Author's note: I'm probably in the worst mental shape of my life these days. There's a bunch of shit I want to fix about myself and my life. One of the things that does give me some happiness and fulfilment is art and writing. Every time I read a review telling me that a reader enjoyed this story, I know that even if just a little, I was able to add some joy to someone's life, and make it perhaps just a tiny bit better.

A little bit about me: I work as a freelance artist (you can totally find me on Twitter btw, though you shouldn't do so unless you're 18 or older, since a lot of the art I post is DEFINITELY adult only). I have a little bit of downtime these days, which is why I'm able to pump out these chapters so quickly. However, nothing lasts forever. Early next month, it'll be back to my regular schedule. By then, I do plan to give you enough material that you'll be able to re-read it time and again. One of the things I always strive to do is write something that one can read many times. I think it's the defining quality of a truly great work: you can always come back to it in a dark time, and it'll give you the strength to face your life again. Well, that's the level I want to get to. Hopefully, I'll succeed.

Just know this: all of the stories I put on this site were always given my 100 percent when I was writing them. I haven't forgotten any of them. So if they mean something to you as well, then I'm glad and honoured.

Anyway, that's enough of my rambling. TLDR: thank you for all your support. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy this fic. I also suggest checking out my other fics here: they're all written in a way that even those who haven't watched the series they're based on can read them and understand everything that's happening.

With all that said, I'll borrow the words of a certain Legendary Devil Hunter:

"Let's rock!"

Chapter 25: The Next Stage

At the Devil May Cry:

"So… overenthusiastic greetings aside, what are you doing here?" asked Yang.

Qrow shot her a glance that was only mildly annoyed. He had kind of preferred it when the blonde's sense of humour was loud, rude and frankly, unfunny. It was crude, but it had its charm. However, she'd changed a bit. While she still made sarcastic quips, she'd now mastered the art of delivering them with a completely neutral, matter-of-fact tone. That wasn't all either. She seemed more… relaxed. Calmer, cooler, more centred and grounded. Had she matured a little? It wouldn't have been strange for someone to grow up after going to hunter school. But Qrow was sure that the changes in her had little to do with Beacon itself.

The changes in Ruby were similar, though less obvious: she was inherently less fiery than Yang, so they were harder to spot. But they were there nonetheless. The two sisters sat next to each other, across the room from the hunter. Of course, they weren't the only ones in the room. Also on the couch with them were the other two members of their team. One of them looked essentially like a smaller Winter, and was no doubt her sister, Weiss. The other was a black-haired Faunus with cat ears. Qrow had some intel on her: apparently, she was the daughter of Menagerie's current leader. On the other couch to the left was the other first year team that had joined RWBY in leaving Beacon. They were composed of a blond-haired boy whose body-language and physique had all the signs of someone who had only recently begun training. The other male on the team was a good deal more experienced, and looked about exactly what a first-year student at a hunter academy should. Of the two girls, one had bright orange hair and the distinct aura of crazy. The other, of course, was Pyrrha Nikos, a celebrity who was well known as a tournament champion and a cereal mascot. What the public didn't know, of course, was that she was also on Ozpin's list of potential successors to the Fall Maiden's power. Or half of it, anyway. Besides these two teams, there was a third, and it was composed of second years Qrow wasn't familiar with. However, they seemed close to Glynda Goodwitch. Most surprising of all, Goodwitch herself didn't have any problems openly reciprocating this sense of closeness. The constant stern, unreadable expression was a thing of the past: she smiled often now.

Qrow shook his head slightly.

Just by being around them, one man had brought about all these changes. No, that wasn't quite right. More accurately, all of them had made those changes themselves, because they had been around him.

He found it a little hard to believe that demonic brainwashing could involve helping people change their lives for the better.

That being said, he didn't completely dismiss the possibility either.

And that brought him back to the present moment.

After Ruby and Yang's self-proclaimed overly enthusiastic greeting, they had all gathered in this room. Aside from himself, Goodwitch and the Beacon teams, there was also Winter Schnee (who had, to her disgust, ended up having to sit next to him), and also the strange woman known only as Trish. Qrow sighed. It seemed he would have to deliver his message right in front of everyone. Still, perhaps this was for the best. In any case, there wasn't any other option.

