Chapter 5: Special Grade, Okkotsu Yuta
Tensions were high with Argus's Atlesian squadron as they racked their brains on how to stop the immediate danger that was about to be unleashed in the city. With their current manpower, the soldiers would have a hard time doing damage control that the Feilong and Lancers would do.
Yuta didn't think of the consequences of his actions at that time, and now the people of Argus were going to pay the price for his blunder.
Pyrrha was going to suffer because of him.
He cannot accept that.
As soon as Winter heard Amin's report of the incoming Feilong, she rushed towards the nearest Bullhead to make a call to her central station to request reinforcements. Yuta had to leave Todo, Nanami, and Toge behind to catch up to her just before she boarded the ship. He didn't care if the tiredness of his previous battle was beginning to wear him down.
He needed to protect his friends.
"Specialist Schnee!" Yuta yelled at her, causing Winter to stop in her tracks and look at him neutrally.
"I have no time to deal with you, Okkotsu," Winter said impatiently as she began to walk up the stairs.
"Wait, please hear me out! I will help you to stop the Feilong!"
Winter stopped in her tracks and looked at him again with one eyebrow raised.
"This matter falls under the jurisdiction of Atlas's military now; you have no business interfering at this point. I suggest that you and the rest of the Sorcerers leave now while you still can." Winter said as she sent him an ice-cold glare. She then glanced at her pocket as she pulled up her Scroll to answer an incoming call. "Yes?"
Yuta tried to refute her argument but found nothing coming out of his mouth, all he could was look pathetically at the ground. She was right, he had no business interfering with the matters of other factions, as Jujutsu High has strictly prohibited their Sorcerers from engaging with matters outside of Hunters unless they give authorization.
"If you don't have anything important to say, don't talk to me again."
Yuta flinched as he heard Winter speak and looked further to the ground. He knew that he wasn't allowed to interfere… but did she have to be mean on top of that?
"W-What do you mean with 'let him cook'?! No, I won't let him, why don't you come here? I don't care if you're across the globe, you can teleport!" he heard her speak with an unusual stutter. "No, I don't know what that means!"
Yuta blinked as he raised his gaze again to find a red-faced Winter speaking to someone on her Scroll. The unusual display of the normally professional Specialist left Yuta flabbergasted… who would be able to break her like that?
"Execute him?" Winter blinked as her tone became more serious and looked at Yuta intently. "It does make sense, but…"
Winter pursed her lips and let out a sigh.
"You can't be serious… fine, I will trust you, but you owe me one," Winter said as she ended the call and looked at Yuta again. "There has been a change of plans, can you fight?"
Yuta widened his eyes as he did not expect the sudden change of heart from her and nodded vigorously.
"Absolutely!"
Winter eyed him carefully as he scanned him thoroughly, checking his body for any injuries that might slow him down in the fight.
"Good, because if you fail this, this incident will reach the ears of Jujutsu High, and you will be executed as the cause of this disaster."
Yuta's blood ran cold as he heard that final statement coming from Winter. He forgot about the consequences of ignoring Gojo's warning!
He still didn't understand, if Atlas was already aware of the danger that the Feilong presents, wasn't it just a matter of time for Jujutsu High to find out? Unless he missed something, which didn't make any sense considering the usually professional Specialist.
"You're willing to cover this up?"
Winter nodded.
"At the behest of my caller. Don't misunderstand, I'm not irresponsible that I will jeopardize my position for a stranger, but if Satoru has placed so much trust in you… then so will I." Winter said as she boarded the Bullhead. "Let's go, we have a city to protect."
Yuta felt his eyes well up for one second before he shook his head. No, he wasn't pathetic enough to cry, but he couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with emotion.
'Sensei…'
For people to go this far for him to live when previously he eagerly awaited each day where death could take. It made him want to punch his previous self for wasting his life like that.
He will become a worthy Special Grade Sorcerer.
Yuta then followed Winter inside of the Bullhead.
He wowed at the sight of the advanced technology of the ship as he watched a lot of red and green lights flashing that he didn't know what they meant.
'So cool, is as if I'm in a sci-fi movie!'
Winter sat in the pilot seat and started the engine, causing the ship to roar and rise and bolt towards the sea.
"A swarm of Lancers can vary between 100 to 500, no more than that," Winter explained as she narrowed her eyes. "It would have been optimal to come with a squadron at our side but if we want to avoid getting Jujutsu's High attention then going on our own is the best course of action."
Yuta cupped his chin as he carefully took in the information. Having to deal with massive amounts of Grimm would be difficult, but not impossible. He can come up with a plan to deal with all of them at once.
Still, even 100 Lancers could potentially overwhelm an entire fleet, why risk so much when there are potentially better options for this task?
"Specialist Schnee, you're going that far?" Yuta asked, seemingly touched by her kindness, but he knew better that what she was doing right now was way above her pride and paycheck.
"Satoru is the strongest person I know, and despite his clownish personality that makes me want to tear every strand of his hair—" Winter said in a low, menacing tone but managed to calm down. "His judgment for strength is impeccable, so if he says that you can take on that swarm of Grimm alone… then it seems illogical for me to not believe him."
Yuta gulped as he suddenly felt the weight of the world fall on his shoulder.
'Alone?! Okay, no pressure Yuta, no pressure at all…"
Winter grabbed her Scroll from her pocket and began dialing a number. She placed the device on her ear.
"Marrow, I need you to grab a speedboat and rush towards my signal. There's a high chance that this Bullhead is going to fall." Winter said firmly. She then frowned and shook her head. "If all goes as planned, the situation should be handled by the time you get here. Don't you dare to call reinforcements, that's an order, Liteunant."
She ended the call and pulled the wheel further to increase the speed.
Yuta and Winter flinched as they finally reached their location and they could see the massive scale of the threat that approached. The swarm of Lancers looked like a plague of locusts about to swarm a farm, but instead of eating the crops, these creatures would eat them. The small hornets had white and black textures and red glowing eyes that gave Yuta nightmares.
However, what grabbed his attention the most was the huge serpent that swam on the water, it looked very different than the standard Grimm. Instead of having the standard black and white texture, this Grimm had its white skeletal armor replaced by an alloy armor, and its red scales were instead colored a glowing green color. Its roar caused Yuta and Winter to cover their ears as the frequency was too much to bear.
The creature rose from the water and spread its metallic wings and rushed towards them.
'Yuta…'
He perked up when he heard Rika's voice echoing inside his mind as her plan registered in his mind, and Yuta came to a realization.
'This… can actually work.' Yuta thought as he glanced at the Winter who eyed the swarm of Lancers carefully. "I have a plan for the Lancers."
Winter eyed him sharply, causing Yuta to flinch. "Elaborate."
"I-If we can converge them in one spot, I can take them out in one shot." Yuta said as he gulped. "I cannot explain to you how without making you believe me."
