It was lunchtime at Beacon. Nothing out of the ordinary for every student. So much so that a corvid and a crow went unnoticed when arriving at the entrance to Ozpin's tower. They morphed into their human forms once again and hid behind one of the pillars in the courtyard. Qrow then fixed his appearance before addressing his sister. "Ok… I will go up there and smooth things up a little. Here is a burner scroll, I'll tell you when you can enter".
Raven knew they had gone over this many times before, but she still felt cold feet abut meeting her former teacher and boss again. "Raven, I promise you it'll all be alright," He told her with a hand over her shoulder. All she could think about was how a tragedy of such magnitude was finally able to bring both twins together again.
With their pep talk over, Qrow proceeded to enter the building and towards Ozpin's office. Raven was left on the courtyard for the time, so she decided to look around and see what changed since the last time she was here. But that proved a mistake when she saw the brandings of the bullheads parked on the landing platforms. At that moment, she did not care about further feelings of betrayal, she only wanted to get out of Beacon as soon as possible.
Qrow went over his report repeatedly while on the elevator. 'Seido Industries are bad, I have Raven as my witness, get her security, and plan an assault. Easy'. The door opened after a while; he took a breath and entered the room. "Oz, Glynda, you may want to sit down; this one is heavy. Amber may have to-".
"Qrow! So nice to see you again so soon!" his boss immediately stopped him. "We have guests".
Confused, Qrow turned to his left and saw a creepy bald guy with thick glasses, a young man with a chauffer's uniform, and the white-haired businessman man himself, Hotaru Taakoizu, sitting on the guest's chair with a wrist holder on his right instead of a cast. While the chauffer just snarled at him, he was able to notice the surprise on the bald man and Hotaru spitting his coffee back to the mug.
Ignoring everything that just happened, Ozpin continued with the introductions. "Qrow, this is Hotaru Taakoizu, his assistant Ryu Jin and the head of their accounting department, Mr. Ko Naknada. Everyone, this is one of my closest allies, Qrow Branwen".
At the mention of the name, all three men then looked at Qrow with a mixture of anger and disgust. Hotaru then stood up and walked towards the coffee machine and passing next to Qrow on his way there. "So… Raven's brother, I presume?".
"Twin to be more precise. How did you guess?"
"She assaulted me and left me with this" he said while raising his arm and showing his wrist holder. "Doing some recognizance on her would be an obvious choice for my safety. Especially since I'm sure she will return for me or my employees".
"Return?" Qrow asked.
"From the short time I was with her, I could tell she is a proud woman with a big ego. I don't think she would appreciate neither my escape nor one of her own betraying her" he said while taking a sip.
Qrow had to give the guy props for playing a perfect poker face. Had he not seen his sister and heard her tale, he would have bought every sentence from this man. But he trusted his sister's version of the events. "I don't know, man. My sister is kind of a one deal woman, I'd be surprised if she spent any more time in you".
"Believe me, Mr. Branwen. I still remember how the criminal mind works. If anything, the only surprise is that you are the Branwen twin talking with me right now".
"Sorry? Care to explain yourself there?".
"My time with your sister showed her as an organizer. The only source of authority in that camp. She understands the need for a hierarchy and a well-thought plan of attack. She is observant, quick-thinking, and well-advised besides having physical abilities that place her above her subordinates. You, on the other hand…" he said before he began to walk around Qrow. "Your physical appearance and the state of your clothes suggests you are constantly outside of civilization and on the move. I was also able to smell the stench of alcohol from a distance; that and the previous information tells me that you do not care about your appearance or how others see you. Furthermore, your factions suggest this lifestyle has been going on for quite a time now and living with someone daily would force you to change some of your self-destructive habits so I guess that you are also a loner. To work as a close ally of Professor Ozpin, easily one of the most powerful men on Remnant, my guess is that someone like your sister would be a better fit. As opposed to a drunk lose canon who is more likely to end his life in a bar fight due to being broke at closing time".
"If you have a problem with me, pal. Just say it!" Qrow told the man as he was now face to face with Hotaru.
"I do. Your self-destructive lifestyle means that you are also more than reliant on the wrong side of the law for more than just information, making you a wild card that could turn on his superiors at any moment. She was the golden child, and she turned into a potential terrorist; what could one assume of you, her, obviously underachieving brother".
"Mr. Taakoizu!" Ozpin yelled from behind his desk. "Qrow Branwen is one of my closest allies and he has never done anything that could be harmful to me or my school! Please, refrain from talking to him like that again!".
