Team LNTC

Chapter Thirty-Five: Volume Three

The Final Round Begins

There were rare times Qrow had ever felt genuine anxiety over anything. In fact, he almost never did. But now, of all times? He was genuinely anxious over the situation at hand, sitting in the bullhead and on a fast yet steady course to the location. Brought to Ozpin's office, the older headmaster had given them a new task; they found a warehouse serving as a hideout for the White Fang. Qrow already volunteered for the mission to storm the warehouse, while Ozpin paired him with Tai and Raven, with Sting coming along as additional support. Ironwood even volunteered to go along, but Ozpin rejected, saying that four well-trained Huntsmen would be more than enough for the mission, while accepting several Atlas security officers at the general's insistence and precaution for safety.

Everyone sat in silence, all equally anxious.

"So, any idea what we'll face?" Tai finally broke the silence. "Any important officers to expect?"

"Probably Adam and Sebastian." Raven said. "Those two are the only remaining high ranked members with a name."

"And don't forget Judas." Qrow warned. "He's no doubt gonna be among those bastards."

"Just try not to lose your temper, Birdman." Sting said. "We can't have anyone getting killed because of their emotions."

Soon enough, the bullhead arrived at their location; the warehouse in the industrial district of the city. The bullhead landed, allowing the four Huntsmen to get off, the Atlas soldiers following behind, the group approaching the main entrance with heavy caution.

"Everyone, stay on guard." Sting warned. "We don't know what might be waiting for us inside."

One of the soldiers moved up to open the door, undoing the latch that kept it closed, but the moment he pulled the doors open, he was met with a powerful force that hit him in the chest, sending him flying before he crashed into a stack of boxes.

This put everyone on full alert, all facing the entrance with weapons drawn before they saw a cloaked figure emerge from the shadows. The remaining members of STRQ felt their anger rising, all four with boiling blood, and the soldiers raised their rifles with shaky hands, as Judas Blackburn showed himself.

"You came quicker than expected." The traitor said. "Impressive, but you're too late."

"Judas, you bastard." Qrow growled angrily. "First you murder Summer, then you desecrate Sigurd's tomb and steal his sword?!"

"A tool is a tool, no matter where it comes from." Judas replied blandly. "Might as well put it to use than leave it to gather dust in some old crypt."

"Have you no shame anymore?" Raven snapped. "Have you fallen so far that you have no respect for the dead?!"

"Soon enough, you and the rest of Remnant will join them." Judas said. "But the girl? Salem has a different path for her."

"Over my dead body." Tai declared defiantly, readying a combat stance.

"Try our dead bodies." Sting added, pulling out his bat and pointing it at the traitor.

Qrow readied Harbinger and Raven readied Omen, Judas simply staring back, before reaching up and grabbing the handle of his new weapon before pulling it out, the blade of the weapon slamming against the ground.

Everyone stared in a mixture of awe and shock; the massive greatsword with a dragon-shaped cross guard and a silver jewel on the pommel.

"Is that what I think it is?" One of the soldiers gulped.

"Sigurd's great weapon…the Gram." Another said in fear.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Judas said, holding the sword up. "Even all that time in the tomb did little to hinder such a magnificent weapon." He then turned his gaze to Sting. "Tell me; did the Connection occur for you, Stinger?"

The elder Silver-Eyed Warrior remained silent, but Judas didn't need an answer before turning to Qrow, "What about little Ruby? What did she see?"

Qrow gripped the handle of his weapon tightly, his anger rising.

"What did she see?" Judas taunted some more.

The only response Qrow gave was a battle cry before charging forward, with the other Hunters following behind, all aiming to attack…

…only for Judas to raise his weapon, the blade glowing a bright green color, before he swung it downward, releasing a powerful gust of wind, sending everyone flying back, and while the Hunters managed to land on their feet, the soldiers fell on their backs.

"What was that?!" Tai yelped in surprise. "There's no way that thing could be lined with Dust!"

