Chapter 6: A Relative Calm
"Okkotsu Yuta, we meet at last."
Yuta sent a strange look at the man who stood alongside his teacher. He looked very similar to Satoru, and Yuta wondered if he was staring at his long-lost twin. If it wasn't for the fact that he didn't have the Six Eyes, he could easily impersonate Satoru. Yuta couldn't help but blink owlishly at this person. He should know him, but at the same time, he didn't.
Still, he couldn't but feel that this man's presence screamed authority. His regal posture and serene gaze him an uneasy feeling. He needed to be when addressing him.
"Do I… know you?"
Incredibly respectful of his part, ten out of ten.
Yuta felt the urge to facepalm and tear his face off from the shame as he saw the white-haired man's blank expression. That came out of instinct! It was not his fault that his ever-growing anxiety made him blurt words without thinking. He glanced at his friends and he could feel Maki's scrutinizing gaze as she seemed about to tear him a new one from being disrespectful.
Satoru let out a cheeky laugh.
"Drama queen~"
"I always had a soft spot for the dramatics." The man as he rolled his eyes in amusement.
Yuta bowed his head in shame, not daring to look at the man.
"I-I'm sorry sir! I just don't know who you are…" Yuta said as he struggled to let the words out.
Panda nearly choked on his spit and looked at Yuta incredulously.
"Y-You don't know who this is?" Panda said. He flinched and began to panic when he saw the still-sleeping beauty of Pyrrha who was seemingly unaware about what was happening. However, just before he was about to wake her up, Yuta had an odd feeling.
The man didn't seem to move from his spot and simply had a relaxed smile on his face, but Yuta swore he felt a little bit of Curse Energy spike from him. It was brief, but he had noticed. What was that exactly?
He turned to see Panda shivering from his spot as a small rock lay in front of him. What surprised him the most, however, was that the rock was suspended in the air, as if the laws of physics obeyed the rock instead of the opposite. And Yuta didn't even feel the man move from his spot. When did he even throw it?!
"Let her sleep for now, it seems that she has been working nonstop ever since her… ordeal at Sanctum." The man said with a slightly upbeat tone, seemingly bemused at Yuta and friend's flabbergasted expressions as the rock returned to normal and fell to the ground. He coughed awkwardly. "My name is Professor Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy, it's a pleasure to finally meet you all."
"Beacon Academy…?" Yuta tilted his head as he tilted his head.
"A school which gives birth to the most prestigious Huntsman, training exceptional children like each one of you," Ozpin said as he looked at everyone intently. "One day I hope that I can see both Sorcerers and Huntsman standing on the same ground together."
Maki's eyes widened slightly at his statement but didn't let it show.
"Political backlash, right?" Maki said as she leaned into the conversation, which made Yuta wonder what had gotten her so interested.
Until he remembered the advanced type of weaponry the Huntsman has access to which probably has Maki smiling in her sleep at the thought of having such unconventional weapons on her hands.
Ozpin seemed to pick up her interest and a glint in his eyes appeared.
"Yes, our treaty with the Three Great Clans doesn't allow any Huntsman to involve themselves with Sorcerer matters," Ozpin said as a fire appeared in his eyes. "Do you want to know what the average Huntsman can do against Curse Spirits?"
He let out a frustrated sigh as if it seemed to carry a lot of weight.
"Absolutely nothing, they can try and save a few people, but ultimately, they have to hold the Curse Spirit on their own and wait for a Sorcerer to exorcize it, wait for a Huntsman that has a Cursed Tool on their disposal… or die," Ozpin said as his smile was no longer present and instead had a deep frown on his face.
"Which is a load of bullcrap if you ask me," Satoru said, not amused by the rules that the weak have to follow to survive. It's not like it was their fault for… not being him.
Ozpin let out an uncharacteristic scoff.
"It's abhorrent, which is why it's one of the main changes I plan to make— should we go through with this alliance." He said as he looked at him expectantly.
"There's hope for an alliance?" Maki asked in a curious, yet harsh manner, as if the words alliance were foreign around these parts. "What kind of deal did you make with the Zen'in for them to agree?"
Ozpin grinned at her.
"Yes," he said in a tone cryptic tone which made Maki tick a nerve. "Don't worry, with Okkotsu right here, that alliance may be right on our doorstep."
Maki's frown fell and looked at Yuta with her eyes widened.
"Okkotsu?"
Yuta merely shrugged, clueless as to why he was the center of a massive political struggle. Inside his mind, he was sweating bullets at the increased pressure of being important to such big figures. It was kind of expected since he was part of a small important group of the Special Grade Sorcerers, but all that has been happening to him because of that was getting ridiculous!
Ozpin seemed to notice his distress and chuckled.
"Don't worry, you just have to keep doing what you're doing and everything will be fine," he assured him as he cupped his chin. "I've seen your progress, and your Curse Technique to perfectly copy others is quite sophisticated, the first one I've ever seen."
Satoru raised his finger and let out a proud grin.
"Mhm— you and Toge managed to beat two Grade 1 threats in Tyrion Callus and Jackie Reinhart, and you've probably scared the latter with your Aoi's Curse Technique." Satoru boasted as he patted Yuta on the head. "Good work out there, I knew you could do it."
"T-That's not their names…" Ozpin blurted out as a drop of sweat came out of his forehead. He sighed, knowing better than to try to teach a child about professionalism.
Yuta smiled sheepishly and Toge simply eye smiled at the praise. He flinched a little as Maki wrapped her arm around his neck and gave him an approving grin.
"Look at you, always full of surprises. First, you manage to improve to at a rate a master can dream of and now you have beaten people that a shit ton more experience than you." She said as she laughed at the sheer ridiculousness that was him.
Yuta blushed at the praise he was getting but smiled in the end because he knew that it was a one-in-a-kind accomplishment. To be able to improve at the rate he did was next to impossible, and he was sure to be used as a prime example of what happens when talent does work hard, and he would keep working hard to protect the people he cares about.
Yuta blinked as he couldn't help but think about what Satoru just said and realized that it didn't make sense, so he wanted to press on the matter.
"Sensei… what do you mean with threats? Do we not grade them in the normal scale?"
"We do, but the higher-ups don't like to classify Huntsman as Grade 'X' Hunter since they don't follow the same rules as we do, so they just asses them as threats unless they're able to use Curse Energy," Satoru explained with a hint of disdain in his voice.