Hotaru looked at the headmaster and then at the disapproving eyes of Ryu. He then took a deep breath and proceeded to defuse the situation. "My apologies headmaster. I also apologize to you, Mr. Branwen. My time with your sister was… I would rather not talk about it".
Qrow almost scuffed at his performance, but he knew better than to suggest something different. "Apology accepted".
Glynda then walked to stand next to Ozpin. "So, Mr. Taakoizu. You were telling us about helping the schools?".
"Say what now?" Qrow asked.
"Yes, Miss Goodwitch. I already went through a brief description of the main idea with general Ironwood; but the basic idea is that Seido Industries is willing to supply all four academies with dust, weapons, state of the art technology, and more, to fight the Grimm". The Naknada pulled out a Zaphyre and a lengthy exposition was shown, giving glimpses at future weapons, armors, daily gadgets, transportation, scholarships, and more. After a while, The device was finally turned off.
Qrow placed his fingers under his chin and answered the businessman's proposal. "Sounds nice. But what is it in for you. Where are the profits? I know companies love them".
Hotaru looked at Qrow with no discernible emotion for a moment before addressing Ozpin once again. "I was hoping to talk about this alone with the headmaster".
Ozpin looked at Qrow and saw him staring at Hotaru with obvious mistrust. "Mr. Taakoizu, I don't believe that what you have to say can't be heard by Glynda and Qrow".
"Very well…" Hotaru said as he sat down once again. "It's… about something I learned about while a prisoner at the Branwen camp…". Ozpin nodded and then took a sip from his mug. "Headmaster… are you familiar with the tale of the seasons and the maidens?".
Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow felt like time had suddenly slowed down; but managed to keep up their cover. "… Yes… it's common folklore".
"Indeed… but… do you also know the one about… what was it… the war between a witch and a… sorcerer… magician… wizard, I believe?". All three representatives of Seido smirked when they saw the faces of disbelief on the others present. "Before you try to deny it, headmaster; my conversation with Miss Branwen turned very informative," Hotaru told them. "I was also on the front row as I saw her use what she referred to as 'the powers of a maiden'. Complete control over the elements? I know that is something no mere mortal can do; no semblance can give a person control over more than one element". Hotaru then raised his left hand. "Mr. Naknada, would you please?".
The man in green then stepped forward and handed Hotaru a folder. "From what little is known about you, headmaster. One thing is certain: your cane is a fine piece of old craftsmanship". He then pulled some photos of many different men holding the same cane contraption that Ozpin used. "Many different brave men. Different race, age, class, nationality… yet all driven with the desire to unite all of Remnant against the Grimm…".
"So, you think I am part of some sort of conspiracy theory?" Ozpin asked managing to hide his fear.
"I don't think so, headmaster. I know. She, someone who was once a close ally to you, like her brother is right now, referred to you by name". Qrow and Glynda were ready to take out their weapons but were stopped when Hotaru continued. "But I want to assure you, Ozpin," he said as he stood up. "Our intention is not to fight you…" he then stood up and walked towards the window facing the landing docks before speaking again. "The world is a dangerous place; and we must all do our part to save it. Isn't that right, headmaster?" Hotaru finally asked while extending his hand to Ozpin.
Ozpin looked at the man's hand for a moment before looking at Glynda and Qrow; the first still puzzled by what she just heard, and the second looking at Hotaru with skepticism. "I am sorry Mr. Taakoizu; but I must insist that I don't know what you are talking about," he told the other man while also pretending to find what Hotaru said humorously.
The businessman retracted his arm and took a deep breath. "Of course, you don't headmaster. Trust is not so easily earned after all, but I insist on offering our cooperation". He then snapped his left fingers and the Naknada pulled a flash drive from his pocket; he then placed the artifact on the table and all three men went for the elevator. "Oh, I forgot. I'll be meeting another of the headmasters soon; Professor Lionheart. I'll send him your regards" Hotaru managed to say as the doors closed.
Qrow then instantly sent a message to his sister warning her to hide as Ozpin and Glynda began to discuss the result of their meeting.
"How could they have possibly known so much?" Glynda asked. "The amount of information they also gathered… do you think they plan to use it against us?".
"I don't know. But From what I saw in Qrow, I know we should not trust them". Both teachers then turned to look at the other man. "Care to tell us why you don't trust these strangers?".
