the young sorcerer

by kraffsole

Maos, a young sorcerer who didn't even finish his training because of the end of the world (caused by Salem when she was punished by the gods ), survived thanks to his mentor a powerful wizard, now Moas is lost in this new world that is a remnant, thankfully, he still has his magic and the book of magic to achieve his training. (ship may come later in the story]

21. chapter 20 : end of volume 1

WARNING: This chapter is really long : 20k+ 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)

---

A young Maos found himself outside the office of Osiris, the headmaster of his magic school. He was only ten years old and had been summoned to discuss a previous incident involving a wild magic surge. As he hesitated to raise his hand to knock on the door, he could hear a heated argument taking place inside between Osiris and one of the teachers.

"Sir, with all due respect, this child is nothing but trouble!" the teacher, a man named Chiron, almost screamed.

"Chiron, we both know his lack of control is only a sign of his great innate powers," Osiris responded calmly, and Maos could even hear the archmage's chair squeak as he got up.

"Three of my students almost died because of him!" Chiron continued. "And now they are fine; the school has more than enough resources to heal injured students."

"That's not the problem," Chiron went on. "Maos displays powers that are impossible to predict. Other students are afraid of him, and some parents are starting to get worried. Do you realize how much trouble we could have by housing someone as uncontrollable as him?"

"And do you realize how dangerous he could become if we don't teach him to control himself?" Osiris countered.

Chiron's anger was rising. "We don't need to teach him! We are risking our reputation, and actually training him to be stronger would cause more harm than good. We can control his power now, but as he grows, he will gradually gain more independence, and his power will become too strong for us teachers to handle. I think we should put an enchantment on him so he can't use magic anymore and just let him live in the city or in the forest."

Osiris suddenly raised his tone of voice. "That's why Maos is under my specific teachings, not any other teacher. I can handle his powers, and I will never allow anyone's magic to be taken away."

Chiron was slowly getting angrier. "Then don't let him participate in regular classes! Every other kid his age is in danger. Just do private lessons in your tower."

"Maos deserves to have interaction with people his age like any other child. It is important for his growth as a human and his control of himself," Osiris explained.

"Interaction? Interaction?!" Chiron exclaimed in frustration. "The only real interaction I've seen him have is with plants and a dog in the street! He doesn't talk to anybody, and other kids are afraid to approach him."

Osiris approached the teacher, attempting to calm the situation. "Other kids will grow up alongside him, and he will grow as well. Eventually, Maos will talk to others, and others will talk to him. However, it takes time."

The teacher laughed bitterly. "Of course, it takes time. I know that! I've been a teacher for 251 years now! My main concern is how many incidents and how many deaths it may take for him to fully learn to control himself. We have never seen a student as dangerous as him. We cannot keep him."

Osiris sighed heavily. "I have asked for Maos to come to my office today so that we could talk about the previous accidents. He should arrive any second now. Please leave; we will hold a meeting later with all teachers regarding Maos's situation."

Chiron clenched his fists and teeth. "Tch... fine... if anything bad happens, don't blame it on me." He then left the room.

Maos, who had been standing by the door, decided to back away as Chiron opened it with force and stopped briefly in front of him.

Chiron has the physical appearance of middle age with long blonde hair, sharp purple eyes, and white robes, along with a book attached to his belt. He bows slightly to Maos. "I'm pretty sure you heard our conversation. You may think I dislike you, and you would be right. I'm just the only one who dares to admit it and speak out loud about how dangerous you are. I know I just have to wait until you blow yourself up. I will do my job and make sure nobody is around you when that happens."

Maos doesn't say a thing as Chiron restarts his walk and leaves. Osiris then adjusts the door and shows himself. "Maos, can you please come in?"

The boy enters in silence, stress being his only feeling at the moment. Osiris sits in his chair as Maos sits in a chair too big for him.

"First, don't let Professor Chiron intimidate you. You have every right to be in this school. He will change his opinions about you with time, as other teachers will after him. You are still very young and will get more chances to prove to others your skills and abilities. And someday, I truly believe other people will look at you with respect for it." Osiris smiles at Maos as he taps the side of his chair. "Who knows, maybe you will be sitting in this very chair, in this very office!"

Maos's lips try to slowly form a word. "Me? An archmage?... An arch-sorcerer?"

Osiris starts laughing. "Don't worry, you will never get such a title. The world where those words meant something is gone anyway. You barely have any chance of getting above 6th level."

"Huh?"

The 10-year-old Maos starts shaking in fear. The room is now darker and colder, his senses are numb. He looks around and starts feeling liquid around his body. He suddenly couldn't breathe, and he feels a hand around his neck. His whole body is slowly being absorbed by the ground, and he experiences excruciating pain as if his throat is being crushed by someone's hand while his body feels like it's being torn apart.

The voice of Osiris seems to mix with the voices of everyone Maos cared about, from Coco to Velvet to Yatsu to Fox.

"We all know this is going to end. You will lose control and destroy everything around. You only bring Chaos wherever you go."

And then Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Ruby.

"How long before you hurt us? When? It's only a matter of time."

Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, Ren's voices, and then Glynda.

"You will never achieve anything."

The voice keeps changing again from Ozpin to Osiris.

"You will never reach the 6th level! All your progress is just sheer luck! Is this how you intend to bring magic back?"

Maos feels tears, not just of pain but fear as well, as he begins to have visions of the corpses of his friends.

He then tries to free himself with no success. His best option is to look around, seeing nothing but darkness. He keeps searching, and suddenly he begins to see the shape of a man appear in the distant darkness. The form feels familiar; it has his back turned to Maos.

The man turns around, and a sudden light now blinds Maos.

The sorcerer feels himself falling as the liquid and the pain disappear. He gently falls with pain on what feels like grass.

Maos then realizes the scene has changed. He lies down on the grass, and he can see the blue sky above him.

He slowly gets up and looks around. He is in a forest, and then he looks at his hand. He is 19 again. While getting up, he sees an eagle flying above.

Maos feels the fresh earth with his hands, then realizes he is still in his pajamas.

"Oh..." he pinches himself.

"This is not a dream... I actually teleported myself outside while I was asleep... I hope I'm not that far from Beacon..."

---

A bit later, it's currently 9 am. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang are leaving Beacon and find themselves in the main courtyard.

"You really certain you want to look for Blake?" asked Weiss, unwilling to walk faster. Ruby is almost dragging her. "Come on! She's our teammate!"

"She's also a liar," said Weiss.

"Come on, Weiss...please make an effort just this once," said Yang.

The team then gets distracted by a flying blackbird above that heads towards the dorms. "I've seen this bird several times already, flying around...you think someone is actually raising it?" said Weiss.

"That's a question for later!" said Yang as she grabs Weiss by the wrists and carries her on her shoulders. "Release me! I can walk myself," Weiss protested, but Yang ignored her complaints and kept walking.

---

Maos arrived in front of his window, struggling for a while to open it from the outside. Eventually, he succeeded and entered the room, transforming back into a human.

"That's better," Maos remarked to himself.

He reached for his ring of clothing and used magic to clean himself before putting on his Beacon outfit. Then, he checked his scroll and found a message from Ironwood. Apparently, the general had arrived at Beacon during the night and wanted to speak with Maos on the main ship.

"Oh, the ship... I'll go right now. I have a few questions about Penny," Maos muttered to himself.

Leaving his room, he was surprised not to encounter Team CFVY or anyone he knew. Instead, there were numerous students from other schools—Haven, Atlas, and Vacuo, many unfamiliar faces he had never seen before.

He reached the Atlassian ship and was greeted by two robotic soldiers.

"Identity verification, please wait for the scan," one of the robots said as it began scanning Maos. "Maos Corvidae, General Ironwood has been waiting for you in his personal quarters."

"... I'm not sure I like that his robot can recognize me," Maos commented aloud as he walked into the ship, followed by one of the robots. "Please follow this unit"

---

Maos entered what seemed to be an office and immediately noticed the stark lack of decorations. The room was devoid of any personal touches. Even the desk was painted white. Maos couldn't help but wonder why Ironwood, with his position and presumably ample resources, hadn't bothered to decorate his office on his personal airship.

As Maos glanced around, he noticed a door on the side, which he assumed led to Ironwood's sleeping quarters. However, he decided not to investigate it, not wanting to be impolite to a general and Headmaster.

"The lack of any personal items or decorations is quite surprising," Maos thought aloud, voicing his observations.

The sorcerer could feel the fresh air in the room, and the walls were so smooth that Maos barely felt any texture when he touched them. Just as he was pondering the peculiar atmosphere of the room, his attention was drawn to a single flower in a white pot on the desk. It stood out as the only source of color in the otherwise monochromatic room. Attached to the flower was a tag with a note that Maos could read without touching it.

/I know you will never decorate the room unless someone else does it, so here's a flower for the desk, add some color to this office/ from G.G

"G.G?" Maos mused aloud, clearly puzzled.

"Glynda Goodwitch, in case you were wondering," Ironwood's voice suddenly filled the room as he entered. Maos instinctively stood up straight, feeling somewhat caught off guard. "I assure you, there's no need to apologize. You're not the first to be curious about this room, and that flower often attracts attention."

As Ironwood approached Maos, he extended his hand for a handshake. Maos hesitated for a moment, taken aback by the gesture. He hadn't expected a general to initiate a handshake with a mere student.

"Oh," Maos stammered, realizing his delay. "Is there a problem?" Ironwood seemed confused.

Maos quickly shook Ironwood's hand, realizing the general's intention. "Nothing! I was just lost in thought," he replied, attempting to recover smoothly.

The handshake ended, but a brief awkward silence hung in the air between Maos and the general. It was clear that Maos was still adjusting to the formalities of this encounter.

"I suppose you must have some questions," Ironwood finally broke the silence. "But before we proceed, allow me to bring Mr. Polendina into our conversation. He'll be able to answer your most complex questions." Ironwood moved toward his desk and activated a blue dot in the corner of it. A screen materialized above the desk, connecting them to a transmission from Atlas.

The screen changed to a video call with Pietro Polendina. "Greetings, General. Greetings, Maos. It's a relief to see that the communication signal holds despite the distance."

"Hello," Maos greeted Pietro. "Pleasure to meet you again."

"The pleasure is mine," Pietro replied with evident joy and enthusiasm. However, his tone wavered slightly as he continued, "So... I heard you've met Penny."

"I certainly have," Maos responded, recalling the encounter. "I have to admit, I was... quite surprised."

Ironwood's scroll suddenly rang, interrupting their conversation. "Excuse me," he said as he checked his scroll. "I'll return once I'm finished."

Maos and Pietro remained silent in the office as Ironwood left to take the call.

---

The moment the door closed, Pietro spoke, "I have sent plans of Penny so you can get a closer look at it. I think it will help avoid technical questions if you can look at it yourself." Several new screens popped up around the desk, showing various schematics of Penny. Maos started examining them, attempting to understand the intricate design.

"I took the freedom to simplify the schematics for you since I am pretty sure this is far more advanced than anything you have seen," Pietro added.

Maos, while having a decent grasp of technology as most huntsmen did, struggled to fully comprehend what he was seeing. He walked around, closely examining the plans of Penny's head and brain. One thing that struck him was the absence of any mention of an AI system or anything familiar to him.

"She is not AI? How does her brain work? I see that her head contains several parts that essentially mimic the roles of different brain functions," Maos observed, pointing to various components.

"Indeed," Pietro replied. "She's not AI...at least not in the usual definition of it. Her brain functions in a unique way." He went on to explain the various parts and their functions, including memory and speech. "As for senses of smell and touch, she has sensors all around her body underneath her skin which indicate when something is touching her. However, she doesn't quite feel 'touched' in the way humans do. It's more like she's aware of it. Unfortunately, I haven't managed to reproduce a sense of smell without compromising other key functions, so no, she doesn't have it. And regarding her personality, I'm afraid I can't really explain it myself. She developed a personality even before I put it in this body."

"Well, I may be able to explain that," Maos said.

Pietro's eyes widened. "You can?"

"Penny was created with your aura, right? A piece of your soul, to be precise? I see in the schematics that she has a literal chamber made to store energy. However, it looks like it was only added to the body. Can you explain how you gave a piece of your soul away?"