Yuta hummed as he pondered about the information he was given. Why did the higher-ups loathe Huntsman so much that they didn't even want to mention their title in their Grade system? It's not like the Huntsman invaded their world like some sort of Isekai anime and flipped all their rules upside down which would cause them to resent them immensely.
So, is it their difference in traditions? No, it couldn't be something as shallow as that right?
"Okkotsu?"
Maybe it was the way they approached Curse Energy? Huntsman called it Aura and applied it in a very different way than Sorcerers normally do, but the power source that was the soul was still the same, and the fundamentals weren't that different, which was the use of the energy of your soul to perform kickass abilities… yet it doesn't work on Curse Spirits even though Aura is basically positive Curse Energy that should, in theory, be a super effective attack on Curse Spirits?
"Remnant to Okkotsu, anyone? Is that smoke coming out of your ears?!"
Yuta shook his head and saw the Satoru waving his hand at him. "Uh, Okkotsu, you okay there? TMI?"
Yuta shook his head. "I'm okay, it's just… I'm still not clear with how Curse Energy and Aura interact with each other."
Ozpin snorted and shook his head. He then looked at Maki, Panda, and Toge.
"Please, can I speak to Okkotsu in private?"
Maki and Yuta looked at each other before nodding. The green-haired teen and the rest of her friends walked away to make fun of the sleeping Pyrrha.
Ozpin then eyed Satoru with a raised eyebrow
"Satoru, you couldn't explain to him such a basic concept?"
Yuta swore he could see Satoru rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses.
"Of course I did; why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?!" Satoru whined as he rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you would have it even clearer the longer you spent time with the Invincible Girl, did you do something else with her other than training~?"
"No, I did!" Yuta said adamantly, when he saw Satoru's grin getting wider, his face went beet red. "I-I mean, I do know how they interact with each other, I just want to know why they're so incompatible when it's supposed to be a great way to deal with Curse Spirits?"
Ozpin opened his mouth to speak. "That's actually a really good question, and it's quite simple—"
"I will answer it!" Satoru chimed causing Ozpin to frown and close his mouth. "It's really simple, it doesn't work because Huntsman doesn't know how to properly use Aura."
Yuta blinked as the statement laid bare. It didn't sound condescending, or hateful, but he said as if it was an absolute, hard fact.
"Take for example the sleeping beauty over there," Satoru said as she pointed to the snoring redhead. "You were there when she fought the Special Grade, right, how much damage did she do to it?"
"None." Yuta quickly answered.
"Correct, and that's not because she's weak, it's because her attacks were incompatible! You can use Aura on yourself all you want no problemo, but outputting that energy to a Curse Spirit? That's stuff only a Special Grade can do." Satoru grinned as he switched to teacher mode.
"You must have a complete understanding of both negative and positive energy in order to do so," Ozpin added in, causing Satoru's smile to drop. "Like needing the proper electronic appliance if we want to get technical, but instead of using a Cursed Tool as an appliance, you are the appliance."
Yuta nodded as he took this information in.
"I think I get it, that's why Sensei's attack that he used against that worm Curse worked, right?" he asked curiously.
"Yes, I did make quite a show there!" Satoru boasted as he held his head high.
"You did…" Yuta agreed with an awkward smile. He then looked at back at Ozpin. "Professor, can you do it too?"
A glint appeared in Ozpin's eyes and he chuckled.
"Yes I can, but I have to give credit where it's due and say that Satoru is more proficient than I on that field… even if I have more experience," Ozpin said as a matter of fact.
Satoru let out a scoff at that statement.
"You and your experience, just flat out admit that I'm better!" he whined to the more mature man.
"Quaint," Ozpin said with a sigh.
Yuta said hummed as he pondered this information. It would be great if he could awaken power to have a greater chance to protect his friends. He smiled, knowing well what he had to learn next. He bowed to both teachers. "Thank you both for this information!"
Ozpin copper his chin.
"You know Okkotsu, you might be closer than you think to obtaining this power," Ozpin said, causing Yuta's eyes to widen.
"He's right you know? You outputted Aura unconsciously during your fight in Argus." Satoru added with an excitement akin to a child finding out a new toy.
"I… did?" Yuta merely tilted his head.
"Yes, you did. I read in Nanami's report that Tyrian poisoned both Toge and you, and yet you two could still fight like no tomorrow when you two should have had a painful death. Nice job on surviving!" Satoru congratulated with an approving nod.
Yuta's face blanched at the thought of Toge and him dying painfully and choking on their own spit. He didn't know that Tyrian's poison was lethal!
"R-Right…"
"If that's all, then I must take my leave. I have to make my visit to Yaga… and then my unwanted, yet expected visit to Tengen." Ozpin frowned as he mentioned the other high figure Yuta had yet to meet.
"Yeah, let's go, or else the Principal will beat me up and call it discipline for keeping him waiting." Satoru sighed
"Wait, Professor, Sensei, I have one more question!" Yuta said in a panic. Ozpin eyed him expectantly. "Why are there no Faunus in Jujutsu High?"
Satoru sent an owlish look to him as he lowered his glasses to show his eyes. He merely let out a chuckle which turned into full-blown laughter.
"Ah yes…" Ozpin grinned as he snapped his fingers and a green ball of energy took shape in his hand. It wasn't Aura or Curse Energy, yet it felt like an odd energy that spawned… a mug of coffee? He took a sip from the beverage and breathed a sigh. "Racism."
Yuta blinked once. Then twice.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"That's bullshit."
"I agree." Both Ozpin and Satoru said in unison.
"Oh, Sensei, one more thing," Yuta said as he placed his hand inside his pocket. Satoru perked up as Yuta pulled up a strange white box with a red ribbon on it and gave it to him. "Happy birthday!"
"Oh, a gift… for me?! You didn't have to, but you did totally have to!" Satoru said excitedly as he picked up the white box and giddily opened it. His face morphed into a rare dumbfounded expression as he took off his glasses and hung them on his shirt. He placed his hand on the box and pulled out a strange black band.
"I thought bandages look great on you but honestly, replacing them every day should be a pain and they get dirty fast… so I thought of this, hope you like it!" Yuta said as he let out the goofiest grin he could muster.