"I have a better person for that, Oz. But before that, she has a lot to explain about keeping key info…".
Qrow knew of Raven's escape, but he had more than a bone to pick since she had, conveniently, left out the part where she had the power of one of the four maidens. Nonetheless, he at least trusted her enough as to not do something foolish like running away when she noticed Seido was at Beacon.
"I have to get out of here!" Raven told herself as she entered the main school buildings. It was good that not much had changed since she had been a student. And if she were right, she would be entering the courtyard at lunchtime.
Beacon had been compromised, and she had to get away fast. Her plan was simple: Find a sword-like object, get to Vernal, and run away for good. She saw a random student carrying a sword perfect for her, but then her paranoia kicked in. 'If I fight them, I'll cause a commotion, other members of the faculty will see me or identify me, Qrow will reveal it was me, Seido will know I am alive!'. Her panic then grew even more when she saw students leaving the cafeteria. She decided to then hide and wait for everyone to leave, but then she saw a student who had two katanas on his back.
He talked with his team for a moment before heading towards the classrooms, which was perfect for Raven. She would be able to steal at least one of the swords from him without the boy even noticing at a place that should be empty at this time of the day. As soon as there was enough distance between him and the rest of his team, Raven began to follow the boy's movements.
His journey was not an interesting one. He stopped to read the news board, went to tie his shoe, checked a message on his scroll, dropped his swords for a moment as he then went to drink some water from a faucet, and then he finally arrived at the lockers where he stored them and kept walking on a direction opposite to Raven's. Once she considered he was far away enough, she then tried to force the locker. Seeing as how they upgraded the models; she was then ready to melt it open and run for it before she was caught. She stopped, however, when a soft sound from behind her caught her attention. She managed to jump back just as a spear got stuck on the door a few inches away from where her head was. She then turned around and saw the boy retrieving his spear thanks to a chain attached to it.
"Give me a good reason as to why I shouldn't end you here and now" he demanded from her.
Raven sighed and then answered. "Look kid, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me one of your swords and no one has to know about this…" she then saw the name on the locker and addressed the boy by name. "… Hanzo".
Not afraid of her, Hanzo merely took a fighting stance. "You threaten me, woman!?". He then saw Raven assume a fighting stance as well but without a weapon. As far as he knew, every person in this universe had one. "Aren't you going to draw your weapon?". She tried to show no emotion, but he could tell she was worried about her lack of a said weapon. Hanzo then placed the spear back on his belt and took his stance once again. "Very well. There is no honor in fighting unevenly".
As soon as Hanzo went quiet, both then ran towards each other; and just as Raven was about to deliver a kick, Hanzo disappeared in a cloud of fire. Immediately after, she felt a punch to the back of her head and then fell face-first into the ground. She managed to quickly recover and saw her opponent on the other side of the hall. "Ok, then. I see you are more troublesome than expected". She then jumped in the air and landed a roundhouse kick which he blocked. She then swipe-kicked him and made Hanzo lose balance; he did not fall, but his defense was broken. She then grabbed him by the head and slammed it against the lockers. He then fell to the ground but saw as Raven jumped in the air once again intending to deliver a punch to his face. He rolled over, got on his feet, and delivered an uppercut which was followed by a kick to her stomach.
Raven flew backward a few feet but recovered mid-air and saw as Hanzo charged towards her again. This time, however, she blocked his incoming punches and kicks before grabbing him by the waist and backward slammed him on the ground. When Hanzo got up, he then saw Raven running on the direction they originally came from. He was puzzled at first but then noticed his spear was missing.
He ran in her direction and once they were in a straight hall, he used his semblance to get in front of her. But she proceeded to block his attacks once more. She evaded a direct punch to her face and used the chain of the spear to tie his wrist. She then pulled the chain, making him lose his balance and tied his other wrist behind his back along with the other one. They both panted for a moment before Raven spoke again. "I have to give it to you, kid. You are good. This thing is not my ideal blade, but it'll have to do" she said as she was ready to use the spear for her semblance.
"Wait!" Hanzo yelled. "I surrender. You win this fight". He said as he bowed his head.
"Surrender? Look, kid, I have no time for this ok?".
"I don't care. I just needed to distract you until he arrived".
"What!?" Raven managed to yell as she turned around and saw one of Hanzo's teammates on the other side of the hall blasting a blue projectile towards her. Raven was frozen on her upper body and then Hanzo swipe-kicked her, Making Raven fall on the ground and shatter her prison. The other boy then blasted her again with a stronger ice blast which froze all but her head. The boy helped untie Hanzo and both boys were now standing next to Raven.