"Well," Pietro began, "I discovered a few years ago how to store aura energy. However, the energy would still fade away eventually. For a long time, I thought it was impossible to store aura permanently, as it didn't have a physical form. That is until someone made me change my mind about it."

"Who was that?" Maos inquired.

"you" said Pietro, "when I did a test on you, at some point, you emitted so much energy that it could actually be seen by the human eye. I realized all I needed to truly transfer aura was to expand on the amount of energy given and then compact it enough for it to take physical shape! So, as a very dangerous experience, I will admit, I decided to use my aura extractor and push it to its limit until I could literally see my own aura in a special vial. While I did feel a part of me leaving my body, I ended up in a coma for 3 weeks. I was right! Penny lives!"

Maos's eyes widened. He wanted to say something, but he stopped himself.

[Pietro... he probably sacrificed his own lifespan along with part of his aura. I don't know how much of it he gave away... he fully gave life to another being... that man is lucky if he survives even just one more year...]

Maos found himself with a dilemma. "What about your own health?"

"Well, I managed to stabilize using several solutions. I'm sending you the recipe right now. Taking it in the shape of a pill really helps me."

Maos looked at the files he just received. It really looked like alchemy. [That's almost... a healing potion recipe... but with dust instead of grim tear... this man is a genius.] While it works for now, give it a few months, and it won't anymore.

Maos made an instantaneous decision in his mind. A man like Pietro cannot be allowed to die this young.

"Sir Polendina... I'm going to send you a small package every week. This is a secret from Ironwood... and everyone, even the person you are closest to. It will improve your health, but this is a very guarded secret. Please do not ask questions about how it's made or how I learned to make it. Just be careful to take it every time you receive one from me."

[Blood Gem should be able to extend his remaining lifespan at least, given that his very soul is injured... with good quality, maybe he could gain 2 or 3 years, but with a mind like his, 2 to 3 years can mean a lot of scientific progress.]

The sorcerer had extremely serious eyes, which Pietro easily noticed. The genius wondered for a second, "Will I be allowed to experiment on it?"

"If you can keep it a secret, I don't care how much experimentation you do with it. It should be relatively safe."

"Is this a secret from your people? Ironwood told me of your origin in a very secluded but advanced community."

"Yes," responded Maos, "it's important that you keep it a secret. Please." The young man was truly sincere.

Pietro took this information into consideration and, after 5 whole seconds of reflection, said, "I guess... I guess I will accept to keep this a secret. However, I have a request in exchange."

"Which is?" asked Maos.

"I want your help to improve Penny, using your special abilities and knowledge," Pietro asked.

---

The student froze and thought for a couple of seconds. He looked down and sighed. "Yes, I will transfer my theories and ideas, as well as some other knowledge which could potentially improve Penny. However, robotics and mechanics are not my domain of expertise," he admitted.

"I know, it's the spiritual side I need help with," said Pietro.

Suddenly, Ironwood walked into the room. "Sorry for the call, I had to answer it. I hope I haven't missed any important information," he apologized.

"Only that Maos offered his help for the improvement of Penny, mostly on the spiritual side," explained Pietro, who appeared joyful as before.

"He did?" Ironwood inquired.

"I did, yes," said Maos, playing along with Pietro. "I have one last question for the general before we move on to another subject," he added.

"Why did you fund a project like the fabrication of Penny?"

Ironwood stayed silent for a second, seeming to carefully choose his next words. Maos then showed several screens and pointed to several stats with his hand. "I know you have been creating robot designs to replace soldiers, but Penny is something else entirely. We're talking about almost creating sentient AI here. And I'm not sure Penny still counts as an AI after what I understood. Penny is also made to be insanely physically strong, fast, with shorter reaction times than most humans. I don't know many people who could even go against her, and I'm not sure they would win, even with her aura protecting her. She also has a metal body and powerful ranged attacks. But she has emotions. She was not made to fight grimm. She was made to look cute and weak. What kind of threats do you expect her to face?"

"A maiden," said Ironwood, abruptly stopping Maos in his tracks. He began to walk around the room, activating a few more screens. Some showed a younger Winter Maiden fighting, Amber training, and even a picture of the Spring Maiden as a child before she was lost. Then, it showed Ozpin and finally, Maos. "Penny was made to fight a threat against humanity. A regular human or a large group has little to no chance of defeating it," Ironwood explained, his voice echoing in the room. "The maiden... Salem... maybe Ozpin... you."

"I'm not a threat to humanity," said Maos, clearly surprised and somewhat hurt by the notion that something designed to combat him would be created by his own allies.

"I do not consider you a threat," replied Ironwood. "However, it's important not to be naive. Humanity needs more ways to defend itself against Salem and her forces."

Ironwood was taken aback by Maos' lack of expression and response. "I know it might be shocking to hear, and you may be hurt by what I just explained..."

"No, I get it," Maos interjected as he crossed his arms. "I... I can't say I agree with it, especially since Penny seems to be a sentient being. Forcing her into that role feels wrong. But I do understand why you would consider it. I can also comprehend why Penny has the appearance of a young woman. It gives her a chance to become a maiden if she somehow defeats one. This would eliminate two problematic variables of the transfer of maiden powers - aging and the randomness of the power selection. Penny can probably be manipulated using a computer to think of a chosen girl if she is somehow destroyed."

Ironwood was pleasantly surprised by the understanding coming from Maos. He hadn't expected such maturity in their discussion. Pietro seemed equally surprised by the sorcerer's quick deduction.

"Exactly," added Pietro, "However, we have no guarantee that it will even work, at least in Penny's current state."

The sorcerer paused for a moment, deep in thought. [Ironwood is probably keeping this a secret from Ozpin because he's unsure how the old wizard will react to this news, which is understandable. Ozpin created the maidens with specific instructions on how the power would transfer from person to person. His main goal was to prevent anyone from holding the power indefinitely. While it doesn't guarantee that the maiden will be his ally, it's the same way with Salem. If Ironwood somehow can make Penny a maiden, he or Penny will at least have the ability to choose who receives the power in the event of her death. However, she cannot die from illness or old age, which means she would be an eternal maiden...]

Maos sighed heavily. [Ozpin will really despise that idea, and because of the power, he will also hate the idea of forcing Penny to live forever, which is probably the plan. The Winter Maiden is slowly but surely dying of old age, and it terrifies Ironwood. He knows that if there's even a slight chance of the power falling into the wrong hands and the Atlas relics being stolen, the entire kingdom will crumble, quite literally.]

[And, to be fair, I hate the idea of immortality... even if Penny is artificial... if she does have free will and emotion as she seems to... I wonder if she thinks of this...]

Suddenly, Maos's scroll rings a bit. It's Glynda. He gives a quick look to Ironwood and Pietro; they seem to allow it, and the sorcerer answers, "Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt whatever you're doing, but your help is required as I have to go to an important meeting. I heard there is a start of a disagreement between a student from another school with ours. Can you please go check this out and then solve the problem if you can? Also, go check on team RWBY afterward. I saw them acting strange earlier this morning."

"I will give it a look; it's my job anyway," responded Maos.

"Thank you; I'll see you later in the day," said Glynda as she ended the call.

Maos looks at Ironwood and Pietro in silence. "We understand; we will pursue this conversation later," explains Pietro.

"I will accompany you. I doubt those are students from Atlas causing problems, but having a headmaster can help," said Ironwood as he went to his computer to turn it off. "Professor, it was a pleasure. I will see you at our next meeting."

"Likewise, General. It was also a pleasure to speak with you, Maos. I hope we can do more chatting at a later date," responded Pietro.

"I hope as well"said Maos

---

And so, Ironwood and Maos left the room to reach the students, which apparently caused a problem. On the way, the two of them found themselves alone in a corridor. Ironwood walked alongside Maos, and the general asked Maos a question, 'Did your conversation with Pietro address your concerns?'

'Not entirely, but most of them,' Maos responded. They both could now see through a window that a problem had arisen. It seemed a couple of students from Atlas were having an argument with Beacon students. This came as a surprise and disappointment to Ironwood. Maos gave a meaningful look to the general, and the headmaster quickened his pace, saying, 'I'll handle it...'"

---

"All I am saying is that, maybe, just maybe, Beacon would benefit from a stricter teaching method. Just look at your uniform; it's sloppy! Even the fabric is subpar compared to our prestigious Atlas outfit, crafted by the best in all of Remnant," remarked the student from Atlas, his demeanor exuding nobility.

The Beacon student, Cardin, retorted, "Look at you, all dressed in white like you're heading to a wedding. Too bad your team doesn't come in black! I'm going to bury you in the tournament! You come to Beacon, and the first thing you do is judge our uniform. You don't know me, and you don't know how easily I could crush you!"

As Maos observed the exchange, he couldn't help but think, [You're getting a taste of your own medicine, Cardin. You've judged plenty of people solely by their appearances.]

The Atlas student continued, his tone unrelenting, "Such a lack of politeness and decorum, no patience at all! Is this really the famous Beacon Academy? I didn't know they let thugs in. The entrance exam must be a breeze. Don't worry; we real fighters and the pride of Atlas will filter out the trash during the tournament. People like you shouldn't even have the right to set foot in this school."

Cardin, visibly furious, snapped back, "What did you just say, punk?"

Cardin may have been a bully and an idiot, but he took immense pride in being a Beacon student and was genuinely patriotic. He was on the verge of throwing a punch at the Atlas student.

"Stop," intervened Ironwood, his demeanor suddenly shifting to a more imposing stance and tone.

[Just as Glynda said, sometimes you speak to James Ironwood, and sometimes you speak to the general and headmaster Ironwood,] thought Maos as he observed the situation.

All the Atlas students immediately snapped into a disciplined formation as the general spoke. Cardin and the Beacon students recognized him and now looked terrified. Ironwood addressed them sternly, "While both of you are defending your schools, you're going about it the wrong way."

He turned his gaze to Cardin. "I expect more from Beacon," he stated firmly. Then, he shifted his attention to the Atlas student. "And I certainly expected something more from you."

The Atlas student, now trembling, stammered, "G-General Ironwood, I swear I didn't—"

"Save your breath for when you complete an assignment on the political relations between Vale and Atlas throughout history," the general interrupted. "Now move along. I'll speak to you later today. Go to your dorm with your team. You all have better things to do."

"Yes, sir!" chorused all the Atlas students, and they began to depart in a disciplined formation, marching in unison.

[Atlas is really...militaristic,] pondered Maos. [I know Ironwood is kind to me because of my unique relationship with Ozpin, but I wonder how a typical class unfolds at Atlas...]

Ironwood watched the departing Atlas students and then turned to Cardin. "I'll inform your teachers of your behavior, and they will decide on an appropriate punishment for you later."

Cardin swallowed hard and replied in a shame-filled voice, "Yes, sir..."

---

Ironwood and Maos found themselves alone after the students left. Maos's scroll started ringing again.

"I don't know this number," Maos answered. "Yes? Who is calling?"

"Leonardo Lionheart, Headmaster of Haven, this is Maos, right?"

"Oh," Maos turned to Ironwood. "It's the Headmaster of Haven." Ironwood didn't seem surprised. "It makes sense; the last remaining student of Haven should arrive today." The sorcerer then went back to the call. "Yes, this is Maos... I'm surprised you have my scroll number."

Maos could hear the surprise in Leo's voice. "Did I hear James Ironwood's voice?" The student just turned the call on speaker. "Yes, it is."

"Greetings, Leo," said Ironwood with a very familiar tone. "Hello, James. I hope you're doing well." Leo's voice was so joyful it actually made Ironwood smile. "I am, and I hope the same for you."

There was a small pause as Maos thought for a bit. [I realized I never saw Ironwood and Lionheart interact much... they seem really friendly to each other.]

"Why was I calling again? Oh, right! Maos, I know you must be very busy, and I'm sorry to ask this of you... but there is a student who went missing during the travel to Vale. While I'm used to his special behavior, he hasn't even told his team his position, which he usually does, and that worries me."

"What is his name?"

"Sun Wukong. His team is currently looking for him. However, I don't allow Haven's students to leave Beacon until I arrive myself, which is later in the day. I was told by Ozpin that you were in charge of this kind of problem until the tournament ends. I'm sorry to ask you, but... could you look for him? He is known to get in trouble."

Maos sighed upon hearing that. [Just how many side-quests can I get in a single day?... However, it's my job... I did say yes to Ozpin to take on this role.]