"The stories always say that Sigurd's sword had mystical properties, but…" Qrow stared onward, the Silver-Eyed Traitor easily propping the massive blade on his shoulder. "But how? It should only activate for the pure Silver-Eyed Warrior!"

Judas chuckled before taking a few steps forward, "Make no mistake, my eyes are exceptionally pure." He stopped, the eyes of his mask splitting apart to reveal his Tainted Silver-Eyes. "Pure tainted to the core."

Qrow's eyes widened, knowing what the traitor was doing, "Everyone, look away!"

While the Hunters were able to look away in time, the Atlas soldiers weren't so lucky, their eyes dilating and the veins popping around their eyes, the soldiers suddenly going berserk. While Sting, Raven and Tai were able to defend themselves, Qrow charged ahead and met Judas head on, swinging Harbinger in a downward arc, the traitor raising his sword to block, a loud clang of steel ringing out, Qrow struggling to hold his ground, while the massive blade loomed over him, the traitor wielding it with ease.

"You have no chance, Qrow." Judas said. "You can't protect the girl forever. Soon, history will repeat and everything you ever fought for will burn."

"Not so long as I have breath in my lungs!" Qrow declared defiantly.

The Branwen then jumped back, the Gram digging into the concrete they stood on before he charged in again, swinging his weapon, but Judas easily raised the blade to block, blocking the next three strikes before he swung the Gram, the sword glowing a bright blue color this time, the sword swinging upward before releasing several ice spikes emerging from the ice on the ground, forcing Qrow to get back.

Shortly enough, Tai, Raven and Sting had beaten down the berserk-driven soldiers and made to join the fight, Raven swinging Omen and aiming for Judas' head, the traitor only ducking under before bashing her in the head with the pommel of the sword before it glowed a bright yellow color, releasing a bolt of lightning, shocking her and causing her to scream in pain. Tai rushed in, swinging a fist, which Judas raised a hand and blocked, Tai attempting to get some punches in, but Judas easily blocked a three-combo punch before ducking under a high kick before swinging the Gram upward, the blade glowing a dark brown color, causing the earth the emerge from under the concrete, launching the blonde Huntsman back. Sting readied Ole' Reliable, swinging the war club, Judas swatting the attack back with the Gram, the blade glowing a bright green color before he swung, releasing a powerful gust of wind. Sting was barely able to brace himself, the wind pushing him back.

Qrow rushed back in, Harbinger in its scythe form as he spun it between his fingers, before going for an overhead slash, Judas batting the attack away with the ancient sword, Qrow managing to snake the blade of his weapon around the Gram and tried to pull it from Judas, but the traitors grip was iron-clad, and he managed to pull the sword away, the blade glowing a bright red color before pointing it forward, a stream of fire erupting from the blade, Raven managing to recover from the shock of the previous attack and jump in front of her brother, spinning her crimson red sword to dispel the flames, allowing Qrow to shift into his corvid form to fly over and dive towards Judas, changing back to his human form and struck, biting into the traitors aura.

Judas made to recover, only for Tai to drop kick him from behind, then Sting swung his bat at his midsection, bashing his aura and probably breaking a rib or two, then Raven swung her sword, slashing at his legs before stabbing at his chest, the traitor raising the Gram, the blade glowing a brighter shade of black, before slamming it into the ground, causing a gravity shockwave to throw everyone back, Judas breathing heavily.

Seeing his chance, Qrow threw caution to the wind and rushed back in, slashing at Judas with Harbinger, not even giving him a chance to recover, before punching him right in the face with a fist, sending the traitor to the ground, the eyes of the mask breaking from the mask.

Switching Harbinger back to its sword form, Qrow held the tip at Judas' neck, staring down at the traitor, crimson eyes meeting tainted silver, former friends looking at each other in silence before Qrow spoke.

"Judas; for the crimes you committed against Remnant, you're under arrest."

Judas only stared in silence, his eyes expressionless, his grip of the weapon tight as ever, before the other Hunters joined their comrade, all staring down at the fallen traitor, all ready to strike if he tried to resist.

