(Ozpin)

"I'll begin by saying I'm very disappointed in you, Mr. Arc," Ozpin said. "You endangered the lives of your fellow students with that stunt of yours."

Ozpin glanced at the boy in front of him from behind his desk, who looked to be consumed with guilt and utterly miserable, unable to even make eye contact as he gazed down at the ground without answering. Ozpin resisted the urge to sigh, knowing this wouldn't have happened had he interfered earlier. He knew of Jaune's problems but had remained passive to see if the boy could solve the problem by himself, or at least one of his friends would do so.

However, he was disappointed in Jaune, his teammates, and even himself. Jaune, as bright and goodhearted as the boy is, lacked confidence, his weak will causing him to fall to peer pressure. His teammates, bar Ms. Nikos who had been refused, hadn't taken the initiative to help him. After all, a hunter's job was to protect and save, and asking for permission to do so was simply redundant.

Ozpin was disappointed himself as he hadn't foreseen this outcome. He was sure that Jaune would pull through, but then again, the boy is just that, a boy. He was still naive, untrained, and he had only received his reality check just a few hours ago. He could not stand up against his bullies who could crush him in thirty seconds at most.

Really, Ozpin was slightly amused by the forged transcripts. From Signal Academy, where one of his closest allies worked? Where no more than twenty, actual students came from?

Then again, and to Glynda's dismay, Ozpin let him in Beacon for one sole reason.

His heritage.

For many years, the Arcs only birthed excellent warriors after Sturn Arc's passing, a Legendary Titan Slayer of the past. While none of them inherited his Semblance that had rivaled the powers of the Maidens themselves, they all shared his disposition to developing a large Aura pool, quick learning capabilities, and remarkable tenacity. Almost all Arcs that came to his school resulted in extremely powerful Hunters and capable leaders.

Ozpin thought that Jaune would be the same, as at first, he'd shown potential with his Aura pool, and with his Semblance still locked, he had faith that in it being powerful, but soon proved himself to be in a far worse spot as the boy never even showed a hint of receiving any training. The Headmaster thought he most likely had at least the basics down, but oh how wrong he was.

Everything about his fighting style was horrendous. Stance, grip, offensive and defensive styles, and the lack of ranged weaponry. Every new detail he learned about the student was not adding to Jaune's credibility at all.

But then, Jaune Arc's partner, Pyrrha Nikos, offered to show him the ropes as it were, which in turn gave Ozpin hope that this might not be a wild goose chase after all. Surely private training from the current world champion would do wonders for his growth? Extra training is hardly ever bad, especially in Jaune's case.

And he declined.

Ozpin was sorely tempted to strangle him for that.

He could understand the reasons why he refused her, but that hardly made it any better. In fact, it made it worse. Jaune saw the offer as a pitying one, which would hurt his (frankly nonexistent) pride. Someone could argue that pride is a good thing to have as a hunter, and Ozpin would be inclined to agree with them on some points, but Jaune was aiming his pride at the wrong person.

Ozpin once again had to remind himself that Jaune was only a civilian boy.

"Do you know what this would entail, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin questioned. "You will lose your privileges here at Beacon, be kicked off of campus, and even earn a criminal record for attempted murder."

Jaune's eyes widened as he stared at the Headmaster in terror. "W-what?!"

"You are an adult, even in civilian years." He said. "That would mean you will suffer the full ramifications. You will be kicked out of the city for this."

The realization of how utterly screwed he was dawned on Jaune's face seconds later.

"And since you are now considered a hunter, even if in training." Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "That would mean your weapons will be confiscated."

"Y-you can't do that…" Jaune whispered. "I-…"

"I'm well within my rights to do so." The older man said blankly. "We have enough witnesses to back up the claims, and you have none to say otherwise."

"B-but what about Cardin?!" He quickly replied, standing up in fright. "He and his team were the ones who came up with the plan!"

"Yet you were the one who went along with it." Ozpin deflected calmly. " I can assure you, however. Team Cardinal will be dealt with accordingly."

"A-ah…" He uttered, slumping down on his chair. "...Right…"

"...You seem less distraught than I expected." The Headmaster commented.

"Heh…" He chuckled mirthlessly. "A-at first, I was just a little shocked, I guess. But I deserve it, don't I?"

Ozpin remained silent.

