WARNING: This chapter is really long : 10k+ words
also don't hesitate if you feel like it, to send a private message or review the story on how I could improve or even just point out some critical flaws here and there (I see it as the best way to improve my writing and thus the story)
Team RWBY found themselves in front of a large crowd of people decorating the city of Vale for the Vital Festival. Weiss was incredibly excited, enjoying the festivities and the prospect of the cultural celebrations, dances, parades, and the tournament. Ruby, on the other hand, found Weiss's excessive excitement a little strange.
"I don't think I've ever seen you smile this much before, Weiss. It's kinda weirding me out," Ruby remarked. Weiss turned to Ruby, brimming with enthusiasm. "How could you not smile?! This festival is dedicated to the cultures of the world! There will be dances, parades, and a tournament!"
Weiss placed her hands on her chest, turning around to admire the vibrant atmosphere. "The amount of planning that goes into this event is simply breathtaking!"
As Weiss led the team down the street, Yang crossed her arms and sighed. "You really know how to take a good thing and make it sound boring," she teased. Weiss didn't even slow down, simply responding, "Quiet, you."
After a few minutes of strolling around and exploring small shops set up for the event, Ruby suddenly felt drawn to a particular shop—a small wagon with a woman in her thirties standing nearby. Without a care in the world, Ruby headed towards it, prompting her teammates to follow, curious about what she had noticed.
Ruby stopped in front of the wagon, where various items from around the world were displayed on a big table. The shop owner stood behind the table, ready to assist. "Interested in anything? I've got items from all over the world, from the deserts of Vacuo to the mountains of Atlas," the owner offered.
"Just looking around," Ruby replied casually. Yang placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder and asked, "Found something interesting?"
Weiss also looked around and spotted a book among the items. It lacked a title or any recognizable logo. Intrigued, she picked it up, opened it, and found the first page filled with intricate glyphs she couldn't decipher. Turning the pages, she saw more unfamiliar glyphs accompanied by a full page of text written solely in runes.
Closing the book, Weiss directed her attention to the shop owner. "How did a book like this end up here? I've never seen these glyphs before, and I'm quite knowledgeable about them. There's even text written in runes!"
The shop owner shrugged and replied, "That book? I don't know. Some guy sold it to me a few weeks ago. It seemed shady, but he begged me to buy it so he could buy himself a beer. It didn't look valuable, but I felt compelled to take it off his hands."
Blake and Yang exchanged glances, their experience as Huntsmen reminding them that books containing such glyphs were not only rare but also extremely valuable.
"How much for this book?" Weiss inquired, her interest piqued. Ruby had caught up to them and noticed the book as well.
"50,000 liens," the shop owner replied.
"50?!" Weiss reacted incredulously. [That's so cheap for a book like this!]
"aren't those books supposed to be over-"Ruby almost correct the price of the books, but Yang and Blake quickly silenced her, knowing the true worth of such a book among Huntsmen by almost choking her
"Well, it is a bit expensive compared to the rest of my shop," the seller admitted.
Without hesitation, Weiss composed herself and handed over the money. She swiftly stashed the book in her bag, prompting Yang and Blake to release their hold on Ruby
Ruby then noticed something shining among a small pile of objects. She walked towards it, ignoring the shop owner's protests. "I haven't put that item on sale yet..." the owner started, but Ruby's hand was already in the pile. "Just... just don't break anything," the owner added reluctantly.
Ruby dug through the pile and eventually felt something emitting a bit of heat. She clenched it and pulled it out, opening her hand to examine it for a brief moment. Unseen by anyone, Ruby's silver eyes glowed bright white, but the glow quickly subsided.
It turned out to be a small pyramid-shaped object made of a strange metal. Several lines on it seemed to indicate that it could be opened or separated into pieces. It emitted a slight amount of heat and fit perfectly in Ruby's palm.
"What kind of metal is this?" Ruby wondered aloud. "It feels weird. How much for that?"
The shop owner examined the object and confessed, "I didn't even know it was there... I don't know what it is." She took it from Ruby's hand, trying to figure out its purpose, but had no success.
"No clue what it is... I guess you can have it for 100 lien," the owner offered. "I don't like giving things away for free."
Ruby handed over a small ticket of lien, and the transaction was complete. The team then walked away from the shop, carrying their newfound treasure.
"What did you find?" Yang asked as she grabbed the small pyramidal object from Ruby's hand, inspecting it closely. "What is this?"
"I don't know yet, but I like it," Ruby replied with a smile. "Maybe I can do something with it, like open it or use the metal for something else."
"Is it radiating heat? It's actually really hot. Have you been holding it with your aura active or something?" Yang inquired. Weiss took the object from Ruby, but her hands recoiled immediately. "It's cold, you mean! Ice cold."
"Huh? No, it's not," Ruby and Yang replied simultaneously.
Blake chimed in, "Can I see it?" Yang handed the small object to Blake, who observed it carefully. "It's... cold, not ice cold, but like the chill of the night."
"What? Let me see it again!" Weiss grabbed it once more, using her aura to shield herself from the cold. She examined it for several seconds. "I think it reacts to our aura. There's something inside or about the object itself that has an energy that responds to ours."
"Maybe it contains a rare type of Dust!" Ruby suggested, reclaiming the object. "Even just the metal alone is interesting. I'll try to open it when we're back at Beacon."
Weiss suddenly stepped in front of the rest of her team. "But before we... move on to more stores and fun stuff... how about we head to the docks?" she proposed.
And so the team made their way through the city towards the docks.
The team approached the edge of the docks, surrounded by the sounds of boats, seagulls, and the strong smell of fish and the sea. The honk of a boat arriving echoed through the entire street.
"Remind me again why we're spending our Friday afternoon visiting the stupid docks?" Yang asked.
"Ugh, they smell like fish," Ruby replied, clearly disgusted by the odor.
"I've heard that students visiting from Vacuo will be arriving by ship today," Weiss said, her hands behind her back as she leaned forward to get a better look at the crowd disembarking from the boat. She turned to her team. "And as a representative of Beacon, I feel it is my solemn duty to welcome them to this fine kingdom."
Blake crossed her arms and sighed. "She wants to spy on them so she'll have the upper hand in the tournament."
"Ah! You can't prove that!" Weiss retorted.
"Hey, look over there," Yang interrupted the conversation. "A store has been robbed..."
The team turned their attention towards the store at the end of the street. They approached it and saw police officers at the scene.