"I'll cut to the chase then," he said. "You guys ran away from school, and home. I'm the last person who should be telling you how to live your lives, but was this really the right choice?"

"We didn't run away," said Ruby. "We went to Beacon to train to be hunters in the first place. We just realised this was the best place to learn those skills."

Qrow's eyebrows rose.

"... In this house in the middle of nowhere?"

"Of course not," said Yang. "You know what she means: we came here because we followed Dante."

"You left Vale's official hunter academy, that's existed for hundreds of years, to come train with some hunter you've barely known for a few months?"

"Pretty much."

"Yeah, kind of."

"That is what happened, if we're being literal."

"That's what we did."

Similar murmurs of agreement went through the room. Absolutely no one seemed to have any problems with admitting that they had indeed chosen Dante over Beacon, and no one seemed to think they had made a mistake in doing so.

Qrow wasn't sure how to proceed. He pulled out his flask and took a sip, hoping liquid inspiration would give him some answers. Winter, on the other hand, had been watching this display all this time, with increasing exasperation.

"This is absurd. While the way Vale runs its schools leaves much to be desired, you cannot possibly be serious about leaving an established academy to run about with an actual demon!"

She looked at Weiss.

"Is this what you left home for?"

The former heiress held her gaze firmly.

"I left home to become a huntress. And in order to be the best huntress I can, I have to learn from the best. Dante is many things, and he certainly isn't without his flaws. He has little business sense and no interest in rules. He can be careless, and he won't bother to explain what he's doing sometimes. But make no mistake about it: he's still the best hunter on Remnant."

Winter stared.

"He's a demon!"

Unexpectedly, the one who answered was someone who hadn't even taken part in the conversation until then.

"He still has a heart. One that's as human as any of ours. Yes, he's a demon. But he's a good person. You would know that if you met him", said Velvet.

To both Qrow and Winter, that simple explanation sounded absurd. Years of military and state politics, along with social conditioning, had given them a world view that was pragmatic at best, pessimistic at worst. Everything happened to further someone's agenda, and everyone had an ulterior motive. And even those ulterior motives must serve a greater purpose. A person was purely the product of the forces acting on them. This was what they believed, though their ways of dealing with that were wildly different.

And thus, to hear someone speak so simply of a man being a good person sounded absurd to them.

Something so vague, so subjective, had no place in deciding one's course of action.

Perhaps, had the younger students present in the room ended up graduating from Beacon, they too would have had similar ways of thinking.

But instead, they had been exposed to someone who perpetually did the exact opposite.

It was true that Dante put on a front. But even with that exterior of impenetrable stylishness and complete confidence, there was something else that showed through, to those who knew where to look.

Relentless and enduring hope.

It was impossible to cultivate such a thing in a world where people were divorced from their feelings. But Dante had chosen long ago to do the exact opposite. Instead of letting go, he continued to hold on to it all, taking the pain as a cherished proof that he did indeed have humanity. And that in turn had given him the ability to see the good in people. He did not blindly think that that good would automatically prevail. But he was always willing to give it a chance to do so. And again, that began with being able to see it in the first place.

In contrast to Beacon and Atlas' training programmes, which were made to create ideal pieces on the board for Ozpin by fostering only limited logic, Dante had reminded his students to feel. He had also taught them that it was more important to do the thing they believed was right, than to follow orders.

And so, the simple human ability to trust in their own instincts, and see the obvious when it was right in front of them, was intact.

"That's it?" asked Qrow, almost incredulously. "That's what all of your trust is based on?"

Velvet shrugged.

"He did save our entire team once even after we disobeyed his orders," she said.

"There was also that time he saved that city from the exploding train and the Grimm," pointed out Yang.

Glynda, who had been silent all this time, preferring to let them all sort out their own issues, finally spoke.

"Ozpin put you up to this, didn't he?" she asked simply.

Winter and Qrow both grimaced briefly.

"I would have come anyway," said the Specialist. "Given the state of affairs in Vale, I was planning on bringing you back to Atlas."

Qrow briefly glanced at her before he added his own piece.

"Oz did tell me to bring you back," he admitted. "But I wasn't too thrilled that you'd left to follow someone you barely knew either. Beacon isn't perfect, but I know it works."