Just then, finally, he let the Gram go.


Back at Beacon, the three teams of LNTC, JNPR, and RWBY were hanging out on the helipad of the academy, Cenric, Nora, Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Yang were playing with a football, Jaune paired with Cenric and Ren while Pyrrha, Nora and Yang was paired with Nora, the two teams trying to steal the football from the other. Loki was reading several manga books with Ruby, who was looking over her childhood friend's shoulder. Turoc was sitting on the edge of the helipad with Blake, giving her instructions about literature, since Blake had shown interest in writing. Nirnasha was watching the two teams playing for the football with Weiss at his side.

"Remind me why we aren't doing this at a playing field?" Weiss asked a very valid question.

"No clue, but the view is awesome from here!" Ruby answered.

"The forest below looks so vast from up here." Loki chimed in.

"But don't you think we're in the way of possible landing airships?" Nirnasha pointed out. "Not to mention Ozpin wouldn't permit this."

"There haven't really been that many airships coming to land though." Turoc spoke up. "Plus, he hadn't said anything yet."

Just then, the door that lead inside the academy opened, Ozpin and Glynda stepping out, Glynda glaring at the young teens, "And what are you kids doing lounging about the helipad?"

"Told you." Weiss said.

"Children, there's a playing field that's free to use." Ozpin said. "No need to occupy a space for airships to land."

Deciding to move their party elsewhere, the three teams gathered their things and made to leave, and just as they were making their way to the door, they saw a bullhead approach before landing. They watched the hatch open up before Qrow and Raven step out.

At first, Ruby wanted to rush at her uncle with a hug, but before she could move, she felt her heart stop when she saw the next few people come out.

Flanked by several Atlas soldiers, restrained in heavy cuffs that looked impossible to break free from, with Sting and Tai keeping a tight hold on his arms, Judas Blackburn was taken off the bullhead.

The teens looked on in shock as the traitor took his first step onto campus grounds, so many years after his betrayal, as the old headmaster stood before him, his eyes narrowed in a rare look of anger, the traitor only staring back with blank eyes. This stare-off felt like it lasted an eternity before Ozpin gestured to the academy, Tai and Sting pulling Judas along, the teens stepping off to the side to allow the adults to go inside first.

Judas, however, looked off to the side, right at Ruby, pure meeting tainted, Ruby looking back with a mixture of fear and anger, Judas staring back with a cold, blank expression before looking ahead, the two Huntsmen taking the traitor inside.

"You okay, Ruby?" Loki asked, placing a hand on his childhood friend's shoulder.

"I thought my heart was gonna explode from the way he looked at me." Ruby admitted.

"That guy's a bastard." Yang growled. "After what he did, I hope he rots in the darkest cell they have!"

"Knowing Ozpin, though, he'll want to talk with him first." Raven said as she and Qrow approached the group. "Even now, he still has hope he can pull him out of the darkness he put himself in."

"I don't care what they do with him." Qrow said with arms crossed. "As long as he's in the deepest hole until the day he dies."

"I take it that capturing him was no small feat?" Ren inquired.

The Branwen twins looked at each other before going inside, completely ignoring Ren's question.

"I'll take that as a no." Jaune chuckled half-heartedly.

Ruby, however, couldn't stop thinking about Judas and their prior encounters, with one question on her mind.

'What could he want with me?'


The Beacon detention center. A facility within the academy that's almost never used and questioned why it was ever added in the first place.

Well, now there was an answer, as father and son, Ozpin and Judas sat from across from one another, Ozpin staring down his estranged son, Judas simply staring back with blank eyes, those tainted silver eyes looking at the older headmaster as though they were taunting him, reminding him how he failed someone he cherished more than anything in the world.

There was complete silence, neither man saying a word, until Ozpin broke the silence.

"Why, Judas?" Ozpin asked, his tone cold and calm. "Why did it come to this?"

