for a moment, or politely ignoring it if he had seen, his easy smile returning as he waved a hand dismissively to ward off the thanks. "No need, merely glad I could assist." I gave him a quizzical raise of the eyebrow before returning to my drink, the blend surprisingly enjoyable for a common establishment, nothing on Klein's skill certainly, but few could match the Schnee Butler and former alchemist in the art of drink craft. "Besides, your sister would've been furious with me if she'd learned you'd been 'inconvenienced' and I'd just stood by. Not a favorable position knowing her, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Certainly." I voiced perhaps a bit too quickly, a pang of distress coursing down my arm as my thoughts drifted back to our last meeting where she'd passed on what remained of the crimson mantle worn by Ruby Rose, Huntress among Huntresses. I vividly recalled the frustration etched into her features at the act, the effects of the compulsion our Father still had on her during 'wartime', a damnable little agreement made necessary in the mind of Jacques Schnee due in large part to this man, but that was the politics of Magic after all. "She's...She's alright, yes? Content?"

Winter had been born the first child of the Schnee dynasty, the first heiress, a young woman gifted with magical talent beyond her years. It was to be she, to inherit the family's Magic Crest, the recorded knowledge and thaumaturgical learning of generations of Schnee Magi composed in the form of stabilized Magic circuits, the most precious treasure our family possessed. Our mother had carried it as a stop-gap measure after Grandfather's death, and it had cost her dearly as a result, her body unable to handle the strain it placed on her. Winter was to be our clan's salvation, groomed for the task...and then I'd been born.

My sister was older, more experienced, but I possessed the talent and the natural advantages to supersede her in nearly every other regard. My own magical circuits were far more numerous, far more refined even before my training, so much so that it almost defied belief. More and more our father would turn his gaze away from Winter, and me in my youthful naivety only sought to reach greater heights in response to his attentions however negative, the small signs that he cared. It wasn't until I was officially named Heiress and Winter sold off like cattle to bolster the Ironwood's and ease the relations between our two families that I realized exactly what I had done.

And so here I sat, the bearer of my families storied yet sordid legacy, while Winter was married to breed stronger Magi and restore a flagging Bloodline to prominence. All for the sake of the Grail, seeing as neither of our lines could run the ritual without the other.

'And Whitley wanted to be involved in all this, the little fool.' I had my suspicions that my brother had been a second attempt by my father to do something similar to me, to give life to a proper heir with Winters resolve and my talent. 'Better for me he failed then, monster.'

"Quite well, I would hope. She speaks of you often." I narrowed my eyes, the man's jaw clenching slightly as real anger passed through his eyes for a moment, just one, and thankfully it wasn't aimed me. "And before you ask, no my wife will not be involved in this conflict I assure you, a binding Geas imposed by Jacques and my Uncle upon our betrothal. We cannot share any secrets regarding our family's research and dealings, nor can we use the other to advantage in any matters regarding the Grail." A matter of simple caution and procedure then as I doubted they could've known a war might actually arise, strictures similar give or take to many of the older Magical families I assumed, having never really spent time delving into Marriage bonds and the like despite Father's constant quiet prodding. Some facet of what I was thinking must've shown on my face as Ironwood couldn't help but add to his statement. "If anything it's improved our relationship significantly, no talk of work or politics. Leaves little else to talk about except one another."

That was the worst part in all of this, his effort, his positive outlook towards the whole matter all together. If he were like my father, merely treated his wife like some pretty doll to take to bed with him every so often before calling in the Mistresses, the kind of man I'd feared he would be, then I could hate him without regret. Instead from what I understood he treated Winter with all the kindness one might expect of a partner, if not a lover. He wasn't violent, was never crass, merely driven by his work and had done his best to include her in it...the public aspects anyway. Under his tutelage and direction Winter had risen to high standing, one earned, not given despite what Jacques Schnee might say amidst one of his more colorful tirades.

Winter was happier without us, without the Schnee responsibility. Still it didn't change the fact that James had taken my sister away, as juvenile as if was to think as such, and thus I couldn't help but dislike him.

"You didn't call me hear to catch up about my sister." I said flatly, regretting for an instant the sorrowful expressing he tried hide across his square jawed visage. "This is a meeting between competing Masters of the Holy Grail War, get to the point." Direct but we needed to move this along, there was a point, "Always better to aim for the heart" as father used to say.