"I've always wanted to be a hero. I wanted to follow the steps of my father, grandfather, and all the Arcs before them." He said. "I thought that I could continue their legacy, that it wouldn't just end with my father.

"But what did I turn out to be? A gutless coward." He scowled. "I couldn't even fight back against my bullies much less actual monsters. I came here to make my ancestors proud, but all I did was shame them instead…"

"I see…" Ozpin nodded. "Do you regret coming here?"

"If I-I knew this what was waiting for me, then I would've just stayed home."

Ozpin remained silent, mulling his words over. Jaune felt regret, and while Ozpin never doubted that, he still felt somewhat relieved. The boy was at least willing to acknowledge his mistakes and to take responsibility, which showed that he at least had heart and shame enough to not blame them on others.

Still, attempted murder on his grounds would only spell disaster for Beacon's reputation, and through that, people will be less inclined to enroll in his school. Not even counting the negativity it might cause. With the arrival of Reid, the positivity of the world is currently at an all times high, seeing as Grimm attacks have grown significantly rarer than what they were before, and things need to keep moving that way.

Even then, a three-man team is unworkable. They'll be barred from most Tournaments, including the one for the Vytal Festival. They'll be at a huge disadvantage in team battles even if Pyrrha was able to pick up the slack of one less member, and any missions for them would be far more dangerous.

And he can't even take a different student to replace Jaune right now unless they came with a recommendation letter as long as his arm.

The Headmaster squinted his eyes in thought, before letting out a small sigh.

This is such a mess...

He wasn't sure Glynda will like this…

"Mr. Arc, due to… certain circumstances, I am willing to give you one more chance," Ozpin said. "But I will be watching your progress very closely, more so than the other students, and you will take extra combat training with Professor Port."

"W-w-what?!" Jaune exclaimed, standing up from his chair again. "W-why?!"

"That is not for you to know." The older man said coldly, making Jaune flinch. "All you need to understand is that you're currently on very thin ice. Any failure, no matter how small, could well be the end of you. Do you understand?"

Jaune looked back at the Headmaster in utter shock, unable to form a coherent response. He gazed back down at his feet, still processing what the headmaster had said as Ozpin continued to look at him neutrally. After a moment, Jaune finally spoke.

"W-will you really give me a chance?"

"No, Jaune." He shook his head. "Will you give yourself the chance to be better?"

When Jaune looked back at him, Ozpin almost smiled.

If there's one thing Jaune shared with his ancestors, then it's the fierce look of pure determination. Ozpin almost thought that it might be worth the earful from Glynda he'll eventually receive.

...Almost.

(Slave)

"Go to Vale!" They said. "You'll find your future there!" They said. A load of bullshit is what he thought of that.

As an Atlas Dust Miner, Berry knew life could never be worse than that. Dangerous workplace, minimum wage, and the fucking abuse – Life in Atlas was pretty shitty for a Faunus, or the poor in general, at the best of times. Hell, Mantle wasn't any better. Those Happy Huntresses are doing a piss poor job of making the life there any better.

But then again, he'd take Mantle or even a Dust Miner over this!

A slave! A slave of all things!

Wasn't slavery even illegal in Vale? Or was it like Atlas, where it was "illegal"? This brings him to the incompetence of Ironwood of not seeing the clear corruption in his kingdom. How can a man with two council seats, practically a king, not see what the fuck was going on?

He sighed. Not like it really matters now anyway. He's most likely stuck here for the rest of his life.

Berry glanced at the shivering girls in the cell facing him, his heart twisting as he looked at them. They'd already been defiled many times over by the guards and bidders for "testing", their screams not reaching the ears of anyone outside the slavers' hideout.

He wished he could at least fight back, but while he had an impressive physique, he didn't have his Aura unlocked nor did he have any weapons. If he tried he'll be killed instantly, and he'd take a life as a slave over dying to play the hero. He still has plenty of life ahead of him after all.

Did that make him a bad person? Maybe. Would that change his mind? Hell no.

Sorry, but as heartbreaking as this is, I value my life more.

He bit his lower lip as he looked away from them.

Let's just hope someone saves us eventually…

He chuckled humorlessly. As if-

Suddenly, the ground shook as an explosion had him covering his bear ears, grimacing at the loud noise before it was replaced by screams of fear and agony. He heard guns being shot, people shout, beg, cry, and sob. He heard thuds and bangs, crunches and roars – it felt like a war zone out there!