"Sorry, kids, no trespassing. This area is under investigation," said the policeman, a tall white man with sunglasses and an impressive beard.
"What happened?" Ruby asked curiously.
"Seems obvious" the policeman replied before walking away to speak with his partner.
"A robbery, I guess," Yang commented.
The team could still hear the police officers talking amongst themselves.
"Second Dust shop to be hit this week. This place is turning into a jungle," the first policeman commented, looking concerned.
"They left all the money again?" asked the other policeman, speaking with a strong accent.
"Yeah, it just doesn't make a lick of sense. Who needs that much Dust?" The first policeman appeared perplexed as his partner surveyed the area. "I dunno, you know what I mean?"
The bearded man knelt down and picked up a shard of shattered glass. "White Fang, you think?" he speculated, while his partner entered the store.
"I'm thinking we don't get paid enough," the partner muttered, expressing his frustration.
Weiss sighed heavily. "Hmph. The White Fang. What an awful bunch of degenerates and psychopaths."
Blake immediately stared at Weiss in disgust. "Huh? The White Fang is hardly a bunch of psychopaths. They're a collection of misguided Faunus."
"What do you mean by 'misguided'?" responded Weiss. "Misguided is a term used when someone has a certain logic, and that logic is faulty. The White Fang is just a barbaric group that follows their most basic instinct, which is violence. Their actions have no logic; they destroy everything around them. Like degenerates, they want to erase humanity! I don't see the destruction of a whole species as a reasonable or realistic objective!"
"Hatred and vengeance are rarely rational," said Blake, attempting to remain calm. "The Faunus follow their instincts because of their anger..." Blake paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "Either way, it doesn't explain why they would rob a Dust shop in the middle of downtown Vale."
Ruby supported Blake's point. "Blake's got a point. Besides, the police never caught that Torchwick guy I ran into a few months ago... Maybe it was him."
Weiss seemed to stick to her previous stance. "That still doesn't change the fact that the White Fang are a bunch of scum. Those Faunus only know how to lie, cheat, and steal. Calling them misguided is almost the same as calling them innocent, which they are not!"
Yang's eyes shifted to Blake, who clearly didn't seem well. Yang was also surprised by Weiss's extreme reaction. "That's not necessarily true. I've heard a lot of stories of regular people doing bad things for stupid reasons."
"So because those people let themselves be misguided, it means they are innocent?!" Weiss argued.
Suddenly, a man's voice screamed in the distance from the docks, interrupting their conversation. Team RWBY left the damaged store and turned to see what the problem was.
"Thanks for the ride, guys!" they heard a monkey Faunus say as he ran away from people on a boat. The blond-haired boy ran at great speed, eventually climbing a street lamp to avoid security.
"You no-good stowaway!" called a man from the boat.
The Faunus continued eating a banana peacefully and waved his hand at the security. "Hey! A 'no-good' stowaway would have been caught. I'm a great stowaway."
The police, who had been called by citizens, rushed toward the boat. "Hey! Get down from there!"
Sun watched the scene in silence for a moment. "Seriously? You expect that from me? Sorry... not sorry," he said, throwing the remains of the banana in the police officer's face. He then landed on the docks after an impressive jump and ran at an equally impressive speed.
The monkey Faunus ran right past Team RWBY. Blake and the Faunus locked eyes, and she gave him a disappointed look along with a bit of judgment. He felt a bit disturbed by the look but kept running anyway.
Team RWBY stared at each other in silence for a moment, and then Yang finally broke the silence. "Well, Weiss, you wanted to see the competition... and there it goes."
Weiss started running without hesitation. "Quick! We have to observe him!"
Blake was a bit late to start running, but she eventually followed her team.
Sun Wukong is running away from his problems, but he quickly notices that people are chasing after him.
"Wow, they can run fast! Are they after me? Even the pretty black-haired girl? I won't take any chances!" Sun activates his aura and unleashes a powerful dash forward, leaving a small fracture on the ground.
"Wait! You filthy criminal!" The white-haired girl creates white glyphs under her feet and speeds up, almost catching up to Sun. Meanwhile, the other three individuals are left behind, clearly not as determined to catch him.
Weiss is almost able to touch him, and Sun turns his head just enough for her to see his smile. "Sorry, I'm late for something. I can't bother with a fangirl right now."
"Heh?"
The monkey faunus suddenly uses his monkey tail to wrap around a street lamp, strengthening it with aura. He changes direction and continues running. The movement is so fast that Weiss has to slow down to process his actions and change direction to follow him. As Sun runs, he narrowly dodges a ginger-haired girl who is standing in the middle of the street. However, Weiss is not as lucky and crashes into the poor ginger-haired girl.
Sun, still running, shouts, "Sorry! I hope nobody got hurt!" before making his escape.
Weiss slowly lifts her chest and head, forgetting about the girl underneath her. She feels more pain than she should from the crash and rubs her left cheek. "Did I hit a car or... a wall?" She then remembers the situation. "Oh no! He got away!"
The rest of Team RWBY arrives shortly after.
"Um... Weiss?" Yang points at the girl on the ground.
Weiss looks down and realizes that she is indeed on top of someone else. The girl underneath her smiles innocently, but Weiss is instead frightened and jumps back, caught by Yang. Weiss quickly regains her usual composure.
team rwby stare at the girl on the ground,
The girl had short, rather curly orange hair that came down to her chin, with a small cowlick on top. She wore a pink bow on the back of her head and had bright green eyes, light skin, and freckles. Her outfit consisted of an off-white, old-fashioned styled off-the-shoulder blouse with frill detailed trim and frill flared cuffs that half covered her hands. There were copper button detailing on the lower parts of her sleeves.
"Salutations!" the girl exclaimed, seeming extremely joyful despite being on the ground after such a shock.
"Um...hello?" Ruby hesitated, while Yang also appeared concerned. "Are you okay?"
"I'm wonderful. Thank you for asking," the girl on the ground replied.
Team RWBY stared at each other for a moment, finding the girl's behavior peculiar. Additionally, she was still on the ground and not moving.
"Do you want to get up?" Yang finally asked, feeling weirded out by the strange girl. The girl seemed to actually consider Yang's question and then answered, "Yes!" She then jumped up from the ground, forcing the group to step back a bit.
"My name is Penny! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny introduced herself enthusiastically.
Ruby hesitated at first, but she decided to take a friendly approach, and the rest of her team followed suit. "I'm Ruby. I'm Weiss. Blake. Are you sure you didn't hit your head?"