"Alright, to business then." Ironwood agreed, his tone shifting as I slowly began to realize that the tea shop had grown eerily quiet. At some point the other patrons and even the employees had vacated the space, leaving the two of us quite alone with only a view of bustling Vale outside the window to show we still existed on the same plane at all. "I have it on good word that you and the Masters of both Rider and Lancer have formed an alliance of sorts." My back stiffened, my mind somewhat reeling at the sudden shift from the kindly Brother-in-law to the cold calculating soldier. "An overt action perhaps, but necessary seeing as the Lady Cinder Fall and Saber's Master appear to have a similar arrangement. Excellent response on your part."

'Wait...They are!?'

"Of course. It was the most prudent action at the time." I said, feeling my throat go dry at the sudden shocking revelation, but somehow managed to nod along as if I'd known all along. Information was power after all, and the only thing worse than not having it was the cold truth of people knowing you didn't. "Competition or no, gathering together to eliminate a particularly powerful or troubling foe is hardly a fresh concept. And the result speaks for itself."

Still, the thought of both Saber and Berserker working together was nothing to scoff at. I'd seen first hand what both the savage Servant's were capable of on their own, together...well suffice it to say more allies wouldn't hurt, but if James wanted to throw himself in he may as well work for it.

'Let him believe what he wanted to, as long as he'd useful.'

"Indeed, Berserker on the run and Cinder humiliated, an excellent trial run." He leaned forward, steeping his hands before him as his eyes evaluated, blank faced, almost machine-like. "Though I must ask if you've given thought to exactly what comes afterwards?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Cinder and her accursed bloodline cannot be allowed to take possession of the Grail no matter what, that much I'm sure we can both agree on. The Fall's time is done and better lost to history." The way he said it made it all the more apparent there was some personal stake in this as well, not just a matter of ancestral pride. James had lost family in the last war too after all, close family. He also had a point, gone were the times where the Fall Clan had actually contributed something to this war with their unique knowledge of the Servants and the Command Seals themselves, secrets long since stolen by the Ironwoods and the Schnee. "Bounded fields erected in broad daylight, the consumption of civilian souls to power her mad Servant's bottomless demands, such behavior flaunts the rules our forefathers established that allow us to conduct this ritual in a civilized manner. Saber's Master is similarly dangerous."

As civilized as seven highly trained, for the most part, Magi and Familiars who were so powerful as to break the bounds of reason and sense could be I supposed. Of course I merely nodded again, keeping my poise, my center. "Agreed, the Red Witch must be stopped."

"And stopped she will be, with the combined weight of more than half the Servants arrayed against her." Ironwood lowered his hands with a businesslike air, cutting the air before him as if it were an ax cleaving through Cinder's thin neck. "Still there is a dilemma to consider. Our families have given much to this ritual, we are the only two who would be able to use the Grail's power responsibly and safely so the final bout should by all accounts fall between us." So that was his intention then, to offer his own partnership, one that would see us as the final two left standing. "In that vein, how do you intend to deal with Rider and Lancer after Berserker is slain?" Another cold spike hit me in the back, my grip on the porcelain cup tightening by a fraction that didn't go unnoticed by the shrewd tactician. "You're an intelligent young woman, you must have a strategy in place."

Appealing to my ego, as if I'd be put off balance by such a simple tactic...but then why giving a proper answer so difficult? Maybe it was because I was still working out an answer for myself. "I-If you must know..." I started, checking the waver in my voice an instant later, clearing my throat before continuing, "Rider and her Master, the Enforcer Lie Ren, seem to have no personal designs for the Holy Grail themselves."

"Unlikely, they would've needed to have such a desire. That's part of the criteria for selecting Master and Servant, its the cornerstone of the process." Finally, it seemed the Atlesian was taken aback. Not that I could blame him, I'd been skeptical upon first hearing it too, of course that had been before I'd spent any length of time with the pair.

"Perhaps, perhaps not. From what I've seen however, Lie Ren's only goal is to see the Holy Grail into the hands of one he has deemed suitable which must count as some kind of desire within the Grail's parameters." I explained, eager to jump on the initiative and take control of the conversation. "Rider seems content to follow his lead, and with the Command Seals it's not as if she can really defy him."