Winter eyed him skeptically, probably thinking that he was the most insane person in Remnant right now. Yuta felt the urge to facepalm as he realized that he just blurted a plan with no elaboration to back it up to a professional soldier who probably built her entire career by carefully strategizing every single mission.
"It's not like these guns are capable of slowing down this swarm," Winter said as she clicked her tongue. "Very well. Hang on."
Winter steered the wheel with all her strength and the ship and Yuta fell as the ship moved 360 degrees to evade the swarm of Lancers who were about to strike the cockpit. The Feilong had its mouth open and was about to swallow the entire ship in its metallic mouth.
Winter increased the speed at charged directly at the Feilong and managed to evade by just scratching its cheek. Now the Grimm chased from the back of the ship, a perfect opportunity for Yuta to strike.
"Okay…" Yuta took a deep breath and walked to the back of the Bullhead. He steeled his resolve and spoke. "Specialist Schnee, open the backdoor please."
Winter nodded and pressed the red button on the control panel which caused the backdoor to open. Yuta covered his eyes as the harsh winds entered the ship and the force of the air made it hard for him to see.
He saw the swarm of Lancers and the Feilong closing the distance.
Rika's arm emerged from Yuta's soldier and gave him a megaphone with a set of familiar markings he recognized. He pressed the button of the megaphone.
"GET CRUSHED!"
The power Cursed Speech unleashed like a vortex as Yuta yelled at the top of his lungs, which caused the Grimm to stop their pursuit.
The Lancers twitched and converged into one messed-up ball and exploded in a big black sludge. The Feilong began to howl in pain as it began flailing erratically in the air, its alloy armor chipped away until it broke like glass and began falling to the sea.
Yuta blinked as he registered what he just done. He used Inumaki's technique to great effect on the same day that he learned his Curse Technique, he wasn't sure if it was going to work… at all.
"That was… Cursed Speech?"
Yuta glanced at the cockpit where Winter watched him in awe, her mouth agape at the sheer display of power he just unleashed. Yuta scratched the back of his head as he let out an awkward chuckle.
"I just found out today that my Curse Technique is Copy," Yuta said as Winter eyed him even more suspiciously. "It seems that I can copy any Curse Technique as long as I have a sample of the user's Curse Energy."
"Today," Winter repeated like a broken record before she shook her head and let out a rare smile. "It seems that Satoru never misses when he picks his students."
Yuta jumped as he saw a green beam pass through the wing of the ship, causing it to shake violently for a brief second. Winter snapped her attention back at the control panel and gritted her teeth when she saw various red lights beeping continuously.
"Dammit, it got us!" Winter said as she smashed her fist into the control panel. "That Feilong is not dead!"
A metallic shriek from the Feilong caused Yuta to cover his ears. He glanced from the backdoor and watched as the Feilong's armor had shattered, but its body was still intact and it still had plenty of energy as Yuta's previous attack only made it even more furious. Its green eyes glowed as it charged another beam at them.
This Bullhead will not survive another blast.
Yuta felt sweat coming out of his hair as he dreaded this outcome. Of course, it wasn't going to be that easy, but he hoped! He could still kill it, but he needed even more firepower than before.
He looked at Winter with a resolute expression.
"I can kill it; I just need to get close!"
Winter nodded at his words as she placed the ship on autopilot and walked towards the backdoor.
"I can help you get closer with my Semblance, but you're on your own after that."
Winter unsheathed her sword and summoned a white Grimm-like creature beside Yuta. It had the body and the skull of a lion, it looked like an amalgamation of a lion and its skeleton, but instead of the eerie black and white color that Grimm had, it instead had a soothing sky blue color like it was made from an ice sculpture.
The fact that the creature didn't immediately lash out at them eased his concern about being torn apart.
"I'll pick you up with Marrow, don't worry about falling!" Winter yelled one last time before dropping off the falling ship.
Yuta's eyes widened in concern as he glanced toward the location she fell only to see Winter flying off with a Nevermore Avatar she made, which caused him to sigh in relief.
As sparks and black smoke emerged from the insides of the ship, the alarms blared rapidly as they threatened an immediate explosion. Yuta rushed to the Manticore Avatar and… didn't know how to ride it.
"Crap!" he muttered under his breath. How does Winter even ride these?!
"Uh, rush to that Feilong!" Yuta yelled in instinct causing the Manticore to roar and jump off the ship.
'I… didn't expect that to work.'
He flinched when he heard a loud explosion coming from behind and watched as the ship engulfed in flames and smoke. He thanked the brothers that he got out in time.
Yuta took a deep breath and watched as he quickly closed the distance with the mutated Grimm. He doesn't know if this plan will work, but he knows that he cannot fail, otherwise either the Feilong or Jujutsu High will kill him.
And if he had to be honest, he had just started to like living.
Yuta activated the copied technique and watched as black lines appeared around the Feilong, each of them moving slowly.
The Feilong let out a shriek which caused him to lose focus and cover his ears. The creature then loaded another beam from its mouth and blasted it directly at the Manticore. The avatar roared painfully as its body broke into pieces.
Yuta began falling on top of the Feilong, towards its mouth, but he wasn't scared, he didn't panic.
The Feilong was already dead in his eyes.
He saw a red dot of the creature's mouth and he recognized how Nanami's Curse Technique works. The point that he needed to hit to land his desired critical.
Yuta loaded his sword with his Curse Energy and let out a yell as he went around the Grimm's mouth, just close enough to not get eaten. He shoved his sword on the Feilong's cheek and used the momentum of the fall for extra strength.
The creature roared in pain as Yuta cut his left side like butter all the way down its torso before its screams died down.
Yuta fell into the water safely and swam towards the surface. He panted from adrenaline and watched cautiously as the huge Feilong screams died down, standing motionless. Its glowing green spikes dimmed and its colossal body descended like a puppet whose strings were cut into the water with a splash.
Yuta blinked curiously and let out a chuckle.
"I won," he said as he let out a satisfied laugh. He sighed in relief and let his body float aimlessly in the water as he closed his eyes. "I can't believe it…"
His muscles stung like hell and he felt that he wouldn't be able to move his body for at least two weeks, but it was worth it.
He had managed to get through this hell of a day without suffering any casualties, and now, he feels stronger than ever. He glanced to the side as he heard the engine of a speedboat closing in towards his location and watched as Winter and Marrow came to pick him up, each of them watching him in sheer disbelief.
Yuta didn't know it, but both soldiers had the same thoughts inside of their minds.
Gojo Satoru has created a monster.
'Okkotsu Yuta, Special Grade Sorcerer. At first glance, it would seem that he's incapable of fighting due to his submissive and timid nature, but that has proven to be a deceptive barrier for hiding what he is truly capable of. His fighting skills have vastly improved since the last time he was active in Sanctum, and has improved his ability to use Curse Energy at an average to high level, so much so that he can contend with top fighters such as Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart.'
