The Vytal Festival held great importance in Remnant.
There was meaning in festivity. Grimm were attracted to negativity, and that meant events that uplift spirits were of vital importance to any settlement let alone a kingdom.
Held annually, the Vytal Festival was a national event hosted by one of the remaining kingdoms year after year, and this time, it was to be held in Vale. Delegates of the other Kingdoms would come to spectate while the hosting Kingdom would receive an influx of tourism.
The main event was naturally the competition between rival Huntsmen and Huntress Academies between the Kingdoms. Not only could this bring honor and recognition to the academy's of the winners, but it inspired confidence and anticipation for the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses.
Naturally, this translated to increasing enrollment rates for the popular academies that showcased their excellence throughout the festival. Increased students correlated to increased academy revenue, and that meant more spending money for teaching staff and professors.
Of course, Beacon was no different.
Prior years had Glynda ironing out the limits of a student's physical abilities, while Port tested the limits of mental discipline, and Oobleck taught character using history from Remnants past heroes and events.
Considering Beacon had the home field advantage in the current year's Vytal Festival, there was a lot of weight to claim victory.
More so because said professors were gone, and Archer had stepped in for personal combat classes. Even Ozpin took time off his busy schedule to lecture and give heart to those still mired in confusion and doubt. Summer had also been in and out as an instructor, while a reluctant Raven and Qrow were tasked with accosting inattentive students with surprise attacks.
If Raven used most of that time to aim murderous intent at Yang to train her senses while excluding other students, then there was no one with the time to correct her behavior and it was let go.
Qrow was the fairer of the two twins, but he was also lazy. Instead, he'd take the time to drink while practicing the new limitations of his Semblance by using inattentive students as his guinea pigs.
Branwens, the both of them had their evil quirks in one shape or form as a tribe of bandits.
"You ready yet, Saint?" Yang wrapped an arm around Jaune's shoulders as Team BAYN was getting ready to leave their dorm room and towards the Bullhead docking bay enroute to Vale.
Jaune didn't notice it in his growing trepidation, but while Yang was joking with him, her eyes were cautiously darting back and forth for any sign of danger. Some bitch had been throwing sharp objects at her whenever she least expected it.
All were aimed at vital points so Yang had been jumpy for the past few weeks even after Archer's grueling training.
An innocent red eyed raven perched on Yang's shoulder and nodded at the show of vigilance.
Yang shooed her pet bird away and focused back on her team.
Jaune was doing that dorky twitching thing again like a scared rabbit.
"On second thought, I still think I should just go incognito." Jaune swallowed, hesitating as Blake and Nora arrived to complete the team and strong arm Jaune through the door.
Blake snorted at Jaune's words, but smiled softly in mirth despite offering sincere advice. "More than half of the visiting people are here for you. Didn't you say your family was coming too?"
"What, scared?" Yang muffled a laugh, but it really wasn't funny.
"Stop smiling like that!" Jaune grumbled, prying himself free from his teasing teammates and shuddering. "You all don't know what it was like after Mt. Glenn! People are crazy to get a piece of the Jaune!"
"Ooh, wasn't that because of the rumor that you help naturally unlock people's Aura?" Blake blinked, scrolling through articles in her scroll.
"That's a lie! I don't do that, the banner does that!" Jaune wilted from memories before Beacon.
"I got your back, fearless leader!" Nora thumped a hand over her chest, trying to raise the group's spirits.
Yang and Blake seconded Nora's declaration and for a moment, Jaune actually felt reassured until he remembered statistics. The team was four people, and the enemy were hordes of civilians and paparazzi.
Jaune's steps to the school's Bullhead loading bay slowed, but Nora and Yang dragged him by the arms before he could get any more second thoughts. Blake pulled out a book and quietly read from the behind, keeping an eye out for Yang's mysterious assailant and Jaune's apparent fear of getting mobbed.
Blake let a small smile play on her lips.
It was honestly a nice change of pace after the gloominess of Forever Fall. Coupled with the news that Vermillion, Adam, and a ragtag group had successfully repelled Cursed Arm, Blake felt that the future was no longer so bleak.
In the midst of constant setback and failure, that first success was a devastatingly effective motivator.
And it wasn't just Team BAYN swallowed in the growing momentum.
Blake noticed a red blur pass by her and towards Yang, but she made no move to intervene.
"Yang!"
Tackled from behind, Yang revealed astonishing balance and prevented herself from falling.