After a few minutes, it grew silent. He took a few steps forward to his cell door to see who was coming as not a sound was heard other than the steps of a man and a … is that a giant wolf?

He backed away, his back hitting the wall as the man nodded towards the other cell. The giant wolf barked and ripped the metal bars with its teeth, and the man clenched his fist covered in a steel gauntlet and cocked his arm back, then simply punched the door, causing it to fly off its hinges and hit the wall beside him.

"You're free." He said tonelessly. "I've already called the police. Stay put."

After he said his piece, the man simply went to the other cells and repeated the process with their cells, the wolf behind him doing the same.

Once he was done, releasing a hundred slaves, he simply walked away. Berry had to process what in the fuck happened just now, but once he finally did, he shook his head and ran after the man.

"W-wait!" He called out, but the man did react. "Who are you?!"

The man stopped, then slowly turned to look at him. Berry gulped in fear, feeling as if he'd overstepped his bounds with this mysterious savior.

"Uh…" He uttered dumbly. "I'm uh… well… N-Nahkriin! Yes, call me that."

"You just came up with the name, didn't you?"

"N-no!"

…

…

…

"I'm leaving now."

"Right, and thank you for saving us."

The man then sprinted away, the giant wolf following after him as it barked.

...Ah well, he'll just ignore the last few seconds and swear to remember the name for the rest of his life.

Now it's time for Berry to start his true future!

(Blake)

The past few days had been quite hectic for Blake. The discovery of the slavers, and subsequently the Masked Man, then the announcement of the new Hero and Titan Slayer, Velvet apparently working for said Titan Slayer and then yesterday with Jaune and the Masked Man surfacing again, Hell, it was hectic for everyone, not just her.

Though, all in all, Blake felt that this had been a good month. Only good things had been happening after all, with the incident yesterday being a minor hiccup, but Blake felt great. Everything started looking up for her after she left the White Fang, and speaking of, they barely had any presence anymore.

Even Weiss was a lot more bearable recently. She'd been searching up stuff about Reid Astera, even voicing her wish of meeting him to the team. Blake wasn't sure if this was some sort of a crush because the degree of her obsession was slightly unhealthy, she thought.

Ah well, she'll likely get over it soon. Weiss was still plenty vigilant when it came to schoolwork and training, so she'll forget about him soon enough.

Yang, however, was an entirely different story.

If Weiss had a crush for the man, then Yang was head over heels for him.

She couldn't participate in a conversation for more than a few seconds without starting to gush about how handsome he was or how cool he looked. Blake understood her, he was handsome to the point of it almost feeling unnatural and was supposedly strong enough to have defeated a Titan on his own, but she'd honestly had enough of Yang's constant yapping.

For goodness' sake, she printed a large poster of him and put it right over her bed!

Blake was more interested in the Masked Man, even more so when he appeared before them yesterday. Why was he there? What had he been doing? Could a slaver ring be so close to Forever Fall? Was it in Forever Fall?

Blake had so many questions for him when he appeared, but hadn't the chance to ask any. She didn't know why she was so intimidated. She knew he wasn't a bad person, especially after he saved Pyrrha. Maybe it was his presence, or how dangerous he felt, but she couldn't utter even a single word, and mentally kicked herself for not doing so.

It's not like he's gonna suddenly turn on her and attack her if she did! Come on, Blake! You know this!

She sighed, putting her toothbrush down as she splashed her face with water. As much as she hated admitting it, Weiss was right. She needed to stop her own growing obsession and focus on Beacon for the time being. It wasn't as if she's about to meet him again or discover who he is any time soon anyway. Might as well focus that energy on something that would benefit her in the long run…

Blake dressed in her school uniform, then opened the door of the bathroom to see her team's shocked looks. All of them were usually ready before her since she'd had some sleeping problems lately, and got off after them. It definitely wasn't related to the Masked Man, no sir.

"Uh, Blake?" Her partner said, looking at her with a nervous smile. "You might wanna see this…"

Blake frowned and took a step towards the blond, taking a look at her scroll. She skimmed through the news and her eyes almost bulged out of her skull as she froze up completely.

The Masked Man strikes again! Another Slaver Ring destroyed! Nahkriin, The Black Phantom arrives!