Standing on top of a building on a flat roof, Blake closed her eyes as she felt the cold wind caressing her face as she wrote the debriefing she promised to deliver to Sienna about Okkotsu.
She remembered when she watched the fight from far away, intrigued that Okkotsu had managed to keep up with the more experienced… and eccentric sorcerer with just a month's worth of training. Given enough time, maybe he would be able to reach Geto's level if he keeps up his pace.
Adam was not going to like it one bit when he found out the rate of Okkotsu's progress, but it might give him an incentive to push himself to the limits and get stronger as well.
'His Curse Technique, Copy, functions as its name states, it's a Curse Technique that allows him to mirror his opponent's techniques should he get a hold on his opponent's residuals, it is unknown if he can copy Semblances but the possibility cannot be discarded. For the moment, it is advisable that members of the White Fang approach him with caution should they encounter him. Then there's the matter of the Vengeful Spirit within him, Orimoto Rika. The Spirit's potential is unlimited, as its reserves are close to infinite, and it's highly volatile due to its infatuation with its owner. Avoid engaging in any suspicious behavior that might upset the spirit as any leakage of Curse Energy she produces can attract various Grimm in the vicinity.'
She grimaced as she remembered when she eavesdropped on the Schnee Specialist and Okkotsu talk about the latter's most recent blunder… and his biggest accomplishment yet.
'Lastly, Okkotsu has managed to defeat the mutated Sea Feilong of Doctor Merlot; details of this accomplishment are unknown. However due to this, the White Fang should consider his threat level to Maximum, and any missions that involve him should be left to high-ranking members only.'
Blake closed her book as she finished her debriefing and let out a tired sigh as she stretched. It would have been easier to record the whole message instead of writing it, but that earlier EMP blast fried her Scroll and left her incommunicado. She would make a note to buy another Scroll once she gets back to the base.
When Sienna wanted someone to assess Okkotsu's threat level, she was the first in line for the mission, even though she already saw what Rika was capable of firsthand.
Was it suspicious? Yes. Did she care? Not at all.
She owed Okkotsu her life, even if he saved her out of self-preservation, that doesn't erase the fact that he saved her from being eaten alive by the Special Grade.
She shuddered as she remembered how Pyrrha Nikos, THE Pyrrha Nikos was powerless against that monster. It cemented the gap of strength between a Special Grade curse and a mid-class Huntsman. Can a professional Huntsman even beat that thing?
And Geto planned to unleash an army of even worse Curses in Anima… which he claims that it's for the sake of the White Fang's mission.
Blake scoffed at the thought, was he really the type of man that was willing to fight for the White Fang's cause? Adam claims he is, as he has known him longer than she has, but the more time he spends with him, the more doubtful she becomes as the madman was more passionate in the killing of 'monkeys'.
The White Fang was a peaceful group at first, but ever since Sienna and Geto took control, the group was fragmented into two parts, the peaceful protestors, and the murderous extremists. For a while, she stuck with the latter group, because she felt rage and hatred towards the humans who didn't take them seriously. It didn't help that Adam persuaded her to join their cause with his charm.
Lately, however, she has been doubting the sanity of the group, because what they were going to do on December 24 will be their biggest and most heinous crime yet, one that she has vehemently opposed. She has engaged in arson, robbery, and vandalism for years in the sake of their cause, but she never engaged in the act of murder even when the White Fang glorified it not too long ago.
She doesn't like killing people, but she wouldn't deny that she has been an accomplice in the act as she has let Adam do it for over a year without complaint since she knew that there exist bastards in this world that deserve a fate worse than death.
But genocide of this scale? Will that include Faunus as well? If that was the case, then that would be so wrong on many levels, so very wrong that she resisted the urge to puke.
Sacrifice a of Faunus in order to save the millions… what a joke of a philosophy that is. She hoped that Geto didn't take that route.
They were supposed to make the humans take them seriously to reach an agreement between them and finally end the racism that has plagued them for years, but not if it means recreating the worst qualities of the human race!
Did Geto even care for them? She trusted Adam and his words, so she believed all of this killing was for a reason.
Unless Adam was lying to her? No… he wouldn't do that, they vowed to never lie to each other, so she would trust him all the way to her grave. She rubbed her eyes as the thoughts running through her mind exhausted her, she needed to find the time to ponder and reach a decision.
Her ears twitched like antennas as she heard the sound of boxes falling off, which startled her and made her jump from her spot. She unsheathed Gambol Shroud and pointed towards the source of the sound.
Okkotsu Yuta let out a yelp as he raised his arms, not daring to unsheathe his weapon in response. Alongside him stood Inumaki Toge, the Cursed Speech user with his hand on his scarf, ready to lower it when she suddenly moves.
Blake had a clear route to escape by jumping off the roof, but the fact that these two hadn't attacked her the moment they laid eyes on her meant that they probably had a plan on their sleeve. She needed to tread carefully.
"You shouldn't have followed me," Blake said sharply as she narrowed her eyes.
"I won't do anything; n-not like I can do anything to you anyway… I don't think both of us will be able to move for the next few days." Yuta said as he let out an awkward laugh. Inumaki raised his eyebrow as he sent a deadpan look at him for casually revealing vital information to their enemy.
Truth be told, Blake could see Yuta's whole body trembling from exhaustion and his whole body was covered in grazes and bruises that would require extensive Aura healing to take care of.
Inumaki didn't look that well either with all those gauzes covering the tears on his face and the dried blood that lingered around his eyes from the previous battle. She didn't want to imagine the pain he must have felt because of it.
Still, for Yuta to only get away with bruises and shallow wounds when he had fought against a seasoned Huntsman and a Sea Feilong? Only with 1 month of experience? She was sure that Yuta seemed in a worse shape when she found him earlier to take his Scroll... why was he still able to walk? Did he heal? If so, how did he do it without Aura?
'He's inhuman…'
She shuddered as she thought about what would happen should Yuta reach his full potential. If he kept training he could easily reach the likes of Geto… and maybe Gojo Satoru.
"Listen, I-I just want to know why?" Yuta said as he took a step forward, which made Blake instinctively take a step backward as sweat came off her forehead.
"Why what?" Blake said as she cocked her gun and took aim, which flinched him on the spot.
"Why did you help me?" he insisted, his dark blue eyes never leaving her.
Blake let out a sigh as she knew that Yuta would ask this question sooner or later, but she didn't expect him to ask her this soon. What an awkward meeting.
"You tracked me down all the way here just to ask me that?"
"Uh, I did have to use Rika since you were hard to find—"
"It was rhetorical," Blake said flatly as she lowered Gambol Shroud slightly when she saw that she was not in immediate danger, which eased the tension between the two. "I helped you… to return the favor. That's all."
Yuta tilted his head and blinked as he seemed to figure something out of her.
"But that was—"
"Out of self-preservation… I know, yet you still saved me." Blake said, her poker face never changing throughout the awkward conversation. "…So I wanted to thank you."