"And this 'suitable person' is this Jaune Arc boy, Lancer's Master?" I hesitated a moment before nodding slowly, a flush entering my cheeks. "You think you can best him?"

"I don't have to." I blurted out quickly, too quickly, the General's eyebrows quirking as if amused by the display. "I mean he is...Jaune is useful, his Lancer is a powerful Servant, and he holds a unique connection to Saber I intend to make full use of." The logic was sound, Ironwood wouldn't know of the other aspects, he couldn't. "I can handle him." I knew the instant I said the words that it was a mistake, my cheeks coloring.

"I'd gathered he had some sort of attachment to you, but I wasn't under the impression you intended to make use of it." There was no judgment in the voice, so why did it feel like I was being scrutinized, interviewed. "Seduction is a proven tactics, though perhaps a little vain when you compare yourself to allure of the Grail. After dispatching Saber and finishing off Berserker you should...!"

"Whatever strategy I use, regardless of the how or why, is none of your concern!" I all but shouted at him, embarrassment gnawing at me despite my best attempts to keep it down, my heart pounding in my chest. How dare he suggest I would...with Arc of all...the nerve...! "Why even bother with a partnership, you have an army at your disposal, resources, a Servant...oh." A small smile graced my lips, one I couldn't quite keep to myself as the realization of the how and why came to the forefront of my mind in a sea of triumph. "Now I see what's happening, you need me."

Anger again, I'd struck a nerve. "Working together is our best option, especially with our mutual enemy's Servant out of the picture. The Fall family has a strong presence here, and with Cinder's callous misuse of the populace healing Berserker even as we speak...!"

"You're Servant would be Caster, is it not?" I asked, silencing him before he could finish his little recruitment speech of why it was oh so important we should work together. "The Magic-wielding class which would pose a problem when dealing with a Magically resistant Heroic Spirit like Saber, and seeing as the only other Servant class unaccounted for would be Assassin and there's no way one of the noble Ironwood Clan would stoop to employing the use of a cowardly Familiar only suited to fighting in the shadows."

"I would be loathe to underestimate the one Servant specifically meant to strike at Master rather than Servant, girl." A woman's deep commanding voice split the air, one that didn't quite call for respect so much as demand it, the owner appearing in a flurry of deep purple light situated over Ironwood's shoulder, the light fading like a curtain to reveal a formidable blonde woman bedecked in fitted vestments and robes accented by a tattered purple cape, withering green eyes gazing at me from behind silver rimmed spectacles. "Especially without the aegis of one's own guardian to ensure their safety, how many arrogant fools, erstwhile rulers, and grandiose empires have been ended at the blade of such a creature. including your Grandfather in the last war if I'm not mistaken" She tittered on, crossing her arms beneath her chest, disgust written on her perfect features. "Really the diminishing quality of youth today, no thought to history..."

I gaped, half in stupefied disbelief at having both myself and my Grandfather's death insulted by a mere Familiar in the span of a single sentence, the other in horrified mortification that this woman somehow knew Archer...wait, how could she possibly... "Tactful as ever I see, Caster." James sighed almost apologetically as the woman gave a short huff, the arrogance of a Magi wafting off her in waves. "I trust our guest has behaved herself?"

"After a fashion." The ancient Magus given flesh scoffed as if the idea offended her, drawing a long riding crop from a pocket of her robes, the mere action setting off alarm bells in my head, ones that certainly didn't die down as another shower of purple energy flashed to reveal a small familiar figure in dark leather and cloth armor seated on the middle of the table crouched in a fetal position, wreathed in a torn crimson cloak, the hood of which brought up to hide her face from view. She seemed to be...muttering something? "A defiant petulant child, but we've come to...and understanding. Isn't that right, dear?"

"Y-Yes, Mrs. Caster, of course." I could hardly believe my ears as the figure shivered, the words coming out more as a terrified squeak, little reminiscent of the usual confidence she usually bore in spades. "That's right."

"Professor." The woman said with a tick of her crop against her shoulder, the diminutive girl practically leaping to correct her mistake. It was difficult to grasp, but I didn't need the tingling of the Command Seals on my wrist nor the distinctive scent of rose petals to know that this could only be...