(Reid)

So yesterday was slightly disappointing after the dungeon since I realized that using Goldbrand might not be a good idea after all. Remember, people think – well, most people think that the Masked Man, or Nahkriin now, and Reid Astera are two, separate people. So instead, I settled for the Knightly Gauntlets.

I never knew blowing up a person's head could be so… morbidly satisfying? That's not normal, but hey, they're slavers. Who cares about slavers?

Ozpin: You're not being very subtle.

I smirk as I look at my scroll then type in a message.

You: Not trying to.

I'm not much bothered that Ozpin knows really, but I would be if the public finds out who I am. Remember, Titan Slayer Reid is a public figure now, and whoever investing in those slavers must be important as well. Since I haven't exactly figured out who it is right now – unfortunately the ring I destroyed didn't have much info – I can't expose them yet. They, however, might. After all, I'm planning to work with Roman Torchwick, and I seriously don't want to piss off someone powerful because they might be able to dig enough up and expose me instead.

As much as I really want to reveal it to the world, I'd rather keep this relatively quiet until I get rid of the slavers' investors. Ozpin will know to keep this under wraps, and him knowing who Nahkriin is was through Gwyn's appearance. He was suspicious before because Gwyn appeared in the first ring I destroyed, but there weren't many descriptions regarding him (for some reason). But after the reveal of a beautiful, giant silver wolf spread like wildfire, the circle knew who Nahkriin is.

Which reminds me; how in the goddamn fuck did they spell "Nahkriin" perfectly? Not Nakrin or Nakryn, no, they got it right. How? I'm pretty fucking sure I never spelled it out letter by letter. I mean, I chose that name because I fucking suck at naming stuff, but still.

Oh well. I did find it funny when I saw it at first.

What wasn't funny, however, was the "Black Phantom" bit. Why did they have to choose such an edgy title? They could've gone with something related to wolves because of Gwyn, but noooo they had to choose that.

Goddamn it.

Ugh, whatever. I still have work to do.

Like trying to use High-Quality Dust to make the strongest Steel Golems I can get! I already built the silver pillars- er, more like bought them, and I already had the new circle drawn. There's simply no way the ritual would explode on me. After all, I'm currently at level 86 Golemcrafting and using the fourth tier ritual circle.

I'm far too high level for this to explode.

No, this isn't the flaw playing with my mind because I know this for a fact.

Uh, yeah it totally is, junior.

What was that? You want proof? Easy.

I crouch low and send my mana through the chalk, bring the circle to life as the chunk of steel suddenly convulses and floats. The Ice Dust crystal floats above it before plunging itself inside the liquid-like steel chunk. A few violent spasms before it clams down, forming into an Ice Steel Golem.

See? No accidents. It works perfectly~

Name: N/A

Level: 60

Base: Combat Golem

Type: Steel, Ice, Ranger

Proficiency: Gunner

HP: 7500

MP: 6000

STR: 70

VIT: 100

DEX: 60

INT: 40

Hm… It's far weaker than I anticipated. Specifically, the MP amount. I used a fist-sized crystal, so surely it's supposed to be far stronger than this? What could this mean?

I take out my journal and skim through what I recorded, humming at the theory I just come up with.

I noticed a while ago that Dust responds to other materials better than others. For example, using clay and even stone makes the Dust within… stronger? More refined? I'm not sure just yet, but it likely merges better with those substances than with steel. If I had to make a guess, then I'd say steel is most likely not very attuned to magic or something along these lines.

I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think if I use Mithril or Mythril from the quest, the Dust will probably respond to that far better than anything else I have currently because they're supposed to be magically attuned. Hell, maybe once I'm able to recreate Manasteel, I should stick to that stuff instead. I mean, there's fucking mana in the name.

I can use Cryolite, but I'm saving that when I have the best of everything. I'm not gonna waste my high-quality, divine-touched item when I still haven't maxed out Golemcrafting. If I'm using Cryolite, then I'd have maxed out the skill and already have a supply of Stardust in hand.

Oh well, this experiment is a success at least, and while I'd be inclined to experiment more, I think I'll focus on the quest for now. I'll finish with it quickly to get my rewards, then just make tanks and barrels of the potions to send 'em to Oz. I'd estimate it taking me around at least two weeks of nonstop work to get all the Golems made, including the bonus quest rewards.

Unfortunately, I still need to check up on the store every once in a while. While I trust Velvet, I don't exactly trust the customers. They're like fucking hounds man.