Brothers was this awkward, she was never good at conversations like this!
Yuta kept staring at her for a whole minute as if trying to find any lies in her statement. She could see Inumaki eyeing her neutrally, the fact that half of his face was covered made it hard for her to read what the Cursed Speech user was thinking.
"…You're not a bad person, aren't you?" Yuta said with a hint of relief in his tone.
Blake's eyes widened a bit, surprised by the fact that not only Yuta heard her out, but also believed her without any prejudice as she was used to for most of her life. The fact that he was standing here hearing her thoughts already surprised her enough, but this? This was a first for her.
"I don't think I'm fit to answer that question…" Blake muttered as she looked awkwardly to the side, her ears dropping a little.
Yuta finally seemed to notice that she was uncomfortable with the conversation and started to sweat anxiously.
"Oookay so… we're good now, right? You won't kill me when the war comes?" Yuta said, quickly changing the topic; thank the brothers for that.
Blake shook her head and sighed.
"I won't actively go for you, but I'm afraid I don't have the power to tell an army to stand down." She said with a hint of disappointment.
If she could help it, she'd rather stop this genocide from even happening but she knew that nobody, not even the whole group could change Geto's mind. The monk was lost in his own madness to even consider a more peaceful solution.
"What about your friend, can he tell them?" Yuta said, causing Blake to look at him in confusion. "You know, the one with red hair?"
Blake scoffed at that, she could try to convince Adam, but even she wasn't sure how that would go considering how close he was to Geto to the point that he was family to him. She could try, but she hasn't been close to Adam's life as the mad monk was to him, so trying to convince him to cease the attack was farfetched, not to mention that his hatred for humans is far greater than hers, so he might even encourage it to an extent.
It didn't hurt to try… maybe he can reason with Adam if she can prove that Geto is deceiving everyone. Frankly, even with his assurance, she has been doubting Geto's claim of fighting for the White Fang, so she will need concrete proof to persuade him.
"It's far more complicated than that…" Blake said as she let out a tired sigh. She looked at both boys neutrally. "I will need to meet someone who knows Geto Suguru well to even try to convince him, do any of you know such a person?"
Inumaki perked up and made a writing gesture to Blake, which she picked up instantly. She grabbed her notebook and pen and tore apart a piece of paper which she reluctantly handed it to him. The onigiri boy wrote a few words on the piece of paper before he handed the piece back to her.
Blake looked at the piece curiously and her eyes widened at what she saw.
Gojo Satoru
232-1230
Blake looked back at Inumaki, eyebrows raised.
"You're— giving me his number?" she asked unsure. "You do know that I'm White Fang… a group of professional assassins?"
Inumaki sent a deadpan look at her before he spluttered causing Blake to blink curiously at the boy before she remembered the time when she asked Geto the same question. If Gojo Satoru was such a threat to them, why hasn't anyone assassinated him yet? Or rather, why hasn't Geto used his myriad of Curse Spirits to finish the job?
Nah, I'd lose.
That was his swift and final response.
"Yeah…" Yuta said as he let out a quick laugh. "Let's just say it's not a wise idea."
Blake's cheeks flared up at what she just said and let out an awkward cough as she placed the piece of paper into her pocket.
"Thank you for your help, I'll see what I can do with this. For now, the best I can do is advise you not to be present when the war comes. Tell your friends the same, if you want to protect them."
That got Yuta's full attention as the mention of his friends' well-being seemed to affect him.
"Tuna mayo?" Inumaki said, leaning into the conversation as well.
"Suguru Geto is going to target Jujutsu High to come for you, due to your–" Blake explained but stopped abruptly as she heard her own words. Her eyes widened and she gritted her teeth in frustration. She turned her back to both of them and prepared to jump off. "I'm sorry, I must leave."
'I said too much, dammit! Why?!' Blake thought in frustration as she felt that what she was doing right now was essentially treason to her people. An unforgivable act.
"Wait! Blake, right?" Yuta shouted at her, which caused Blake to glance at him. "Thank you for saving us. I mean it."
Blake clenched her hand so hard that she was sure she would break Gambol Shroud in two. All her life, she entered the White Fang for one reason alone, she wanted to be heard because all humans were proponents and pretentious pricks who thought that they could treat them like garbage and get away with it. Then Okkotsu Yuta happened and threw all that idea away, infecting her head with uncertainty she knew she had discarded a long time ago.
She jumped off the roof without saying a word and rushed towards the White Fang's base.
That day, she left with more questions than answers about her loyalty to her people.
—December 7. 17 days remain until the war starts—
Satoru watched with a grin as a Bullhead arrived in the airport field just a few meters away from him, the wind caress blew away his hair as he waited patiently for the person he was expected to meet today. He wore his casual clothes for this day, opting for a plain black shirt and brown jeans alongside the 100% black sunglasses that a normal person wouldn't be able to see through unless they have the ultra-rare Six Eyes. It was a much more comfortable option than wearing a white blindfold all the time.
The main door opened and the stairs lowered to the floor as he heard steps coming from inside, until the person he was supposed to meet came out.
While Satoru's hair was pale white, this man's hair was a slight silver color, but not the worn-out type that old people have, it was strange, almost shining silver. His outfit mainly consists of an unzipped black suit over a dark green, buttoned vest and green shirt with a scarf of the same color.
"I'm telling you, James, I had no other choice, not when Amber—" the man stopped as he pursed his lips. "Fine, do as you wish, but try to be discreet."
If anyone confused them as twins, Satoru wouldn't blame them since Ozpin looked like an exact—albeit inferior—carbon copy of himself.
He even wore black glasses in the same fashion as him! The audacity!
"Satoru," Ozpin greeted as he stepped down the stairs and walked towards him. He extended his hand. "It's good to see you again."
Satoru smiled and extended his hand at him just about the shake hands.
Until he raised his index and swung upward just inches away of Ozpin's face. The gesture surprised Ozpin as he blinked at Satoru owlishly under his sunglasses. Until those glasses snapped in half and fell onto the floor. He let out a sigh, not amused in the slightest.
"Before I add 160,000 Lien to your tab…" Ozpin said harshly as he picked up one half of his glasses before it them away. "May I know why?"
Satore snorted at Ozpin's misery before frowning.
"Why you didn't tell me about the Special Grade in Sanctum?"
Ozpin glanced at him curiously before he perked up at what he meant.
"Oh, that one." Ozpin let out a defeated sigh. "Alright, I clearly deserved that. I'm sorry, but I had to do it to accelerate the boy's growth and I knew everything would be alright."
Satoru rolled his eyes at the bullshit statement.
"Pfft, you're telling me that you've seen the potential of a boy you've never met?"
Ozpin shook his head and looked at Satoru with a serious expression.