"Ohhh…" Satoru was in awe as he playfully stretched the black blindfold before trying it on and letting out a good-natured laugh. He patted Yuta's head. "Liking it doesn't seem like a big enough word, I love it. It's very comfortable too, thank you, little man!"
Ozpin watched the whole scene with a pleasant grin.
"If that's everything then, I will take my leave." Ozpin drowned the whole coffee mug and threw it aside. "I shall be watching your career with great interest, Okkotsu."
Satoru walked towards Ozpin and waved Yuta goodbye before the two men disappeared in thin air.
'That was… interesting.' Yuta thought as he rubbed his temples. This was too much info to take in, but it shed light on the political situation that the Sorcerers and Huntsman were in. And of course, all of the problems were the fault of the higher-ups, he could see why Satoru loathed them so much.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and went back towards his friends. His focus now was to train, and if he could awaken his Aura like his Sensei said, then he should waste no time spacing out.
Mistral's central mall was a huge crowded place and with Christmas just around the corner, people had swarmed the place to the point that walking around was proving to be difficult.
Luckily, Blake had pickpocketed enough people to buy herself her presents while at it. And since all of the group is dressed in casual clothes, they mostly went with their debauchery undetected.
As to why she was in the mall in the first, she had to accompany Adam and two tanuki Faunus on shopping.
"Big bro! Please, please, I want this one!"
The girl who spoke had long caramel hair tied back into a bun with, brown eyes and light tanuki ears on top of her head. She wore a beige cardigan over a white button-down shirt, and an indigo skirt reaching her mid-thigh. She also wears a pair of white loose socks and brown loafers. Her name was Hasaba Nanako, one of Geto's most trusted soldiers alongside her twin sister and Adam himself.
Her sister Hasaba Mimiko stood alongside her, she had short black hair set in a bob cut and had her dark tanuki ears on top of her head. She wore an indigo sailor uniform with a light-colored scarf, a black skirt that extended past her knees, grey knee-high socks, and black shoes.
If Blake had to describe Adam's connection with the twins, it would be that of an older brother who has to take care of her annoying little sister's needs, an older brother who's too stubborn to admit that he loves them very much and puts off a bad boy persona as a front. Despite Adam only being a year older than them, he has taken his role as a brother very seriously.
Nanako's ears twitched in excitement as she shoved a Scroll into Adam's face, which caused the latter to groan and grab the device.
"This one? Let me see…" Adam said as he grabbed the price tag and checked it. Blake swore she saw a strand of hair fall off him. He took a long, deep breath. "You sure about this?"
Nanako nodded vigorously as she let out a watery smile.
Blake leaned beside Adam to check the tag and she felt every strand of her hair rise.
'Point five million lien?!' Blake thought as her eye twitched. What kind of outrageous prices are the new Scrolls putting on these days? It's not like they changed that much, the last model merely changed the charging port!
"Though, I think it would be easier to steal it…" Mimiko said as she shook her head in disapproval. She was used to dealing with her sister's antics after all. Unlike Nanako, she was much more reserved but still equally annoying.
Adam sighed and reluctantly pulled Geto's credit card from his wallet. He raised his finger in warning.
"Geto is NOT going to be happy when taxes come this year."
Blake tilted her head. "Geto pays taxes?"
Adam nodded and frowned deeply.
"Even Roman Torchwick pays taxes because he knows better than to fuck with the IRS," Adam said grimly. "Seriously, do not fuck with the IRS."
Blake blinked owlishly at his words and spoke. "Wouldn't be easier to just steal it and call it a day?"
Adam shrugged and rubbed the back.
"Well, these monkeys are going to die sooner or later, might as well just give them a false profit and get our lien back later."
Blake stiffened as Adam's mention of genocide came out as normally as breathing, but she decided to calmly analyze the situation. She knew that Adam was… passionate when it came on dealing with his enemies, but he prioritized the safety of the Faunus above all, or at least that's what she thought.
"What do you think Blake, should we steal, or buy them?"
His devotion to Geto's plan was concerning to Blake, but maybe she was overthinking about the consequences, maybe Geto won't lay a hand on the Faunus, but she wasn't sure.
How sane is Geto even? That was a golden question that must be answered before she decides to act.
"Blake?"
Blake snapped back to reality and she realized that she has been out of it for too long as she received concerned glances from both Adam and the twins.
"Oh, um… do whatever you want." Blake's ears slumped downward as she looked to the side, not hiding her distress.
Adam lowered his glasses at her odd attitude and frowned, wondering what had gotten into her. Blake intentionally did this, for she wanted to talk to Adam alone about the situation regarding Geto and try to scoop as much information as possible. And if it's true that Geto's mental state makes him incapable of leading, then she will try to convince Adam to defect with her.
"Mimiko, Nanako, why don't you girls go and buy some mochi for us? Chocolate and mint for us would be nice." Adam said as he motioned the twins to leave. Mimiko leaned towards Nanako's ear with excitement.
"Sis, I think big bro's girlfriend is mad at him. Discussion coming." She said in a monotone, yet upbeat. Nanako nodded and whispered back.
"I agree; he must have ignored her for quite a while. He must be doing a terrible job as a boyfriend if she feels neglected like this, scary!"
Adam's eyes twitched from under his sunglasses and glared at the two goblins.
"I can hear you two…" Adam said with a low menacing growl that would make the most hardened soldiers tremble in fear, but it only caused the tanuki to stick their tongues out.
"We know, bleh!"
Adam gritted his teeth and faced them only for the twins to high tail away, happily skipping with Geto's credit card.
"Annoying pests…" Adam shook his head before looking at Blake with worry. "Blake, are you alright? You lack focus."
Blake clicks her tongue and looks further on the ground, not knowing if this is the right time to tell him. Adam purses his lips and walks towards and motions her to follow him, which she wordlessly does. They arrived at a more secluded alley in the mall, which was sure that no one would enter. Once Adam double-checked for any threats, he looked at her again.
"Well?"
Blake frowned and closed her eyes. "It's nothing…"
Adam hummed and tried to reach her once again.
"Listen, if you're on one of those times—"
Blake's eyes widened and she sent a glare to him that would promise death. She crosses her arms.
"Adam." She said sternly. "What were you about to say?"
Adam's back straightened but he kept his poker face very well.