"Yes... I will go look for him," said Maos.

"Thank you! I promise I will reward you later," said Leonardo.

"You don't need to—" started Maos, but Leonard didn't listen. "Just see it as a gift then!"

Maos then heard a strange sound through the call, like an object falling on the floor. Given the sound, the object wasn't that heavy.

"Oh!" Leonard seemed to be surprised. "I thought that would hold up...!"

"Sorry, Maos, but I have a situation too... Fix, I hope I can reach back to you later in the day, James as well. The team members of Sun are currently at the main gate if you want to ask them a bit about their team leader!"

Then the call ended.

---

Maos turned to Ironwood, saying, "Seems like I have places to be... I'm sorry to just leave you like that."

"Don't be. Attending to your duty is normal, and I certainly won't be the one to judge you for it," replied Ironwood. The general then glanced at the hour on his watch, a silver timepiece hidden beneath his sleeve. It looked extremely expensive.

Maos immediately became interested in that watch. Its structure seemed rather complex, but what caught Maos's attention was that the watch emitted energy, not magic but aura. It was extremely faint, almost imperceptible, likely undetectable to most.

The object was infused with aura, similar to a magic item; it must have had some kind of effect.

[How was that watch made? Was it crafted by Pietro? He's the only one I know who can use technology to infuse energy into objects,] Maos thought, failing to hide his curiosity.

"Is there a problem with my watch?" asked Ironwood. "There's nothing special about it."

Maos hesitated for a moment. "Oh... um, sorry, I was just surprised. You don't seem like someone who would wear expensive jewelry. Seeing you with such an item seemed almost out of character."

Ironwood blinked as he thought and gave a quick look at his watch. "Indeed, it is. Not many people know I have it. It was a gift from Nicolas Schnee, shortly before his death."

"Nicolas Schnee? You knew him?" Maos reacted without thinking.

The general smiled with a look of nostalgia and admiration. "Of course. He is the reason the Academy of Atlas still exists. He was the one who motivated me to be a huntsman and not just a soldier, not just a weapon, but a shield. I took great inspiration from him," responded the general as he gave a sadder look at his watch.

"I see," said Maos. It seemed that Ironwood held Nicolas Schnee in high regard, not just with respect but with admiration. "So, did someone work on the watch while Ironwood had it, or did Nicolas Schnee give it to him in that state?"

The headmaster was a bit disturbed that Maos was unsettled by a mere watch. However, given the time, he didn't have the luxury to stand around. "Well, speaking of duty, I also have my own. One of them is preventing the teachers from Atlas from having arguments with the teachers from Beacon."

"Really?" Maos reacted, genuinely surprised. "I thought only the students would have that kind of problem."

Ironwood seemed a bit ashamed. "Don't be mistaken; we teachers are as proud as the students, if not more so for certain individuals. Some of us participated in previous vital tournaments, and some were rivals not just in fighting but also in teaching methods. Most of us control ourselves for the sake of our image and our students, as we want everything to go smoothly. But there's always that one person who causes problems, be it accidental or intentional."

Maos thought, "Even adults can be foolish and childish sometimes..." He then said, "Well, I'll stop slowing you down and get to work." As he said that, Maos started walking away. "It was a pleasure."

"It was the same for me," said Ironwood as he walked away as well.

---

Soon after, Maos decided to put the whole Ironwood's watch situation aside for now, and he went to the gate of Beacon, expecting to find Sun's team.

As Maos arrived at the huge iron gate closing Beacon, he saw three boys getting into an argument with one of the security guards who seemed tired and fed up.

"What do you mean we can't leave?!" asked the boy with blue hair with great energy.

"Our team is probably just lost in Vale, we need to get him back," said the one with green eyes.

"He always does this, is that really a leader?" said the last boy with scarlet hair.

The security guard responded with evident annoyance, "For the last time, NO. Lionheart's orders, nobody from Haven can leave until he arrives."

"Oh, come on!" screamed the one with blue hair.

"Hi," said Maos. "Team S.S.S.N?... Sun?"

Everyone turned to him. "Yes?"

"Thank the gods, Maos, you're finally here," said the guard.

"Hi," said Maos.

"Wait... you are..." reacted the boy with blue hair. "Maos Corvidae?"

"THE Maos Corvidae?" added another.

"Yes?" the sorcerer hesitated heavily when saying that word. "I was called to go find where your team leader is...you are Team SSSN, right?"

The whole team looked at each other for a second, and they seemed to have questions that were not related to Sun at all. They even started whispering among each other.

"Focus! We lack a team leader! We'll ask questions later," said the one with blue hair as he stopped chatting. He then raised his hand toward Maos. "Name's Neptune."

"Scarlet," said the one with red hair.

"Sage," said the one with green hair.

The sorcerer shook Neptune's hand. The boy had a very charismatic face and tone of voice, clearly the extrovert of the team or at least trying his best to seem like it. However, Maos sensed a bit of insecurity when shaking Neptune's hand.

[Does he find me intimidating?] thought Maos.

"So... you're searching for our team leader, Sun?... He's in trouble again, right?" asked Neptune.

"I don't know that yet," said Maos. "How did you lose him?"

"Oh, he ran off like usual, and then he climbed aboard a ship and traveled illegally to Vale because, and I quote, 'I'm tired of waiting,' and then left," said Scarlet, though he said it with a small voice, hopefully enough that Maos maybe hadn't heard it.

Neptune turned to his teammates and responded with a similar small voice, "Come on, dude, you can't just sell our team leader like that!" He then turned again to Maos. "Sun, our leader, is an UPSTANDING CITIZEN who always pays for everything he needs...and any boat rides he has... been... lost... by... um..."

"By accident," said Sage.

"BY ACCIDENT! Yes, by accident, and he happens to be clumsy, and then-"

"Stop," said Maos with a bored tone. "Just stop."

"I'm not convincing anyone, am I?" said Neptune.

Maos sighed. "Not even yourself. Also... I have really good hearing. I heard the whole part about Sun coming to Vale illegally."

[This Sun... he doesn't seem to be a very good friend... or at least he is definitely not a really good team leader.]

"Do you have any idea where he could be?"

"We did see him yesterday night... and then he left," said Scarlet.

"With a girl," added Sage. "I saw him walk away with her."

All the boys looked at each other.

"Sun just arrived in Beacon... and he left with a girl at night from Beacon? I wasn't expecting that kind of person," reacted Maos.

"WAIT, W-w-wait!" said Neptune, making extreme hand gestures. "Sun is really not like that! He is far, FAR from a womanizer! Once you meet him, you'll understand EXACTLY what I mean."

"He has a fan club dedicated to him," said Scarlet. "It's full of girls."

"FAN CLUB which he is not involved with!" added Neptune.

"To be fair, she was crying," said Sage. "Knowing him, he just wanted to help her."

Sage seemed to be the stoic of the team, probably the pillar of the team both in fights and in emotions.

"Can you describe her?" asked Maos. "If she's from Beacon, I may even know her."

"Black hair... white clothes." Then Sage simply stopped, and everyone looked at him in silence.

"And?"

"I haven't seen much more. It was night, and I was far away," answered Sage.

"Can you at least give something else? Anything really?"

"She was... hot?" said Sage, hesitating.

"That..." started Maos, getting a bit embarrassed. "That barely helps..."

All boys looked at each other in understanding. It was a bit too vague, the word "hot" or "attractive" could describe way too many people in the school, be it boy, girl, student, or teacher.

"Anyway... she was crying?"

"Yep, and Sun just ran off to her. She was crying while staring at the statues in the main courtyard, and then they both left."

"Why did you not try to follow them?!" reacted Scarlet and Neptune.

"...It was lunchtime... and I was hungry."

"Are you serious?!" reacted his friends.

"Yes... I didn't think Sun would just leave like that... he always got a sweet spot for other Faunus," said Sage.

"A Faunus? The girl was a Faunus?" reacted Maos. "What kind of Faunus?"

"Why did you say it first thing?!" added Scarlet and Neptune.

Sage kept explaining what he saw. "It was a cat Faunus. I could see the shape of cat ears despite the darkness. Only the shape, however... maybe it was not cat ears..."

Realization struck Maos. Along with Team RWBY acting weird, the cat girl crying, there were not that many Faunus in Beacon, and only one of them was a cat Faunus. [Was Blake crying because she didn't make any decision about the White Fang and Sienna and regret?]

He had a sudden pain in his heart. [Did I cause that?]

"Give me a second; I think I know who the girl is." He immediately grabbed his scroll and called Blake, ignoring Neptune and his friends.

The call was answered quickly.

---

"Blake, where are you now?" Maos asked.

There was a long silence before Yang's voice came through. "Maos? Is that you?"

"Yang? Why do you have Blake's scroll?"

"She left it in the room before... anyway, why are you calling her?" Yang responded, sounding uneasy. "She's not in trouble, right?"

"Depends. Can you give the phone to her so I can ask a few questions? She has been seen with a student who has gone missing."

"Um... she's... not available," said Yang with uncertainty.

"Did something happen?" asked Maos. "I heard she was seen crying and then left with the missing student."

"Oh... yeah... that," said Yang.

"Yang, what are you not telling me?" insisted Maos, and he received an immediate answer. "Weiss and Blake had an argument, it went bad. Blake ran away, and we don't know where she is."

Maos sighed. "On what did they both argue?"

Yang could be heard leaning against a wall. "Something... pretty personal. I don't think Blake would like it if I told you. It's like a Team RWBY secret, only..."

"I see. So just know that I will look for her regardless of what you do, but it's better if we help each other," said Maos.

"Please don't intervene," said Yang, her voice emotional.

"Huh?" Maos seemed surprised. "Why? I can find her easily."

Yang's position and voice changed; she seemed troubled. "I think Blake needs time for herself. She needs to come back by herself, not just us forcing her back to Beacon. Weiss also needs time to think, even if she refuses to admit it."

There was a small pause as Yang seemed to think, and Maos as well.

"It's Team RWBY's problem. I don't want you just to bring her back to us. You can search for her and the missing student. But please, it's important, don't force her to do anything nor try to convince her. Ruby, Weiss, and I would be grateful. It needs to be us, not just Blake, but also for Weiss and Ruby," Yang pleaded.

"So, you just want me to find and watch her, see if she is alive and safe, then just leave, while grabbing the missing student along the way?" reacted Maos.

"Yes, exactly that. Let me and Team RWBY handle the rest. Just grab the student and ignore Blake. And then tell me if she's alright."

Maos rubbed his eyes in thought. He felt a bit relieved that he was not the main reason Blake left. However, he did believe he unknowingly put too much pressure on her with the White Fang situation. He is not close enough to Blake to truly know her like Yang or Ruby does, so it's actually better to let them handle that. However, he still needs to check on Sun.

"Okay... I will just grab the missing student if he is with her and then leave."

"Then-" started Yang, but Maos interrupted her.

"However, if I don't find the missing student along the way, Blake is my only clue to him, so I will question her. However, I won't mention Team RWBY or anything related to last night. Agreed?"

Yang stayed silent for three seconds. "Agreed." Ruby's voice could be heard from far away. "She's not there; maybe she should look in another library!"

Yang seemed taken aback. "Oops, I need to go. Bye... also, thank you."

And then the call ended.

---

[Why thank me? I didn't do anything yet...] Maos found himself once again facing Sun's team.

"So... what do we do?" inquired Neptune.

"You? Nothing. I have a method to locate your leader... if he is still with the Faunus, at least," responded Maos.

"So we just stand there and wait?" questioned Sage. "Can't we come with you? He is our team leader."

"No," declared Maos.

A brief, awkward silence hung in the air as Team SSSN quickly realized there was no room for negotiation.

"I'm fine with it," said Scarlet. "Come on, dude!" exclaimed Neptune.

The sorcerer crossed his arms. "You all should go back to your dorm or class if you have any. I'll try to bring back your leader by the end of the day. We don't want to worry Headmaster Lionheart more than necessary. Anyways, I'm going. I have a long day ahead of me."

Maos then simply walked away.

Team SSSN exchanged glances. "Did he just walk away like that?" questioned Neptune.

"Seems like it," remarked Sage.

"We should too. We can't leave. We might as well get our homework or training together. Sun is probably fine anyway," suggested Scarlet.

"But..." Neptune insisted for a single second and then gave up. "Fine..."