"I've seen the potential of a Vengeful Spirit made out of love. Unknowns always come with the best surprises." Ozpin explained as calmly as he could. Once Satoru didn't budge, he shook his head disappointingly. "Oh please, you sent the boy to fight Merlot's Feilong, you are the last person who should be talking about restraint. You know that I didn't send the boy to die, but I knew about his potential… same as you."
Satoru narrowed his eyes dangerously at Ozpin before letting out an amused chuckle. He didn't question how Ozpin knew about a matter that Winter covered up, but he knew better than to question his ability to gather information. Satoru didn't show it in his face, but he still was surprised that to this day, Ozpin was the only higher-up willing to take risks that the current higher-ups will not, which was a breath of fresh air in all of this political bullshit.
Yet Satoru still doesn't know if Ozpin even cared about the lives he sent on the field to carry out his plan to win against the Grimm. He masks his intention scarily well.
"You are one funny old man, Ozpin."
Ozpin grinned back at him.
"That'd be 160,000 lien for the glasses by the way."
"Yeah, yeah, I'll transfer to you some time. So, now that I got my bit of fun out of the way, I have something else to tell you." Satoru frowned, his voice getting more serious. "It was a bold move from you to make an insane deal on Lionheart's back, I sure would love to see his face when he finds out."
"If he finds out. I know Leo, and he most likely would have refused this deal out of fear from the sorcerers." Ozpin added as he raised his index. He perked up when he felt his pocket vibrating and pulled out his scroll.
He then looked at Satoru with a quizzical and betrayed look. Satoru's grin widened and he raised his arms.
"Oh it wasn't me, but I think I've got an idea." The white-haired sorcerer said. "Who could be the bastard most eager to sabotage you after mocking his outdated traditions?"
Ozpin blinked as he sent him a pensive look, and when he realized, he was not amused.
"Naobito… figures. I was wondering who could have told James about my plan." Ozpin pressed the answer button on his scroll and placed it on his ear. "Hello Leo, it's been a long time, how are you—"
"CUT THE CRAP OZPIN, WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?!" Lionheart yelled on the line which made Ozpin nearly jump from his spot as he pulled the Scroll away from his ear. He wasn't even on speaker for crying out loud!
"Dealing with sorcerers will only give us trouble in the long run, they're selfish, unruly, and downright suicidal!" Lionheart kept yelling in a fearful tone, giving the same feeling as someone getting pointed with a gun to the head.
Is not like he was wrong but did he have to be such a bitch about it?
"They are powerful, Leo, we cannot back down from this, not when we are so close," Ozpin said calmly, trying to reason with his colleague.
"You know what happens if you fail?" Lionheart pressed further as he gulped slowly. A sign of fear or barely contained rage. "Everything Mistral has built over the years will be replaced by Jujutsu crap and all of our history will be tainted!"
Satoru rolled his eyes at that, it was the same thinking that the conservative Kamo clan had and it got on his nerves. They'd rather have to keep the status quo than change for the better of their peers.
It was sickening.
"Try to be less melodramatic will ya? You sound like it will be the end of the world."
"Gojo…" Lionheart scoffed when he heard the white-haired sorcerer speak. "You goaded Ozpin into this didn't you?!"
Satoru let out an amused chuckle, this clown was becoming even more hilarious the older he got!
"Oh come on, it's like you don't even know me at all, do you think I would go all that trouble for this guy?"
Ozpin rolled his eyes at that, not even wanting to waste his breath on a retort that would start a conversation that would last hours.
"It was me, Leo, I did this on my own accord," Ozpin said with a tired sign. "If what I've foreseen is true… then Salem's return is inevitable, and judging what has happened as of late, it has already begun."
Foreseen? Now that's an odd choice of words.
Satoru crossed his arms and watched Ozpin intently, eager to know what he had been cooking all this time.
"What are you talking about?" he heard Lionheart ask on the line with heavy interest in the matter.
Ozpin pursed his lips as he seemed to be steeling himself.
"Amber has been critically wounded and her maiden powers have been… compromised."
Satoru eyes widened slightly at the reveal.
That… was bad.
Really, really bad.
He didn't know Amber that much but from what he had seen of her, she was quite the decent huntress with her Maiden powers. Not as powerful as him of course, but certainly no pushover.
If he could classify the Maidens on the Jujutsu scale, he would put them in high Grade 1 at best. So whoever defeated Amber should be in a similar or higher Grade than her.
Satoru's grin couldn't help but widen. Now that was interesting.
"How?" Satoru asked eagerly as he leaned forward.
Ozpin narrowed his eyes as his expression darkened. A hint of nervousness was present in his face which was normally alien in a man that has normally had the demeanor of someone that was in control.
"I don't know. It's like… her power has been siphoned out of her. I've never seen anything like it.
"Siphoned the Maiden powers?" Satoru raised an eyebrow. "I've never heard of something like that."
"Me neither…" Ozpin said gravely as he cupped his chin. "No matter how hard I think about it, it shouldn't be possible."
"For someone like you to say to be so uncertain; that's why you're so desperate," Lionheart said in a resigned tone. "Still, to jeopardize all of our education… I've seen you take risks but never of this magnitude."
"The situation is different now, Leo. I'm not failing this." Ozpin said resolutely, not willing to back down from his plan.
Lionheart didn't say anything as he seemed to be contemplating Ozpin's words, either he was analyzing them, or he was too afraid to respond to him. Probably the latter if Satoru had to be honest.
"I—I hope you know what you're doing, Oz…"
With a beep on his scroll affirming that the line died, Ozpin blinked owlishly as Lionheart's fearful attitude was something new to him.
After the events that happened 9 years ago, Haven's headmaster has never been the same. He used to be somewhat respectable to Satoru as Lionhearted preferred to teach students himself while being on active duty as a Huntsman and was always open to hearing the youngsters out instead of closing them out like the conservative members of Jujutsu society. Now he has become more fearful and paranoid of the future, he rarely gets out of the academy and he has engraved the idea that traditions are everything for the safety of Mistral.
From a respectable figure to a complete fraud.
"Yes offense, but he sounded like someone who was about to piss his pants."
Ozpin let out a sigh and a mirthless chuckle.
"I will agree with you on this one, I've never seen Leo this agitated before, granted, I've also never pushed this far for an alliance. Naobito… now trying to turn my allies on me. First, he tells James which caused him to go ballistic and now he will probably send an army here to fight Geto, and now Leo…" He said as he rubbed his temples from the incoming migraine. "Anyway, about Okkotsu—"
Satoru perked up at that as he remembered why Ozpin came to Mistral in the first place.
"Right, I'll take you to him right now," Satoru said as he clasped both of his hands. Then both of them disappeared in thin air.
"Come on, you gotta land a hit on me, right? I'm still waiting."
"I'm not finished yet!"
Standing outside on Jujutsu's training field, Inumaki Toge watched as Yuta and Maki sparred against each other, with the former standing his ground much better than their first encounter.
"Toge, have you noticed Yuta has been more positive lately?"
Beside him stood the one who asked him the question, his friend Panda… who had the appearance of a literal Panda.