"Nothing… I sense I made a mistake of some kind."
Blake shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. Fuck it, she was going to tell him now or never.
"…What's the matter?" he pressed on, this time in a less harsh tone. Blake looked at him dead in the eyes.
"Do you ever question if what we're doing is right?"
Adam's eyes narrow in brief hostility. Blake gulped at his sudden shift in personality but kept her composure.
"Never— where did this come from?" Adam sneered as he took off his glasses and glared at her with intensity. The mark of the SDC was on full display for her to see.
"I've been thinking a lot these past few days—and I just can't put my mind into Geto's goal," Blake says seriously, causing Adam to grit his teeth.
"Not just Sienna, but you too?! Is this a pathetic form of sympathy for these people? People who have oppressed us for years?!" Adam nearly shouted but kept his voice low to avoid drawing attention to them.
So Sienna questioned Geto's goal as well… it's clear that Blake is not the only one who has doubts about the killings that are about to happen. Of course, Sienna's only concern about the Faunus, since she loathes humans as much as Adam does.
As for Blake? She hates what the humans have done to them, she truly does. However, she understands that not all humans are irremediable monsters, for there are truly some humans that are worth saving.
A brief flash of a peculiar black-haired boy with a meek personality came into her mind.
"The humans…" Blake muttered as she bit her tongue, her tone grim. "It was supposed to be a peaceful protest at first, but if this is the way you want to approach the hate humans have for us, then I will not stop you. But what about the Faunus? Will Geto spare them, or does he consider them as 'monkeys' as well?! I don't know about you, but I'm afraid they will become 'collateral damage' in his mad quest."
Adam's glare intensified at Blake's words. He slowly walked towards her and Blake backed away from him in fear until she hit a wall and she was unable to back off any further. Adam placed his hand beside her head and Blake could feel herself getting smaller as his rage intensified.
"Geto will not go for the Faunus." He said with a low menacing growl. Blake sweated as she opened her mouth but the words refused to come out.
"Listen to me—" Adam narrowed his eyes as a fire emerged from inside of the. "I will follow Geto until the ends of the earth, if I have to fall off a building to do so, I would do it in a heartbeat, and I decided to do so when he saved Mimiko, Nanako, and me from the clutches of the SDC."
He then scoffed.
"And don't try to play innocent either, you also helped us with our mission, so if you're clearly against it, why did you even join the White Fang in the first place?"
Blake's lips quivered a bit. Did he really forget about her reason? She knew why she joined in the first place, because of him, of his charisma, his passion to defeat the people who have oppressed them, he captivated her. His drive to strive forward even if the odds were against him was something she always admired.
"Because I love you!"
It was a simple reason, one that didn't require much explanation from her.
Adam tilted his head and his eyes held no emotion.
"Did that change?" he said as his hand clenched into a fist. "Choose your sides carefully, because the last thing I want is for us to meet on the battlefield as enemies."
She doesn't want that either but all this situation regarding Geto was getting out of hand! How can anyone be okay with this plan? Did they need to resort to so much violence in order to be at peace?
Adam removed his hand and backed off to give her space.
"If you're having doubts, don't fall for it, they only stray you from the path of what's truly right. All the doubts will eventually generate distrust, which would ultimately lead to betrayal… that's the last thing I want from you."
She wanted to scoff at those words. What's truly right? Genocide?
But… what Adam said was true, all of these doubts she was having already made her distrustful of Geto, and now she even considered the possibility that defecting from the group might be the best option.
She needed to redeem herself to him.
"I'm sorry Adam…" Blake muttered as she looked to the ground. "I-I might have jeopardized the plan, by telling Okkotsu that Geto's coming after him."
Adam furrowed his eyebrows and he let out a quiet snarl which made Blake whimper from her spot.
"Why the fuck would you do that?" he demanded in a low tone as he glared at her without blinking.
"I wanted to repay Okkotsu for saving us from getting eaten! I wanted to save him when he was getting attacked by some assassins and leave immediately, but he found me… and I accidentally slipped."
Adam's killing intent rises and Blake closes her eyes, ready to be executed on the spot. A tear came out from her right eye. She deserved death, for she is a fool who betrayed her own kind to find her selfish answers.
Adam took a deep breath and quickly calmed down.
"Alright, I'll ignore this attempted betrayal of yours due to you finally starting to see the path. I know you won't betray us again." Adam said with an oddly calm and understanding voice, but underneath that, Blake knew that he must be fuming. "I will not say anything to Geto, this time, but if you ever try to go against us again…"
Blake heard the sound of him briefly unsheathing Wilt and her eyes widened in fear.
"I will not forgive you."
He puts on his glasses and storms off, leaving a teary Blake hurt and alone. She leaned towards the wall and let out a wheeze as she tried to calm herself down.
Attempt on convincing Adam: Flopped into oblivion.
She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to calm her rampaging emotions with deep breaths. Once she calmed down enough, the gears inside her head began to turn, and began to think of what just happened.
The most critical point was that Adam had evaded her question. Adam! Her boyfriend whom she was supposed to trust and love.
…Was he hiding something from her?
"No, h-he wouldn't," Blake muttered to herself and she gritted her teeth. She discarded that thought from her mind, maybe she just needed to prove him right about Geto.
Geto Suguru, she needed to know who he was, she needed to know if he would spare the Faunus. She was inclined to believe that he wasn't. She placed her hand inside her pocket and pulled out a piece of paper she had been given days ago.
Gojo Satoru
The Strongest Sorcerer in Mistral and probably one of the most powerful people in the world, even more so than Geto. He defeated Geto's Grade 1 Mollusk Curse with just a flick of his finger. His power was suffocating to the point that Blake knew that if she dared to make a move, she was going to get killed before she could even move a finger. So going near him sounds like a suicide mission on paper.
However, Geto has told stories about him and has described him… in a rather peculiar way.
Imagine you give someone the most ridiculous hax and never had to discipline him as a kid. Now he has developed a God Complex, is a manchild, and his hubris is so massive that would chase the moon and succeed.
In other words, Gojo Satoru was a complete dick.