Judas remained silent, and Ozpin wasn't finished, "I took you in when you were dropped on the academy's doorstep, treated you like you were my own, gave you everything. After everything, this is what you do?"

Silence once again, Ozpin's fist shivering, "I just don't understand, Judas. After everything I did for you-"

"Who are you talking to, Ozpin?" Judas finally asked, those blackened silver eyes staring at the headmaster. "Are you talking to me? Or are you talking to the boy that died, so many years ago?"

Ozpin felt his fist clench from the anger boiling within from those words, "Judas, I want to save your soul! Even after everything that's happened-"

"You can't stop history from repeating." Judas interrupted once again. "And you certainly can't protect the girl from the truth of her Silver Eyes."

Ozpin almost gasped, but stopped himself, glaring at the traitor, "Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain from this atrocity?"

"The Silver-Eyed Warriors are powerful, able to destroy the Grimm with only their eyes." Judas told the headmaster. "But unless they make the ultimate sacrifice, they will remain weak. Unless they severe the bonds that chain them down, they can never grow stronger."

"I don't know what lies Salem planted in your head, but I can safely say that they're all lies." Ozpin retorted. "Can't you see that she's using you? Manipulating you like so many others?"

"There's the desperation in you." Judas mocked. "Desperation to bring someone back, no matter how pointless things are."

"There is no 'greater power' being hidden." Ozpin said. "They are nothing but lies made up so she can control you. Don't you see?"

"Just like the lies you say to your students?" Judas said. "After all, you're the one sending them to their deaths."

"That is not true and you know it!" Ozpin snapped in denial. "I have made sure that my students are prepared for the dangers of the Grimm-"

"And yet they still died, some on their first mission." Judas pointed out. "Remember Gretchen Rainart? The girl who died on her first mission? With a senior Huntsman supervising, no less."

"Do not try to turn this around on me, Judas." Ozpin said with narrowed eyes. "I have many regrets in my life, all that I regret, but Salem is no better!"

"It doesn't change the fact that you lie, just like her." Judas countered.

"At least I'm trying to ensure that Remnant doesn't fall to pieces because of one madwoman's anger!" Ozpin roared.

Both men were in complete silence, both staring the other down, as if daring the other to respond further.

"It matters not, in the end." Judas finally said. "History will repeat and everything you ever fought for will crumble to dust."

Silent, Ozpin got up and walked to the door, then stopped and looked over his shoulder at the traitor.

"I know I'm no saint; I never was." He said. "I do the best I can to train my people before sending them into the fray, and I will not rest until I bring Salem down. And no matter what, I will not let you drag that little girl down the same road you've put yourself on."

And the Headmaster left the room, leaving Judas all alone.


Walking down the hall, Ozpin stopped for a moment, feeling like a fool. What did he honestly expect, thinking he could bring the traitor back from the darkness Salem had dragged him into. No matter how much he wanted to try, no matter how much he wanted to tell himself otherwise, he had to face the facts.

The boy he raised and treated like family was gone, replaced by a willing monster of Salem.

"I take it didn't go so well?"

Looking up, he saw Ironwood approach, his trusted friend and confidant.

"You could say that." Ozpin said with a solemn gaze.

"I know you wanted to try, I really do." The general said sympathetically. "But, we have to accept the facts; he's too far gone, corrupted by Salem's lies."

"I know." Ozpin nodded. "But I can't help but hold some hope that he can be saved."

"I know, Oz, believe me." Ironwood return the nod.

Thinking for a moment, Ozpin hardened his gaze, "Get him off my campus. I don't want him in the same building as my students."

"Won't be a problem." Ironwood nodded before turning to leave. "At any rate, I'll leave the Gram in your hands. Can't have it and the traitor in the same place."

"That would be best." Ozpin nodded.

As he watched his old friend leave, Ozpin walked away as well, fighting the tears threatening to fall.


It was a quick flight to James' flagship, as it hovered near the academy. The general led the traitor, flanked by two Atlas soldiers, down several halls before they arrived at the prison block, the soldiers removing the cuffs before pushing Judas inside.