When he asked Panda why he looked like that when he first met him, he just replied with 'I am Panda' and left it like that. Yeah, not the smartest question to ask but he was genuinely curious. Even after having a rough start, Panda is now one of his best friends and Toge would trust him with his life without a second thought.
"Salmon." Came Toge's short reply as he kept watching the fight intently.
When Maki first sparred with Yuta, she overwhelmed him with her superior polearm skills and enhanced physical strength without breaking a sweat, so much so that she seemed bored when fighting him. Now, however, she seems to be struggling if her extremely focused expression and sweaty face were anything to go by.
He remembered when Yuta was just a rookie with limited knowledge of Curse Energy and Techniques back when they just started their mission in Argus. However, he had improved massively ever since he awoke his insane Curse Technique he had managed to keep up with the likes of Todo and even managed to kill a Sea Feilong if what Okkotsu said was true. He just needed to improve more in the close combat department and he would become an exemplary Special Grade sorcerer.
Honestly, the fact that Yuta used his technique to greater effectiveness than him made him a little jealous, but it didn't bother him. Over the past days, he has grown fond of Yuta to the point that he can safely call him his friend, so he can improve all that he wants and he will fully support him.
At first, Yuta was on guard because of his strange way of communicating, like a lot of people Toge has met in his life. But once he knew about his Cursed Speech and why he couldn't communicate like a normal person, Yuta understood him and even made an effort to try and understand what he meant most of the time.
He appreciated that.
Yuta's the type of guy who is easily likable, even some hardasses like Maki had mellowed out on him. It was only due to the special circumstances that he ended up as a depressed recluse with zero social skills, but he is slowly getting out of that rabbit hole.
"I've also never seen Maki so eager with training before, usually because she's alone with it… and stomped Okkotsu easily before he went for his mission in Argus," Panda said as he placed his claw on his chin. "After he came back though… it's like he's a different person."
Oh Panda you sweet summer child, you don't know half of it.
"Hi, guys!"
Toge perked when he heard an upbeat yet familiar voice that he heard a few days ago. He turned to see the beautiful redhead Pyrrha Nikos smiling and waving eagerly at Yuta and Maki, the former perked up at his friend at waved back at her.
"Hi Pyrrh—" Only for a haymaker to the face courtesy of Zen'in Maki stopped him for delivering a proper greeting.
"You're distracted," Maki said, not even acknowledging Pyrrha's presence as her mind was entirely focused on the fight.
"Right, sorry!" Yuta nodded as he switched his focus back to the fight.
Toge watched Pyrrha intently at one thing that caught his attention. Her face… it seemed a little paler than her usual healthy color, and the bags under her eyes didn't contrast well with her beautiful appearance.
It made him wonder, how much has she slept since the last time he had seen her?
Toge heard incoherent blabbering beside him and saw Panda with his mouth hung open as he pointed his claw toward Pyrrha.
'Oh no…' Toge couldn't hold his deadpan stare as he watched his friend make a fool of himself.
He forgot that Panda was a hardcore simp of Pyrrha Nikos, or rather, he's a hardcore fan of Pumpkin Pete's.
"Y-Y-You're—" he said in a high pitch, his claw shaking uncontrollably. "Pyrrha Nikos!"
Toge rolled his eyes as he felt the second-hand embarrassment washing towards him.
'Panda… please stop.' Were the words inside of his head that were dying to get out of his mouth and Curse Technique.
"Yeah, that would be me…" Pyrrha said awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head and laughed awkwardly.
"I'm Panda, and this is Inumaki Toge…" Panda said way too eagerly. "You know, I've been your biggest fan ever since you appeared in Pumpkin Pete's and it's so good that I eat it every—"
"Bonito Flakes…" Stop, please...
Panda frowned at the sudden interruption but seemed to have picked the message to hit the brakes, so he wisely decided to change the subject.
"Apologies but, why are you here? Not like I mind it of course but it's the first seeing someone of your status visiting Jujutsu grounds…" the mammal asked, hands on his chest.
"I spared some time to visit Yuta to check on his progress… and I wanted to ask something from Maki. Since I don't come to Mistral often, I don't get to see them very much." Pyrrha said with a grin.
"Yuta… Pyrrha…" Panda replied in a monotone voice. He seemed to have spaced out as he slowly processed what the redhead just said. When he did, his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "Huh?!"
It was a good thing that Pyrrha wasn't paying attention to Panda nearly losing his mind or else she would think he was having a seizure.
"Come here, Toge!" Panda asked kindly as he yanked him against his will away to a safe distance where Pyrrha didn't notice them.
'Brothers, please smite me right here and now…'
When they were sure that Pyrrha would not hear anything he said, Panda looked at Toge with much interest in his eyes.
"How the hell does Pyrrha know Yuta?!" he asked as he grabbed both of his shoulders forcefully.
Toge slapped Panda's arms off, he grabbed his Scroll from his pocket and started typing a quick text. Panda understood what he had to do and grabbed his Scroll as well.
"She barged in on their mission when they were exorcising a curse and the rest is history."
"Huh… talk about convenient," Panda mumbled in understanding as he scratched his ears.
"Also, stop simping, you're making a fool of yourself more than usual."
"More than usual?!" Panda's mouth gaped, looking at Toge as if he had just uttered something alien even though he was incapable of speech. "Have you ever tried Pumpkin Pete's?!"
Toge snorted and texted back.
"Yeah—it's bad, it feels like my heart goes to 150 bpm for all the copious amounts of sugar that thing has."
"Toge…" Panda said as he let out an innocent smile. "All your human takes are bad and mine are factually correct because I'm a Panda, deal with it."
Toge felt his eyes twitch at the lack of sense of that statement and decided to drop the conversation there before he got an aneurysm.
"Come on— just as I told you…!"
Toge turned to see an anxious Pyrrha with both hands on her mouth when she watched the spar.
Yuta seemed to have the upper hand as he parried Maki's blow with his bokken and grabbed her arm in an attempt to pin her down with a martial arts move.
However, Yuta failed to note that Maki was a skilled gorilla in the martial arts department. The Zen'in clung to his entire right arm with both arms and legs and used her weight to drop Yuta to the floor in an arm lock move.
It seemed effortless on Maki's part, but Toge didn't fail to notice her agitation and the sweat that covered her that it wasn't easy at all for her. Still, she'd rather shoot herself in the foot than admit that.
"I win this time," Maki said confidently with a proud grin.
Pyrrha's shoulder slumped slightly but was seemingly satisfied with the performance as she clapped at them.
"That was a great fight from both of you!" Pyrrha said as she walked towards them.
"Pyrrha!" Yuta beamed as he got up from the floor and greeted the redhead with a high-five. "It's great to see you well. How did you pass the barrier?"
"Your sensei teleported me here," Pyrrha said with a slight tilt of her head. "What, I wasn't supposed to be here?"