---

10 minutes later, Maos finds himself in his room. He takes a seat.

"[Come, let's locate Blake.]"

"[Scrying: Blake]" - this 5th spell would enable him to see Blake wherever she may be.

He observes her perched on the edge of a rooftop, a young man by her side [that's Sun, I guess].

"Welp... time to go."

However, as he rises, an unexpected drowsiness sets in. His eyes become remarkably heavy so quickly that he struggles to walk.

"What..." He barely manages to take two steps before succumbing to unconsciousness on the ground.

---

Maos opened his eyes, gasping for air as he immediately sat up. Finding himself in a room, it was dimly lit with one door on a side wall and three windows on the others. The walls were painted in a deep shade of purple. The sorcerer made his way to the window, attempting to peer through.

However, there was nothing. Light filtered through the window, revealing only blank space behind it. Maos quickly grasped the situation and demanded, "Show yourself."

A puddle of dark liquid emerged from the ground, shaping into the god of darkness in his humanoid form. "Well, well, how long has it been?"

"Not long enough," retorted Maos. He examined his attire, realizing he now wore the clothes he once donned as Chaos—a black suit with dark gloves.

"You are here for your next trial. This time, I decide to introduce you to it." Maos clenched his teeth, bracing for what was to come.

"So, let's see, shall we?" The god of darkness waved his hand, and Maos began to experience a vision. It appeared to be the entrance of a luxurious hotel, possibly on the edge of the city. Maos observed three cars pulling up, and several armed individuals disembarking—most appearing to be highly trained, possibly huntsmen. Two people stood out as they left the central car: a young man and a young woman, both bearing a striking resemblance.

The man sported a well-cut beard and brown, curly short hair. Dressed in a fancy white suit with a red tie, his green eyes showed signs of fatigue. Though not imposing physically, scars on his hands hinted at his combat capabilities.

The woman, in contrast, wore a long dark dress, devoid of jewelry. Her piercing green eyes and recently darkened straight brown hair exuded a threatening beauty. Despite her ladylike posture, the intensity in her gaze would unsettle anyone.

"Diony..." Maos exclaimed aloud.

The two remaining members of the Diony family appeared seconds later, their bodyguards forcefully dragging someone out of the cars.

"Let go of us!"

"Our mom will get every single one of you slaughtered like animals if you don't release us this instant!"

It was the Malachite twins, tied up and brought against their will.

The god of darkness chuckled, and Maos's eyes turned a deep shade of red. The twins still wore the outfits from the nightclub, showing signs of a struggle before being captured.

The young man from the Diony family approached the girls, who were being dragged by the bodyguards. Without warning, he kicked Miltia straight in the face, the force causing her to fall to the ground, losing a tooth in the process.

"Don't touch my sister!" screamed Melanie.

Miltia struggled to move, her aura already broken, and exhaustion taking its toll. The man chuckled and continued his assault, hitting Miltia repeatedly in the same spot, the sound of bones breaking echoing after each stomp.

Miltia cried and screamed until the man delivered a final blow to her head, rendering her unconscious.

"I'll kill you! You hear that? I will kill all of you!" screamed Melanie.

The young woman from the Diony family approached Melanie. The girl attempted to bite her, but a bodyguard intervened, punching her in the stomach.

The woman seized Melanie by the hair, raising her head to make eye contact. "Do you hear that?" she whispered to Melanie as a heavy silence enveloped the scene. The wind made more noise than anyone present, and the woman smiled evilly. "Nothing. No car, no one, and no mom. No one to save you or your sister."

The woman raised her hand, caressing Melanie's cheek. "We are all here because you two and Juniors refuse to tell us where Chaos is...how sad. Your choices: if we can't go to him, we'll need to bring him to us."

"Olivia," said the man, "it's getting late. We don't want to attract more attention than needed."

"Augustus!" The woman turned immediately to her brother. "Our father and brother were killed brutally. Their bodies were torn apart! We could at least take a limb or two."

"Later." Augustus produced a pocket watch as expensive-looking as his suit. "I don't want to miss dinner, and we should get ready for Chaos to arrive."

The vision ended as Melanie was knocked out as well, and Maos found himself back in the black, eerie room.

---

He had not budged an inch since Miltia got punched and saw the diony leaving, and a deep crimson energy emanated from his eyes. After a few seconds, he finally spoke.

"Where are they? the diony ?"

The god of darkness appeared proud. "And here was I thinking I could elicit more of a reaction from you. You just want the Diony, don't you? you are still thinking of the threat the father made about your friends"

"Where are they? Don't play games with me," Maos said with a cold tone.

The god didn't react to Maos. "Here is the trial. I would rather be more direct than my brother. I will allow you to go save the young twins; however, no one should perish by Maos's hand. But by the end of the night, nobody except you and the twins must be alive inside the building."

"Why on Remnant would I force myself to undergo your little trial?" reacted Maos.

The god disregarded the mortal complaints. "I will reward you greatly. You may not care that much about the twins' lives," said the god of darkness. "but Do not be mistaken; I am not giving you a choice. If you don't partake in my trials, I'll ensure many people you actually care about are deceased by the end of the night."

The sorcerer started rushing at the god; the figure disappeared, and he went straight through the door.

---

Maos found himself on a rugged road, its sides adorned with rocks and gravel. In the distance, the majestic mountains stood tall, and the renowned hotel loomed on the horizon. The wind, crisp and chilly, carried a hint of humidity, compelling Maos to desire an unrestrained scream. He despised being a pawn of the gods. Yet, he managed to regain his composure. Whether it was a trial or not, the fate of the twins hung in the balance, destined for a torturous demise adn if he failed the trial many of his friends may die. He had to rescue them, and the urgency weighed heavily on him.

It dawned on Maos that he was still garbed as Chaos, the undercover criminal who clandestinely controlled Junior's club. However, his visage remained that of Maos, and he found himself without of any weaponry, including his sword.

Grasping his scroll, Maos dialed Junior's number, only to be met with silence. "Damn it... Blake and Sun will have to wait. I must obliterate the Diony family and save the twins," he muttered resolutely.

Taking determined steps, Maos commenced his journey. His goal was crystal clear—retrieve the twins and annihilate his adversaries. Yet, apprehension lingered regarding the impending trial. He needed to devise a plan, whether it involved hijacking the trial or navigating it meticulously.

"Everyone inside the building, except for the twins and me, must survive the night. But I can't personally take a life... How can I achieve that?" Maos pondered aloud as he neared the imposing hotel.

---

After a good 20 minutes of walking, he finally approached the hotel. He had devised a plan: to transform into a bird and soar high above. As he ascended, he surveyed the building, navigating its numerous balconies and windows. Despite the grandeur of the structure, it appeared well-maintained, untouched by damage. The night had fallen, and a broken moon emerged in the sky.

Maos observed that every balcony harbored at least two vigilant soldiers, while the rooms inside seemed heavily guarded. The twins were elusive, potentially hidden underground or deeply entrenched within the hotel. Considering the number of personnel observed, he pondered, [How many are they? I counted 26 people just on the side of the building and the balconies alone. Does Diony possess the wealth to afford such a contingent?]

Internally sighing, Maos contemplated his next move. [Alright, next step... I hope I can employ wild magic. I did it with Ruby; surely, I can influence others without causing harm.]

The blackbird abruptly halted its flight, diving straight down before transforming into a cat. Stealthily, he maneuvered around the building, reaching the entrance. The road leading to the entrance indicated a designated stopping point for guests, yet there was no visible parking nearby.

[Locating the entrance to the underground parking is crucial.]

As a cat, he struggled to maintain his feline form, muttering, [Why is being a cat so challenging?]

"Hey, did you hear that?" A guard noticed Maos, prompting the sorcerer to freeze. "Was that a cat?" inquired another guard.

"Must be a feral one; we're too far from the city," suggested a third guard. "Let's check it out. We can't allow anything to roam freely."

Approaching footsteps alarmed Maos. [I must divert their attention.] He hissed as the guards closed in. "See, called it, it was a cat," remarked one guard.

"And it does look feral," added the other. "But regardless, we know the rules."

As the guards neared, Maos retreated to the side of the building, hissing in a display of hostility. "Sorry, kitty," one guard said before firing a shot, narrowly missing Maos, who darted away like a wild animal.

"It ran away. Doubt it'll come back," the guard remarked.

"You seriously missed that shot?" questioned the other.

"What? No, I missed on purpose."

The surprised guard responded, "But Diony said to kill anything that is not under their order, be it animal or human or Faunus. Even animals would bother us and make noise in the night. We need more security."

"Oh, come on! It's a cat. I can't kill a cat. It's just too cute. Plus, it doesn't matter; it ran off far away anyway, so it won't bother us."

---

Maos found himself sprinting a short distance around the building, this quick dash enabled him to cover a significant area, leading him to the entrance of the undergraduate parking lot. Fortunately, luck was on his side as he noticed a lone guard near the parking entrance.

Testing his strategy, Maos lured the guard with a few meows. The guard, resembling a trained soldier, made the mistake of following the sound. Before taking any steps, he reached for his radio and spoke, "There's a suspicious noise near the parking entrance, like a cat. Anything I should know?"

A swift response came through Maos's cat ears, "No, it's just a cat. I saw it a few seconds ago; it got scared and will run away."

"Was that the reason you fired your weapon? I heard a gunshot," inquired the soldier.

"Yes, I missed. The cat ran off. Deal with it however you want," replied the other guard.

"Got it," the soldier acknowledged, readying his automatic rifle. As he released the radio and started walking out of the entrance light, Maos transformed from a cat into a human, pouncing on him and pinning him down.

[sleep] which induces sleep in a single target through physical contact, Maos efficiently incapacitated the soldier before he could react. Seizing the opportunity, Maos teleported with the man into deeper shadows using [shadow step], a level 2 spell allowing short-distance teleportation.

Examining the mercenary, Maos thought, [This guy is clearly an expensive mercenary.]

On his first attempt, Maos placed his hand on the man's head, casting a very specific spell.

[suggestion : at 10 pm, trigger the alarm and evacuate the building. I've planted explosives throughout the foundation, and everyone inside will die if they don't leave.]

The spell worked instantly, and to enhance its effects, Maos combined it with another spell, [charm person], a level 1 spell compelling a person to be friendly. The man woke up to find himself alone, Maos having vanished to another location.

---

[Invisibility] Using his powers of invisibility, Maos passed through several doors and eventually entered the building itself. He utilized the entrance located in the underground parking lot. The hotel corridor was well-lit, adorned with walls in a pale purple hue accented by a gold line near the pillars. Moving slowly, he encountered several guards on the first floor, who were not merely hired goons but skilled huntsmen. Undeterred, he continued with his plan, though some individuals sensed his intent.

Persistently abusing his magical abilities took a toll on Maos, significantly draining his stamina. Employing spells to incapacitate guards, he ensured they were alone before using the [modify memory] spell on them,it was his very few tries on humans and faunus,it seemed to work, modifying their memory and making them think Moas had bought them over his side. While he improved with each encounter, the process consumed a considerable amount of his energy.

After 15 minutes, exhaustion set in. Maos found himself in a hotel room, back against a wall, heavily breathing. Frustration seeped into his thoughts, realizing the impracticality of mentally affecting all huntsmen and questioning the duration of his spells.

[This isn't going to work] he thought. [I can't influence every huntsman mentally, and I'm not even sure if the spells hold for that long. This was a terrible plan!]

[Using a 5th-level spell drains my energy too quickly. I need to rest,] he concluded. Suddenly, he heard several footsteps approaching, and panic set in as he realized people were coming down the corridor.

"Hey, have you heard of that guy named Maos?" inquired a woman from the corridor.

"The huntsman prodigy? Yeah, of course, I have. Even though I graduated from Beacon a year ago, I still like to check the news here and there," responded another.

"Two women...huntresses?" thought Maos, positioning himself closer to the door in preparation for their potential entry. He needed to take them down.

---

"Wait, you graduated from Beacon? I graduated from Mistral."

"Mistral? What are you doing here? Isn't this protection partly offered by the Vale Council?"

"The Diony put some money on the right tables here and there," answered the Mistral woman.

"Do the Diony really need that much protection? I thought their dad and brother got caught between two gangs. Those gangs have no reason to come here and finish this off."

"Those gangs won't, but they made a mistake. They seem to have attracted the attention of a certain guy who wants to kill them. According to what I learned, this specific guy is on Maos's level."