As a matter of fact…

I shut my journal with one hand and send it to my inventory, quickly walking up to the ground floor and opening the backdoor. I smile in sympathy as I see customers surrounding poor Velvet, barely being able to respond as everyone is speaking over each other.

They all stop as they notice me and I grab Velvet's shoulder softly.

"Take your break," I whisper. "I'll handle it from here."

10 Reputation with Velvet Scarlatina [85/100]

"T-thank you, sir…" She whispers back, retreating back to the backroom/living room behind us.

"Alright everyone, if you would please get in line," I say, stopping them. "I'll add in an autograph for free!"

They explode in cheers, prompting me to smirk widely.

I love being famous~

(Raven) (Four days later...)

It's been quite a while since she fucked up. Badly.

Going to Beacon, taking Tai just to spite Summer and her accidental pregnancy with Yang. Most of them were just her acting rashly for stupid and unnecessary reasons, and she acknowledged those mistakes. After all, learning from one's missteps is the best way to survive future threats.

She tried to calm herself with a deep breath.

But of course, she had to fuck up again, this time worse than any right after her getting involved with Ozpin's war. In fact, this was arguably worse, because she already made a "deal" with Lionheart to search for the Spring Maiden, so Salem has no reason to wipe her and her tribe out.

The Caliban, however, are a different story altogether.

Those men she killed a while ago were agents – apparently the spy group because they didn't have their pins with them. Any Caliban worth their own spit would at least have their pin on at all times, whether it was displayed proudly or just stuck in a pocket it didn't matter. Those people didn't have it because they don't want to alert others as to who they're working for.

That's why they're the spy group.

Against her better judgment, she pursued and killed them, in turn pissing off their leader because he sent many, many agents after her. Thankfully no one really powerful, but it's still terrifying for her to realize just who she pissed off.

It wouldn't take long for Aurelius to send someone actually competent like Sullivan, one of the Caliban's best fighters, or even come after her himself. If one of them was after her personally, she didn't think even the Maiden's powers would help, especially with Aurelius' semblance.

Manipulating the elements does not compare to gravity control.

Her only chance of really defeating Aurelius would be through ranged attacks as his semblances area of effect was not as impressive, but as soon as she put a foot in his range, she's dead.

She growled in annoyance. Great, now they need to leave Anima and fuck off to another continent, but if they do, then Lionheart will report to Salem, who will then target her instead. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

The question is simply this; who scares her more, Salem or the Caliban? Who's likely to kill her?

She's afraid of Salem far more of course, but she's currently on the turf of Aurelius. Grounds he knows like the back of his hand, he's most likely hellbent on destroying the Branwen tribe completely. Salem has so many other things to worry about at the moment, like the new Valean Titan Slayer or Ozpin's plans on finally mobilizing his hunters to hunt down Titans instead of waiting.

Running away would most likely the best bet, maybe to the far west of Sanus near Vacuo, but not quite in the desert. Most of her tribe members were from Anima, so the hotter weather and the deserts of Vacuo would be detrimental. Between Vacuo and Vale is an ideal place at the moment, and when they're used to it, they could afford to be bolder and march closer towards Vale.

That's if they could even escape of course.

The Caliban were probably guarding and/or stopping any and all travel points to trap them in Anima. They're not stupid enough to make that oversight, and with the number of people already finding out where she and her tribe are currently hiding, they're gonna need to move soon, but again, they're not stupid.

They might predict where they move and meet them head-on with their strongest force, completely wiping them out. Raven might have the numbers advantage, with her tribe over two hundred men strong, but that was it. She has the quantity, they have the quality. Vernal and a couple of others are at least C-Rank hunter level while she's the only S-Rank not counting her Maiden powers.

Theirs, though? Well, a C-Rank Hunter would be considered a grunt.

Basically, she and her tribe are fucked. Great, fantastic. What other amazing surprises should she be expecting?

Her fist clenched tight as she glared at her reflection in the teacup in front of her, trying to come up with a plan.

They just didn't have time. They need to move soon, and their only chance would be hijacking a boat or a couple of Bullheads. To do that, they'd need to scout the travel points and see who was there, make a plan and send the strongest warriors to kill whoever guarding the vehicle, steal it, – all of them if there were multiple – meet up with the others, then quickly escape to Sanus.