"Uhh…" Yuta looked awkwardly to the side as he tried to reassure with no effect. Pyrrha's eyes widened as her face became red like a tomato.
Part of the treaty with Jujutsu High states that Aura users are banned from entering the grounds of Jujutsu High, and anyone who breaks that rule will receive a fine equal to ten times the minimum wage… which it shouldn't even be a dent to the wallet of someone like Pyrrha Nikos, but the fact that she was fined in the first place could be a hit to her image.
"Don't worry about it, nobody's gonna snitch on you. Rest easy." Maki dismissed it with a shrug, causing Pyrrha to breathe a relieved sigh. "So, Invincible Girl, you've been training him too?"
The redhead flinched at that mention of her famous nickname.
"I… have, yes," Pyrrha said as she recalled how the events of the spar went. "He was close to winning against you didn't he?"
Now it was turn for Maki to flinch as the redhead hit her directly to her pride.
"He has ways to go… but yes, he is improving at a very fast rate," Maki muttered with a hint of embarrassment.
"Thank you, I try my best." Yuta grinned at the praise.
"Oh Maki~"
Maki frowned as she turned to see the one who addressed her. Panda smiled teasingly at her
"Did I just hear praise someone?"
"Panda…" Maki growled as she raised her bō staff. Toge swore he could see a vein popping on her forehead. "Don't fucking speak again."
Panda let out a goofy laugh as Maki's threat had gone over his head in a dangerous game on how far can he piss her off. He seemed to want to tease her more until another person spoke before him.
"You alright, Pyrrha? You look tired." Yuta said as he looked at the redhead with concern.
'So he noticed as well...' Toge thought as he watched Yuta intently. He would have said something if he could help it, but he didn't know Pyrrha that well, so he kept to himself.
Pyrrha perked up at Yuta's words and let out a sad smile, not having the energy to even try to evade the subject.
"So you noticed…" Pyrrha said as she rubbed her eyes, the tiredness catching up to her. "Yes, I have been training non-stop ever since our meeting in the school."
"Ah, preparing for Geto and the White Fang's attack, right?" Maki added as she crossed her arms.
Pyrrha let out a long, tired sigh.
"I've always been called that I'm called Invincible since way back in my tournament days, and that statement remains true, but… when I saw that madman in the eyes… I've never felt so vulnerable before. One wrong move and I would be dead, with nothing to do about it."
She must be referring to Geto if she was talking about what happened in Sanctum Academy. Toge had yet to meet the guy, but if Special Grades were in a similar tier that Gojo, then it's no surprise that Pyrrha—who is just a tournament prodigy— couldn't even hold a candle against those monsters that are capable of leveling entire cities on a whim.
And he did not want to see what the sorcerer with Curse Manipulation had in store for the 24th of December.
"I must admit that he also seemed strong from just his mere presence, but you must sleep," Maki said harshly as she narrowed her eyes. "Maintaining a good, consistent routine will help you out in the long run. It will increase your productivity and you will get stronger. Stop overworking yourself to death to prove that you're the strongest."
Pyrrha blinked owlishly at Maki's harsh words, not knowing what to make of that statement.
"This is the reason I'm being so strict with your hours. I don't want you to end up like a complete wreck." She said firmly as she hit her staff on the ground, causing Yuta to whimper. "Come on, it's time for our next round."
With her opinion made clear, the Zen'in walked towards the training field in a sour mood. Not even Panda wanted to scold her for talking to Pyrrha like that.
Yuta scratched the back of his head and sent her an apologetic look. "Sorry about her. She tends to be harsh when it comes to fighting."
"She is like that all the time, Yuta." Panda retorted as he shook his head. "But don't mind her, even in that rough exterior, she means well. However, I have to be on her side on this one. You have to rest."
Toge nodded at that. "Salmon."
"Well, looks like I won't be able to spar with her today…" Pyrrha chuckled. Her statement caused everyone around to widen their eyes.
"You wanted to spar with her?!" Yuta said dumbfounded, his mouth agape. Pyrrha shrugged.
"I've never spared with a skilled polearm user before, everyone in my academy was just… unskilled. She seems like she would be a good and fun partner." She said with a sad tone as she looked on the ground.
"I'm sure she would be eager to spar with you, but you better ask her when you are in tip-top shape," Panda said neutrally.
"OKKOTSU!"
Maki's angry scream sent chills down Yuta's spine as he fearfully grabbed his bokken.
"Right, I have to go. Get some rest, Pyrrha!"
Yuta ran towards the angry Zen'in as Pyrrha waved at him.
The redhead let out a groan and sat on the grassy field to ease her tension before finally slumping her whole body into the ground.
"In two days a mass murderer will come and destroy everything and here I am counting each bird that passes by," Pyrrha said to no one, her green eyes staring at the beautiful blue sky.
"Don't stress about it. We also tend to mess around before starting a mission, it helps in keeping our cursed energy in check." Panda said as he jerked his thumb at Toge, which caused the latter to nod.
Pyrrha glanced at Maki one last time, sending her a look of sadness and pity that Toge knew all too well. Sooner or later she was going to notice something was off about her.
"Speaking of that, why is it that Maki—"
"Lacks Aura? Curse Energy?" Panda finished for her as he sat on the ground. "That's why Jujutsu High has placed her on the lowest grade possible. She's not able to emit any energy at all."
Pyrrha's eyes widened at that statement, looking at Panda as if he had said something alien to her.
"That… is completely impossible, everyone at least should have Aura at the very least, she must have yet to awaken it?" Pyrrha asked in a hopeful voice. Panda shook his head.
"Not her, we have tried everything to unlock her curse energy or Aura, and nothing works. It must be a special condition she has." Panda said as he confirmed the worst-case scenario.
"No use thinking about it, isn't it?" Pyrrha said as she pursed her lips. Toge nodded at the question and she let out a tired sigh. "Bummer, so— Inumaki, right?"
Toge pointed towards his scarf. 'This is going to be difficult to explain…'
"Yuta told me about it, no need to explain. Cursed speech, was it? It must be hard not being able to talk normally with people." Pyrrha said, causing Toge's eyes to widen slightly. She smiled brightly at him. "Even with that, I hope we can be friends."
Huh, that wasn't what he expected. He thought that he was going to have an awkward start like every single time he had to introduce himself to someone, Yuta comes to mind as the most recent case, but for her to just shrug off his condition and immediately treat him like a normal person?
That was a nice change of pace, he liked that.
"Salmon!" Toge's eye smiled as he raised a thumbs up. Pyrrha smiled sweetly before finally slumping on the ground and closing her eyes.
She slept on the ground?!
"Huh, she must have been exhausted… when was the last time she slept?" Panda said worriedly and to that, Toge had no answer.
A gust in the wind snapped Toge and Panda out of their stupor and they immediately went on guard as two presences made themselves known, but lowered it when they realized who these two were.
'…Is that a clone of Gojo?'