"Like a criminal with prodigious skills? You clearly don't know Maos's level."

"Like you do,I call Bullshit on that" said the Mistral woman.

"I do. I was tasked to watch him by the council from afar once. I'm good at that."

"The council itself has eyes on him?"

"Everyone high up has eyes on him, and even some other people way down have eyes as well. He's considered the next Ozpin, and better actually. I heard conversations here and there that they are scared of what he will do once he graduates—what kind of job he will do, what missions he could undertake, from whom he could get those missions. Very scared. I'm pretty sure it's the same for the criminal world. All the high-ups in mafia families probably watch in silence, waiting for something."

"Are they right to be scared? He may be a prodigy, but he's still a single man," laughed the Mistral woman.

"I saw him cut a man in half with a single strike of his sword, and that man had his aura on. It was gruesome, worse... while it was to protect his friend. He had no hesitation at all, and I saw that damn look in his eyes."

"What look?"

"He didn't care. The man was dead in an instant, and this kid didn't seem to have any reaction or remorse at all,like...I know if he just hide it well. It's as if the life he just took had literally no meaning for him in any shape or form. I tell you, my superiors from the council seem to believe that they can make Maos into the great hero of Vale, but I'm telling you, that guy is no hero."

The two women stand near the door of the room where Maos stays.

"If the guy you are talking about is on Maos' level, I might as well just run away now, but I doubt it."

"Yeah, I know. That's kinda why I'm here. I want to confirm it," said the woman from Mistral.

"Huh?"

"I heard the guy could kill someone with his bare hands despite their aura, and so people got interested... some powerful people. And then Diony made one big mistake—they kidnapped the wrong people to attract him."

The woman from Mistral suddenly pushes the huntress from Vale against the wall, face against the wall, and quickly puts one hand to try to crush her throat and prevent any screaming. She then grabs a knife with purple energy near the blade. "The spider says hi."

She then stabs the helpless huntress several times, whose aura was broken after three repeated stabs, and dies from the fourth one. Maos can hear the body falling from against the wall to the floor.

"[Spider? The gang from the twin's mother is from?]"

"I know you're in this room," said the woman. "I'm good at finding people who are hiding. It's my semblance, actually. So now, Chaos, I'm going to enter. I have a body to hide. Hear what I have to say or kill me. Do what you want, but you may lose interest in the opportunity and make an enemy."

Maos immediately steps back from the door and tries to hide his tiredness. He does a decent job at it and can get his act up easily.

A middle-aged woman with long orange hair and green eyes enters the room. She wears what seems to be a modified guard's outfit of Vale painted in black. She drags the body into the room, closes the door behind her, throws her blade on the ground, and raises up her right sleeve, showing a tattoo of a spider.

She stops and takes a good look at Maos (Chaos).

"Younger than I expected. I'm surprised you made it so far on your own," remarked the woman.

"Why are you here? Spider gang? Are you after the twins?" Maos inquired, maintaining a cold tone.

"Yep. My mistress has eyes everywhere. The moment she heard Diony died in Junior's club, she asked a few people to protect the girls. Sadly, by the time we arrived, they were already kidnapped. So, we got new orders—helping you save her daughters. While we are a few, we aren't enough to face the army in this building."

An ally... I could use that, thought Maos. He needed to catch his breath; having someone clear several floors while he rested was great.

"Let's be efficient. We save the girls and eliminate the rest of the family, and then we talk. How many of you are there?"

"Quick... I like that. We are five in the building, all scattered around. One outside with a sniper, two others on the lower floor waiting for my signal, and me."

"How many guards have you taken out?" asked the sorcerer.

"Three by myself and two by the sniper. If we kill too many more, they will realize our presence. How many have you killed?" the assassin inquired.

"None. Some guards are under my orders. I just have to remind them. The reason I'll keep to myself. I cannot kill anyone myself tonight." Maos then remembered more of the conditions of his trial's success. "Also, by the end of the night, no living soul must be inside the building. So, we have to get everyone out or kill everyone that is inside."

"You have that kind of connection to have guards and huntsmen under your order," reacted the woman. "Also, why do you restrain yourself from killing? You just mentioned efficiency earlier."

"I have my ways and reasons to act the way I do. Anyway, I need either you or your group to slowly take out each guard as they go up to search for the twins."

"The twins are on the 36th floor," said the woman.

"Huh?" reacted Maos, looking at her, surprised.

"Semblance," said the assassin. She must have a very precise semblance. The student on his side can't just use magic to locate the twin without burning through his stamina, and even then, he would only get a few hints of their location. "That makes it so much easier. Let's go take the twin and wait for the guards under my order to activate the alarm."

"Why would they activate the alarm?"

"Because they believe I put explosives around the building. At 10 pm, the alarm will be triggered if those guys still follow my orders."

"You serious?"

"Yes, I am. The whole reason why I'm going from floor to floor is that I didn't know where the twin is. Now I know, and we have about 20 minutes before it's time. So, either you and your crew help me take out the guards that don't leave the building because I can't. Any questions?"

"But why are you not kill—" the woman started, attempting to understand why Maos would restrain himself after what he did previously.

"No questions? Perfect. I will prepare. Then, when the alarm goes off, your people will take out the remaining guards inside. Meanwhile, I will render everyone near the twin unconscious, take the twin, and leave, so your crew can deal with those unconscious bodies," said Maos without hesitation. He seemed to have gained a certain confidence in the situation, lucky but tired. His mind had raced to change his original plan.

"Why would I follow your order?" asked the assassin.

"Why would you even listen to me if you had no intention to?" responded Maos.

"Fair point," said the woman.

---

And so, the plan was set in motion. The spider's assassin had disseminated the strategy among their ranks, while Maos took a moment to rejuvenate through meditation and restore his energy.

The woman departed, leaving the lifeless body on the floor. Maos needed to examine the situation. [This woman graduated from Beacon... and she was sent by the council to keep an eye on me. Good to know.] While the development was disconcerting, Maos opted to defer deep contemplation for now, given the pressing circumstances.

Suddenly, the alarm blared, causing a wave of panic. Maos swiftly headed to the main elevator, destined for the 36th floor. [Hopefully, they'll prepare to evacuate the building or take the risk and stay put, assuming it's a false alarm.]

The Diony siblings were aware that Maos wouldn't resort to blowing up the building without securing the twins first.

As the elevator doors opened, revealing a dining hall with numerous guards and a carefully arranged table, Maos found himself facing a peculiar scene. The twins sat back to back on chairs near the table, while the Diony siblings enjoyed a peaceful meal. Despite the persistent alarm, the room has very few windows but was well-lit thanks to numerous chandeliers.

Caught in place, the sorcerer focused his gaze on the Diony siblings.

"Could someone please silence this alarm?" Brother Diony called out. A guard promptly grabbed his scroll, pressed a button, and the alarm ceased. "For those who wish to depart, let them go... but everyone in this room stays," added Sister Diony. "So, why not join us at the table? You can't take on twelve trained huntsmen and huntresses. We might as well have a conversation."

---

Mao's feels his heart racing, the color of his eyes changing rapidly several times in a row. Now that he directly faces the diony and sees the twins, who bear even more injuries than before.

The diony has directly threatened him, and they must face death as part of the trial, but not by his hand. He has no intention of letting them live.

why is his desire to kill them so strong ? such bloodlust is strange to him,he usually simply doesn't care

---

[calm emotion], Maos felt his instinct kicking in as his hand touched his chest and cast the spell on himself; he then also bestowed upon himself a couple of enhancements: [haste] and [mage armor].

The Diony siblings exchanged glances while Maos remained relatively stationary in the elevator.

"I've heard you're a businessman, just like me and my father before me. I have two of your friends here. How about we negotiate the situation?" said Augustus Diony as his sister clenched her teeth.

For a brief moment, Maos hesitated to negotiate, clenching his fist. Cold eyes honed in on the color red, and a strange purple energy enveloped his fist. He shot a quick glance at the twins.

"No, negotiation was over the moment you kidnapped the twins," he declared.

[fog cloud], a level 1 spell that creates thick fog in a confined area, Maos shrouded the surroundings. While everyone, including Maos, was now blinded, it meant that people couldn't aim projectiles indiscriminately.

The guards prepared for battle, but Maos swiftly darted at great speed toward the first one on his left—a man clad in armor wielding a spear.

The man swung his spear; Maos, with a nimble duck, avoided the attack. Following it up with an uppercut and a straight left, Maos slammed the man against the wall, creating a visible crack. Though the man's aura remained intact, Maos punched him twice more, shattering the aura and embedding him deeper into the wall, rendering the man unconscious.

A brief silence ensued as Maos observed the fallen man. He made sure to actively confirm the man wasn't dead [he's not dead].

"How did you manage that?" a woman exclaimed as she lunged at Maos, wielding two modified daggers. Simultaneously, another huntsman fired several gunshots at a nearby monster.

Maos's keen eyes detected two huntsmen charging towards him with what appeared to be katanas. Most huntsmen heightened their senses to get a vague idea of Maos's location and track his movements.

[Shield]. A protective bubble enveloped Maos, compelling the huntress to "bounce." Seizing the opportunity, he reflexively grabbed her leg and effortlessly swung her, throwing her into the path of the two approaching huntsmen who had to hastily dodge.

[Affecting gravity to make someone weightless is even more amusing than I anticipated.]

With incredible speed, the sorcerer dashed towards the destabilized huntsmen. Extending his arm, he reached both their heads and forcefully slammed them into the ground. When their auras remained intact, he resorted to punching them a second and third time to render them unconscious.

A sudden pain in his back alerted Maos to two hits from a single huntsman who had managed to sneak up on him. Although his mage armor held, he swiftly turned around to face his opponent, deftly dodging the next strike. Gripping the huntsman by the throat, he threw him to the ground. It became apparent that huntsmen surrounded him.

[Damn it. If only I could eliminate them all, I'd unleash my magic freely. But being Chaos, I must restrict myself to abilities that won't reveal the truth,I'll have to stick to maneuvers achievable with dust. They can't perceive my movements clearly, and hopefully, they won't notice the absence of dust on me.]

Two bullets, infused with ice dust, were then fired from a distance, pinning Maos's feet to the ground.

Spotting an opponent charging at him with a blade, Maos deliberately fell backward to evade the attack. His opponent leapt above him, and with his hand raised, Maos targeted the chest, creating a ball of electricity that exploded, sending his adversary hurtling towards the ceiling in a small lightning streak.

"He's using electric dust!" someone shouted.

The sorcerer generated heat at his feet, swiftly melting the ice, and resumed moving. [One of them can see clearly in the fog. They wouldn't shoot with such precision. I need to neutralize that threat.]

Dodging another attack from huntsmen, Maos realized that while the fog prevented simultaneous attacks, he needed to reduce their numbers swiftly, or he risked defeat.

[I need a way to see through this fog as well!]

Maos closes his eyes. Though he knows a spell to see through the dark, the fog presents a different challenge. He concentrates, focusing on aura and its movement, a technique that Fox employs to navigate despite being blind.

"I see you now."

A small flame forms around Maos's finger. He flicks his hand towards his target, and a tiny arrow made of pure fire flies towards the shooter. However, the shooter manages to shoot down the arrow itself, rendering the attack ineffective.

[That guy can see clearly in the fog! And he's got the reflexes and aim to defend himself.]

Several strikes from other huntsmen approach Maos.

[Shield,] Maos commands. People bounce off after attacking him. He then dashes towards the shooter who continues firing, dodging bullets despite being slowed down.

[Firebolt] he utters. An arrow of fire shoots straight at the shooter. This time, the bullet doesn't destroy the projectile, and the magic hits the target. Spells are stronger than wild magic of the same level. Maos reaches his target, slamming him against the wall with so much force that the man's aura is broken in a single hit, knocking him out. The student grabs the body, using it as a shield against an attack from another huntsman. It was a reflex, and the man dies from the impact.

"The windows are open! Wind dust now!" screams a huntsman.

Several huntsmen throw big chunks of green crystal dust on the floor, creating a strong gust of wind that clears the fog.

Five huntsmen out of twelve are down, and Maos stands above a corpse. He cannot see the Dionys or the twins; they have moved.

"Where are they? Dammit, I took my eyes off them during the fight, and they escaped..."