"Took you long enough, Kuai Liang". Hanzo told the other boy.
"I had to make sure she was distracted".
Raven was annoyed by the fact that two teenagers managed to defeat her. Her expression turned into concern when both boys stood next to her with emotionless faces. Kuai Liang then showed her his open palm and spoke to her. "Why did you attack my friend?" he asked as an ice spike emerged from his hand. "And answer with honesty".
Her concern turned into surprise because of the absolute coldness and seriousness with which Kuai Liang spoke. Nonetheless, she did not show any fear. "None of your business, now let me-" Raven stopped mid-sentence as the spike got longer and was now pressing on her neck.
"I asked you a question" Kuai Liang repeated.
Raven's world had turned upside down since when were huntsmen in training so calm about taking another human's life? Some third years got their first kills on missions, yes; but first-years? "Ok, ok, calm down snow-boy". She said hoping the boys would release her. "Look, I genuinely want no trouble, I just need a blade to get out of here, ok? I saw he had two swords and wanted to take one; I want nothing to do with you, Beacon, or anything like that".
Both Hanzo and Kuai Liang looked at each other. "I'll take care of her," Kuai Liang said. He then broke her prison and helped her stand up. He then froze her hands on the front. "I still have more questions. Answer them correctly and I'll help you" he told her.
Raven felt humiliated by the way a teenager treated her like a prisoner. But there was nothing she could do now.
As soon as they were leaving, all three heard an echo coming from another hall cursing out loud. "Great. Sounds like Xiao Long again. How many more times do I have to see her in my life". Hanzo commented with annoyance.
"Xiao Long!? As in Yang Xiao Long!?" Raven asked the boys. They in turn just nodded. "Come on, Scarface; move!". Raven knew she was not ready to face her daughter; not that she even wanted to at this moment. Her plan was beyond ruined right now and having another person know she was here was just more bad news. Before she left, however, she turned and faced Hanzo one last time. "Please, don't tell her about this!".
Hanzo was ready to dismiss her request, but he saw something in her eyes. She was asking him this favor. He looked at Kuai Liang for a second opinion and the boy nodded in approval of Raven's request. Soon they both continued their way outside and when they turned at a corner, Yang arrived at the hall.
She kept mumbling for a moment until she saw Hanzo; but instead of awkwardly explaining herself to him, she just rolled her eyes and kept walking. "Out of my way!" she told him when passing next to him. Hanzo then saw she was carrying a black wig.
"I don't think that one will fit you". Hanzo said trying to lift the mood.
Yang stopped walking and took one big deep breath. After she exhaled, she responded to his comment. "It's not for me. It's for Weiss. It was getting dirty and I washed it for her" she told him before resuming her trail.
Hanzo knew better than to get involved in what was not his business. But as a teacher, he hated seeing promising students failing because of little things; and RWBY's fallout was more than noticeable to everyone. So, against his better judgment, he followed her. "And you are angry because she asked you a favor?".
"No. I'm angry because they still won't let it go!".
"Let what go?" he pressed on.
Yang knew better than to acknowledge the spying and the fake relationship. But she also knew he was going to make her crack if she refused to answer. "Look. I did something, it blew up in my face and now they are angry with me! You don't need to stick your nose further than that".
"Fair enough. And they have not accepted your apology?".
"Wow, wow, wow. I never said I had to apologize! I did it for a good cause and they refuse to see that!".
"Aaah. There is your problem".
Yang then stopped walking and looked at the boy with pure indignation. "You think I should apologize!".
Hanzo had been down this road countless times. Though, thankfully, Takeda was always a good and obedient boy at least. "Let me tell you a story that master Feher once told my team on a similar situation: The Kumosei".
There once was a village on an extremely hot and dry valley. Under natural circumstances, the village should not have been able to grow its crops, but it was under the care of a family of cloud spirits, known as the Kumosei who set upon themselves the labor of helping the farmers as a reward for them welcoming the father years ago.
For many years, the Kumosei brought clouds, rain, snow, and sunny days to the villagers; but one daughter, Kori, saw that snow was loved by the children of the village. When it snowed, children played, adults wore their colorful clothes and then they all stayed warm at home drinking and eating warm meals.