Blake nudged Yang in the elbow, prompting Yang to correct herself. "Oh, I'm Yang."
"It's a pleasure to meet you!" Penny repeated with abnormally high enthusiasm. Weiss, wanting to leave, said, "Well, sorry for running into you."
"Take care, friend!" Ruby said as the team left, leaving Penny a bit confused as she tried to process something.
Team RWBY continued walking, their conversation taking an unexpected turn.
"She was... weird," Yang said, a bit confused. Weiss ignored her and looked around. "Now... where did that Faunus riffraff run off to?"
"Riff-raff?" reacted Ruby.
Weiss barely blinked but had to stop in her tracks as Penny appeared in front of her out of nowhere.
"What did you call me?" Penny asked. Yang felt as if she were the one being looked at and realized her mistake. "Oh, I'm really sorry. I definitely didn't think you heard me!" Meanwhile, Weiss and Blake exchanged shocked glances, trying to understand how Penny had moved so quickly to get in front of them.
The only person who had ever shown this kind of speed to Weiss was Mercury, so Penny's sudden appearance disturbed her even more.
"Not you," Penny clarified to Yang. She then walked among the team and focused on Ruby. Ruby leaned back, feeling overwhelmed by Penny's closeness. "You."
"Me? I-I-I... I don't know, I... what? Um, huh?" Ruby stood there in confusion.
"You called me a friend. Am I really your friend?" Penny questioned.
Blake, Yang, and Weiss frantically waved their arms, signaling Ruby not to say it. But deep down, they knew Ruby couldn't say no to anyone who appeared as innocent as Penny.
"Yeah, sure. Why not?" Ruby said, ignoring her team's advice. Blake, Yang, and Weiss facepalmed silently, while Penny raised her arm in joy. "Sensational! We can paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys!"
Ruby's mouth formed a half-hearted smile, struggling to force it. She leaned toward Weiss and whispered, "Is this how it was when you met me?"
"No, she seems far more coordinated..." Weiss replied, correcting Ruby.
Yang tried to change the subject to avoid an awkward situation. "So... what are you doing in Vale?"
Penny turned around and replied, "I'm here to fight in the tournament."
Weiss frowned in confusion and said, "Wait... YOU're fighting in the tournament?!" Penny simply smiled and gave a military salute. "I'm combat-ready!"
Weiss scrutinized Penny from head to toe, remaining doubtful. "Forgive me, but you hardly look the part."
"Says the girl wearing a dress," Blake chimed in.
"It's a combat skirt!" Weiss struck a pose, and Ruby joined her. "Yeah!" They high-fived each other.
Weiss then realized something and approached Penny, grabbing her by the shoulder. "Wait a minute, if you're here for the tournament, does that mean you know that monkey-tailed rapscallion?"
"The who?" Penny reacted, and Weiss looked at her straight in the eyes. "Blond, white shirt, annoying laugh, monkey tail... the filthy faunus from the boat!"
Blake snapped. She had managed to remain calm earlier, but now she couldn't. She clenched her fist. "Why do you keep saying that?!"
"Huh?" Weiss seemed confused, and her head turned to Blake. The hidden faunus approached her. "Stop calling him a rapscallion, stop calling him a degenerate. He's a person!"
Weiss, on the other hand, was also done with talking nicely. Blake's view on the faunus seemed illogical and irresponsible. She simply could not understand it. In her mind, a faunus was mostly a potential White Fang member.
"Oh, sorry. Would you like me to stop referring to the trashcan as a trash can? Or this lamppost as a lamppost?!" Weiss retorted.
"Stop it!" Blake complained, her eyes slowly turning red. Weiss didn't realize how many bad memories she was bringing back for Blake. "Stop what?! He clearly broke the law. Give him time, and he'll probably join up with those other faunus in the White Fang."
Blake clenched her teeth and her fist. "You ignorant little brat!" Blake then started walking away, and Weiss followed her.
Yang and Ruby watched their friends arguing. "Maybe we should leave... before it goes wrong," Yang suggested.
"Yeah..." Ruby admitted.
Meanwhile, at Beacon in the secret basement, Mao's lab, Maos was attempting to learn the 5th-level spell [Modify Memory]. He was surrounded by various animals, rabbits, and birds, creating strange sounds. The room bore several burn marks, and ice covered the area, evidence of his magic surges.
"Why doesn't it work?!" Maos exclaimed in frustration.
He had been testing the spell on an animal, trying to make it sing a specific tune. After numerous failed attempts, he gave up and sat on the ground, gazing at a bird in a cage.
"I guess I don't have a choice. Animals don't understand me well enough to be affected by the spell," Maos lamented. "I thought using the spell [Communicating with Animals] would help, but I was wrong."
The young sorcerer realized that the problem lay not in language barriers but rather in the animals' lack of intelligence to comprehend his instructions. Since the spell showed no effect, Maos couldn't even tell if he was successfully casting it. He felt his magical energy being drained, but it seemed like a futile waste.
Maos stood up, coming to a realization. "I understand now. I need to practice on humans."
He pondered for a moment, dismissing the idea of training on Beacon students or staff members. Civilians were also not an option.
"Criminals? I suppose I already have a few enemies as CHAOS. This could work perfectly," Maos contemplated, but then hesitated. "Wait..."
Maos froze as he suddenly grasped the truth. "That old wizard... Ozpin... This... This is actually clever." Despite his anger, Maos berated himself for not realizing it earlier.
Ozpin had instructed Maos to learn [Modify Memory], knowing that the spell could only be honed through practice on humans. The old wizard had fabricated the investigation or, at the very least, used it as an opportunity for Maos to interact with criminals, people whom he didn't mind being forceful with. Ozpin intended to utilize those criminals as training subjects for spells requiring human testing.
After a brief moment of anger, Maos sighed. "I hope there are still plenty of Diony family members working for them... Are there two siblings remaining? I should be able to locate them easily. I know the location of their hideout... I can simply wait for them to send more criminals after Chaos. Perhaps I can even train a mental manipulation spell that I rarely use. Any kind of practice could be helpful. Modify Memory is a 5th-level spell... Maybe I'm just not accustomed to using spells of this magnitude. Although I did manage to manipulate Ruby's mind to save her, but I was desperate at the time. It's a miracle I didn't accidentally erase her entire identity."
Maos sighed again. "I should continue investigating. I am also responsible for the security of the school's students. However, nothing significant will occur until another school arrives, and there aren't any at the moment. I can't keep training like this; I'm not making any real progress."