---

He elevated his voice during a brief pause in the skirmish, and in that moment, Maos discerned the stars visible through the windows. They held a captivating beauty, and, inadvertently, his eyes emanated a radiant white hue. Suddenly, a vision seized him, his consciousness transported elsewhere. In this mental journey, he witnessed an image of the Dionys walking alongside members of the Spider Gang. The Dionys appeared joyous; they had successfully escaped. To his surprise, the assassin from the Spider Gang stood beside them, evidently in league with the escaping group.

"What? How?"

[Was that woman actually working for the Diony family?] He regretted not verifying her honesty earlier.

Another vision unfolded, revealing numerous explosives strategically planted in the vicinity, both in the ground and surrounding the building. The assassin's voice cut through the revelation, "Was Chaos really that much of a threat? I mean, eliminating this many huntsmen won't go unnoticed... But I don't care; I'm earning enough money to retire." With that statement, she pushed a button, triggering the explosives with a countdown of 60 seconds.

[How did I overlook the explosives before? How did the Diony family evacuate the building so swiftly?]for a mere second,Maos noticed,that each diony was wearing rings,he could the magic in it,teleportation ring,no doubt those were gifts from the god of darkness

---

back to reality

A huntsman emerges beside Maos, wielding a sledgehammer as his weapon, striking him on the side. "Bad idea to daydream in a fight! Idiot!" Maos is sent flying a few meters away as his mage armor, weakened earlier, shatters from the impact.

"His aura broke!"

The sorcerer adjusts his position mid-air, landing on his feet. Three huntsmen rush towards him. One halts midway, transforming his weapon into a gun and firing at Maos, while the other two accelerate their charge.

"Forget it. Time for magic; they're all going to die anyway."

Maos conjures a [flame blade], a weapon of fire in his hand. He deflects the bullets, counters the first blade swing of a huntsman, altering his direction. Dodging the next attack, Maos engages in a swift exchange of blows, his blade clashing with the huntsman's spear. The sorcerer, quicker and stronger, breaks the huntsman's aura with a piercing attack, causing him to collapse.

Six huntsmen remain.

[mage armor], Maos withstands the next barrage of bullets from the other huntsmen behind him. He turns to confront those who attacked him earlier with sledgehammers.

"I don't get it! Your aura broke; you should be able to move after that hit!"

A huntsman swings at Maos with a hammer. Maos dodges by stepping backward but takes a hit from another huntsman on the side with a similar sledgehammer. Maos manages to stop the swing with his sword and avoids the next attack.

"Just how strong are you?! I've never had someone stop a full swing!"

Maos's super strength allows him to achieve such feats, uncommon among huntsmen.

[shadow step], Maos teleports next to the shooter, slashing three times with his blade. The third strike is dodged, prompting Maos to use wild magic to create a large shard of ice, throwing it at the target to break her aura and render her unconscious.

"He can teleport?! Dust can't do that!" reacts a huntsman.

Five huntsmen remain.

Three huntsmen, including the two with hammers, attack Maos from behind. Raising his now empty hand, Maos turns around,his hand emitting purple energy. "Fall."

All three huntsmen are pulled toward the ground, crushed by gravity using wild magic. Maos then spins with his fire blade, aiming at the grounded huntsmen, delivering hits to ensure their auras break.

Two huntsmen remain, charging at concentrate wind magic,a green orb appear in his hands,he unleashed the power and the intense and instant gust of wind push and launch both huntsmen all the way back to the end of the room,the huntsmen

Suddenly, the ground shakes, accompanied by an explosion. The huntsmen and Maos come to a stop.

"Right, almost forgot about that," said Maos as he quickly thought [shadow step]. Maos teleports near the twins and grabs both of them.

[Dimension Door: 150 east] A portal opens, and Maos jumps in with the twins.

He finds himself falling through the air.

[Fly]. He stops the fall while carrying the twins, witnessing explosions around the base of the building, causing it to collapse entirely.

---

The smoke and debris transformed the area into chaos as the sorcerer observed the unfolding destruction from start to finish.

Maos carefully descended to the ground as the debris settled. Placing the twins on the ground, he assessed their condition. They had sustained numerous bone fractures and significant blood loss. Urgent medical attention was essential to prevent their swift demise. The Diony seemed to have inflicted additional harm while they were bound to the chair.

Having expended considerable magical energy to evade multiple huntsmen simultaneously, Maos felt the strain. The overuse of modified memory had taken its toll, and despite a brief respite, he was far from his peak. Unable to unleash his full power, he pushed himself further with teleportation and flight.

[I must find a secure location for their proper treatment. I doubt Junior can provide that given his likely precarious situation.]

"Book of magic, I implore your assistance. Anything within my current capabilities to aid them, any rituals?"

The book responded with a ritual, listing the required ingredients.

"Wait... I don't have any of those items at hand!"

The page of the book turned, revealing another ritual. As Maos read the requirements, he realized it was a dark ritual that would have been prohibited in the old world.

Amidst the debris, Maos detected movement.

"Some huntsmen and mercenaries have died maybe their soul and aura is still there ! I can use that... Let's perform this ritual. I can't risk the God of Darkness reveling in this. The twins must survive the night."

---

Ten minutes later, in Beacon, inside Team RWBY's room:

"So, we didn't locate Blake today... we'll find her tomorrow," Ruby stated.

"Why would we?" Weiss inquired.

Weiss and Ruby turned their attention to Yang, who was sitting on her bed, typing loudly on her scroll.

"Just ignore me," Yang mumbled, frustrated. [Why didn't Maos provide any information?]

She sent a text to him, asking, /Any news?/

A response arrived a few seconds later.

/Sorry, I got really busy. I had some stuff to figure out. I'm sorry. I promise I will help tomorrow. Also, don't worry. The last time I checked, Blake is fine and safe. /From Maos

---

The following day, the malachite twins slowly opened their eyes.

"Wha... where?" said Melanie, realizing she was covered in bandages, as was her sister. However, she felt no pain.

Her sister raised her head along with her chest. "Where are we? Are you okay?"

The room appeared to be one of the sleeping quarters in the Juniors club, featuring two red beds, no window, but good lighting. They had been brought here while unconscious.

"Thank the gods you two are okay," said Juniors, who appeared injured but was also bandaged.

"Thanks, me, not the gods," said Maos, looking like himself and not Chaos as he entered the room. "How are you two feeling?"

Maos looked heavily tired, someone who hadn't slept. The twins exchanged concerned glances. "Weirdly fine."

"Great... can you get up?" said Maos. "Try it. It took about three whole hours to heal you; I hope it worked properly."

The twins both slowly got up without much problem.

"My arm is not broken anymore... in a few hours, how is that possible?"react Miltia

"I would like you not to ask any more questions, and I mean it. But if any side-effect or weird thing is happening to both of you, call me immediately," said Maos.

A short silence settled in the room; Maos's word was law, having saved their lives.

Melanie started walking slowly step by step. "I... I will thank you properly later, but... um... I want to get dressed better... I'm naked under those bandages." She looked to Maos and blushed a bit; Miltia did as well.

Juniors got up. "I will get you some clothes."

"Nope, I will pick them," said Melanie as she crossed her arms. "I can walk just fine, and everything else seems to work properly. I will not let you near my dressing room."

"Let me follow you at least; you are still recovering," said Juniors. "Just in case."

"..." Melanie rolled her eyes. "Fine," and then she started walking, Juniors opening the door for her and following her.

Now, it was only Miltia and Maos in the room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"What are you?" asked Miltia.

"I'm Maos."

"Are you a god or something?" insisted Miltia.

"I'm a huntsman with a strong semblance."

"And I don't believe you," responded look down in hesitation

"I know you don't believe it. I'm not a god at least; that's the truth." Maos sat on the bed next to Miltia's. "I realize you are way more aware of my situation than your sister. I'm not sure yet why, but you seem weirdly aware of your surroundings. I noticed especially when I healed you; you move a lot for someone unconscious."

"Your necklace..." said Miltia. "One night, you were drunk at the bar after a customer motivated you a bit, and you took it off. Since then, I can't unsee it, and even right now, I can feel several types of aura inside me, and I can feel yours. It's not aura, is it?"

Maos laid back a bit as he sighed. "Energy hyper-sensitivity. You can feel all types of energy so easily, just like my friend Fox. You can see aura; however, for you, it's just a gift from birth, not training."

"No..."

Maos raised an eyebrow in confusion

"I could not do it from birth. It only started recently, after you took off your necklace. I started feeling it. It was nothing at first, but as time passed, it became stronger. Something similar is happening to Melanie as well. Her aura has been stronger and stronger since we both met you. I thought you were doing this on purpose."

Maos stayed silent for a few seconds. "I was not. I did not know my mere presence had an effect. If it does, why are you two the only ones? I have not seen something like that with someo-"

[Coco can use a magic item, but Ruby can't!... can Velvet, Fox, and Yatsu? Does that mean I have been unconsciously changing people's aura around me, but I didn't feel anything!?]

Maos facepalmed as he let himself fall on the bed he was sitting on. "Well, that explains some stuff."

A small ringing was now heard in the room.

"Your scroll is ringing."

"I know..." Maos painfully grabbed his scroll. "Yeah?"

It was Yang.

---

/Hey... so... we still haven't located Weiss... and Team CFVY is searching for you. You didn't spend the night at Beacon either. I know because I checked. Um... any news on Blake? I'm asking before my team heads to Vale./

[Scrying: Blake]

/She's placing an order at a restaurant. A guy named Sun is with her, and she appears fine and safe./

/Wait... you see her right now?/ asks Yang.

/In a way, yes... anything else? I'm occupied at the moment. I'll return to Beacon soon./

/No... nothing else. Team RWBY and I will be heading to Vale soon... Are you okay? You sound tired./

/I haven't slept, that's why. It's unrelated to Beacon. Ignore it. You have Blake to worry about./

/Are you in trouble?/ asks Yang.

/No, I'm not. I'm just swamped with personal matters, Oz's mission, and stuff. I don't think I'll operate properly today. I need to rest. I'm serious. Sorry I can't be of more help regarding Blake./

/Don't worry. We'll find her. I'm confident we'll locate her today. You've already done your part. Thanks. Have a good rest./

---

"You mentioned it took you 3 hours to heal both me and my sister. Have you had any sleep?" inquired Miltia.

"Three hours for the healing, but gathering the materials took much longer... and there's something else," Maos replied.,The god of darkness had rewarded Maos for the trial, and he seemed to grunt just thinking about it.

"And that something else? You don't seem to like it, whatever it is," asked Miltia.

Maos sigh"Let's just say a powerful entity has given me something,a gift, not a curse. But having it makes me uneasy."

"So you're dealing with gods! Which one?" Miltia inquired. "You may not be a god, but you're something more than a regular human or Faunus."

Maos raised his chest to look at Miltia. "How long have you understood all this?"

Did he feel relief? It was the first time he didn't have to lie to someone about who he is and what he is.

"Everything you do is not impossible even by Dust or Semblance general standards. Also, grew up around criminals, remember? I'm good at judging people and seeing when someone is lying to me. It was only a matter of time before I figured it out. But it began when I saw you take off the necklace."

Maos remembered now, that night when he had drunk a bit too much by accident and had taken off his necklace.

He sighed and got up, walked back and forth, thinking. After a few seconds, he stopped and turned to Miltia.

"So, let's make a deal. You don't tell anybody about my powers. But in exchange... um... and I will make you a gift, something powerful, something only I can offer. It's only natural since I caused the whole mess with the Diony family."

Miltia thought for a bit. "Okay."

"That was fast," remarked Maos.

Miltia crossed her arms and adjusted her sitting position on the bed. "I'm not going to ask more. You already saved my life, and I have no intention of testing your patience."

"Smart, I guess," said Maos.

"What happened to them? The Diony family, I mean," asked Miltia.

"I don't know. I did not try to run after," responded Maos.

"Why? They almost killed my sister and me!"

"Exactly, they almost killed you. I had to heal you. It took me more than 3 hours to do it."

"How did you even heal us?"

"Powerful spiritual rituals."

"You mean... like occult stuff?"

"Yeah, that," said Maos. "And no, I won't explain it to you. Just know you have the aura of the Huntsmen that survived the building's fall inside you. Your aura should absorb theirs eventually and get stronger in time... I think."