So Blake knew that he wouldn't give information away easily and put her. She pulled out her Scroll and checked if there were any auction events available nearby. Maybe she can still convince him with the right tools…
—December 20. 4 days remain until the war starts—
The streets of Mistral were relatively calm, yet crowded due to the few days that remain before Christmas. People have to go out shopping for gifts and groceries to spend time with their families in relative happiness. It would be a shame if that happiness was going to be ruined because a mad monk decided that on that same day they were going to die on a whim.
The main square had a lot of shops and tourist points which people frequently went on their off, and one of these buildings was the flashy movie theatre called "The Zone". Not the most creative name by any means, but it gets the job done by being the only movie theatre in Mistral that has an IMAX screen that lets anyone immerse themselves in any movie that they want. Kids of all ages always ask their parents to take them to the theatre so they can get the full experience that was an IMAX ASMR.
Five people got out of the spinning, and each one of them had a different experience regarding what they just watched.
"I've never thought that a 4-hour long movie was gonna be enjoyable. A superhero one on top of that."
Zen'in Maki walked in her casual clothes thinking about the plot of the movie. She wore a cyan hoodie over a white shirt with pink horizontal stripes, white shorts over black leggings, and white boots.
Pyrrha Nikos wore more discreet clothing, wearing a red hoodie over a white blouse to attract less attention to herself. She didn't want people to bother her and her friends in the movies because of her status as a celebrity.
Okkotsu… still wore his basic white shirt. With that Special Grade salary, it wouldn't kill him to at least vary his style with a myriad of outfits that exist in Remnant.
Toge didn't even try to dress casually and came in fucking pajamas. He wore a checkered black and white shirt and baggy pants with the same style as that shirt.
Panda was still a panda, nothing to critique there. He received some weird glances from the people, but he was mistaken as a cosplayer so he didn't attract that much attention. I mean, who would ever expect to see an actual panda that talks like a human? Yeah, exactly.
"With more than 20 A-listers in the cast, they needed to make it enjoyable to profit off it." Pyrrha said, placing her finger on her chin. "I liked it, but I wished the movie to have a happy ending at least."
Okkotsu shrugged, feeling neutral about the whole experience.
"In my opinion, I felt that that the movie was too slow. 2 hours of exposition felt it was getting dragged on purpose." Yuta said before shuddered. "And that incest plot…"
"We do not talk about the incest plot…" Maki muttered as she felt the urge to puke. Seriously, what is Mistrali media obsession with that thing?
Panda shivered as well as he remembered that particular bit from the movie.
"Yeah, if we don't count that bit, the movie was good with some sick special effects. The plot was also a welcome change; I didn't expect an ending in which the heroes lost!"
"That also surprised me as well." Maki agreed with an approving nod. "I usually don't dig superhero movies, but this one was a welcome change."
Pyrrha smiled and nodded.
"It was a different experience; I agree with you on that one," Pyrrha said as she hummed. "I'll give it an 8 out of 10 though for the ending."
Okkotsu sighed. "Yeah but that inces—"
"Bonito flakes…" Toge rolled his eyes as he scolded the traumatized Okkotsu.
"Hey Yuta, Inumaki, before I go back to Argus, I will do something to you two," Pyrrha said as she looked at both boys in question. Inumaki and Okkotsu watched curiously about what the redhead was planning. She pursed her lips as if she didn't know if she had to say what she was about to say. "Please don't take the wrong way, please don't but… you two don't know how to use a hairbrush right?"
Maki snickered at how blunt that question came. Pyrrha clasped both of her hands as she tried to sound as apologetic as possible.
"I know, I know it's mean and I'm sorry I have to tell you like this... it's just, that your hairstyles are so messy that it gives the impression that you two don't even bath."
Well, Toge doesn't bathe so— better that she doesn't know that.
Okkotsu and Toge merely glanced at each other and looked at themselves for a short minute before shrugging and nodding at each other.
"Alright, you're right, Pyrrha… it appears that we'll be in your care then," Okkotsu said as he laughed awkwardly.
Pyrrha's emerald eyes then fixated on Maki. "Right, Maki I wanted to ask you something as well, if you don't mind?"
Maki raised an eyebrow and narrowed her eyes. "If you're going to tell me that I don't brush my hair then you can go fu—"
"No, not that," Pyrrha said as she shook her head. "D-Do you want to spar tomorrow? I've never sparred with a competent spear user before… so if you don't mind?"
Maki's eyes widened at her words and then her thoughts clicked. She understood what Pyrrha wanted when she came into the Jujutsu grounds that day as she tried to speak but Maki forcefully shut her up and critiqued her unproductive training. She hated to see someone as strong as Pyrrha think so lowly of herself when it wasn't her fault that Geto Suguru was a monster that very few were able to surpass.
There wasn't any point in her putting such inhuman conditions to herself. If Pyrrha had asked her to train that day, Maki was sure she was going to punch her in the face so she could get some sleep.
Now though? She looked healthy, and full of vitality, the same way she looked when she barged in her mission in Sanctum. That same girl wanted to train with her.
Maki let out a wide toothy grin as she thought about the prospect of training with a professional spear user, it filled her with excitement.
"Of course!" she said as she sent a challenging look at her. "Be sure to give your one hundred percent though."
Yuta smiled at their interaction but his mood quickly soured as his face lost color. If Maki was correct he was probably thinking about…
"Okay but that incest plot—"
"SHUT UP!"
This time everyone safe for Toge snapped at him.
"How in the world can you eat food like this?!"
Adam sat down across a peculiar dark-skinned man with black reptile scales on his cheeks and neck. He wore hoop earrings, armless sunglasses, and a large puffy beret with a white sports jacket. This was one of the strongest fighters within the White Fang. Miguel had asked Adam if he wanted to try some food from his land, which initially, he planned to refuse, he had no time for distractions and with the war just around the corner it was a waste of time.
However, Geto's training was far too ruthless to even consider training anything else in his spare time. Every time he tried to think about training, his muscles ached as the thought of Geto pummeling him with Playful Cloud emerged. So here he was sitting with his casual clothes and favorite sunglasses to cover his scar in a public place to eat… whatever the hell this is.
It was a plate of rice and chicken covered in red curry sauce and spices. Now, Adam liked the simplicity of the plate, but what pushed him off was the visible heat that emanated from the dish, he could even see the air distorting around it! Now, it's not that Adam didn't like spicy food, but it seemed that this dish would truly kill him.
And Miguel is downing that same dish without a care in the world… he's even smiling while at it!