"Maybe I should explore Vale. I don't have much else to do. Blake hasn't messaged me about her decision yet, and I haven't received any news from Sienna. I suppose I'll look into this Torchwick guy and his partner, Neopolitan," Maos mused.
He clapped his hands in approval of his own decision. "Let's go to Vale. Maybe things will become more interesting."
And so, Maos left Beacon, utilizing [Wild Shape] to transform into a black bird and flew away. He carried his sword and wore his usual Huntsman outfit.
His first destination was the CTT Tower. He made his way up to access the Huntsmen's and police files. Approaching a computer, he conducted research on Roman Torchwick and his accomplice, Neopolitan. Unfortunately, Maos didn't find much information. Roman had arrived in Vale a few years ago and had been involved in a series of heists and stealing sprees. The police had never managed to capture him for long, as Neopolitan always aided in their escape. Both Roman and Neopolitan possessed fighting skills on par with professional Huntsmen.
Maos contemplated, "[Two thieves with the fighting skill of professional Huntsmen...] They could be trouble. Maybe they are the ones behind the serial heists of the dust shops. But why would Roman rob for dust? According to the report, every crime he committed since coming to Vale was about money. However, his last encounter with Ruby indicated he stole for dust..."
Maos pondered further, "[Does he work for someone? Why would that person need so much dust anyway?]" With these thoughts in mind, Maos left the information center and ventured into the city.
A while later, Maos landed in the city and decided to grab a soda from a vending machine on the street. As he looked around, he noticed the festive decorations for the upcoming festival.
"Can't believe I've only been in this world for a year. It feels like much longer," he sighed, reflecting on his time here. A thought crossed his mind,[I wonder if I should go on Osiris's grave...I haven't been there in a while..]
Maos strolled through the city, contemplating his next move. He doubted he would randomly stumble upon a criminal involved in the heist spree unless he visited Junior's nightclub. However, considering recent events in the criminal world, he decided it would be better to avoid the place for now. He had already checked several previously robbed dust shops but found no significant clues about the people behind the crimes, other than their apparent organization.
After a couple of hours, Maos found himself mostly waiting for a call from Blake. The call would determine whether they could proceed with their plan to meet the White Fang. While he waited, an incident caught his attention. He witnessed a thief running away after assaulting an elderly man and stealing his wallet.
As the thief approached him, he abruptly stopped in his tracks upon seeing Maos. The thief recognized him as a huntsman from his attire and weapon. Maos smiled at the thief, a drop of sweetness trickling down his face. In his mind, he pondered the idea of honing his psychic magic and decided to cast a spell.
Using his psychic abilities, Maos cast a spell
[suggestion: give back all the money you stole today], compelling the thief to return all the money he had stolen that day. "Sure! I will do just that!" the thief exclaimed, turning around and rushing back to the old man to return his money. Grateful, the old man thanked Maos, though still perplexed by the situation. He expressed his appreciation for having a huntsman intervene,
the old man thanked Maos "um...thanks, I guess, good to know some petty thief still fears huntsmen..."
Continuing his walk through the city, Maos found himself simply biding his time. He entered a small restaurant and chose a table near a window overlooking one of the few squares in Vale. He ordered a coffee and placed the book of magic on the table, resuming his peaceful reading where he had left off Volume 1: "Chaos, the First Wild Magic Sorcerer" (in case a reminder about Chaos's story is needed, look into chapter 17).
The god of darkness's eyes widened. This human had come all the way here on a mere whim? No, he refused to believe it.
"And what do you expect from me?" the god asked.
The boy sat on the ground without a care in the world. "Nothing, really. I just got curious..." His eye color kept changing repeatedly. "Is this your true form? The god of light has statues in a humanoid shape," the boy inquired.
The god remained silent for a moment. "This is my most formidable form, but not the only one I can choose to be." The boy immediately got up. "You mean you can just want to become something else... and it will happen?"
"Just let me try!" the boy exclaimed with excitement.
Without any incantation, the boy transformed into a dragon resembling the god, with rainbow-colored scales continuously changing. He could only maintain that form for two seconds before turning back into a human, exhausted.
"Woah! That was amazing!... and way too hard to maintain!" the boy exclaimed.
The god of darkness would have usually been mad at this human for trying to imitate his form, but he was impressed. "Did you not need a spell?" asked the dragon.
"A spell?" reacted the boy, appearing almost offended. "Why would I need a spell? Everybody uses spells that the god of light taught us or some spell that some random old man designed while he was bored!... No, I don't like spells... I just let it flow. Spells are too restraining."
"Do you think about the effect you will achieve?" asked the maker of magic. "Your way of using magic is unexpected."
"I just think of the effect I want... and I guess something will happen. Not always exactly what I want, but I work with it anyway. Kinda like babies do. Even babies can do magic by accident sometimes, and they never learn any spells at that age," Chaos responded. "Do the gods use spells?"
"My brother and I do not need a spell to achieve the effect we want. What we wish to happen, happens. We are gods, and our powers are far superior to humans," said the god.
"So... did you wish for humanity to exist?" Chaos asked.
"We did, and thus your kind came to be," the dragon responded.
"So... we just popped out of nothingness?" Chaos snapped his fingers. "Just like that?"
"Creating a species as complex as humans was an equally arduous task," said the God of Darkness. "It took centuries to shape the very first human."
"Centuries?" insisted the boy. "You already have your own creation, the grims, and your brother has the plants and animals... why insist on creating humanity? For gods, it seemed like a tedious task."
"You are a curious one indeed," said the god.
"Were we created on a whim?" asked Chaos. "It's the only explanation I've found." The god decided to play with the boy and replied, "Perhaps you were, perhaps you weren't."
Several grims started approaching the area, provoked by Chaos's magic.
"Beware, young mortal. My creations have followed you here," said the god.
"I see," said the boy as he readied himself. Several Beowolves, Ursas, Nevermores, and Beringels charged at him, but the boy didn't even move. He simply raised his hand, causing the first few Beowolves to teleport hundreds of meters into the air, where they fell to their deaths. Chaos waved his hand, emitting green energy from his fingertips, and suddenly, the second grim that approached him shrunk to the size of a mouse. The boy casually stepped on it.
Another Beowolf found itself crushed by the weight of gravity itself, screaming in pain and dying slowly. As the fourth Beowolf jumped at him, Chaos sidestepped and conjured a sword made of ice and fire, effortlessly slashing through the Ursas. The sword disappeared as soon as the slash was complete.