The differences that made it possible for Toge to differentiate Gojo and his copy was the fact that the latter was dressed more formally and his posture was regal and firm, while the former was laxer and slumped. Their different eye color also helped to distinguish them. They stood in front of both Yuta and Maki, which caused them to stop their spar and divert their attention to them.
The brown-eyed Gojo spoke first.
"Okkotsu Yuta, we meet at last."
Inside the White Fang headquarters, Adam Taurus's quick steps were heard as he made his way onto the Throne Room.
Geto said that today he had to talk important business with Sienna and that Adam should head there in case he needed something for him, and in this case, he very much needed it.
He was frustrated, so very frustrated with himself.
Adam Taurus, Commander of the First Division. He wanted to scoff at that unworthy title if he lost to the likes of Zen'in Maki.
'Zen'in Maki…'
The pariah of the Zen'in Clan, the lowest of the low, a monkey that's incapable of using both Aura and Cursed Energy. That same monkey beat him and mocked him with that smug grin on her face.
Just the mention of her name was enough to make his blood boil.
She may have had the help of Pyrrha Nikos, whose reputation hasn't been just for show, but his failure still stung.
He shook his head from his negative thoughts as he reached the main door of the Throne Room. However, just before he opened it, he heard a loud, angry voice coming from inside.
"Geto, this is insanity! The White Fang will not abide by this!"
He recognized that voice. Sienna Khan, one of the leaders of the White Fang alongside Geto.
That's right, not a high leader, but one of the leaders of a divided group.
"I think it would be best for both of us that you along with this plan, Miss Khan. A lot of your people already support it, it would not look good on your image if you go against it." Geto said calmly, trying to be as diplomatic as possible.
Adam heard a loud slam on a wall as well as rubble falling alongside it.
Yep, that's definitely Sienna's temper going haywire when things don't go the way she wants.
"Geto, I despise humans as much as you do, but do you think I'm a fool?" Sienna growled menacingly. "You're talking about genocide, with no aim or goal in mind. No matter how much you try to mask like it's some sort of sophisticated plan; we both know it's not!"
Adam closed his eyes in thought because he knew she was right.
Geto despised monkeys, and that meant people that had no affinity with their Curse Energy and Aura, no matter if they were Humans or Faunus. He could see that Geto's plan was flawed, but he could see that it would bear fruit in the future. Blake would hate him if she found out that he knew all this time, so he reluctantly kept it a secret, because even if the plan sounds like madness, it was logical.
If Geto kills all people who hold no control of their souls as a member of the White Fang, then that will send a message to the Humans that the Faunus are not lowly figures for them to do as they please, they will become respected race in Remnant. Fear was a good motivator after all.
Even if his plan has many holes, Adam will still follow Geto to the ends of Remnant because he's still alive thanks to him. He saved Mimiko, Nanako, and him from the clutches of SDC, and treated them in a way like nobody had done for them in the past years.
He treated them like family, like equals, like they mattered.
"And you think you have the power to get in my way?"
Adam flinched as he felt Geto's Curse Energy flaring like a miasma, as he threatened to open the gates of hell that was his repertoire of Curse Spirits. The threat was not even directed at him, but he had to admit that Geto is terrifying when someone angers him.
Not one word was spoken afterward as he could hear Sienna gritting her teeth in frustration at the feeling of powerlessness. With no more to be said, she stormed out of the room as she opened the doors furiously.
Sienna stopped in her tracks and glanced at Adam. He could see the burning hatred through her amber eyes.
"How much did you hear?" she demanded through gritted teeth.
"All of it," Adam said neutrally.
"And are you still willing to follow him even if his madness is clear as day?" Sienna said, not daring to break eye contact with him.
Adam narrowed his eyes under his mask, offended that she even dared to ask such a thing.
"I will follow Geto even if it costs my life," Adam said as he clenched his hands into a fist. "And his plan is the best course of action if we want the Faunus to be treated fairly, why can't you see that?!"
Sienna locked her gaze with Adam for a while before her gaze changed into that of pity. She shook her head.
"Oh, Adam…" she said with a disappointed sigh. "Brothers…"
Before Adam could speak up, Sienna already walked away from him, seemingly not wanting to speak with anyone right now.
What the hell did she mean by that?
Adam shrugged and opened the door to the Throne Room. The dimly lit expansive room was always a fascinating sight to see, the red and black color of the walls were the signature colors of the newly reformed White Fang.
In the center of the room, Geto stood there stretching himself, seemingly exhausted from his previous 'talk' with Sienna. He perked up when he saw Adam approaching him carefully.
"You okay?" Adam asked as he tilted his head.
"Talking to that woman is exhausting as always…" Geto sulked as he stretched his neck. "Why can't she accept that the monkeys need to die is beyond me."
"She will see the logic someday, just as I have, let's not worry about it," Adam said, shrugging off Geto's concerns.
"So, what it is that you wanted to talk about?" Geto said as he crossed his arms.
"Yeah, about that…" Adam sighed as he got ready to drop the bomb. "Can you use Playful Cloud on me?"
Geto's eyes widened and blinked as he processed Adam's question, not knowing if he heard him right.
"Excuse me?"
"I lost to Zen'in Maki." Adam said, causing Geto to frown. "I lost to a fucking monkey that can't even use Curse Energy, and I hate it, she even had the gall to—"
"Mock you while you were down with an insufferable grin on her face?" Geto finished for him with a smile on his own.
Adam blinked as he opened his mouth, then closed it. "Yeah… how did you know?"
Geto let out a sigh.
"Let's just say that I had something similar happen to me when I was your age," Geto said with a disgusted look on his face. He then looked at Adam with a worried look, his relaxed demeanor no longer to be seen. "You do understand what you're asking, right? Playful Cloud is no toy; I can easily kill you with it if you let out your Aura down for a second."
Adam gulped as he hesitated slightly, but steeled himself at what was to come. He's no coward, he can take whatever beating Geto might unleash.
"I can do it," Adam said as he unsheathed Wilt, the red sword shining brightly inside the room. "Come at me!"
Geto let out a challenging grin.
"Someone's cocky, eh?" Geto said with a chuckle as the Inventory Curse manifested around his neck. The Curse spat then the red nunchaku he grabbed and the Geto went into his fighting stance. "Very well, I will not hold back on you."
Adam understood what he was asking, and yet, he was excited at the prospect of training with Geto. To get stronger, he was willing to walk into a path full of pain.
For the White Fang and the Faunus.
For Geto.
'Just you wait, Zen'in Maki…'
I hope that you guys like this new direction I'm taking Adam because I really like the design of this character which makes him feel like a powerhouse. If he feels a little off here then he is canon... you are right, because this Adam is meant to be immature, a shell of his former canon self so he has room to grow. Let me cook you Adam fanboys. LET. ME. COOK!
We are getting very close to Yuji and the rest of the cast. So be excited for them ;)