Chapter 16: Dawn of the Vytal Festival
A.N. For better or worse here it is. I'm going to sleep now.
Beacon Academy, the majestic center for learning and training, had undergone a stunning transformation for the highly anticipated Vytal Festival. The entire campus was abuzz with an electric atmosphere, only felt every two years when the festival rolled around. Colorful banners adorned the walls and corridors of the school, creating a vibrant display of pride and excitement.
Advanced holographic projectors illuminated the hallways with dazzling highlights from past festivals, highlighting previous competitors' incredible talents and skills. Meanwhile, in the sky above, airships bustled with students and spectators eager to witness the upcoming battles.
Standing on a balcony overlooking the busy activity, teams JNPR and RWBY watched with anticipation as incoming arrivals flooded the academy grounds. Jaune couldn't help but wonder if this would be his moment to shine, where all of his grueling training would finally pay off.
At the same time, Ruby's eyes darted excitedly as her weapon fixation returned upon seeing the impressive array of weapons carried by her fellow competitors. Taking her gaze off her sister for a moment, Yang turned to team JNPR and proposed with a mischievous grin, "How about a friendly bet between our teams? The team that advances the farthest in the tournament is owed dinner by the other."
"Alright, you're on," declared Jaune after quickly checking with his team. "I just hope your budget can handle it."
Yang let out a hearty laugh that shook her entire body. "Looks like vomit boy has found some confidence."
"Oh I'm not worried Yang, I have full trust in my team and our abilities. And I may have a few more tricks up my sleeve. I believe Weiss was at the receiving end of my last one."
At this remark, Weiss let out a good-natured grumble. "I still can't believe you pulled out a gun in the middle of our spar."
"Well, it's all about the element of surprise in a surprise attack," Jaune quipped back with a smile. "It wouldn't have worked if I announced it beforehand."
"Hey Weiss, hold still I'm going to shoot you." declared Jaune while making a pair of finger guns.
Weiss rolled her eyes while the others laughed, the tension of the upcoming festival momentarily forgotten. "Very funny," she responded dryly. But she couldn't help but smirk at his antics.
In the dimly lit dorm room of Beacon, Cinder and her helpers sat in tense anticipation. Every few moments, Cinder's eyes would shift towards the door, waiting for Neo's arrival. Finally, the door creaked open and Neo slipped inside with a quiet grace, holding a tablet in her hands.
Cinder's narrowed eyes locked onto Neo as she commanded, "Tell us everything you have uncovered during your infiltration of Site Beta."
With nimble fingers, Neo quickly relayed the information she had gathered during her stay. Each word painted a detailed picture of Site Beta's defenses and the notable individuals within it. She described Jaune, who seemed to be at the center of it all. Despite being officially in charge of only field operations, he was respected by most of Chaldea's staff. His records from Beacon and his title of Faker may suggest otherwise, but in reality, he was far more capable than he let on. As a citizen of Arcadia, he was required to serve three years in the military, further honing his skills in tactics and strategy.
"Enough about this mysterious Arc," interjected Mercury from his spot on the corner of his bed. "Have you discovered anything that will help us defeat him?"
Neo revealed to the group that Arc was limited to summoning only seven servants per day, and each one took a toll on his aura - especially if they unleashed their noble phantasms." The information was gathered via several discussions with Chaldea staff that were less focused on internal security.
A plan was quickly devised among the group, their voices hushed and urgent as they discussed their strategy. "So all we have to do is distract these servants and hit Arc so hard and fast they can't react in time to save him," Cinder stated confidently, her dark eyes glinting with determination. But Neo was quick to point out: "Except for the fact that each one of them is the equivalent of at minimum 10 Huntsmen. The grimm incursion that assaulted Site Beta was not only detected well in advance but it would also have been dealt with in minutes by his servants if Jaune hadn't decided to use it as an opportunity to test weapon prototypes, new formations and give the Arcadian Foreign legion combat experience against the grimm."
Cinder mulled over this information, trying to come up with a plan that could counteract the strength of Arc's powerful servants. "But his ability to maintain his servants is tied to his aura," she mused aloud. "Thus if we can during a match arrange for his aura to be lowered to critical levels or shattered, he should no longer be a factor in our plans." Her teammates nodded in agreement, recognizing the logic behind her words.
Emerald chimed in with her own observations, "Well to be fair, his summons are strong - all he provides are the tactics and the energy source. Take him out and everything else follows." The group fell silent again, deep in thought about how feasible an assassination of Arc would be.
"It seems we'll have to keep a close eye on Arc and deal with him when the situation demands it," Cinder declared, pacing back and forth as she pondered how best to approach this unexpected challenge presented by Jaune. "We can't have his servants stopping the assault on the festival."
"Thank you for your efforts Neo, this goes a long way towards fulfilling our bargain.
In the headmaster's office, a serious atmosphere had settled within the room. Jaune, Ozpin, and Ironwood were gathered around Ozpin's desk as Theodore and Lionheart were attending the meeting via hologram.
"Headmaster before the trip to Site Beta you wished to bring a threat against humanity to my attention. I assume that is the reason this meeting is taking place?" Jaune asked.