"It's a shame that it's come to this, Blackburn." James said coldly. "You were considered the best out of all of us, and you threw all of it away."

Judas remained silent, his back facing the general, as the bars of his cell went up, followed by an electrified field.

"I doubt time in lockdown will make you think on your actions." Ironwood said as he turned away. "But Ozpin, Gods bless his soul, always wants to try, at least."

And with that, the general and his soldiers left, leaving the traitor alone.

…or so he thought.

"Well, look who decided to grace our presence!"

Judas didn't need to turn and look to know who that voice belonged to. Just across from his cell, sat Honoka Midori, leaning back on his cot, a grin on his face.

"How unexpected to see you here, Judy!" The snake-faunus said. "When I heard they were bringing in another prisoner, I was expecting Annie to be dragged in, but you! Now that's a surprise!"

Judas didn't say anything. Only turning and sitting on his cot.

"So, tell me how it went down." Honoka pressed. "Did you make them work for it? Or did you let them win to conserve energy for when shit really hits the fan?"

Once again, nothing.

"You know, I admire your work." Honoka went on. "Made quite the entrance, after your big heel turn and resurgence. Starting off with helping Annie get the head of every gang, even Torchwick, to work with her? By beheading their lieutenants!" He laughed. "Delightful! A plus material! Not to mention punching holes in the illegal trade lines? By blasting holes in the traders! Hilarious! Two thumbs up! And the piece de resistance? Before your big comeback? The day when you really showed your true colors? Summer Rose. You really stabbed her through the heart."

The Left Hand laughed, the traitor not saying a word, the memories of his every action replaying in his mind.

"So good! You get all the points!" Honoka continued. "And all it took was Salem humbling you and breaking down every defense you ever had. She gave you your black eyes, your black heart, and a little dynamite in your pants, and you were reborn! Hallelujah! And before you know it, you became the fine upstanding, eyes open, sword toting badass you are today!" He stood up and stood near the bars. "So, tell me; what's got you in here?"

Judas remained silent for a moment before lifting his head up, staring at the snake-faunus.

"All part of the plan."


Soon enough, the finals were about to commence. The students flooded the stadium seating, while teams LNTC, RWBY, and JNPR stood at the railing, watching the fanfare go off.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Ruby said with barely contained excitement. "The final rounds are about to begin!"

"I can't wait to introduce the finalists to my fists!" Yang declared, cracking her knuckles.

"We're counting on you to rock this joint, Cenric." Loki said to the spartan. "Show them the true heart of a warrior!"

"I have no intention of losing." Cenric replied, cracking his neck.

"I know you've got this in the bag, Pyrrha." Jaune said to his teammate. "But there's gonna be some tough competition."

"I'm not too concerned." Pyrrha said. "I'm more interested in facing Cenric though."

"So many participants, and they all seem skilled." Ren admitted.

"Doesn't matter either way!" Nora boasted. "Pyrrha's gonna BREAK SOME LEGS!"

"It'll definitely be interesting to watch." Turoc nodded. "They'll be excellent sources of inspiration too."

"We've seen some solid teamwork from other teams." Nirnasha said. "Now we'll see how everyone does in solo combat."

"I wonder who will end up starting first." Blake said.

"I only know that this will be interesting." Weiss said.

As the teens waited, the screen came on, Oobleck and Porter appearing as holograms at the center.

"Welcome to the finals of the Vytal tournament, everyone!" Port declared.

"From here on out, the matches will be one on one!" Oobleck explained. "The conditions for victory are the same, except no biomes this time!"

"And this time, the matches will be determined randomly." Port thundered. "Much like any good hunt, there will be no time to prepare."

The teens looked at each other with interest.

"Now, without further delay, let's begin the first selection!"

The hologram then turned into what looked like a randomizer screen, as various names appeared before being replaced by another, everyone watching in anticipation before it came to a stop, with the faces of Anvar and Cenric appearing on the screen.