Two Ursas and three Beowolves closed in on Chaos, surrounding him. The boy clasped his hands together in a praying gesture, with white energy compressing between his palms. Slowly, he separated his hands, revealing waves of energy moving between them. With a smile, he fully opened his hands in a single motion, unleashing a massive shockwave that killed every grim on the ground.
Then, a giant Nevermore descended from the sky. Chaos raised his other hand and commanded, "Down and up!" He slammed his hand towards the ground, while simultaneously lowering and then raising his other hand. A rock spike emerged from the ground, impaling the Nevermore as an invisible force pushed it down.
The second Nevermore, more cunning than its counterpart, dived straight at Chaos from above. Grinning, Chaos vanished in a flash of blue, perfectly teleporting above the grim. In an instant, he delivered a punch with immeasurable strength, redirecting the bird's trajectory and causing it to crash and die from the sheer force of the blow.
"And done," the boy landed safely on the ground, creating a cushion of wind beneath him, before sitting again in front of the dragon. He turned to the god of darkness and asked, "So... where was I?"
He looks around in confusion, "Where am I, actually?"
He turns to the god of darkness and asks, "Anyways, what are you, actually?"
The dragon seems a bit confused. The boy has shown strong powers, but now he appears lost and unsure. It's as if he's looking at a completely different person, even his physical appearance seems to have slowly been altered as he used magic during the fights. He looks similar, but different.
"What am I?" the boy asks the god. "I am a god."
"Yeah... but what are gods?" the boy insists. "Were you created as well?"
Before the god of darkness can respond, the area is suddenly engulfed in light. The boy finds himself being thrown against a rock. "Sleep, mortal, and return to your home," the god of light commands.
"What?" The boy doesn't even have time to react as yellow energy in the shape of leaves engulfs him and he is teleported miles away back to the city he came from.
The god of light and darkness look at each other.
"Why did you do it, brother?! This human came here on his own!" says the black dragon.
"He broke the rules I put on his people by coming to you," the god of light explains. "I forbade humans from searching for you, as we know only death awaits them."
The god of darkness seems enraged. "And yet, he came all the way here. He defeated every Grim he encountered and earned the right to have a conversation with me through his use of MY GIFT. I did not lure him here."
"You do not understand, Brother. I cannot allow humans here. They would be drawn to their evil nature," the god of light defends his decision.
"Save your speeches for the humans!" the god of darkness screams. He then smiles and laughs menacingly as he looks at his brother. "Is this how you portray me to humans? As the root of what they consider Evil? We both know that is not true. If it were, only humans with an evil nature would be motivated to come near this place. However, this boy is not evil. He has yet to commit any evil acts. Am I wrong ?,this boy,Chaos, He is the first human in years to reach me."
"Many humans have tried to reach you, but none have survived," the god of light points out.
"If those people had used my gift properly, they would have reached this place! This boy is thriving with magic!" The god of darkness returns to his humanoid form and speaks with a tone of irony. "Tell me, oh brother, you who are all good and only wish for the well-being of mankind... how many humans are under your teachings? How many humans are alive at the moment?"
"You know the answer to that question," the god of light says as he also takes on a humanoid form.
"Then... tell me... among those humans, how many of them still have the courage to dare to come to a god and speak with one of us without shaking ?I rewarded him by answering his question, and I will do so again if he returns," the god of darkness declares.
The god of darkness suddenly grabs his brother by the shoulder. "Brother, this is my territory, my rules. I will allow Chaos to come back here if he wishes to, as he will have earned that right by fighting the Grims and reaching this place. But next time, if you intervene, I will do everything in my power to show humanity the golden chains you have placed around their necks, and then I WILL ALLOW THEM TO BREAK THOSE CHAINS."
Maos put down the book and took a small break to look around.
"Hello! Are you blind?!" someone screamed at him from the front, startling Maos out of his reading.
Maos looked up and saw two people sitting in front of him. He hadn't even realized they had sat down.
"...," the sorcerer stayed silent and immediately cast [Calm Emotion] on himself. "Why the fuck is Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan in front of me right now?!"
"Hi... glad I got your attention... finally," said Roman, while Neo waved her hand to say hello.
"And you are?" Maos asked.
"You don't know me?" Roman reacted, almost insulted. "Any Huntsmen in Vale know who I am! I thought you were one."
"I am one," said Maos with a serene and friendly face.
"And not just anyone," said Roman, lowering his voice and taking on a more scammy tone. "You are Maos, a big shot among not just Beacon's students but also licensed Huntsmen."
"If you know who I am, give me a reason why I shouldn't arrest you immediately," Maos reacted.
"And why haven't you arrested us yet?" Roman asked, just as a waitress approached their table and handed them the menu. "I didn't know you were waiting for more people—"
Roman grabbed the menu from the waitress's hand and pointed his finger at several desserts. "Coffee with cream," he said, giving a look to Neo. She raised her hand and showed two fingers, then hesitated and raised three fingers instead.
"And three balls of ice cream: vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry," said Roman, while Neo smiled. Roman then looked at Maos.
"Seriously?" thought Maos.
"The same for him: coffee with cream and the ice cream. He pays anyway," said Roman, handing back the menu to the waitress. The woman gave a look to Maos.
Maos sighed. "I will not pay for them, but I will take the ice cream and coffee cream. They will pay for themselves."
The waitress nodded in agreement and left.
"Oh, come on, aren't you supposed to be a good person? I thought the custom was to pay for your guests," Roman said.
"I am not paying for Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan," said Maos firmly.
"So you do know who we are!" Roman said, appearing to feel better.
"Should I just arrest them? He wants something he wouldn't have dared to come... It must be serious if he is ready to meet the strongest Huntsman around," Maos thought.
Meanwhile, the waitress brought their ice cream and coffee.
Neo touched Roman's shoulder and showed him a text on her scroll. "You really want me to ask that?" Roman reacted. "Ugh... fine... how old are you?"
"Huh? 19. Why?" Maos replied.
Neo raised her hand in a nonchalant manner towards Roman. "Fine, you were right, he is younger than you," she said. Roman grinned at her and handed her a bunch of money.
"She is mute," Maos pointed out. "The report didn't mention that."
"It seems obvious," replied Roman.
"What do you want?" asked Maos.
"Ah, finally you ask. You see, I'm a businessman at heart, and I am also an exemplary citizen, as you know," said Roman as he grabbed his coffee. Neo started digging into her ice cream.