That's the only thing she could come up with at the moment. Trying to make a deal with the Caliban wouldn't end well for her, especially when she doesn't have anything to give and she's sure that offering her and all females' bodies will only end up with them being filled with new holes instead of the ones existing being used.

"Vernal, tell the others we're moving. Now."

The girl nodded in obedience before leaving the tent.

Her only trump card at the moment would be her Maiden powers, and even then, using them will just reveal herself to Salem and Ozpin when she tried so hard to keep it a secret. She fucked with someone stronger than her, and now she's paying the price.

It's simply how the world works...

"Damned if you, damned if you don't…" She growled under her breath.

Might as well go the way with a better survival chance…

(Ruby)

Her week after meeting Reid (for the third time now) hadn't been… good. Granted, she was still happy for the autograph and being considered a friend of his, but that happiness would always be overshadowed by how aggressive Palli got. Her insults got creative – far more hurtful than they were before – she'd apparently started planning when and how to bully her after Ruby noticed a certain pattern, but said pattern would immediately change as soon as she learned how to avoid it, and in combat class…

She fought with the intent to kill.

It startled Ruby. True, she was a bully, but she'd never gone that far before. Ruby wasn't weaker than her per se, both of them were considered prodigies after all, but with her semblance? She got Ruby beat almost every time.

Ruby had acknowledged the fact that Palli was a genius fighter long ago, but the Semblance to copy then empower any other Semblance simply put her on top. The only advantage Ruby had over this strong power was its weakness, which is it's Touch-based, and the time limit she has over any Semblance she currently has in her arsenal.

Once activated, the copy she has will be more powerful than the original for a short period of time as it slowly loses its power until it disappears. Taking multiple semblances at the same time is possible, but it accelerates the countdown.

Ruby couldn't keep her speed advantage once touched, instead, it becomes a disadvantage since she becomes faster.

Ruby tried to win using her scythe's range before by keeping her distance, and she did! She defeated her before… but that only made everything worse in the long run. She thought it'd at least scare her off, but Palli only got more enthusiastic.

She won again, and again, it got so much worse that Ruby simply gave up on trying to scare her away.

But after the whole incident with Reid breaking her hand, she simply became far more aggressive than before.

She didn't exactly know why though. Was it jealousy over her autograph? Being embarrassed in front of her friends and Ruby by a hero? It didn't matter though, because Ruby felt like she was about to reach her limit.

She never blamed Reid of course. He was a very nice person who saved her and her memento from the same bullies that had been solidly tormenting her for a few weeks now. Ruby could never blame him for something he didn't know. Instead, thinking about him and the good time she'd spent with him would sometimes calm her down, so she was more than grateful for that.

Unfortunately, she couldn't visit him this past week at all with her studies, and from the texts they exchanged, he seemed busy as well.

This week hasn't been good for Ruby at all...

She sighed deeply, hugging her Aura Studies book tightly as she walked to her next class. Great, now she's late for the final period because she lost her notebook. How could this get any better…

Ruby lifted her gaze up slightly and froze, grimacing as she saw the three once again blocking her way. She had to just think that, didn't she?

"W-what?" Ruby asked, her voice remaining neutral.

"'What' she says…" Palli whispered, then smiled at her. "Oh, I just need your help with a little something."

"We're gonna be late," Ruby said quickly. "W-we can do it after class."

"No, we'll do it now." She scowled, making Ruby wince. Great…

Ignore them. She told herself. Just use your Semblance and-

"And if you try to escape," She stopped her, taking out her notebook. "I will burn this. Got it?"

"...Got it…" Ruby frowned. I knew I didn't lose it...

"...What the hell is that look on your face?" Palli sneered.

"Huh?" Ruby uttered in confusion.

"Because you got his autograph, you think you're better than me?" She said, taking a step forward. "Because he saved you from your oh-so horrible bullies, you think you can just be all high and mighty about it?"

So it was about that!

Even still, Ruby took a step backward, not exactly sure how to react. What's happening to her? She never… did anything like this before.

"I-I'm not sure I follow-"

Almost immediately, Palli rushed and grabbed Ruby by the collar, then slammed her against the wall. The hallway they were in was currently empty, so no one was there to inform one of the teachers. Ruby knew she had to deal with this on her own.