"You... think?" Miltia seemed suddenly worried.

Maos's eyes looked away from her in embarrassment. "It's a particular process, and I never tested it on Remnant people. In theory, it should work as intended."

"In theory?"

"You two are the first people I tested those kinds of things on!"

"What? You weren't even sure it would work?" Miltia then let herself fall onto the bed.

Maos tried to defend himself. "It was that or you two would have died for sure."

There was a few seconds of silence as she calmed down. Maos still saved her life.

"Thank you for saving my sister and me."

"Don't worry about it," responded Maos. [It was a trial... I don't think I would have tried that hard to save you if not.]

"I'm... I'm surprised you even saved us," said Miltia. "I thought you had no affection for Melanie or me. It's how you are with criminals in general."

"I guess I'm full of surprises," said Maos.

"It's heartwarming to know that now," said Miltia. "You know, I was always a bit scared of you because of that, especially after you massacred the old Diony and his son and his men. I was scared that eventually, you would do the same to Juniors, Melanie, me."

Maos sighed. "I have no reason to do that. You guys are not my enemies, but I can't allow you to become a problem even by accident." He got up. "I guess time is up then. You two are alive and well."

Miltia looked at him as he approached her. "What?" Her hand suddenly grabbed her head; his finger emitted purple energy and seemed to dig into her head. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I will just do a bit of rewriting. You see, while I can't use a spell to affect your memory past a day, it doesn't mean I can't try using wild magic."

"What are you talking about?" Miltia fell asleep.

"Don't worry, I did it with Ruby, and she was fine afterward, so I'm not in completely unknown territory here. I just need you to forget the night I was drunk and this whole conversation and also erase any weird idea about me. I just hope for you, my lack of sleep doesn't accidentally destroy your brain. Last time I did it in a rush; this time it's carefully ,I will get you a gift anyway,that the least I can after risking your life for this after all"

---

A few minutes later, Maos exited the room and encountered Melanie and Juniors.

"Is Miltia okay?" inquired Juniors.

"She is. She fell asleep. The healing is not miraculous. Even you, Melanie, might tire soon. You should go rest," Maos suggested.

Maos took a deep breath. "Anyway, I'd love to chat, but I have a place to be." He began to leave, but Melanie grabbed his arm.

"What?" Maos questioned.

"Thank you," Melanie expressed. "I mean that."

"Accepted. Just try not to get kidnapped again," Maos remarked as he walked away. He turned for a moment. "Also, ask your mother for help. There's someone from the Spider Gang working for the Diony. I want to know everything about the Diony and their associates.,sadly I don't know when I will come to this place,many huntsmen died,I think the council will make a move eventually,i may need to lay low for a while"

---

An hour later, Maos found himself navigating through the city. To his surprise, he spotted numerous Atlas airships hovering above. It seemed a bit excessive; did Ironwood bring his entire army, or was there another reason for the increased presence?

[ Why are there so many airships? Did Ironwood mobilize his entire army?]

[Now, Blake, where are you?]

[Scrying: Blake]

Maos felt a throbbing headache and struggled to maintain his balance. [Dammit!] He was tempted to slap himself. [Dumbass, you've depleted your energy!] The combination of the intense fight, the overuse of the [modify memory] spell, the demanding rituals, mind manipulation, and the persistent lack of sleep had taken its toll. At best, he could manage to light a candle or pour himself a glass of water.

[I can't do much now. I need to return to Beacon and rest, or at least meditate for a bit.]

Grateful that it was still early in the day, Maos planned to take a short nap at Beacon before returning to Vale to search for Sun and Blake. He hoped that Team RWBY had already found them.

With that decision made, Maos headed back to Beacon to rest.

---

Two hours later, he reached Beacon. He had to navigate the city without using his wild shape ability, so he donned a cap and purchased a ticket for an airship to reach Beacon.

Upon arriving at his room, he headed straight to his bed, falling face-first onto it. He remained motionless for a few seconds before turning onto his back and gazing up at the ceiling.

Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved the reward bestowed upon him by the god of darkness. It turned out to be a ring,a gold-shaped one, or so it appeared. Maos couldn't discern its true material; it felt too lightweight for gold. Nevertheless, the magical energy within attested to its potency.

Closing his fist around the ring, he rose, placed it on the desk, and returned to his bed.

"Now, let's get some sleep. I'll ponder this another day; too much trouble for one day."

As Maos contemplated whether he had any pressing tasks for the day, he reassured himself about Blake's safety. Team RWBY was actively searching for her, and he had already confirmed her well-being. Regarding Penny, he believed she should be fine under the constant vigilance of Ironwood's men. As for the Diony, he decided to avoid it for the time being, suspecting they wouldn't pose an immediate threat.

"Sun?..." he sighed. "Yeah, he's with Blake. Should be fine, I think. Sorry, Headmaster Leonard."

"Yeah, everything should be fine for the rest of the day."

With that, he chose to focus on getting some rest. As he drifted into sleep, he reassured himself that everything would be fine.

---

A few hours later, Maos opened his eyes gradually. He heard a faint knocking on the door, which seemed to be what woke him. He rose slowly, asking, "Who is it?"

"Fox."

"Come in," said Maos.

As Fox entered the room, he greeted, "Hi, sorry to interrupt your... nap? You were sleeping at this hour? Seriously, man?"

Maos walked to his desk, picked up the ring, and placed it in his pocket. "I was. Also, hi," he turned to Fox. "Coco is usually the one to barge into my room."

Fox smiled and crossed his arms. "I knocked; Coco wouldn't have."

"You're right," responded Maos.

"What's that? I can feel a new energy from it," asked Fox, pointing his finger toward the ring.

[He's blind, but he can feel energy.] Thought Maos.

Maos took the ring and showed it. "Just something I'm working on,a ring. Don't worry about it," he then put it in a drawer. "What brings you to my humble dorm room?"

Fox's blind eyes stared at Maos. "Quick question, where did you sleep last night?"

"Nowhere. I didn't," said Maos. "I spent the whole night just walking around for fun."

"I see. I won't ask anything more," said Fox. "We were worried last night; Oz told us not to be worried, saying you went on a mission. I guess it was one of those missions again."

"Somewhat was," said Maos. "Anyways, you didn't answer my question: What brings you here?"

"Some guy from Atlas asked Coco on a date," said Fox.

"What?" Maos' whole body became stiff. "You've got to be joking."

"I am," Fox laughed a bit. "Just wanted to make sure I had your attention."

"..."Maos and fox stare at each other for a whole second,Fox is smiling not being able to see Maos's face

"Not funny," responded the sorcerer.

"It is, just not for you," responded the blind boy. "Anyways, General Ironwood asked for you."

Maos thought for a moment. "Any idea why?"

Fox smiled. "Nope, he just met me by accident and told me to see you because you weren't responding to his call."

"Oh," Maos quickly checked his scroll.

/Penny has escaped her protection. She is in Vale; we have located her. However, she is in an area where White Fang activities have been spotted earlier in the day. I called a police operation over there tonight; Team RWBY was also spotted in that area as well. Please make sure Penny and your comrade do not get in the middle of it/

[Blake is searching for the White Fang, but she doesn't know the good ones left already?! Team RWBY and Penny, knowing them, will try to intervene as well!]

"Fuuu-I can't get a single nap without waking up to the world ending ?!" Maos didn't finish his word; he grabbed his sword, opened the window, and turned to Fox. "Tell Ironwood and Miss Goodwitch that everything is under control."

[Wild Shape] Maos turned into a bird and flew away.

Fox stood there in surprise. "Right... he can turn into a bird... I forgot he could do that."

---

Later in the day, night had fallen.

Blake and Sun discovered the Schnee warehouse under attack. Blake engaged Torchwick in combat.

Ruby, accompanying Penny, heard an explosion and followed the sound using her semblance to reach the top of the warehouse. From there, she witnessed Torchwick preparing to strike a monkey Faunus.

"Hey!"

Torchwick recognized Ruby's voice, turned to her, and remarked, "Oh, Red, isn't it past your bedtime?"

"Are these people your friends, Ruby?" Penny inquired.

Ruby turned around, cautioning, "Penny, get back!"

Seizing Ruby's distraction, Torchwick shot an explosive flare at her, launching her into the air. Penny, outraged, approached the edge, declaring, "Nobody hurts my friend!"

"Penny, no!" Ruby screamed.

"Don't worry; I'm combat ready!" Penny deployed her sword and efficiently took down several White Fang members. Observing more airships approaching, she used iron wires from her blade to descend and prepared a powerful energy beam, obliterating several ships in a row.

Despite the impressive destruction, Penny fell to her knees. "Penny!" Ruby rushed to her side, aided by her semblance, just as airships arrived, revealing White Fang members armed with rifles.

"Ruby, I can barely move. This beam took too much energy. If I use too much again, I will shut down," Penny explained.

Ruby attempted to shoot down the airships without success, realizing the complexity of the situation. Three airships positioned themselves in front of them, ready to open fire.

Ruby noticed a bright light in the sky. "What the..."

The light descended like a falling star, cutting through an airship's wings and crashing to the ground. From the smoke emerged Maos, clad in his Huntsman outfit with a bright sword.

He readied his sword, its bright energy of various colors engulfing it. Swinging the sword toward the open side of the ship, the energy formed a flying blade that reached its target, causing White Fang members to fall from the ship. The third ship started firing at Ruby and Penny.

Maos teleported in front of them, creating a magic bubble of energy to shield Ruby, Penny, and himself. As the White Fang regrouped, Maos threw his sword at the pilot, causing the ship to lose altitude and crash. The sword returned to Maos like a boomerang.

Fires erupted due to the airships and damages warehouses, but Maos channeled energy into his sword, creating a ball of blue energy and purple lightning on it end. He swung the sword toward the sky, and the magic ball launch and exploded in the sky, producing rain that swiftly extinguished the fires. The remaining airships fled on Torchwick's order, and police, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, apprehended the grounded White Fang members.

With the situation under control, Maos approached Ruby and Penny. "You two okay?"

"We are, Penny is just tired," Ruby replied. "Thank you."

"Don't worry about it. Go towards the police; they should just ask a few questions and let you go. I've already informed them of your presence," Maos said, scanning the area. "Where are Blake and Sun?"

"I don't know," Ruby responded as Penny slowly got up. Maos touched Penny's shoulder and cast a spell, causing her to levitate. "Don't worry; I will come back."

[ locate creature: Blake], Maos rushed to her location using haste, a place the police had yet to reach.

---

He arrived just as she was placing a white fang on the ground and keeping him down, her blade at his throat. "Why are the fang working with Torchwick?! Where is their main base?!"

"I-I don't know!"

"Tell me!"

Maos walked past her, and his hand reached for the man's head [sleep]. Blake, on reflex, swung her weapon at him. He stopped her arm with his other hand, the blade halting before his eyes. "Calm down, it's me, Maos." [Wow, Blake looks almost feral; she seems pissed.]

"Hey! Let her go," Sun jumped at Maos, attempting a kick. Maos let go of Blake's arm and easily dodged. The kick was predictable; its objective was merely to separate Maos and Blake, not actually hit Maos.

Maos raised his hand up in peace. "I'm one of Blake's friends, Sun Wukong, I guess. Your headmaster is searching for you, as well as your team. Also, Blake, your team is over there. You should join them before the police get misled and come to arrest you as a White Fang."

"Heh?" Sun hesitated a bit, looking at Blake. She seemed to gain better awareness of the situation. "He is a friend."

"Oh... great!" Sun reacted. "Let's get out of here!"

"What about the police?" Blake asked.

"I have already warned them. They will just ask a few questions," Maos answered.

"Did you know all of this? The White Fang and Torchwick?" Blake's suspicious gaze seemed almost hateful.

Maos let down his arms. "Question later. First, we get out of here. Let the police do their job, and we all happily leave for Beacon to avoid more trouble. Does that sound good enough for you? Your entire team is waiting for you."

Blake looked down for a few seconds and then turned to Sun.

"I think he's right. The important members of the White Fang have already run away. There's no way we can catch them, and I'd rather avoid problems with the police," Sun said.

Blake looked down again as her arms also gave up. "Fine!"

---

Later, Ruby and Penny stood next to a police car, having completed their questioning with the police. They now sat on a wooden crate, eagerly awaiting the arrival of Blake and Sun.