"What about it? We in Vacuo love eating spicy food, it keeps our spirits on fire!" Miguel said as cleaned his mouth with a napkin. Adam however, wasn't amused. "Oh come on, it was a good one."
He rolled his eyes under his glasses.
"It wasn't…"
Miguel chuckled at his displeasure and kept eating.
"Anyways kid, how's the ass whooping Geto's is giving you going?" Miguel said while chewing the rice. "You see any progress?"
Adam winced as he felt the soreness from his muscles as he remembered his Aura being broken constantly by Playful Cloud's strike. With everyone asking him how the training is going, he was pretty sure that rule 1 of the training was a joke that Geto made.
Fuck it, he's telling him.
"I'm seeing progress; I can finally go on the offensive against him," Adam said with a smile of self-satisfaction. Miguel was visibly surprised as his mouth hung agape.
"So soon?" he said as he let out a wide toothy grin. "Wow, you really are a prodigy!"
Adam's smile quickly faltered as he remembered that Geto hadn't broken a sweat against him.
"Yeah, but I've yet to land a hit on him, and it seems that he hasn't started to take me seriously as he keeps humming that stupid song of his." He sighed as he leaned at the back of his chair in thought. "What's with that anyway?"
Miguel perked up at what he said as he cupped his chin seemingly debating inside of his mind.
"Umu, that would be Mirror Mirror."
Adam looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Excuse me?"
"Mirror Mirror, the song he hums." Miguel pressed on as he drank his glass of water. "Weiss Schnee sings it at her concerts."
Adam immediately took off his glasses and furrowed his eyebrows at the mention of that dreaded surname.
Schnee…
Just the mention of that name made his blood boil and made him remember why he even joined the White Fang in the first place. What they did to him… to Mimiko and Nanako was unforgivable.
He remembers all too well as the scar on his forehead itched in a ghostly burning sensation. Every time he didn't do something that was up to their impossible standards he would be flogged to unconsciousness and then they wouldn't feed him for a week. Not to mention, he was forced to watch Mimiko and Nanako's punishment when they failed a task.
They forced him to hear their screams of pain and agony when they knew he didn't had the power to lift a finger—
Adam felt the cold sensation of water splashing on his face which made him snap back to reality. Miguel quickly put Adam's glasses back on him as the latter began to make a scene that drew the gazes of the other people on the restaurant. Once they saw that nothing concerning was going on, they returned to their business.
He clicked his tongue in annoyance but understood the necessity of Miguel's action. So all he could do was cross his arms to sulk.
"Sorry I had to do it, I hate seeing you like that," Miguel said apologetically. "Before you come to any conclusions, you might be surprised when you hear the answer from him. It might open your mind."
That statement only made him even angrier as he slammed his fist on the table.
"Like hell it will, it's a fucking Schnee we're talking about!" Adam snapped, drawing the gazes of the clients once again.
"Simmer down kid, I'm not the one you should be yelling at." Miguel held his hands down in a gesture for him to lower his voice. He then chuckled to himself. "It's funny though, Mimiko and Nanako had the same reaction as you did when they asked me the same."
"Shit, why would that be? Oh, I don't know, maybe it was the years of torture we had to endure in that factory." Adam whispered loud enough for him to hear. He then scoffed and looked at Miguel intently. "I'm going to ask Geto next time I see him."
All the reptile Faunus could do at that point was shrug and go back to his meal.
"You do know that there was a possibility of him just liking the song and that's it, right? But your hunch is right, there's an interesting story you can dig up with Geto there... just don't mention Jacques Schnee to him."
Adam raised an eyebrow at that.
"Why?"
"Just don't do it."
"Noted?" he said as he tilted his head in confusion. Miguel then went back to eat his food silently as Adam began to ponder about the information he just received.
What kind of connection did Geto have with the Schnee? He thought that maybe he was overthinking it and maybe he just liked Weiss's song. Still, if he knew what the Schnee did to them, the most tactful thing he could do was not sing the songs of one of their torturers!
He sighed, it was no use to stress himself when Geto wasn't even here. He was sure to ask him the next he saw him. He went back and looked at his rice which was seemingly still simmering hot and he felt his stomach growl.
"Miguel, in all seriousness… how can you eat this stuff?"
Miguel let out a hearty laugh at his words.
"Interested now aren't we? You need to try the magic that is Chicken Tikka Masala!" Miguel said with fire in his voice. He raised his hand and motioned him to eat. "Come, eat up, it's my treat even."
Adam looked at the plate with disgust and gulped, dreading at what this concoction might do to him. He resigned knowing that he might as well not reject free food. He took his spoon and took a bite out of the place.
The explosion of flavors was instant as the hot sauce immediately took effect inside his mouth. He felt the hotness, flavor of the chicken, and the sauce all in one go. The chicken was perfectly tender to the point that it dissolved in his mouth like butter, and the sauce had the exact amount of spice to max out the flavor.
"So, how is it?"
Adam swallowed the food in his mouth and let out a satisfied sigh. His lips twitched upward.
'Finally, some good fucking food…' he was tempted to say.
"It's… acceptable. Sorry for yelling at you."
Miguel smiled ear to ear, for he knew that getting a reaction and an apology like that out of him was considered a historical achievement.
Blake made a quick pace through Mistral's Central Park. The relatively open place meant that she had to opt to wear a black hoodie to avoid being seen by any Huntsman or Sorcerer who might be in the area. She let herself out in the open because she was in a rush to meet his contact… in an ice cream parlor.
She didn't ask why he chose that place because it was a miracle that he even agreed to meet her in the first place, so she had no room to demand a decent place. As she made her way to her destination, she finally laid eyes on the parlor and watched the front end window for any signs of her contact, until she saw him.
Gojo Satoru sat at a table wearing casual clothes with a black shirt and sunglasses. He was slurping what seemed to be a chocolate milkshake with chocolate sauce, bits of chocolate, and chocolate cream on top, all with a goofy smile on his face.
That was… a lot of chocolate for a man in his late twenties to consume, but she didn't criticize someone she barely even knew about the health risks of too much sugar. Gojo seemed to notice her with just a glance of his eyes and he grinned.
'No use backing up now…' Blake gulped as she became even more nervous the more she approached the walking apocalypse that was Gojo Satoru.