"Well guess what?! A squeaky whore like you will never be better than me!" She said. "You're a fucking coward! Why are you even here?! You think someone so stupid can be a hunteress?! Think again, bitch, because you don't belong here!"

Ruby struggled, trying to escape her hold. "L-let go of me-!"

"I'm not letting go of you until you go on your knees and apologize." She growled. "You think you can humiliate me and get away with it? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Ruby gritted her teeth, feeling her anger boil. "I'm not apologizing for something I didn't do!"

"Oh, so you do think you're better, huh?!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You?! It's not even a funny joke! Might as well run over to the battlefield and get yourself killed like the useless little bitch you are."

"I-I'm not a-"

"Oh wait, isn't that what your mother did?" She laughed cruelly. "Oh well, you know what they say: 'Like mother like daughter'!"

Ruby froze suddenly, feeling something within her snap.

Faster than the eye could see, her arm swung forward and slugged Palli right in the face. Filled with a rage she didn't even know she had, Ruby didn't give her a chance as she was already on top of her, tears of anger spilling out as she threw her fists at Palli over and over. She wasn't exactly trained in unarmed combat, but could still pack a punch.

Palli struggled to defend herself, crossing her arms over her face. But Ruby was relentless, finding openings to punch her in the face over and over.

"TAKE IT BACK!" She screamed. "TAKE BACK WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MY MOM!"

The two who were shocked at this turn of events finally got a hold of themselves as they dragged Ruby, or tried to at least, from their friend/leader. Ruby flailed around and smacked one of them away, her tearful eyes focused on the one that dared to insult her deceased mother.

"What's happening here?!" Ruby thought she heard something, but she didn't care at all.

Enough was enough, and Ruby had had it with this bullying.

However, powerful arms grabbed her and pulled her back from Palli. Ruby flailed and kicked around, unknowingly hitting the teacher that's trying to stop her.

"Kid, that's enough!" He said. "Stop that right now!"

"Sir…" Palli said weakly, fake tears rolling down her cheeks.

"What happened?" He asked, Ruby not recognizing who he was as she finally began to cool down. Most likely someone that taught the upperclassmen.

"I-I don't know." She replied, and Ruby's eyes widened. "I-I just wanted to say hi to her and-"

"SHE'S LYING!" She cut her off. "She started this! All of them did!"

"No, she is!" One of Palli's friends interjected. "We wanted to invite you with us today and you just exploded on Palli!"

"W-what?!"

"Y-yeah, I saw it with my own eyes!" The other one said. "If you didn't want to come with us, then you could've just said no!"

Ruby knew it would've come to this one day, but she still couldn't believe her ears. How could they lie so brazenly like this? Is this some sort of a joke to them?!

Ruby glanced at her main tormentor, the colors draining from her face as she noticed the hidden dark smirk.

"I see…" The teacher said quietly. "Kid, wait for me in the principal's office."

"...Right…" Ruby replied, and as soon as she was let down, she walked away.

But she never went to the office – she couldn't even think clearly at the moment. Instead, she left the school building altogether. She left her book in the hallway but had her weapon, wallet, scroll, and the house's keys with her, and that's all she needed.

She didn't have a destination in mind, walking around Patch to cool her head down and go through what had happened as she took many deep breaths. She knew she was gonna lose it eventually, with her being more angry than nervous every time she encountered them, and she tried to calm herself every time she thought she was about to explode on them.

Unfortunately, today was the day she did.

It was useless; after all, that's what they wanted from her. Snap, so they can make it even worse for her in the end. She tried to get rid of them so many times in so many ways, but they were relentless, especially after everything with Reid breaking Palli's hand.

She stopped as she thought about Reid once again. Checking the time, her eyebrows shoot up when she realized that she'd been walking around for almost two hours now. Ruby took one last deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks, sniffling as she took out her scroll, swiping through her contacts list until landing on Reid.

She hesitated. He's probably busy right now with his potion factory and stuff. No way he has time for her...

Ruby shook her head.

...But maybe he's free today? It was wishful thinking, but who knows…

Typing in a message asking, she waited for around five minutes before he texted back.

You: C-can we meet up today? I don't have anything to do so….

Reid: Sure. I'm free atm.

Reid: And did you seriously just stutter in text form? Lmao

She smiled slightly. Hanging out with him always took her mind off of this like this.

Ruby really hoped that this was the case for today as well...

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