"A-Archer, wha...what is the meaning of this!?"

"Weiss? Weiss!" The girl was behind me before I could even finish blinking, cowering behind my back like a petal in a windstorm, shying away from the intimidating woman who's face had gone from satisfied to stony in a heartbeat, "You gotta help me, please tell her I've been a good Heroic Spirit. Please!"

'What on Remnant...!?'

My gaze to face the General yet again, demanding an explanation, which judging by the look on the man's face he wasn't going to fight me over. "Caster found her attempting to mount an assault against the property Cinder currently resides in." He explained, the woman nodding along as if I cared what a Familiar thought, particularly this Familiar. "I ordered her to intervene, seeing as it would've likely ended in her death for little benefit to anyone." Ruby went stock still, and I could tell by the way Ironwood blanched that those unsettling silver eyes were fixed directly on him, daring him to say more. It seemed the little Servant was beaten, but not broken yet, not by a long shot. "I'm returning her to you as a show of good faith, not to mention I'm sure Winter would have my head if I left you to the mercies of Assassin."

"How generous of you." I growled through gritted teeth, finishing off my tea and setting it aside, getting to my feet suddenly, eliciting a yelp from the crimson Servant behind me. "I look forward to discussing your plans for dealing with Berserker at a later date, I have matters that need attending to. Is there anything else?" I added as an aside when the man's face shifted into something that on a lesser man could've been taken for embarrassment.

"There is...one matter, one I'm loathe to assign to one of my men given its sensitive nature." Something to do with the war then, charming. "As a public figure I can't risk drawing attention to myself, and Caster's talents have been so far...unsuccessful." That raised a few eyebrows in the room, and brought a blonde eyebrow low as the witch snarled under her breath venomously. Something shielded from Magical detection then, even on the level of a Heroic Spirit, this...whatever this was, might be intriguing after all. "I'm certain the great Huntress herself, Ruby Rose, would have much better luck locating her. A favor for a favor."

I dulled my anger at the man casually tossing out the precious name of my Servant so flippantly, lamenting that the red cloak wasn't exactly subtle and didn't exactly feature in many other legends beside hers. No, instead I chose to focus on the moment. "Her? So it's a person then?"

"Of sorts." He admitted, Ruby's eyes darting between the two of us, suddenly alert and businesslike, in her element, though I noticed she was still shooting furtive glances at the blonde woman across the table from her, blushing of all things. "She slipped away from her Handlers and is believed to be wandering somewhere in the city. With Cinder's lackeys flitting about..."

"Does she have a name?" The Huntress asked suddenly, surprising both of us, the General taking a moment to collect himself before answering.

"Penny." He said at last, a wistful smile on his lips as he said the name, "Her name is Penny."

-Blake Belladonna (Assassin)-

"So here we are...uh, I mean welcome to Beacon Academy cousin! Um...cousin...yeah!"

I peered down from the depths of my little hideaway amidst the higher boughs of one of the great oaks lining the main avenue leading to the towering school of magical learning, arching a thin eyebrow at the particularly energetic blonde male human practically dragging a taller red headed female along by the arm. He was trying to be positive and humorous, and failing dismally by all outward appearances, no need for my already superior Faunus senses nor the additional abilities the offered by the Assassin class.

Jaune Arc, and his Servant Lancer...one of the strangest, and most unpredictable, aspects of this War.

"From what I was told, the entire structure was raised with Magic back in the Age of Strife." The oaf raised his voice, gesturing to the twisting towers and ramparts, "It was meant to be a symbol, a place for Mages to gather and rebuild after so much knowledge had been lost in the wars between the old Kingdoms." Ah yes, the place for the Magi to horde their secrets in safety and privacy while the world burns around them and my people were driven into slavery.

'Calm down, that time is past, set in stone.' The raggedy tome I bore in my lap was proof enough of that sad truth. How curiously morbid to read of one's own death displayed in so clean a manner, to see one's ideals twisted by time and conjecture. History, it seemed, had not been kind to our legacy. The White Fang a thing to be reviled even among our own people. 'Though I could change that couldn't I?' I played with the hem of the uniform skirt my physical aspect wore, still somewhat embarrassed at how little it covered, how these modern Magi could stand it though I was growing used to it, step by step. 'With the Grail I could change all of this, couldn't I?'