"Dante's training definitely works," said Ruby.

Qrow looked at her. He knew she was telling the truth, he had already spotted the changes in her and the others. Between that and the footage from the Grimm attack, he knew that Dante was indeed strong. He may very well be one of the strongest beings on the planet. But that was precisely why he was worried. While he wouldn't take Ozpin's words for gospel, he himself had been around long enough to know that great power could be worrying, no matter who had it. No one was completely free of dark intentions, and even the best of intentions could sometimes lead to terrible things.

"Nobody here was forced to come or stay," said Glynda. "Even now, anyone who wishes to leave can do so. We all came because we believed it was the right thing to do."

Qrow had heard enough by now to know that he likely wouldn't be able to convince any of them to return to Beacon. Nevertheless, he had to make sure of a few things.

"Taiyang's probably worried sick," he said.

"That does sound like Dad," admitted Yang. "But… he shouldn't worry. In the end, we were always going to be on the frontlines."

"The world isn't the same as it was," said Glynda. "The arrival of demons changed everything. This is no longer just a fight to keep the Grimm at bay, or even a battle against… whatever forces Ozpin stands against."

She had never been part of his secret group consisting of the heads of all the hunter academies. While she was privy to some of the happenings, most of them were kept from her, as they were from the majority of the staff at Beacon.

Winter clenched her fist.

"Demons… It's true that their arrival threw off all our plans. Our military is still struggling to get emergency plans in place…"

"Emergency plans?" asked Glynda.

Winter looked up. The expression on her face was a dead giveaway that she hadn't actually meant to say that aloud.

"Never mind," she said quickly. "All of that is confidential information."

So many things had happened so quickly, she was considerably off her mental game. Normally, she wouldn't have made an error like that.

It was at this point that someone who hadn't taken part in the conversation at all finally decided to do so.

"If I may," said Trish. "Whatever you're planning to do against the demons, I strongly suggest you stop now while you still can."

Winter glared at her.

"Is that a threat?"

Trish shook her head.

"Just a warning."

Military action was occasionally taken against demons back on Earth, if their presence was known to official bodies. However, in most of these cases, the targets were smaller, nameless demons. Named demons very rarely got through to the world of humans, and when they did, it was almost always someone with real skill and experience who was sent to take them down. Most often, it was the crew of the Devil May Cry. There were also times when the Umbras or the Lumen took care of it. There were also a few freak humans who were powerful enough to do it themselves, but they were absolute anomalies.

On the other hand, several named demons had gotten through to Remnant, and they had been here for a while, meaning they'd had time to set up their own territories and get comfortable.

Conventional military forces, even with Remnant's technology, wouldn't stand a chance against them.

The blonde devil continued.

"Consider a helpful hint from someone who knows: your world's in a state of temporary peace right now. Dante would have warned you before he left: if there are demons who need taking care of, you should come to us first."

"And if we refuse?" asked Winter. "What if we launch full scale military assault and bombardment instead?"

Trish shrugged.

"Your funeral. I've never seen a planet being split apart like a cake before, so at least I'll get to see that."

Winter clenched her teeth.

Surely the blonde was exaggerating. There couldn't possibly be any entities actually powerful enough to do anything even close to that… Yet, there was the conflicting evidence. Since they had first come, demons had done things that were unprecedented. There had actually been a brief moment where Atlas' sensors had picked up an energy reading so high that the systems had bugged out for a while. For reference, the sensors were capable of accurately measuring energy readings upto one thousand times greater than what all of Atlas produced combined. She'd felt that power herself, though only briefly. And it made her pause.

"Then what do you suggest?" she asked. "That we do nothing?"

"Not at all," said Trish. "I suggest you call professionals. In other words, us. We'll even give you the special Kingdom discount." She winked.

It took a full ten seconds for the ball to drop.

When it did, Glynda face-palmed.

"Did you really use the possibility of an apocalyptic event to promote our business?"

"Of course! Here at Devil May Cry, we make money off preventing apocalypses."

The former Beacon instructor groaned audibly.

Hoperow:

Atop a hill close to the village, the Five had convened. It was quite late at night, and the fragments of the broken moon were high in the sky.