Kori convinced her family to allow her control over the clouds as they took a time off, and made it snow constantly. At first, she thought everything was fine, but when her family returned, she was scolded like never by everyone for daring to break the cycle that was established.
At first, Kori was enraged with her family who refused to see the beauty of snow. She gave them their powers back but refused to lift the eternal winter only to prove that the villagers would always be thankful for her gift.
She hid in the town as a traveler and felt proud to see the villagers enjoy the days of snow. But whenever she looked at the sky, all she could see was the disappointment in the eyes of her family. After a few days, her rage towards their indifference only grew. Weeks then passed, and Kori discovered that the villagers were starting to leave because the snow had made it impossible to live.
Kori then understood, that while her intentions to make the villagers happy were good, by doing so she had doomed the village to extinction.
Ashamed of her actions, she lifted her spell but did not return to her family out of shame. Instead, she gave away her powers and decided to live in exile among the mortals. Years passed and when she returned, the village was now a lake with a continuous storm. Only the rotten roofs of some houses showed proof that people once lived there.
Kori saw her family sitting on the edge of a cloud; their faces sick and deformed with almost no life. She ran and called their names for a long time until they finally saw her, and the storm stopped. Their tired bodies then fell from the sky and landed next to her. They explained that her spell was lifted, but the sadness in their hearts when they discovered that Kori was gone forever clouded their powers and manifested as an eternal rain.
In tears, Kori apologized for both the eternal winter and running away. Her family accepted the apology and hugged her one last time asking for her to forgive their coldness towards her. When she did, her family dissipated into the air.
The clouds dissipated as well, and for the very first time in many years, flowers blossomed, and life returned to the valley.
Hanzo finished his tale and looked at Yang who was just twirling the wig.
"Are you done with storytime, book-worm? What do cloud ghosts have to do with my team being how they are?" she asked with a bored tone. Hanzo sighed in defeat before he was hit on the face with the wig. "Just messing with you! Yeah, I understand. I'm Kori and they don't want me to go away or to try and fix everything my way. They just want me to own my mistakes and know that I am sorry for what happened. I also need to descale this before it grows out of hand".
Hanzo at first was confused. But then it hit him that the lesson had worked. "Precisely," he told her.
"You know what, ponytail? You helped me learn something today. Thanks". Yang recovered her wig and continued her journey. Hanzo just stayed behind, feeling like a grandmaster for the first time in many days.
Raven and Kuai Liang arrived at the rooftop on the building. He decided that it would be an ideal spot with the other students not using their free time in that building, and much less getting to the top of it. Raven sat over a ventilation box while Kuai Liang stood in front of her.
"You said you want to get out of here. Why not leave the same way you came?" He asked her.
"It's a matter of time. I have a risk of getting discovered. With a sword, that would not be the case".
"I am to assume you are afraid of the headmaster then. Only an enemy of his would fear being discovered by him. Therefore, you are my enemy; and I'll take you to him".
Raven scoffed. "Please, I was supposed to meet him in the first place".
Kuai Liang did not hide his confusion but then decided to change his approach. "Very well then, I'll take you to him as you wanted".
Noticing her mistake, Raven stopped him. "No! Look… kid… ugh! This was a mistake!".
Kuai Liang was now getting annoyed. "Tell the truth, now!".
Raven huffed. "Look, I came here because I trusted someone, but the fellows over at Seido Industries? They are not as nice as you may think!".
'She has made contact with them?' Kuai Liang asked himself.
"Right now, I bet their precious boss is sweet-talking Ozpin, and whatever comes out of that deal, will only mean trouble".
"You don't trust his judgment then?".
"Absolutely not!".
"Then why did you come here to speak with him?".
'Shit!' raven thought. She walked right into that one. "Because… someone convinced me. But I don't trust that person anymore".
"So, you trusted this person enough to get here, yet you are willing to believe he will betray you along with the headmaster?".
"He already abandoned me once only to follow him; so yes, I can believe it".
"I see… someone close to you… lover?". It was quick but he was able to see the disgust in Raven's face. "Ah, family".
"Fine! Brother! Happy now?". She waited for more questions. But they never came. She looked at the boy and strangely enough, all she could see was sadness.
"My guess is that he cares about you enough to bring you here by your own will. The fact that you are not with him right now means he is trying to make things easier with the headmaster. You say that Seido would mean trouble for you, yet I don't see their security looking for you. Does this sound like your brother is willing to betray you?".
"And what would you know?".