Still the target of my attentions prattled on while I mused as if he was genuinely trying to impress his companion, not to mention trying to explain the need for her presence to anyone potentially listening in. Seeming not to realize he was only drawing more attention in the process, much of it snickers and covert whispers from passing students, though there were a few jealous looks as they noticed the young woman he was showing around. How he couldn't see his 'cousin's' obvious discomfort at all the attention was beyond me, though she was doing an admirable job of humoring him, or too shy to speak up. I honestly would've expected a woman warrior, especially one worthy of the noble Lancer Class, to be a bit more assertive and direct.

'Still, I know the feeling...' Sun was once again exploring the campus idly enjoying the sights of this new time, drawing every woman he could with those glistening sculpted...I shook the heat from my face, instead seeking to distract myself with my quarry, the pupils of my amber eyes turning to thin slits as I activated my Way of Shadows: Vital Sight, the pair's bodies instantly taking on a glowing aspect while information regarding the status of my targets burned itself into my consciousness. Heart rate, injuries, blind spots... 'So, rather meek after all...and the boy...'

Lancer was everything I'd expect from a Servant and more, at least from a discerning view. A lithe figure hidden in the casual wear of this time but obviously concealing muscles forged in combat as natural for one of her class, her hair burning like scarlet fire, and her emerald eyes scanning her surroundings at all times as if on reflex, searching for a hidden foe at any moment even here on supposedly neutral ground, a bodyguard in her former life perhaps? But beyond the physical, my ability allowed me to see the sheer amount of raw Prana contained in such a small form and it was...terrifying to say the least. It was even enough to put a bead of sweat down my brow, the woman's power far eclipsing my own at present, perhaps her beating back oh Berserker hadn't been such a fluke after all as Tukson had surmised.

If anything that only begged the question of whether she was naturally so powerful in life, an exceptional figure even when compared to other Heroes summoned by and seeking the Grail, or perhaps if her Master was simply so foolish as to be sustaining her with such a high surplus of Aura at all times.

Judging by the look of him I was leaning more towards the latter, but even then that presented its own question. Just how powerful was her Master if he was able to allow for such a thing and still appear to move about so effortlessly, with such ease? Even Velvet with all her skill would've been sweating and swaying in minutes with the effort of supplying Lancer as she was now. Something to consider going forward then, a level of caution.

'Troubling, this changes matters.' I wondered with a resigned sigh as I closed the book with a snap that my mere presence alone muted until it was little higher than the buzz of a fly, a useful little trick to avoid detection as one could never be too careful. A lesson I'd learned the hard way after all, as the very book in my hand espoused.

Morbid indeed, perhaps a change of genre was in order then, one of Velvet's secret novellas perhaps? My face warmed at the though as a quivering smile graced my lips.

The Faunus Master had been especially mortified upon my discovery of the hidden cache beneath her bed, red faced and babbling as I'd scanned the first few pages of the first few I'd grabbed, my own face soon coloring to match hers. The contents was...interesting, something I'd never seen or even imagined could be described in the written word quite so...artfully. And the Rabbit was forced to hide these jewels of the written word like some mark of shame, preposterous, criminal even!

Time carried on indeed, Remnant evolving in fits and bursts since the days where I'd last walked beneath it's skies. It was heartening to see Literature had as well, after a...Hang on?

With a grimace of sudden concentration I peered back and found the pair again, situated in front of an ancient statue of two young warriors poised above a Beowolf, one of the ancient Grimm monsters of old that had once prowled the surface of Remnant and still did if some of the more disturbing rumors spread about by their cults were to be believed. One warrior, a young man, stood atop all with a sword in one hand raised high, meanwhile a woman stood by his side clutching a massive ax at her side. Heroes from the Age of Hunters no doubt, however why such a thing would take such prominence at a school of Magic I had no inkling.

The two had been joined by the same young blue haired Mage that Sun had befriended, Jaune Arc's roommate Neptune Vasilias if I remembered correctly, but something was off. Lancer's Aura, which had been all encompassing if relatively stable throughout the time I'd been monitoring it, had become roiling and unstable, almost a mirror of the stoic order it had been before, and the woman's beautiful face...terror, grief, and sadness didn't even begin to describe it.