"Erect a ward around us," said Nevan. Humans were curious by nature, and she didn't entirely put it past one of them to go out looking for them, and stumble upon this place. Of course, all five of them could easily sense someone in the vicinity, but humans in this world often had strange abilities and technology. It was possible some of them might be capable of concealing their presence.

At her words, the serpent Malevar's eyes flashed. A dome covered in runes appeared around them all on the hilltop for a second, then vanished, but the air continued to shimmer slightly.

"We are hidden from the sssssenses now, and the barrier will prevent intrudersss…", said the snake demon.

Nevan nodded briefly.

"So?" said Valkyrie, not bothering to hide her irritation. "Why have you gathered us all here?"

"Call it a progress report," said Nevan. "I've been keeping an eye on us all, but I'd still like to hear from you exactly how you're all doing. Remember: our plan was to get closer to the humans, earn their trust."

"I have had no strife with them," said Iris. "They frequently approach me. Much of the fear I had initially sensed from them is gone. Some of the women and younger girls, some of the boys too, ask me to use Second Sight for them. Even if I refuse, they seem interested in my advice on their lives."

Nevan nodded. She had seen as much. With her unthreatening appearance and approachable personality, Iris was easy for the humans to get close to. In addition, her ability to see the future made her popular with young men and women alike, who were often hoping to know what lay in store in their love lives. As a demon, they also respected her opinion, counting on her wisdom to assist in afore-mentioned love lives.

Atlas was next. The giant spoke in his usual gravelly tone.

"The children often visit," he said. "They ask me questions about the Underworld, and about the human world on Earth. Other times, they try to involve me in their games. I do not mind so much: I stay as I am, and they seem to think of me as a moving mountain that can talk."

"That doesn't bother you?" asked Nevan.

The giant shook his head.

"There is no malice or hidden intent in them. They speak and act as they feel. They've yet to learn how to lie, and they've yet to learn undue pride in themselves. It matters little what they think of me so long as they bear no evil. Their fathers and brothers can conceal what they feel better, but even from them, I do not sense any hatred or violence towards me."

Yes, that sounded like the Atlas she knew. Given his size and power, the giant had always been largely indifferent even to other demons, since the vast majority of them had no ability to harm him in any way. In the Underworld, he had spent many ages in his true form as a Titan, in which even planets were little more than pebbles to him. As the one tasked with holding up the entirety of the higher-dimensional universe, or, as the Greeks had called it, "the Heavens", he'd had little interest in the wars of aspiring demon lords.

Of course, he had had one worthy challenger.

Nevan couldn't entirely keep a slight smile off her face at the memory of the Greek named Heracles.

Although little more than an ant in comparison, the demigod had been the giant's match in strength, and the two of them had shaken the entire Underworld as they had wrestled.

That, of course, had been thousands of years ago, before Mundus had even consumed the Fruit of the Qliphoth Tree.

After the demigod's departure to continue his famed labours, Atlas had returned to indifference. Initially, he had been Mundus' first choice as a destructive weapon for his army. However, the Titan had refused, and in his place, the Prince of Darkness had constructed Nightmare.

It was thus curious to Nevan that he had bothered to notice the townsfolk's way of thinking at all. In his own way, he was starting to move away from his indifference. Living with the humans had made him interested in them. Perhaps only a little so far, but those changes would grow.

Satisfied, she moved on, turning to the Serpent. While she had been keeping an eye on him too, when she could, it was more difficult than doing so with the others. He was an extremely powerful sorcerer, and was more than capable of concealing his presence at will, even when he was right in front of her.

Historically, the Underworld had always been suspicious of him.

The original Serpent that had gifted a Qliphoth Fruit to humans on Earth and set in progress the age of knowledge… had in fact been Malevar's ancestor. With no existing demonic power to work with and amplify, the Fruit had done something else: it had greatly enhanced the evolution of intelligence. What would have grown anyway began to grow much faster.

The demons had never quite forgiven the Serpents for handing the humans their greatest weapons: intelligence, knowledge and ingenuity. With those, even weak, fragile human beings had become capable of fighting demon lords. Although only a few legendary heroes ever reached those heights, humanity as a whole progressed technologically, gaining the weapons to fight back against the lesser hordes should they ever come through.