"And our first match will be Cenric Nikos from Beacon Academy versus Anvar Cethin from Haven Academy!" Port announced, much to the roar of applause from the audience.

"Will all finalists return to the ready rooms to wait their turn?" Oobleck asked.

The teams LNTC, RWBY, and JNPR looked at each other with interest, before Yang pushed herself from the rail.

"That's our cue." She said before winking at Cenric. "See you at the winner's circle, big guy~."

As Yang walked off, Cenric looked at the hologram, his face next to Anvar. He knew how strong he was in the arena, considered one of the best.

He also knew that he was out for blood.

"Cenric."

He turned to his twin, looking up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't lose." She told him. "We have a score to settle."

Nodding, Cenric walked with his twin to the ready room, where the other participants waited, taking note of Jade, Saraf, Sunil and Penny, the ginger waving friendly at them, then Sun nodding at the spartan twins, then Mercury leaning against the wall off to the right, minding his own, then Marcus nearby, keeping his distance while watching everyone else.

Approaching the door, Cenric rolled his neck and stepped out, his opponent waiting for him on stage, weapon in hand.

"Finally, after so long." Anvar snarled. "We face each other in the arena. Now, we settle things."


Aquarion, who was still using her cover identity as Celeste Aquarius, looked down at the densely crowded spectator stands below the VIP Skybox which was located at the upper levels of the Amity Colosseum. From the large glass windows, she had the one of the most perfect spots to watch the various battles taking place in the tournament, as if the hologram screens.

After her splendid performance for the opening ceremony of the Vytal Festival, it wasn't much of a surprise that Aquarion knew she would inevitably be in the center of attention for many of the spectators due to her striking beauty and remarkable performing skills. Since her arrival at the VIP Skybox, almost every single person of interest from the Four Kingdoms of Remnant had wanted to speak with her or at the very least, catch a good look of her even as Aquarion moved through the various dignitaries while effortlessly turning heads whenever she went.

It had only been a couple of minutes, but the Meridian royal already had over a hundred requests for autographs on various paraphernalia, several requests to perform at various public and private residences across Remnant, plenty of compliments, gifts and other expensive trinkets that weren't worth anything to her if she was being honest about it.

Nonetheless, Aquarion politely accepted the compliments, signed a reasonable number of autographs with her cover name, declined any special invitations for private performances elsewhere, and graciously turned down any gifts or even favors thrown her way. She was only in Vale for the Vytal Festival after all (aside from her other task at hand), and she had no wish to be dragged into whatever tangled cobweb that exists within the Kingdoms' current social environment.

The blue-haired songstress was seated at one of the plush seats that was on the lower tier, accompanied by Silvanus who was clad in his bodyguard uniform. He turned his head from side to side regularly, keeping track of where the nearest exits are and whether anyone was looking at his charge the wrong way. To avoid drawing any more attention to herself Aquarion had informed her other guards to be discreet, but due to the oaths she had sworn Krymenos had insisted that she accompany the Meridian royal this time. And given her uncanny ability to disappear into her surroundings, Aquarion wasn't worried about needing to know if anyone was watching her back.

"Celeste, I know you're enjoying the Vytal Festival, but we should also be aware of the upcoming meeting with your…guest," Silvanus spoke carefully to the disguised royal, "And I don't have to tell you there's a number of delegates from both Atlas and Mistral who are showing visible looks of jealousy after seeing how much attention others had given to you."

"If you're concerned that I will be a victim to petty jealousy, it's nothing I haven't seen before," Aquarion said as she tapped her gloved fingers on the haft of her lance, "Besides, I'm sure you are also quite capable of handling any individuals who doesn't have any altruistic intentions in mind."

"Ozpin's arrangement for us seems to be holding well so far," Silvanus commented as he stood beside Aquarion, speaking softly as his Silent Guard training dictated, "No one seems to be asking you any awkward questions, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't be suspicious. And while I doubt anyone would want to cause…harm to the headmaster's guest, that doesn't mean they wouldn't give vague warnings or speak of you in a discourteous way."