"Because I too had a brother. And I know what that kind of betrayal is". While there were no tears, Raven was able to see the sadness grow. "It took only a moment, and the man I admired for so many years became an unrecognizable monster willing to end my life without remorse".
They were taken out of their conversation when a loud ringing noise was heard. Raven looked down at her left pocket. "It's my scroll". Kuai Liang approached her and took out the device. Seeing as it was blocked, Raven continued. "I am not unlocking it for you".
Kuai Liang then broke the cuffs and gave her the device. She then was able to see the new message alert, unlock the scroll, and read what it said.
Seido Ind. are here. Five minutes elevator ride. They don't know you are here. Hide behind the building until they leave and come up in five.
Oz doesn't know you are here. Convinced him they are bad news.
Kuai Liang managed to read the text from behind her; but surprisingly, she did not seem to mind. "Seems I was right. He could be trusted". More than him being right, she hated being wrong.
As Raven was now putting the scroll back in her pocket, she heard a crackling noise and swishes behind her. She then turned and saw Kuai Liang make an ice sword before sticking it to the ground. She looked at him not understanding what was happening. "I now know you were telling the truth and that you also mean no harm to me or my allies, but I can't tell you what to do. Should you go to your brother or use this sword for your purpose, only you can make the choice". With that said, Kuai Liang left the rooftop.
Raven remained there thinking for a long while until she saw the bullheads leaving the platforms in front of Ozpin's tower. She sighed and hoped to not be making the wrong choice.
The elevator's doors opened and allowed Raven to enter Ozpin's office. It was ironic, the office was a giant clock mechanism, yet time had not passed in this place; it looked exactly as it did almost two decades ago. Needless to say, Glynda gave her a deadly glare, but Ozpin seemed calm and, dare she even say, glad to see her. The silence that followed felt eternal, but Raven decided to take a seat.
Ozpin then took a sip from his mug before finally speaking. "It has been so long Raven. I know you are not glad about this arrangement, but Qrow tells me there are urgent matters at hand other than…" he stopped to take a quick breath before continuing. "… that… If it is any consolation to you, I apologize for making you carry this burden".
Unexpectedly, Qrow placed another mug full of coffee next to her. A peace offering most likely. "I'll help you with Seido. But I still want nothing to do with Salem" she said firmly.
The disappointment on Ozpin's face was obvious. "Very well. You help us with Seido, and you'll have a new life without me or my business".
The ambient in the room felt relaxed for the first time and Raven even went on to drink from her coffee. Qrow then walked to stand behind her before speaking. "So, Raven; my first and second questions are: For how long you have had the powers of the spring maiden, and when where you going to tell us?".
The room fell into complete silence after Raven spitted out all the coffee on her mouth.
Ryu opened the door of the limousine so that Hotaru and Kollector could enter The Night Beetle through the main doors. He then gave the keys to ballet parking before joining the other two.
Everything was going normally, every employee bowed and saluted them as they passed by, some of the guests waved at him, Kollector told him of the latest reports, a bell hoper gave him a special package from the technology department of Seido Industries and no members of any crime syndicate could be found. Everything was going according to schedule until he noticed two Naknada arguing with each other. Once they saw Hotaru and Kollector, the ran towards them and began to speak to the later in their native tongue.
"Montek kappar num artekkan" one said.
"Kokor nu Lionheart naannka to. Meek nott pursuu" the other continued.
"Sootoo, kokor pakka trikanta" the first one said again.
"KASSIE!" Kollector yelled.
"Kollector, what is going on!?" Hotaru demanded to know.
"My lord, they say that there are three strangers upstairs that want to talk with you in your office…" Kollector explained.
"I have no meetings today. So why were they even allowed to go there?".
The other Naknada hid behind Kollecor as he explained. "They… have all of Lionheart's credentials…".
Both Ryu and Hotaru were visibly angry. But before anything happened, the elevator opened, and Maurice fell on the floor. When he looked up, he saw Hotaru's face. "Mr. Taakoizu, I swear I told them to leave, but they have all headmaster Lionheart's authorizations. He is not with them, and I told them you were not here, but they insist-".
"Shut it, twerp!" The voice of a young man told Maurice.
Everyone then looked at the three occupants of the elevator. A pale young man with silver hair, a dark-skinned girl with green hair, and a pale woman with black hair.
"Sorry that it took so long for us to meet, Firefly," the woman said. "For now, call me… Black Queen".