"However, recently I have encountered trouble. There's a new thug in town, and his sheer presence has brought me worries here and there. I'm afraid my boss may ditch me if she learns of his existence. He calls himself Chaos. He hasn't done anything particularly troubling yet, apart from being the one to kill Nero Diony," Roman explained.
Maos nearly spilled his coffee in shock. "What the fuck?!"
Roman took a sip of his coffee. "And that's the reaction I wanted. Imagine, you could bring the killer of Nero Diony to his family or the council. I'm pretty sure fame and money await you. I mean, you already have fame, but Diony's remaining children are offering a great amount of money for Chaos."
Trying to calm his emotions, Maos cast a spell on himself, mostly to stop himself from laughing. "So, let me get this straight. You want me to arrest myself?"
"Okay, I see. So, any proof of this guy even being real? Chaos is a stupid name," Maos inquired skeptically.
"The name may be stupid, but the guy is terrifying. You haven't seen the bodies I've seen," Roman replied, with Neo nodding in agreement.
"Well, I can't trust you. I can't just arrest a guy I've never heard of just based on the fact that Roman Torchwick, the biggest liar and con artist in town, told me that this random guy is bad," Maos said,
"...fair point," said Roman. "I will gather the information and bring it to you at a later date. I'm just saying, if you want to investigate this guy, search near the nightclub Juniors."
Roman quickly finished his coffee in one sip and started getting up. "Anyway, Neo and I have business to attend to. I personally have a speech to prepare. It was good talking to you, and I hope our partnership will yield great results. Remember, this Chaos guy is more dangerous than both of us, and you could gain a lot from arresting him. Neo, shall we?"
Suddenly, Roman and Neo shattered like glass and disappeared into nothingness.
"Heh? An illusion?!" Maos got up and rushed outside to see where Roman and Neo could be.
He realized that every single person in the street had an illusion around them, making them look like Neo and Roman.
"[That's one hell of a strong semblance...]" thought Maos, sighing heavily. "[I have to be careful. Roman will try to gather evidence of Chaos' existence and crimes. I have to occasionally appear as Chaos here and there, or Roman will grow suspicious of me. If Chaos suddenly never shows up again after Roman warned a huntsman about him being a threat...]"
"Um... excuse me," the waitress tapped Maos on the shoulder. "Your friend left without paying for the coffee and ice cream."
Maos facepalmed. "I... I will pay. It's okay..."
A little while later, Maos received an unexpected call from someone he never expected to hear from, especially at this time. He quickly answered his scroll as he walked down the street.
"I can't believe he has my scroll number...but why is he calling me now?" Maos thought to himself, perplexed by the timing of the call.
"General Ironwood... greetings... I was not expecting you to ever call me," said Maos.
"Greetings as well. I'm sorry to call; however, I'm in a hurry, and you are my only current solution," said Ironwood. "Maos, as you know, several students from Atlas are slowly arriving in order to prepare for the vital tournament."
"Can I ask you for a favor? I heard from Ozpin that you were in charge of security between students of different schools," asked Ironwood. "There is a specific student, she is a very valuable asset of our school, but she has a tendency of... getting lost wherever she goes... Could you look for her and bring her back to Beacon? Her name is Penny Polendina. I've sent you a picture of her student ID."
"I am in charge of security for students... Penny Polendina?... Are you in Vale, General?" Maos was curious. He also began to look at the files Ironwood sent him. "Not yet, but my main ship is on its way. It's a matter of hours."
"Understood... This girl... her family is Polendina... is she related to your head scientist, Pietro Polendina? The one I met when I came to Atlas, he made me run tests for hours," Maos could almost hear Ironwood change his position. "Indeed, she... she is his daughter."
"He has a daughter?" Maos seemed really surprised. "He never mentioned it... Anyway... anything else I should know?"
Ironwood's tone changed to something more serious. "Yes, there is... Can you not talk about her to Ozpin... She has certain attributes... that I am certain you will discover, knowing your abilities."
Maos raised an eyebrow. "Since when did the General of Atlas keep a secret from the Headmaster of Beacon?"
"It's not really something he should be annoyed by. I intend to reveal it eventually... Once you meet Penny, I have a feeling you will understand what I mean."
"Um... I guess I will search for her... However, no promises whether or not I talk to Ozpin about it... I would like to judge for myself. I'll keep you informed."
Ironwood sighed. "I understand. I will meet you in a few hours. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day."
"And you as well," said Maos as the call ended.
"Penny Polendina... let's see..."
Maos then searched around, casting the spell "Locate Creature: Penny Polendina," a 4th level spell capable of locating creatures within a 300-meter radius. Unfortunately, the spell yielded no results.
"Where is she... I hope she's not far from me... I need a better view," Maos thought as he ascended into the sky using the spell "Fly," a 3rd level spell. However, he quickly realized, [I can't cast spells while in bird form...I should just fly using a spell)]
Momentarily pausing, Maos decided to use his own energy to enhance his sight instead. Being high up in the air and having the vision of an eagle made it easier for him to spot someone.
Then, a realization struck him. [Wait, I'm a dumbass... Why use the Fly spell and expend energy to enhance my sight when I can simply transform into an eagle?]
Maos cancel his energy and spell and uses [wild shape], he turns into an eagle and tries to fly up in the air
"Finally, I see her..." he said as he searched around for a good 30 minutes. His eagle eyes landed on Penny, who was just walking in a circle, following a cat.
He found himself in a small street and quickly transformed back into a human, rushing to reach her. However, he missed her by a moment. Penny hadn't moved from where she was; she was sitting on the literal pavement of the street, with the cat settled on her.
Approaching her, he said, "Um... hi." But Penny completely ignored him, seemingly hypnotized by the cat. Maos waved his hand, but there was no reaction.
[Speaks with Animals], a level 2 spell that allows one to communicate with most animals
Maos addressed the cat, "Can you move, cat? I need to talk to the girl you're sitting on." The cat suddenly stared at Maos, shocked and surprised. It quickly ran away, exclaiming, "The two legs can speak?!" It didn't realize that Maos could understand him and vice versa.
"Oh no! Kitty!" Penny complained, looking a bit sad. Then she raised her head and saw Maos. She immediately smiled at him and got up. "Oh! Salutations!"
"Hello, Penny Polendina?" he asked, returning her smile.
"It is indeed my name!"
"I am Maos Corvidae. I met your father a few months ago. I was given tasks by Ironwood to bring to Beacon since you seemed lost."