She opened the door of the parlor and walked towards the table he was sitting nice and slowly, careful enough not to attract too much attention.
"Hey stalker cat, over here!" Gojo shouted as he waved his arm.
'STALKER CAT?!' Blake's cheeks flushed red as she received weird and concerned glances from every single person in the room. Her ears slumped as her socially awkward self wasn't ready to receive this much attention in the worst way possible. She quickly made her way to Gojo's table while avoiding eye contact with anyone as much as possible and sat down across from the grinning man.
"Stalker cat." Blake finally said as she glared daggers at Gojo. "Out of all the things that you could call me, it had to be that."
"Don't look at me, it was Inumaki who told me about the possibility of a stalker calling me, I guess it was you?" Gojo said in faux innocence as he raised his hands.
'The mute one?!' Blake's eyes widened a little. The boy didn't amount to that much at first glance but her opinion of him changed with this little debacle. She got trolled by him.
"So, what's this, an assassination attempt? I saw you beside Suguru the other day… don't tell me they only sent you?" Gojo said amusedly, as if assassins sent after him were just another Tuesday for him. And with the demonstration he pulled in the sewers, Blake was inclined to believe him.
"Like, I have a chance…" she muttered quietly as she averted her gaze before quickly returning the look. "No, I've come here to talk to you."
Gojo's grin widened.
"Listen, I know I'm hot, but do I look like I want to go to jail?"
Blake's deadpan stare didn't change at the joke.
"I came here to talk about Geto Suguru." She said causing Gojo's smile to falter a little. "I was told you are the best person I could talk to regarding him."
Gojo slurped his milkshake loud enough that Blake felt her twitch just by being around him. She didn't know it, but something about this man just screamed obnoxious to her.
"He's insane." Gojo sighed in annoyance. "Didn't he make that clear already to the lot of you?"
Blake scoffed as he remembered all the rantings Geto had made towards the 'monkeys'.
"Yes, he made that perfectly clear…" Blake growled and clenched her fist at the painful memories. "Sadly, a lot of people in the White Fang don't see it that way. They see him as someone who will finally be able to put centuries of discrimination to an end, and they believe in him so devoutly… almost as if he's a god to them. I also believed in all of his words… but lately he has been acting more erratically, and his plan for the 24th has so many holes that it makes me wonder if he has the best intentions for the White Fang. It has one of my partners following him without question."
Now it was the turn for Gojo to scoff.
"A god… seriously? Brainwashing a couple of kids like that." he chuckled mirthlessly. Blake was tempted to protest about the word 'brainwashing' but refrained as she couldn't help but think that he was right… in some areas.
"Listen, it was a nice sob story and all… but I really don't care," Gojo said causing Blake to narrow her eyes at his lack of sympathy. "You have to try better than that to make me spill the beans."
Now she could see why Gojo and Geto were friends in the past, both of them are truly awful characters to deal with.
It was annoying, but luckily, Blake was prepared to deal with a situation like this.
"I was afraid you were going to say that," Blake said as she placed her hand in her pocket and pulled out a black case that was locked via key. Gojo let out a mocking smile as he was seemingly prepared for a foolish blackmail attempt.
"Money, seriously? I'm rich, you cannot possibly—"
She opened the case and Gojo dropped his milkshake to the ground, spilling everything. His mouth hung open and he took off his glasses to check if what he saw was legit.
It was a gamble on her part, but kids from 20 years ago were huge fans of card games before video games implemented the whole multiplayer battle pass trend that has hooked many kids and teenagers from today. So maybe, just maybe, Gojo Satoru was one of those kids who was a fan of card games and old Mistrali media.
Yu-Gi something she remembered it was called?
Expensive wouldn't be enough to describe the card she stole, but she knew that no matter how pricey a card was, it wouldn't even cover the first few zeros that Gojo had in his bank account. No, what mattered to him was the rarity of the card.
"From 20 years ago..." Gojo said as his blue eyes stared at the card without blinking. "First edition tournament prize card, one of its kind..."
Gojo was practically drooling at the sight. He slowly extended his hand to grab the card.
"Stainless steel—"
Blake closed the box and pulled it away, she raised an eyebrow and looked at the man expectantly.
Gojo shook his head and blinked, seemingly back from his trance. He looked at Blake with a childish pout.
"You ain't giving the card unless I tell you, right?" Gojo said as he let out a genuine chuckle. Blake nodded at his words. "I dunno who was the poor fool you stole the card from, but hey I won't complain about it… you do know I can just take it away from you right?"
"How do you even know it's a genuine copy?" Blake asked with confidence. It was a bluff, but she was pretty confident that Gojo couldn't tell the rarity of the card with just one glance. Gojo snorted loudly.
"Do you really want to argue that with a genuine fan?"
Fuck, he's right. Damn nerds!
Blake bit her tongue as she thought that this might not have been a good idea after all. Gojo let out a wholehearted laugh.
"Relax, you sold me once you pulled out the card," Gojo said causing Blake to sigh in relief. "It surprises me to be honest, for you to go to these lengths… you must have been considering it a lot, defecting I mean."
Blake didn't say a word to him and kept up her poker face. He didn't need to know about her inner turmoil, but she wouldn't deny that he was right on the mark.
"So, about Suguru, I won't tell you everything about the whole fuckery that lead to his downfall… but I can tell one of the crucial points. What do you say?" Gojo said as he eyed Blake with intrigue.
The cat Faunus thought about it for a moment before she nodded. She would appreciate any information that would help her clear her doubts. Gojo leaned back in his chair as he appeared to be reminiscing about past events before he came up with an idea.
"Alright, then let me tell you about the legend that was Haibara Yu."
Blake leaned in and listened. She didn't know she was in for one hell of a story.
—December 23. 6 hours until the war starts—
"Seriously, who was the fool who leaked our plans?"
Geto groaned as he sat down on a rock. He placed a hand on his forehead and pondered about the critical information he received from the intel team. He stood with Adam in the clearing of a forest near Jujutsu High, where they were supposed to wait until the rest of the squadrons made their move for them to finally attack, but now that initial plan wasn't going to work.
Okkotsu Yuta wasn't going to be stationed at Jujutsu High and instead, he was staying in the front lines with Satoru. There goes his secret plan down the drain! Now in the last minute, he had to think of a Plan B to even have a chance of capturing Rika, and facing Satoru head-on wasn't a viable option unless he wanted to have a Hollow Purple leaving a gaping hole on his chest.