Subsequently, the descendants of the Serpent tribe went into hiding, living then onwards as the mages in the shadows. From time to time, a Demon King would come to them for advice, and to make use of their abilities to create or strengthen their armies. Little was known about what the Serpents did in secret, but rumours and tales said that their mastery of True Dark Magic surpassed even what the Demon Kings themselves were capable of, barring only one, Lucifer himself.

As such, even among the hordes of hell, they were the most mistrusted.

Although Nevan supposed, what they were doing now was allying themselves with humans. In that sense, hadn't the Serpent all those years back done the same thing? Given humans a gift? She decided to put matters of historical analysis out of her head for the moment, and focus on the present.

"This world is curious," said Malevar. "In some aspects, its technology is more advanced than that of the humans on earth. But in others, it lags behind. Much of the more powerful technology here is dependent on their pseudo-sorcery, their false Magic."

He had gone off on a tangent, but Nevan did not interrupt him. This was valuable information.

"False Magic… you refer to what they call Aura and Semblances?"

"Those are related, yes. What they refer to as Aura is the manifestation of life energy. The same power that Earthlings call Ki. It has some of the sssssame effects too. All living beings have Ki, human or demon. The humans here use a technique to 'unlock' their Ki, or their Aura. This is an amplification technique that also removes certain natural barriers, enabling the power to flow in greater volume. Warriors on Earth had ssssimilar techniques for this."

Nevan nodded. All of this was in line with what she already knew.

"This is where it gets curioussss…" hissed the snake. "You ssssee, Magic is an entirely different force, a different power. Unlike life energy, it is a gift some possessss, and some do not. All demons have it… but only some humans can say the same. At least on Earth."

Nevan took this in.

"But you say it is different here on Remnant?" she asked.

"Indeed. Here, all humans have Magic. Although still a different energy, it is bound to their Ki, their Aura. The process by which this has been done seems deliberate rather than natural."

"Interesting… so at some point of time, some entity took the natural life force of the humans here, and bound it to Magic?"

"Precisely. Unlocking their Aura allows them to access this Magic, which in turn leads to what they call SSSSemblances."

Nevan's eyes gleamed with understanding. Many things had become much clearer now. All the pieces still hadn't fallen into place, but the path forward was more and more concrete.

"You call it false Magic… these Semblances…"

The Serpent's lips twisted upward. His smile was infinitely more terrifying than any human's.

"True Magic," he said, "What we demons possess, and what few humans have ever possessed, is the power to alter the fabric of reality itself as we see fit. To unmake it, and make it anew, as we desire. This in itself is an incomplete fraction of True Divinity, something only possessed by the One, True God. On the other hand, what the humans here have is a limited form of Magic, restricted by the laws of reality. In some ways, they seem like fragments of True Magic, inherited somehow. You could even call them… remnantsssss."

Nevan did not think his utterance of that last bit was meant purely as a joke. She had a theory as to what was happening here. Malevar likely knew even more, and was choosing not to reveal it. But for the moment, this was plenty.

"As expected from hell's foremost sorcerer. But you haven't yet told me how you fare with the humans themselves."

"Oh, better than I fare with the likes of you in our old homeworld," said Malevar. "They are suspiciousss of me, but come to me all the same, seeking to obtain the fruits of my Magic."

Nevan had a bad feeling of this.

"What have you been selling them?"

"So far? Nothing much. Their desires have been exceedingly humble. Alchemical formulae to improve the yield of their crops. Medicine for ailments. A few of the older men come to seek help for certain… conditionsss. Some of the younger men ask for aids to increase their physical sssstrength."

Somehow, the idea of Malevar using demonic Magic to empower a bunch of youth or help old men get it up didn't completely sit right with Nevan. On the surface, they were harmless enough changes, and beneficial to those who underwent them. But, if she knew Malevar at all, he wouldn't do it unless he stood to gain something even more valuable in return.

"And what have you asked in return?"

"The chance to examine their bodies, of course. How else do you think I know all this about their Auras and their Semblances?"

"... And did you do anything else while examining them?"

"Ah, your suspicions wound me. I've done nothing but help those who came to me. My goal is to help these people develop their alchemy even further, and perhaps rediscover what they lost: True Magic."

Nevan nodded, but she decided she would continue to keep an eye on Malevar. That one was dangerous if left to his own devices.