Grinning, Yang flicked her finger on Ruby's forehead to get her off of her.
"Sup little sis," Yang greeted while Ruby rubbed her head.
"Mean," Ruby grouched before glancing at Jaune and the others. She opened her mouth to speak, but a glyph appeared above her and blew wind as Ruby's three other teammates leapt off the platform.
"Crazy, she's crazy! Who jumps out of the window when there's a door?!" Weiss huffed, a vein popped over her temples.
Neo gave a peace sign beside a fuming Weiss, and Pyrrha nodded to everyone else.
"She's just cranky." Ruby whispered, pointing at Weiss, but it only aggravated the Schnee heiress further.
"Shut it. It's your fault!" Weiss was already incensed from the morning, and the day was just getting worse. She only prayed that Ruby remembered the Team's discussed tactics for the opening bouts of the Vytal Festival. "Just pay attention when the festival begins. If anyone's going to forget the plan it's you!"
Weiss refused to be defeated on the first day! Besides, her sister was coming to watch along with the Atlas air defense ships.
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and eventually let out a breath. Even with one unreliable teammate, at least there was one who could make up for it. Weiss's source of confidence came from one teammate and one teammate alone.
"Pyrrha, thank goodness we have you on our team." Weiss murmured.
"-I wouldn't count on that."
Weiss hissed, her mouth opened, verbal lashing at the ready, until she saw who was talking down her team.
Ector Verdant, the young man who returned from the grueling defense battle of Mt Glenn, and took to the tournaments and tied against the Invincible Girl.
"Urgh." Weiss clenched her teeth.
Behind Ector, Emerald, Vernal, and Ren appeared. That team looked the most formidable if Weiss excluded Jaune's influence from Team BAYN.
Otherwise, the common goal of all Beacon Teams if they met each other was to subdue Jaune first. His passive healing with his banner made him unable to be ignored. Fortunately, he wasn't the best weapon handler in the class and a close combat type like Ruby or even Cardin could pressure him.
"It seems everyone has gathered," Ozpin said.
Ozpin was already waiting by the Bullheads ready to fly the teams to Vale.
With Glynda and the other professors out of the picture, Ozpin was the one who was acting as moral support and guide. Although Archer had done a splendid job teaching, he wasn't a Beacon teacher first and foremost, but a hired hand.
"The world stage will appear before all of you for the first time. Regrettably, the Beacon Dance was delayed from its intended purpose before the Vytal Festival to the night of the festival, but let us treat it instead as a victory dance." Ozpin said with a cheeky voice and a glint in his eyes. "Success or failure will be dependent on you, but I can confidently say that none of your competitors have gone through even half of what you all have gone through this academic year. You've seen what's truly to be frightened of, so will you let the vigor of your competitors deter you, let alone just a crowd or the media?
Dammit, Jaune could feel Ozpin giving him a look, clearly noticing his reluctance.
As the bearer of the Saint's Banner, people were already looking to him as a savior.
The headmaster was right.
Sucking in a breath, Jaune straightened his posture, broadened his shoulders, and walked forward.
This wasn't something that he could walk away from.
If he wanted to be a hero, he couldn't be the same kid cowering at the sight of danger or discomfort.
As festivities were underway, Archer returned to the headquarters of the Rose Mercenaries in Vale's underground district. The exterior was like any other building, but the interior was spacious enough to fit dozens of people.
The styling was also reminiscent of classic art, gaudy frames, and faded trends made fashionable again. Roman's influence no doubt, but that was secondary.
Walking through the building, Archer entered the group's main study where mission assignments and tasks were delegated, declined, or accepted.
The man at the core of the request department was none other than Roman himself.
Dead and deflated, the man was laid over a desk filled with papers and only languidly acknowledged Archer's entrance with an eye roll.
The other one, not so much.
Summer perked up immediately as Archer stepped into the room. She moved away from her position hounding Roman, and pushed papers aside before pulling a chair out for Archer.
"Roman, Scarlet," Archer greeted.
Roman opened his mouth to reply with a barbed retort or another complaint, but he was cut off by Summer.
"Thanks for coming, Archer." Summer got straight to business. Considering her usual personality, her urgency was evident. She cleared her throat. "I've already started preparations with Roman for the past week, and have been in contact with the silver team at Haven. Forge and Mercury are on track. But back to Vale."
Summer motioned towards the numerous contacts on the table.
"We've been working on overdrive and Roman has been of considerable help." Summer acknowledged despite her aversion to using a criminal as a colleague.