-Pyrrha Nikos (Lancer)-

"Pyrrha?" My Master's voice called again as if muted somehow, like my head had been submerged in cold ice water, the shock dulling my senses. There was concern there, concern that had forced the use of my name...but none of that mattered, none of it at all in the face of... "Pyrrha is something wrong!?" He repeated the question, real panic entering his voice, panic I should assuage, panic I should...but I couldn't move, couldn't speak but for the trembling.

"Pyrrha? Wait you mean like the...oh boy that's not good..." Another voice joined Master's, joined Jaune's, spilling from the lips of the impossible image before me, spilling like summer wine...the taste of wine and copper on my lips as the world swam overhead and a chalice clattered to the marble floor, this same face staring down at me with a cruel smile marring a once perfect face while the darkness closed. "Jaune, is she okay? Who is...!?" The voice was younger, higher pitched than his had been, but the way it sounded, the way those oceans of blue wavered with concern. Mocking concern, never true, never...

"To the Empire, and to you, my love." He'd toasted, offering me the cup of crimson liquid even as his lips grazed my collarbone, his hand sliding the silken fabric from my shoulders, a shiver of passion matching the cool air of the dawning morning. "May your life stand as an example to all for generations to come."

"E-Emperor Aureus, h-how...how are you...!?" I almost summoned Miló to my hand to strike down this cruel shade, I wanted to so badly it hurt, or perhaps that was the terror, or maybe the traitorous beating of my heart that desperately wanted to forgive despite what he'd done. The weapon didn't come, and instead my courage, the bravery that had carried me through battle and life failed me, and I fled...fled despite the shouts rising behind me, the desperate pleases for me to stay.

'I'm sorry!'

My mind screamed as I found myself in a side passage of the school, a dark corridor I hadn't even been aware of reaching though it hardly mattered. It was free of prying eyes, that was all I desired, my body forged by war in life and Magic in death allowing itself to fall back against the stone and cry, simply allowing the tears to fall despite the burning call through my connection with Jaune.

'I'm sorry.'

-END

-Servant of the 6th Holy Grail War-

Heroic Spirit (Lancer) - Pyrrha Nikos the Goddess of War

Alignment - Lawful Good

:Statistics:

Strength - B

Endurance - B

Agility - B-

Noble Phantasm - B

Mana/Aura - C+

Luck - E

:Personal Skills:

Inspiration - B+

Mana Burst - B-

Instinct - B

Magic Resistance - C+

Poisoned Chalice/Tragic Heroine - A

:Noble Phantasms:

Blessing of War: Polarity - (Personal: B-)

Blessed Arm of War: Shifting Spear Miló - (Anti-Army: B+)

Blessed Arm of War: Grand Aegis Akuo - (Anti-Unit: C)

Heroic Spirit (Archer) - Ruby Rose the Crimson Huntress

Alignment - Neutral Good

:Statistics:

Strength - D

Endurance - D+

Agility - A-

Noble Phantasm - A

Mana/Aura - B

Luck - B

:Personal Skills:

Independent Action - B

True Hunter - B-

Cloak of Roses/Disengage - A

Provisions - C+

Leadership - C+

:Noble Phantasms:

Huntress' Child: Crescent Rose - (Anti-Unit: B) (Anti-Army: A)

Gift of the Mother: Crimson Mantle - (Personal: C)

A/N: So yeah it's been so long and I really have no excuses, it's been crazy couple months and life's been hitting on all cylinders. Still you know it's been too long when you have to read through the story to remember where things are going.

Finishing this chapter was my way of seeing if I still had an interest and I do to some degree, I'd like to keep going once I have a more consistent schedule. AMBR, my other story, is almost finished up which may give me more time to work on this one hopefully. Up above is a short stat list for two of the Main Servants in the war, next time (hopefully) will be Saber and Berserker, then Caster and Rider, and then Assassin. We've just had a good look at what these two can do in particular.

Still thanks for all the support and for those who stuck around, you're all awesome and I wish I could be more on the ball with this. Hope it's still enjoyable after so long and as always feel free to leave your input and make suggestions. - Mojo