"Oh! I am not lost! I just happened to stumble upon a cat, so I followed it!"
Maos gave Penny a weird look and asked, "How long have you been following the cat?"
Penny looked around and replied, "I'm not sure..."
Maos felt a strange sensation coming from this girl.
"Anyway, it would be better if you come with me to Beacon. The sun will be setting soon, and other students from Atlas are probably already there.",Maos showed his student idea proving who he is and then put it back in one of his pockets
Penny then looked directly at Maos, causing him to lean back a bit. "Is there a problem?"asks Maos
"Have we met before?" Penny asked. "You know my dad?"
"No, I don't think so, but yes, I did meet your dad, Pietro Polendina."
[Something is way too weird. Her body language is all wrong, and her facial expression doesn't match her body. Her movements feel... robotic.]
Maos slowly pushed Penny back, trying to assess the situation [Identify], and the sorcerer completely froze, as if he had just encountered a blue screen on a computer.
"Are you okay?" asked Maos, concerned,back down suddenly
Maos was in a state of shock as he processed the astonishing revelation about Penny. He couldn't help but react with a mix of awe and disbelief.
[Holy fuck, she's an energy construct?! An iron golem?! A fuckin' robot with an artificial soul?! No wonder Ironwood wanted to hide her from Ozpin! That's some Level 8 spell things, and even with rituals, the amount of materials to make one would be crazy!]
As he continued to contemplate, Maos realized that Penny's aura didn't seem like an artificial soul but rather felt real. He was astounded to consider the possibility that Pietro, Penny's creator, had somehow managed to create a real soul using his own aura. It was an incredible feat.
Lost in his thoughts, Maos didn't even notice when Penny tapped his head. His mind raced with comparisons to Euphrosine's rituals, which involved transferring one's mana chamber to another. This time, it seemed Pietro had found a way to do something similar with aura, resulting in the creation of a whole soul. Maos couldn't help but wonder how Pietro achieved this remarkable feat, especially considering Penny had her own aura chamber and could produce her own aura.
"Pietro uses dust, aura, and science to reproduce Euphrosine's rituals," Maos mumbled, still trying to process the implications. "And then he adapts the method to create a mana chamber, but with aura this time."
"heh ?"Penny seem tap Maos's head again "Euphrosine? who is that ? someone friendly ?...are you having an awake dream that my dad talked about ?"
Suddenly, Maos snapped out of his reverie and firmly grabbed Penny by the shoulder. He realized he had too many theories and ideas to figure out, but he needed to prioritize. He had other pressing matters to attend to, such as dealing with Blake and the White Fang, as well as Torchwick and Neopolitan.
"Too many theories and ideas, right now...also forgot the name Euphrosine, she died a long time ago," Maos said, his tone filled with determination. [I need some time to figure it out, but I have Blake and the White Fang, Torchwick, and Neopolitan to handle.]"Okay... I know what you are, you are a robot. I won't tell anybody, just know I'm a friend."
"Friend?!",it seem to be the only word Penny really heard
[Why does she seem so happy about that word? Did she even listen to me acknowledging that she's a robot?] thought Maos.
"Yeah, two new friends in a single day! We will hang out all the time!" almost screamed Penny.
"Are you not surprised that I know about your origins?" Maos insisted. [Why does she feel disconnected from reality?!]
Penny seemed to remember something. "Oh right, Ironwood told me that a young man named Maos would know I was a robot. It was engraved in my memory actually"
"How does your memory work exactly?...you were programmed to not be surprised by me discovering your true nature ?" Maos asked, curious. and confuse
"That is a secret only people of higher clearance can know!" Penny replied firmly.
"...You seem to be a very weird girl," Maos commented." and I'm not talking just about the robot part"
"Thanks for the compliment!"
"It was not a... Just forget it... Can you follow me to Beacon?" Maos asked.
"Of course! I can easily accomplish such a task!"
2 hours after that, Maos arrived at Beacon with Penny, they just land on a bullhead "so we are at Beacon, I will give a call to Ironwood after I bring you to the dorm reserve for Atlas students"
"Hello, Beacon!" scream Penny", however nobody in outward react to her, because there is nobody
Maos stare at her and he seems disappointed [she has the curiosity and the lack of control of a child...],Penny turns toward him "where are everyone ?"
"probably in their dorm,I would love to make you a tour of Beacon,however, I really need to bring you to your dorm,i can't just bring you around like,I don't think ironwood would agree...logically, others student of Atlas should be there...or you will be the first,come on follow me"
"lead the way!"said Penny soon after Maos left her at the door of the atlas student,
he sees 2 altas soldiers greeting him "Penny Poldendina? General Ironwood warn us that someone would bring her along" asks one of the soldiers
"That is me !is there any friend inside ?" said Penny
Maos ignore Penny and look at one of the soldier"I leave her in your hand, led her to her room, any other students from Atlas ?"
"not yet, the bullhead have yet to land but they are on their way"explain the solider "You may leave, General Ironwood desire to have a talk with you,he may contact you on your scroll later in the day
Penny start entering the dorm as one soldier follow her inside, she wave her hand goodbye" bye Maos !"
"see you...maybe tomorrow,I don't know...next time" Maos turn around but right leaving his grab his scroll and speak to the solder " I will give a call to Ironwood right now"
,Maos then walk away and call Ironwood ,which the general Ironwood "yes,Maos ?" respond Ironwood,his fast responses show he was waiting for it
,Maos speak immediately,", general,I have brought Penny to the Dorm of Atlas student, 2 of your men are escorting her, also I'll keep my mouth shut,"Maos could hear Ironwood sigh in relief
"HOWEVER, When you arrive I have several questions for you, not just you actually, her creator as well"
"I...I understand,I will speak with you in private when we get the chance",I should land in Vale during the night"said Ironwood,"I will be waiting" said Maos the call end after that Maos then look around [I have no news from Blake...what will I say to Sienna? Maybe Sienna and her white fang actually left already]
he then receives a message from Sienna,he actually receives an hour earlier, but he only see it now because as he was busy trying to avoid penny following any random bird or dog or even cats
"and so here it is, speak of the devil..." said Maos,he receives a single message from Sienna Khan
"We are leaving Vales early, but some of my group have decided to stay and refused to obey my order, I try to stop them, it didn't work,I figured that the absence of a message from you or Blake mean she decides to not even talk to me, I understand, just say to her that she always has a home in menageries and in the white fang, if she wishes to come back I will even pay for the ride if she wants"
"I also desire to keep contact with you as I rather not be your enemy and I wish to entertain a good relationship with you and Humans, so I sent you a coordinate where you will find a small Beacon that will secure communication all the way to menageries, it will only reach me, and nobody else"
Maos sigh as he will soon reach his room
[I should have called Blake myself,I shouldn't have put a bit more pressure,I genuinely think Sienna deserves at least a conversation...too bad]
he enters his room [I wonder if I will meet Sienna again...if I do,I hope it will be in friendly circumstances], the sorcerer was also bothered by something else,[several white fang members have decided to stay in Vale, there probably do something or join a group in the city...I hope,they won't get involve in any gang-related activities]
3 hours later, inside Team RWBY's room, Blake and Weiss had been arguing for hours. Weiss was sitting on her bed, while Blake was on her own, and they were face to face, separated by a distance of one meter.