Desperate times and all.
Archer stared at Roman who stared back.
"I can tell." Archer muttered.
In the background, Roman made the gesture of tying a noose around his neck from the overwork. This was not how he pictured a stylish mob boss to live his life, but you know, money. Money talks, and Roman was legally laundering it as a mercenary fund.
Pretending to pass out, Summer slapped Roman on the back and glared.
"Vet everyone who comes into Vale, background checks and travel plans!"
Roman shuddered, gnashing his teeth. What he would give to deal this woman her just desserts…
"You slave driver," Roman dragged a hand over his face, exasperated. "You make it seem like we're preparing for some sort of invasion! This is Vale. My city. You think I don't know what goes on around here? The most we get are random Grimm attacks, Atlas douchebags, and drunks!"
Summer winced. Admittedly, she didn't yet consider Roman trustworthy enough to divulge critical secrets. It was understandable that he was growing irate with her even with the extra money she was helping him pocket as a bribe.
"Just do it. Higher some of Junior's gang if you have to." Summer mumbled.
Roman was aghast. "Please, them? Have you seen them or ever worked with them before?"
Summer blinked and gave an ultimatum Roman could not argue against.
"It's either them or you, Roman."
"...I think I hate you. Oh, not as much as that other woman, but you're testing your limits big red!"
Roman got up from his seat and grudgingly left. Rather than him doing the work, Junior's men were a far better alternative.
Left on their own, Summer and Archer got to the real crux of the issue.
"How long until Cursed Arm arrives?" Archer asked.
Summer opened and closed her mouth, not knowing how to convey Ruby's warning to Archer without it sounding like the end of the world.
"Anytime within three days of the Vytal Festival's opening, but Roman was right. There will be an invasion."
Summer looked distantly towards Vale's walls.
"It's not just Cursed Arm, but Grimm, darkness, and…Salem."
Standing together on the roof of a skyscraper, Shirou and Archer overlooked the entirety of Vale with reinforced eyes.
Summer had been right, the plan was to start within three days based not on Archer or Shirou, but on Salem and the Grimm's march to Vale.
"There's no going back after this." Shirou warned while Archer furrowed his brows, still thinking things over even now.
"Between the choice of saving many, and saving all," Archer stood up, watching the delegates and civilians of Remnant's other Kingdoms arriving. "We already know the answer. Perhaps it was even why we were summoned here, to help repair what was abandoned."
"By being its greatest villain?" Shirou crossed his arms. He was on a time constraint to prevent Ruby from getting suspicious.
"There can be no greater uniting force." Archer reasoned.
"...For the world to join forces with even Salem?"
Shirou toyed with a certain bizarrely twisted ritual dagger long since prepared.
"She's suffered enough." Archer took in a breath and rolled his shoulders. "I doubt even Ozpin would be so cold hearted."
Turning to face Shirou, Archer raised his palms forward, magic energy flaring.
"We do it just as planned."
Silently, Shirou nodded. As identical copies of the other, both understood their reasoning inherently. Which was why, both set out to do what they'd intended for the past few weeks.
"Trace On."
The words spoken gave rise to the creation of various modified weapons and armaments pertaining to 'Legends' forgotten through Remnant's history; they to be 'discovered' by those most in need of them in a coming darkness.
Nodding at each other, Shirou and Archer vanished into motes of blue light.
The rise of a Hero, the Villain, and the Sword that points the way.
/-/
The first match of the Vytal Festival was underway.
Haven Academy's Team SSSN vs Beacon Academy's CRDL
"Hey Sun, do you think something about them looks kind of off?" Neptune of Team SSSN felt something peculiar in the way CRDL was staring them down.
"Relax, we got this!" Sun Wukong of team SSSN downplayed the issue.
"No, no really," Neptune insisted. "What's with that doll or stick they're holding, and why the hell are they wearing crotch guards? It's so out of fashion."
"You really need to just go with the flow. It's not as if we're losing. They don't look that tough." Sun insisted.
"Right, whatever you say." Neptune sighed and gave up.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the arena, Team CRDL were giving each other determined looks.
Out of everyone in Beacon, CRDL had become the team even the foremost teams hesitated to fight against. It wasn't because the foremost teams were unconfident of victory, but rather it was because they were practically poisonous.
"Sky-"
"It was an honour."
"...Ask Jaune for treatment later. Beacon will get the top spots, and we'll all be famous."
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