Plans made at the last minute are usually the sloppiest ones with the biggest chances of failure. Luckily, Adam's title as Commander of the White Fang wasn't just for show, he had an idea to tackle this situation.
"There have been reports that Zen'in Maki has been seen boarding a ship to Argus. Jujutsu High didn't make use of their Grade 4 sorcerers and that meant that the monkey wasn't participating, and neither is Nikos due to her affiliation with the Huntsman. This means that the possibility of the Zen'in staying with Pyrrha Nikos is high." Adam pondered as he sent Geto a knowing look. He picked up on what he was saying and grinned devilishly.
"Oh… and you call me a sadist? You're telling me Okkotsu will abandon his post to rescue his poor maidens?"
Adam nodded resolutely.
"If Blake's intel is correct, then he seems the type that would do it without question, it's our best shot at luring him." He said as he looked at Geto questionably. "How will we proceed?"
Geto hummed as he thought about the current situation. He had to relay another plan to the squads, but the core objective wouldn't change, which was to stall the Sorcerers as much as possible until he killed Okkotsu. The more he thought about how the kid protected Zen'in Maki back in the sewers, the more Adam's plan made sense. This meant
"Alright Adam, we will proceed with your plan and go to Argus." Geto nodded, now dead set on carrying on with the plan. He smiled as he began fantasizing about what would happen if he succeeded.
If he manages to get Rika under his control, then he can use her unlimited reserves of Curse Energy to perform a Domain Amplification so powerful that it will neutralize Satoru's Limitless and beat him. Then, of course, he will use her to rampage against the monkeys and exterminate them from the face of Remnant!
However, going to Argus meant that he would have to face her… if Blake's report was accurate. His smile vanished, not looking forward to hurting Winter, but if she intervenes...
"Geto, I wanted to ask you something important, so answer truthfully."
Geto snapped back from his thoughts and glanced at Adam. The redhead took off his mask and glared at him with a seriousness that would rival Masamichi Yaga himself.
Geto eyed him with intrigue, what kind of question would it be that it prompted him to be this serious?
"What's your history with the Schnee?"
Geto blinked and groaned audibly.
"Is this about the song?"
"Yes."
"Adam, I just like the song. There's no problem with that."
"Bullshit, I admit I overreacted a little with Miguel, but he told me that there's more story in that." Adam pressed on and Geto rubbed his temples. He didn't have time to deal with Adam's issues when the war was just around the corner but lo and behold, Miguel just had to open his mouth. Damn it all!
"Schnees are our biggest enemies, why the fuck do you have a history with them?!" Adam growled as he got closer to him. "They are the biggest stain in history with them stepping on the Faunus ever since Jacques Schnee took over! They are worthless pieces of filth that need to be put down."
Geto frowned and closed his eyes, he then eyed back at Adam with a cold piercing look.
"You are wrong."
Adam blinked and furrowed his eyebrows at what he just heard.
"What?"
"I'm telling you that you are wrong," Geto said as he stood up from the rock and glared at Adam with a fire that he swore was snuffed out a long time ago. "Don't misunderstand, I share your sentiment, and I would not stop until the ends of Remnant until I get my hands on Jacques Schnee and submit him in an endless cycle of pain and torture until that pig regrets the very day he was born. And believe me, I would come with very creative ways to torture that monkey Every. Single. Day. Let's not talk about the rest of that family, I would burn Whitley and Willow alive if I could help it."
"Jacques's daughters, however, are exceptional. They've taken after their grandfather, Nicholas Schnee, a very respectable hero. Those two are resilient and they constantly fight for their future, clashing with their monkey father to gain independence on their lives. Winter Schnee has accomplished it, and I believe that Weiss would do so as well in the future." Geto said as he smiled fondly at himself. He didn't know Weiss, but Winter spoke of her fondly and he has gone to a couple of her concerts recently. "They are good people, those two."
"Good… Schnee?" Adam repeated as if the words that Geto said were alien to him.
"You might not believe me, but if you have the opportunity to meet one of them sometime… give them a chance." Geto chuckled as patted Adam on the shoulder. "You might be surprised."
Adam narrowed his eyes and shook his head. He placed his mask back on.
"You do know that I don't believe anything you just said, right? How can there be a good Schnee, it doesn't make sense for you to say that unless…" Adam trailed off, seemingly thinking about something until he perked up and looked at Geto with his mouth agape. "You fancied the older Schnee?!"
Only for Geto to grab his mask harshly as a tick mark appeared on his forehead. Adam struggled to get away from his grip.
"Brat, we are not here to talk about my love life."
"You didn't deny it!"
"And it's none of your business~" Geto said as he stuck his tongue out. He perked up at one as one of his Curses picked up a familiar signal and he let go of Adam.
"Speaking of which, it seems that your girlfriend has arrived," Geto said causing him to wince at the mention of Blake, which didn't seem to go unnoticed by him.
The bushes of the forest rustled before a figure emerged from them. Blake Belladonna made herself known to both men and Adam rushed to greet her.
"Blake, you're here." He said softly as he tried to hug her, only for Blake to back off in instinct as she crossed her arms. Adam understood the body language but didn't protest, he merely frowned and awkwardly took a few steps back. "Listen, if this is about the time I yelled at you then—"
"It's not," Blake said as she looked to the side. Her face was distant. "Let's just get this over with…"
Adam was taken aback by her response but nodded nonetheless. What was that for anyway?
Geto watched the scene with intrigue as the two who were normally never seen away from each other seemed… distant now. He shrugged, it was probably a discussion that ended in the wrong way and now they're bitter about it. They'll get it over with, it's not like one discussion will lead to a fatal fallout.
"Good now that everyone is here, it's time for us to make our way to Argus." He said as he let out a manic grin as he summoned the Bird Curse to take them to their destination. The greyish bird opened its mouth and invited them inside as if it would promise them a cozy trip. Geto spread his arms wide and screamed.
"LET THE NIGHT PARADE OF 100 DEMONS BEGIN!"
Phew, alright, preparations are done. As Geto has said, it's time to begin the war! Like I said before, I'm experimenting with Adam, so I hope that you guys like the changes I'm making to him.