"Silvanus," Aquarion's golden eyes met his as she replied, "Your concern is appreciated, but I can assure you that I'm fine with whatever they wish to speak about me, be it compliments or otherwise. I know how I look to others, and it is no secret that my own talents far outstrip what other performers could possibly achieve in their lifetimes. I can't control what others feel about me, and if they cannot accept that I was born the way I am…then there's sadly nothing I can do to change their minds."

"They wouldn't treat you this way if they know of your…other associations," Her bodyguard mentioned.

"Let them talk, Silvanus," The blue-haired songstress waved down a robotic waiter who extended a tray with a selection of expensive-looking delicacies, of which she picked up a slice of cake with a generous topping of strawberries, "If it puts them in a better mood after that, then what's the harm?"

The disguised Silent Guard Captain gave a somewhat reluctant nod.

"And what about the approaching meeting?" Silvanus prompted again, "We should probably hold it as soon as possible, since there have been some concerning developments recently."

"I have already made my request to Ozpin, and he has assured me that he would inform the relevant party," Aquarion said, before turning her attention to the slice of strawberry cake, "We will meet her in person at the time that the headmaster has set aside for us, so there's no need to worry. I have already foreseen that as well."

"But if you don't mind me saying, this place is honestly feels worse than a pit of King Taijitsus." Silvanus remarked as he glanced around at the crowds moving around them within the VIP Skybox.

"On that, you may have a fair point," Aquarion gave a wry smile as she returned her attention to the announcement of the final rounds, "Some things never seem to change, no matter which Kingdom it is."

She returned her attention to the screen, as the match between Cenric Nikos and Anvar Cethin was about to begin.


And there's the new chapter! I had some fun with this one, between the fight with Team STRQ and Judas, the confrontation between Judas and Ozpin, and then we see Honoka reappear! Won't be long now until we reach the battle for Beacon! I hope you guys look forward to what I have in store!

If Honoka's rant seems familiar, it's based on the rant made by the Joker from Batman: Death in the family, when he pointed out Red Hood's actions.

And as usual, I want to thank Relentless Crusader for his contribution for Aquarion's scene, he does an amazing work with scene's like this!

Also, there's something I've been meaning to get off my chest. Looking back, I've noticed that this story has several flaws in previous chapters, as pointed out by sharp-eyed and helpful critics, you guys know who you are and I appreciate you. Sometimes, I look back and mentally kick myself for those mistakes, but I also tell myself that when I find the time, I'm gonna go back and fix those mistakes. And that's what I plan to do. Once I wrap up volume 3, I'm gonna go back and clean up the mistakes. I appreciate the helpful criticism that's helped me grow and learn and improve as a writer.

What I don't appreciate are people being dishonest about it. I've read through that one review by a former friend and I was utterly taken aback by how bad it was. And it was from someone I genuinely thought was my friend. Three years of no contact and this is how he comes back? By leaving a dishonest review, lying, exaggerating small things, cutting out context, or even miss the point entirely.

To keep myself from going into a rant, and keep it short, I tried talking it out with him privately, he refused to listen and, rather than be an adult and hear what I have to say, he chose the fanatic route and label me a hater and kept making excuses for his garbage review. In the end, I decided that I wasn't getting anywhere, said my final piece and blocked him. Look, I don't hate RWBY, never hated it and never will. I just have issues with the show that I feel needs to be addressed and the fanatics are mad that I won't kiss RT's ass. Regardless, I will continue writing Team LNTC while going back and making the necessary fixes, like adjust certain fight scenes or write some pairings better, like Emurcury and Velvet x Cardin, and other stuff. I only ask that you be patient with me, as I have personal life responsibilities as well, so it's gonna take me a while to get to them. I hope you understand.

Alright, big author's note out of the way, I want to thank you guys again for sticking around, and I hope you stick around for more chapters and future instalments. Take care, and reviews are greatly appreciated!