"Blake!" called out Ruby, rushing towards her friend. "We finally found you!" On instinct, Ruby embraced Blake, who hugged her back without hesitation.

Sun and Penny both smiled at the heartwarming reunion.

Two policemen approached Sun. "Hey, you're the Faunus from earlier, right? The one that came here illegally!"

"Um... no?" responded Sun.

Maos quickly arrived and intervened, stepping next to Sun. "I've got it. Sun here was also part of the operation. He may have been an unknown variable to the police, but I knew he would be there. He's on the list of people that should not be arrested."

"I don't care. I'm not talking about tonight. He still came to Vake without paying his ticket. Huntsmen are not above the law. Come on, you guys have crazy low prices compared to the usual citizen. You can't be serious not paying for the most basic thing! At least I give him a fine, and then I will let him go."

Maos and Sun exchanged glances. "What's the amount for this fine?" Maos inquired.

The policeman took out a ticket and began writing on it. "He traveled from one continent to another illegally. The fine should be about 300,000 lien."

Sun and Maos's eyes widened. Sun leaned closer to Maos and whispered, "I'm sorry, but I've got no money. Like, at all. I'm broke, man."

Maos forced a smile and turned to the police. "I will pay for it."

---

Meanwhile, Blake and Ruby turned to Yang and Weiss, who had just arrived.

"Look, Weiss, it's not what you think," Ruby began. "She explained the whole thing. You see, she doesn't actually wear a bow; she has kitty ears, and they're actually kinda cute."

Weiss walked past Ruby, ignoring her.

Blake walked toward Weiss. "Weiss, I want you to know I'm no longer associated with the White Fang. Back when I was with—"

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked simply.

Blake was surprised. "I mean, yes, but—"

Weiss quickly take a deep breath"I don't care about the rest. I had a whole day to think about it, and I decided that I don't care."

"You... you don't care?" Blake was confused and also happy.

"You are my teammate, and more importantly, you are my friend. You said you're not part of the White Fang anymore?"

"Yes, I haven't been part since—" Blake started, but she was interrupted again by Weiss. "I don't want to hear it. I believe you. I know you are a good person, and that's what matters to me. Please, next time something like this comes up, please talk to us. We are your friends," explained Weiss, giving a look to Sun. "And don't go to just someone else."

There was a small silence as Blake rubbed her eyes quickly, and a tear started to fall despite her keeping her usual stance. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

"I'm sorry that I reacted so badly as well," said Weiss. She managed not to cry, but the red in her eyes was still visible.

"Can we go back to Beacon now?" said Weiss.

"Yeah," said Blake. "I want to go home."

"Yeah! Team RWBY is back together!" Ruby sounded so happy, and Yang also had a giant smile on her face.

"Seems like a good ending for everybody," said Sun. Maos finished paying the fine. "Don't be so sure, at least not for you,you will pay your debt to me,one way or another",Sun felt a chill down his spine as Maos goes toward Penny ,the monkey faunus look at the other "should I worried about having debt to him ?"

"I don't know Who are you again?" asked Yang.

"Sun Wukong from Mistral. I watched Blake's back for the last few days."

"Thanks for helping her," said Ruby.

(Without anyone noticing, Maos walked away with Penny.)

"A pleasure!" said Sun. He turned to Weiss and Yang, hoping for a similar reaction.

"Thanks, I guess," said Yang.

"I'm not quite sure how to feel about you yet!" said Weiss. "I saw you stealing."

"Where's Penny?" Ruby realized.

"Where's Maos?" Yang realized.

---

Maos had followed Penny near a car. "Are you taking her away? Why?" he asked.

The driver didn't have to respond; Penny did. "My core is damaged. Using this much energy was too much for it. I need to get repaired quickly."

"But aren't I supposed to watch over her?" Maos asked the driver.

"Ironwood's order. If she's damaged in any way, immediate repair in Atlas has to be made. She will be sent back here once it's finished, and you can watch over her then."

Penny entered the car. However, it was clear she didn't want to leave. "Thanks for everything, Maos. I hope I will see you again."

Maos sighed. "I guess I can't do much. I don't think I could repair you myself, and I doubt Beacon even has the technology to do it. I hope we'll see each other again."

The door closed. Penny opened the window. "Can you please tell Ruby goodbye for me and that I will see her again?"

"I will, don't worry," responded Maos as the car's engine started making noise and left.

Maos looked around. Team RWBY and Sun had seen the car leaving and were approaching him.

"Where is she going?" asked Ruby.

"To Atlas. Apparently, one of her family members had a problem. She was called by her professor," explained Maos. "Also, she says goodbye to you, Ruby. She hopes she can see you again."

"Oh... I hope it's not anything too bad," said Yang. "I don't know her much, but she seems to be a nice girl."

Maos's scroll started ringing.

"It's Ozpin."

He answered, and the headmaster said in a few words, "Put me on speaker, please."

Sun and Team RWBY gave a quick look at each other in worry; Ozpin sounded a bit mad.

"I want Team RWBY and Sun to be in Beacon in less than 30 minutes, or you will all be suspended with an assignment on the law of Vale."

The call ended.

"Oh," reacted Sun.

"30 minutes, we're in the middle of Vale on foot. There is no way we can make it to Beacon in such a short amount of time," explained Weiss.

"Yeah, Ozpin knows that," said Maos.

"How do we do it, then?" reacted Blake.

"We don't," said Maos. "That's the point."

---

An hour later, everyone returns to Beacon.

The sun was forcibly taken away by Leonardo; it was the first time Maos saw the usually gentle lion Faunus so enraged.

Maos had encountered Ironwood, who explained the situation with Penny. He apologized for swiftly taking Penny without noticing Maos. On the flip side, he expressed gratitude to Maos for assisting during the police intervention. Maos agreed to continue aiding in Penny's development but would be restricted to online calls with Pietro.

Team RWBY has an assignment to complete due to their repeated violations of the law and interference with a police operation.

---

Eventually, Maos was summoned to Ozpin's office.

"You called for me?"

Ozpin sat alone at his desk; the elevator door closed and appeared to have locked itself. A brief silence lingered, with Ozpin not uttering a word.

Maos's eyes scanned the room, a hint of concern in the silence. "Is there a problem?"

"Would you mind standing in this glyph?" Ozpin finally spoke.

With magic emanating from him,a yellow and pure energy,Ozpin caused the ground to glow in the intricate shape of a large glyph. It took Maos a whole ten seconds to recognize it.

"Is that a Zone of Truth glyph?" Maos asked. "Why?"

"I'm going to ask you a few questions; I want to be sure you don't lie to me."

"Seriously? You lie to me all the time, to everyone actually," Maos retorted.

"I lie for your and everyone else's safety. I'm afraid you will try to because the truth may cause a problem," explained Ozpin.

Maos sighed and walked into the glyph, realizing there was no escaping this. Two magical chains emerged, wrapping around his wrists.

[Zone of Truth,] in the area, no lie could be spoken.

"Go ahead, ask your questions," said Maos. Ozpin grabbed his cane, stood up, and circled the glyph.

"You better explain to me why I just learned that many Huntsmen, not just mercenaries but hired by the council, were found dead in the remains of a building outside the city limits. Given the picture I got... a ritual was performed using their bodies."

Maos answered without lying, "The God of Darkness forced me into a trial, and I had to go through the whole building to save two girls I used to work for last year."

"Did you kill the huntsmen and mercenaries?" asked Ozpin.,

Maos remain calm"No, I did not. I did not kill anybody that night, The building was trapped full of explosives by the Diony family. They are the ones who blew up the building. Those people are a big mafia, wanting to kill me because I took a side persona named Chaos. I used to have a job at Junior's nightclub, and I sold alcohol to him. The Diony family sees me as an enemy, leading to me killing the main family in self-defense. They kidnapped the two girls I mentioned earlier, and the God of Darkness told me to save them as a trial."

Ozpin paused, taking a breath. "What about the ritual? If I remember correctly, I forbade you from using dark rituals like this one," he said, maintaining his cold tone.

The magic chains tightened on Maos's wrists. "The girls were heavily injured; I had to heal them quickly, and I didn't have enough magic nor stamina to do it! The ritual was my last resort."

"Did you succeed in the trial? Are the girls safe, at least? No side effects that those rituals are known and forbidden for?" asked Ozpin.

"They are safe. I think I did the ritual properly. No side effects, I hope. I got rewarded with a weird ring."

"What does the ring do?" Ozpin inquired.

"I don't know yet!" responded Maos.

[Zone of Truth:Cancel.] The glyph on the ground disappeared, and Ozpin returned to his chair as Maos was finally set free.

"Give me your Huntsmen license," said Ozpin.

Maos advanced slowly toward the headmaster, walking over to the glyph that was slowly evaporating like water. He took out the temporary Huntsmen license.

Ozpin examined the license and then placed it in a drawer of his desk. "Hey! I still need it," said Maos.

The headmaster leaned on his chair. "Not anymore you don't. The council revoked it. They believe the criminals of Vale wouldn't dare to attack a Huntsman, let alone kill one. However, many of them died. Since you're an important asset to the kingdom, they revoked it. They refuse to risk losing a young Huntsman still in training, especially the one who is the most known in Vale. The investigation has been given to another Huntsman."

Maos's eyes glowed a bright red; he wasn't surprised. During the travel to Beacon, he had time to think about the consequences of last night's events. "So what do we do? I can't just stop."

Ozpin grabbed his cane, stood up, and looked through the window at Beacon. "You don't do anything. I can't risk you going around the city and triggering another trial, which could lead to many casualties. I can't give you any important missions either until the council calms down. I need you to be in a controlled environment; you need to stay at Beacon."

"Controlled environment?! The God of Darkness just teleported me to the trial last time; where I am doesn't matter!" said Maos.

Ozpin turned around to face Maos. "Then I will perform several rituals to prevent anyone from being teleported outside of Beacon. I will also create a magic item that prevents you from being teleported without your will. Eventually, you can go outside Beacon, but till then, you're not leaving the school."

"Won't people ask questions about why I never leave Beacon?" asked Maos.

"Your duty to take care of the situation between students of Beacon and other schools remains. Also, your training for the tournament makes sense. Not many questions will be asked, especially with the number of missions you've completed as a student."

"So what? I just... I-" Maos began, but he was interrupted by Ozpin. "Be a student of Beacon, go to class like others, enjoy time with your friends, learn more spells, and train and rest is right,you need a few "quiet and peaceful days"

Maos stared at Ozpin for a good five seconds, hearing the elevator being unlocked. Ozpin grabbed his scroll. "I may reach you in the next day for the rituals to shield the schools. I know a few that can probably do the job; however, the Book of Magic probably has more cost-effective and utility-effective rituals in it. Have a good night's sleep."

Maos didn't say a word and started leaving.

"Oh, I believe Headmaster Lionheart has been searching for you to reward you. He has brought you a gift. You may want to go and get it, but I doubt he's still awake. He had a long journey... and also, tomorrow, bring the ring to me; we will inspect it together."

Maos then left with a sigh. "Sure..."

---

Maos stands in silence in the elevator as it descends. He harbors a strong resentment towards Ozpin's decision to confine him within Beacon. Aware of the old wizard's uncanny ability to appear unexpectedly, Maos contemplates the repercussions of attempting to escape.

the idea itself of just staying in Beacon doesn't bother Maos that much,however being restraing to stay in it does,he is not even really angry,he acknowledges the logic behind Ozpin's actions

Ozpin's greatest fear, however, lies not with the council but with Maos himself. Possessing both the necessary spells and skills, Maos could embark on covert missions without detection. What truly terrifies Ozpin are the gods. The previous trial unleashed a formidable Leviathan Grimm that could possess people, leading to widespread destruction and loss of life. Now, facing professional Huntsmen and trained mercenaries, Ozpin worries about the unpredictable actions of the gods, pondering the potential for more casualties and the ensuing fear among the populace.

As the elevator door opens, Maos strides out, heading towards his dorm room. Gazing at the shattered moon, he reminisces about a time when it was whole. Sensing the chill of the night and the impending rain, he reflects, "Better go to bed. Tomorrow, with a coffee in hand, I'll hopefully have time to properly think"

---

and that's it for this chapter,finally, I published it,end of volume 1 as I promised, hope I see you in the next chapter for the start of Volume 2 (which will be a bit more focused on Beacon's everyday life)