"Sssspeaking of," said the Serpent. "You've been asking us how we fare. What about you? How have you been getting along with the humansss?"

Nevan gave him a satisfied smirk.

"You forget who you're speaking to," she said.

"Ah yes, you are a succubus. Have you returned to your old waysss the-"

"Silence, snake!" Nevan interrupted him, eyes flashing dangerously as lightning pulsed from her hands.

It was true that she had once been no different from the rest of her kind. That hadn't even changed after she had met Sparda. Not when he had ultimately left her behind when he had gone to face Mundus.

But she had changed when she had met Dante.

Now, going back to her old habits of devouring men wasn't an option.

Even the thought of it made her sick.

Nevertheless, she did need to answer, like the others had done.

"I've been… using what I know of them. Humans are remarkably easy to get along with, if one knows what to do."

This was true. Nevan was well aware of her form and appearance, and knew the effect it had on men, even if she didn't use demonic power to secrete pheromones. Most men would kill for a chance to even touch her. However, the idea of a town full of lust-addled zombies clawing and scratching each other to death didn't appeal to her. Thus, she had made subtle changes to her demeanour, her way of speaking.

Words and mannerisms were powerful.

And she had also discovered that humans were, ultimately, pathetically lonely.

Strangely, she didn't look down on them for it, since she now knew what that pain felt like herself.

Instead, she had learned how to use it in a way that was beneficial for both the townsfolk, and herself.

Rather than a temptress who lured men to bed in order to get what she wanted, she had learned the art of giving men what they didn't even know they wanted. Many of the men, young and old alike, were alienated even in this small town. A lot of them bore the burden of expectations they couldn't live up to. Some of them felt alone even when they were with family and friends, simply because they could never truly tell any of those people how they felt, what was bothering them. And of course, a lot of them were simply starved for company of the preferred sex. It didn't even have to do with getting physical. Many of them were happy simply to be able to speak to a woman, or to have one smile at them, or compliment them. There were those who were afraid of rejection, even for something that simple. Those who had been conditioned into doubting themselves at every turn.

She knew that her body, heart and soul would always belong to Dante.

So she couldn't ever be with any single one of these men.

But she could be with all of them.

Not as a lover, but as the person they didn't even know they needed.

As someone to talk to, someone who would always be there to listen to them. Someone who wouldn't judge them for their shortcomings. She wasn't a counsellor: far from it. She did throw out solutions that she thought would work. And sometimes she would give someone a kind word when they needed it.

In some ways, what she was doing was akin to a celebrity or an idol back on Earth, with the difference being, she was indeed living with the very people who idolised her, and walking on the same ground.

Malevar laughed.

"Perhaps the cruel one is you, to lead so many on at once."

Nevan shook her head.

Perhaps that had been true when she'd first arrived at this town. At the time, she was simply looking for a way to live among the humans, and build positive relations with them. The solution had been all but thrust upon her, since many approached her right away. She had often found herself mentally laughing at what she had perceived as the troubles of those beneath her.

As she continued to live among the humans, though, she learnt, even without trying to, many things about them.

She found herself listening properly to things she had only pretended to before.

The daily lives of the people she lived with started to become interesting.

She found herself keeping track of things: who had recently had a good hunt, or whose harvest was looking like it would come out well, or who had recently fallen out with their parents, or been excluded by their friends.

Mundane those events might have been. But they were not insignificant. To each of those people, those things meant everything.

She wasn't sure when exactly it clicked, but Dante's words started to make perfect sense.

Unlike demons, humans didn't have the option of throwing a fit and destroying things whenever they got mad, whenever life didn't go their way. Of course, one could do that, but more often than not, it only made the damage worse.

So they had to do the much harder thing, and painstakingly deal with problems, trying to find a solution. And if that didn't work, they simply had to live with them.

In so many ways, demons were the ones with the luxury of running away from their problems.

And so, she had to respect those who couldn't or didn't run, but had to face those problems head-on.

"I don't lead them on. I merely give them what I think they need."

On some level, she sensed that most of the men had realised by now that she had no intention of being with any of them in that way. Yet, they hadn't stopped coming to see her. Over time, they appreciated what she did give them: her company. It was something anyone in the town could have given them long before she had arrived. But no one had chosen to.