"I don't understand why this is causing such a problem!" said Weiss, frustration evident in her voice. Blake stared at Weiss, her gaze filled with intensity. "THAT is the problem!" she exclaimed.
"You're defending an organization that hates humanity, don't you see? The faunus of the White Fang are pure evil," Blake retorted, her anger bubbling to the surface. "There's no such thing as pure evil! Why do you think they hate humanity so much? It's because of people like Cardin, people like YOU, that force the White Fang to take such drastic measures!"
"People like me? What is that supposed to mean?!" Weiss responded, taken aback by Blake's accusation.
As the tension between them escalated, both Weiss and Blake started to tear up. Their eyes turned red as their words hurt each other deeply, yet they remained resolute in their stances.
"You're discriminatory!" Blake screamed, her voice filled with anguish. Weiss, now on the verge of tears, fired back, "I'm a victim!"
Weiss took a step towards the window and gazed at the moon. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang, why I don't particularly trust the faunus?" Her voice wavered with emotion.
Turning around to face Blake, Weiss continued, her anger growing stronger than ever. "It's because they've been at war with my family for years, causing actual bloodshed."
Weiss paused, her voice trembling. "Remember the dead uncle and cousins that I mentioned just yesterday? Well, guess where they died? My grandfather's company has had a target painted across its back for as long as I can remember. And ever since I was a child, my uncle, my cousins—good people! They weren't even part of the company, yet a group of the White Fang decided to kidnap and kill them. And they weren't the first ones, nor the last."
As the weight of Weiss's words hung in the air, both girls stood silently, their tears mixing with their pain, their argument taking a toll on their friendship.
"I've watched family friends disappear, a board member executed, an entire train full of Dust stolen, and every day my father would come home furious. That made for a very difficult childhood!" Weiss hit the edge of the window in anger.
Ruby and Yang, who had been watching the whole situation, didn't know how to react. Ruby approached Weiss near the window and tried to put her hand on Weiss's shoulder. "Weiss... I..."
The Schnee heiress slapped Ruby's hand away and turned around to talk to Blake. "You want to know why I despise the White Fang? It's because they're a bunch of liars, thieves, and murderers... WHO ARE YOU to even understand even a tenth of the situation between Faunus and my family?!"
Blake grabbed her bow out of anger and instinctively revealed her cat ear. "Well, maybe WE were just tired of being pushed around! After so many Faunus suffered and died because of YOUR family, many of US would be glad to see every single Schnee dead!"
Blake's intense hatred struck fear in Weiss. She backed down, shocked, as she looked at Blake's cat ear. Ruby and Yang were also taken aback. Blake angrily pointed at her ears and screamed, "You see that?! Cat ears! An animal trait! That's who I am! What I AM AND WHAT I AM PROUD TO BE!"
Blake ran out of breath as her voice broke into cries. Then she had a moment where she stared at all of her team and realized what she had just done, what she had just said. "I-..." Blake couldn't find any words and just ran as she started crying. "No, Blake, wait!" screamed Ruby.
Ruby turned to Weiss, who was just standing there in full shock, a single tear running down her face, clenching her teeth. "Weiss, go talk to her!we can still solve this out !" said Ruby.
Weiss then rubbed the tear away and angrily looked at Ruby. "NO, she can go back to her people. I have no desire to be in the same room as a liar." She went to her bed and buried her face into her cushion to hide her own tears "Don't forget, she was lying to you too"
remaining silent. Yang and Ruby looked at each other in worry.
Yang then saw Ruby starting to tear up as well. She hugged her sister. "Are you okay?" Ruby hugged her back and buried her head into her sister's shoulder. Ruby said nothing and just silently cried.
Ruby hated seeing her best friends hurting each other, and she also had reached her limit. Yang patted Ruby on the head. "Don't worry, we will go get Blake and talk with Weiss. I am sure we can solve this."
Yang was equally hurt by the scene she witnessed, but someone had to hold back their tears and offer their shoulder to cry on for the sake of the others.
Meanwhile, Blake dashed into Beacon with astonishing speed, surpassing even that of a seasoned Huntsman. Effortlessly evading the watchful eyes of professors and staff members who ensured no students roamed the school grounds at night, she had memorized the routines and rounds of almost every important figure in Beacon, preparing for the day she might need to make a swift escape.
Finally, she came to a halt near a statue. As she gazed at it, tears welled up in her eyes. The statue depicted two Huntsmen locked in combat with a Grimm, and she stood before it, overwhelmed with emotion.
Just as she reached for her scroll to call Maos, a young man materialized behind her. "Hey, you know what? I think you'd look even more incredible with a bow," he said.
Blake turned around, still crying, and looked at the young man. "And who are you supposed to be?"
The young man scratched his head, realizing she was upset. "I guess I'm just a friendly stranger," he replied, unsure of how to comfort her.
Blake examined the young man from head to toe, her tears starting to subside slightly. "I don't need a friendly stranger," she stated, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and determination.
Sun, wanting to see her smile, he hates seeing people cry,it's in his nature to always want to comfort anyone in need of a friend, he decided to press on. "My name is Sun Wukong," he introduced himself. "If a friendly stranger is not what you need, can I be a friend then?"
Blake hesitated for a moment, contemplating Sun's genuine offer of friendship. Given the situation and her current state, she didn't see any harm in letting him in a little. "Blake Belladonna," she finally said, her voice softening. Sun's innocence and kindness had managed to bring a slight smile to her face, offering a glimmer of hope in her troubled heart.
and that's it for this chapter, hope you like it, and maybe see you in the next one!I swear I will be done with volume 1 with the next chapter!