The Serpent looked at her, not entirely believing what she was saying, or understanding. But he let it go.

With four of them already having spoken, they turned to look at the fifth, who had been unusually silent.

Valkyrie glanced at Nevan, who seemed to be waiting expectantly for her to speak.

Malevar, ever eager to incite, decided to see if he could start a fire by making a few sparks.

"I haven't seen you around too many humans," he said. "Well, not surprising. I doubt the Ruler of Valhalla would have any interest in the ones here. After all, as warriors, they are mediocre at best. Perhaps it's good that they haven't caught your interest."

Valkyrie, who had been in her own thoughts, visibly jerked out of them.

She glared at Malevar.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

She took half a step forward, all four of her fists clenched.

Nevan noticed this. It was uncharacteristic behaviour for the swordswoman. Proud and violent she may be, but she was also always calm and in control of herself, even when angry. It was what made her so dangerous on the battlefield. Yet, now, that powerful self-control, that unshakeable aura had visibly cracked. She was perturbed.

Of course, Malevar noticed too, and he decided to push harder.

As a matter of fact, Nevan hadn't been the only one keeping an eye on the rest of the group.

He had been doing so too, and he knew that there was only one human Valkyrie really seemed interested in.

"Oh, it's jusssst that out of all of us, you have far and away the worst track record with humans, don't you?"

Nevan and Iris both shot warning glances at him. There were some things best not spoken of. Even Atlas' gaze shot towards Malevar.

The Serpent, however, wasn't the least bit deterred. His forked tongue slithered as he stared at the swordswoman. Valkyrie was frozen, unable to move as she stared at him.

He went on.

"All of those poor, brave warriors that fought so hard. They died painfully, didn't they? Sssstabbed right through the spine, heads and arms cut off, eyes gouged out, burned alive, smashed to pieces."

"That's enough," said Nevan. She glared at the snake.

Valkyrie still hadn't moved.

"Tell me", said the sorcerer. "What do you think they were thinking right before the end? Do you think they had any idea what they had given up their livesss for?"

Before Valkyrie's eyes, visions flashed of the ones he was talking about. The Berserkers, as they had been called. Warriors that had pledged themselves to her, and in return, gained a fraction of her powers to call upon in battle. Yet, it wasn't simply out of desire for power that they had served her, calling on her name as they fought for their homelands.

Those who trained themselves in the arts of war, dedicated themselves to fighting, to living and dying with honour on the battlefield, believed that when their time came, when the last breath left their body, they would enter Valhalla, the glorious Hall of the Dead, and join Valkyrie herself, becoming part of her army forever.

"Malevar, that's enough," said Nevan, taking a step forward herself.

The Serpent's gaze was still fixed on Valkyrie, however.

"They say that Berserkers fought until their last bone was crushed, until the last bit of breath left their body, and until the last drop of their blood was spilled. To become Berserker was to become battle itself. There could be no higher calling for a warrior.

It must be heartwarming, knowing you inspired such faith in your followers.

Between everyone who fought for you, and everyone killed by them, how many humans do you think died in your name?"

Again, it was Nevan who answered.

"The Berserkers fought for home and king, like all humans, not for her. Valkyrie offered warriors strength, that was all. She didn't ask them to follow her-"

"Exactly."

The Serpent's voice had the distinct glee of one who had finally gotten to the point he had wanted to make all along.

"She never asked anyone to follow her. Not the demon armies that froze to death as they marched behind her through Cocytusss. And not the human Berserkers who chose to walk her path, taking her ways as their own. Not one single soul in the Hall of the Dead arrived there because she carried it there herself."

He smiled.

"No, the Violent Queen need only exist. All she must do is sssswing her sword. Her strength alone inspires others to follow her, of their own free will. Follow her even after death. You don't even need to try! Between you and Nevan, far more men have flocked to you than have ever gone to her. It must make you proud! How does it feel knowing your mere existence drives others to fight and die for you?"

Nevan, knowing he had already gone too far, intervened before irreparable damage could be done. Unity must be maintained among the Five, at least until their work on Remnant was done.

Summoning a swarm of bats, she commanded them telepathically. The swarm surrounded Malevar, wrapping around him like a rope, holding him still.

"That's enough, Serpent", said Nevan. "Be silent now."

Without even needing an incantation, the snake cast his Magic, and flames wreathed his body. The bats screeched as they were fried within seconds. He continued as though he hadn't even been interrupted.

"Wasn't it the ssssame with the boy? Oscar? With only one small difference: unlike all the rest, he follows you because he sees you as a maiden, not a warrior. Heartwarming indeed, don't you think? When he joinssss the Hall of the Dead, will you give him a special place there? After all, the others all died for honour, and he alone will have died for love. Truly, a special end-"

He stopped speaking at precisely that moment.

A lightning-covered hand, a silver blade and a fist the size of a boulder were all positioned inches from his face.

"I won't warn you again," said Nevan.

"That's quite enough," said Iris.

"Hold your tongue," said Atlas.

All three of the demons had surrounded Malevar.

The Serpent, realising he had finally gone as far as he could, conceded, saying nothing. The damage, however, had already been done.

As he looked at the swordswoman, he could tell that her doubts had been amplified many times over. Once upon a time, she would already have cut her down long before he could have spoken this much. The fact that she hadn't proved that he wasn't mistaken: she wasn't her usual self. Something had happened that had shaken her confidence. And of course, that was what he had wanted to take advantage of.

She wasn't aware that the human boy was far from ordinary. His untapped Aura was different from the others. And thus, he was high up on the Serpent's list of potential experimental subjects. Needless to say, such experiments couldn't happen if she was around the boy. So, all he needed to do was separate the two of them.

"Valkyrie!", said Nevan. "Do not pay heed to his words. There isn't a demon in hell who hasn't taken life, who hasn't sinned. Do not doubt yourself!"

She wasn't sure why she was helping out the Violent Queen. She certainly didn't have any reason to. But recently, she had been doing more and more things that didn't make sense. At the very least, something in her told her she was doing what she should.

Valkyrie didn't speak.

The once-proud warrior's confidence was in shambles.

Turning around, she began to walk away.

"Valkyrie," shouted Nevan. "Wait!"

But she didn't listen. Spreading her wings, she took flight, effortlessly breaking through Malevar's Barrier on the way out.

Nevan swore. This had turned bad quickly.

She looked at Malevar.

"Don't blame me," he said. "Nothing I said was untrue."

He was well aware that the others needed him to continue their plans.

Nevan glared at him, but did not attack, instead looking away in disgust.

It was unfortunate, but the Serpent was needed.

"What now?" asked Atlas.

"We must wait for her to return," said Nevan. Tracking her down wasn't an option. Unlike the others, she could fly, and cover large distances much quicker. The Serpent could use his Magic to find her, but Nevan did not trust him around her right now. She clenched her teeth in frustration. Her plans had been set back because of this.

"Will she return at all?" asked Atlas.

To that, Nevan had no answer. But if they were to proceed, they needed her.

"She must," the succubus said aloud. "The next stage in the plan requires her help."

"The next sssstage?"

She nodded.

"We've successfully proven we can co-exist with humans on a small scale. It's time for us to expand, and continue eradicating the Grimm throughout the lands."

Before anyone else could react, the sound of coughing was heard.

Turning, Nevan saw Iris doubled over in pain. The coughing fit continued for a while. When she finally straightened up, Nevan saw blood trailing from the corner of her mouth.

"... I might not be able to wait for Valkyrie to return," said the Seer.

Atlas Mobile Base, Downtown Vale:

Penny sat up in bed. The maintenance systems plugged into her beeped to indicate that she had shifted from sleep mode to active.

She looked out the window, at the broken moon.

That demon… she's dying.

But… why did I dream of her? Who is she?

Penny had been born with the ability to see things. When she dreamt, it was of events that were happening, somewhere in the world. She had told Doctor Agnus about this ability, and he'd immediately advised her to keep it secret, warning her that if the rest of the organisation found out about it, she would never be allowed to leave base again.

What she had just seen hadn't been an ordinary dream.

It had been a vision.

Somewhere out there, a demon was dying. She remembered seeing the same demon in the news footage from Hoperow. She was a member of the group calling itself the Council of Five.

But why had she dreamt of her?

And why did the dream leave her feeling so… cold?