"Indeed," Ozpin confirmed before continuing. "Naturally what we are about to discuss must remain secret."
"That might not be entirely possible as I might have to reach out to members of Chaldea if the threat rises to a certain level. Additionally, I release Ozpin of the responsibility for keeping Chaldea's secrets."
At these words, Ozpin felt a wave of energy pass through him as he was released from the constraints of the contract he had signed.
"Seeing as we are all going to be allies and it is far easier to release you from the contract, I figured I should lay my cards on the table."
"Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me and my inner circle and if you feel it necessary to reach out to your colleges at Chaldea, please feel free to do so." Ozpin replied thankfully.
"Okay so tentatively we are going to cover this threat against humanity, then I need to bring the general up to speed on the progress of strengthening the cyber defenses of both Atlas and the CCT network. Finally, we need to discuss the security of the festival and the steps I have taken to augment it discreetly."
"Now Jaune and I apologize if this question seems strange or out of nowhere but what is your favorite fairy tale?" asked Ozpin.
At these words, Ironwood lets a slight smile break onto his face and the other headmasters all reminisce about their own introductions to the secret war.
"Okay I don't see what this has to do with everything but if you must know my favorite tale would have to be The Infinite Man."
These words cause Ozpin to lift an eyebrow as Lionheart muses about the irony of choosing that story in particular, given the situation.
"May I know why you picked that one?" asked Ozpin.
"Well, the story's meaning changes depending on my mood at the moment. One day I see him as an idealistic character who had good intentions but let his naivety get the best of him and caused the downfall of his organization. Other times I have seen him portrayed as a villain who was an example of putting faith in fallible authority figures. Though I wonder if all these versions of the story start from a main canon and the oral tradition allowed for regional differences in the interpretation of events that were eventually committed to paper. It might have even been written by the surviving member of the circle if it existed in any form. Or even the infinite man himself if we give the story the benefit of the doubt. It could have been his semblance that caused his semi-immortality."
"Don't you think that you have entered the realm of fantasy Mr. Arc?" asked Ozpin.
"With all due respect professor, we live in a world where we fight creatures of darkness with the physical manifestation of our souls. I am not discounting fairy tales as pure fiction. There must be a sliver of truth to them."
"It is funny you chose that particular story, for you see I am the infinite man."
Jaune blinked twice, as he processed what Ozpin had just stated.
Ironwood chuckled softly, shaking his head. "It's true, Jaune," he affirmed, casting an understanding look at Ozpin. "He has lived for ages, reincarnating into new bodies over the centuries."
Jaune turned to Ironwood incredulously, then back to Ozpin, his gaze narrowing as he analyzed the man before him. He was quiet for a moment before he finally spoke again.
"So let me get this straight," he said slowly, piecing together information in his head. "You are the Infinite Man from the fairy tale I grew up hearing about. The one who constantly reincarnates and has been guiding mankind's battle against the Grimm since ages past?"
"In a nutshell," Ozpin replied, setting down his teacup with an air of finality. "This leads us to why we're here."
"The threat against humanity," Jaune concluded, leaning back in his chair as he processed this new information."
"Indeed," Ozpin confirmed from his holographic display. "And given your role at Chaldea, we believe you're best suited to help us counter this threat."
Lionheart nodded solemnly on his own screen. "We're dealing with a force that is an existential threat to humanity. But we will let Ozpin explain in greater detail."
"The maidens are also real, and they serve an important purpose. They safeguard four relics. Creation, choice, destruction, and knowledge. Each relic is stored within a vault hidden inside one of the huntsman academies."
"Thus, converting the academies into makeshift fortresses for the majority of the year. And the students into unknowing defenders of the vaults. Are the maidens allowed to roam free in the world or are they encouraged to remain within a certain area of the academies?" Jaune mused out loud attempting to get a handle on the situation. While privately noting for later the myriad of questions he had about the tactical usefulness of Ozpin using unwitting students as additional defensive measures.
"Recently the fall maiden came under attack and was severely injured as a result. She is being cared for at the moment but I would appreciate it if Chaldea could provide any aid." Ozpin said.
"I'll get in contact with the medical wing and arrange a visit to see what they can do regarding Amber's condition. Can she be moved at all or if that is not an option can I place added security at her location?" Jaune ventured.
"Unfortunately, Amber can't be moved in her current condition, but we will accept the offer of added security."
"Wonderful I will have security members begin enhancing the defenses as soon as this meeting ends."
"We believe that she was attacked on her way into Vale by agents of Salem."
"And who exactly is this Salem?" Jaune asked.
"She is the queen of the grimm and seeks both the maidens and the relics as well as being the threat I spoke of earlier."
"Ah I see, well we can't let that happen. Do we know if there is a limit to her range of control over the grimm, or could she have been responsible for some of the major settlements falling to the grimm as an attempt to keep the kingdoms in check?" Jaune asked. The incident at Mount Glen springing to his mind. It might have been orchestrated by her to keep Vale contained in its current borders.
"It might be possible, though it is not a thought I like to dwell on." Ironwood replied for a moment remembering some of the settlements he had failed to save."
"So to recap, Ozpin is a reincarnating wizard; I still have questions about how exactly that works namely, do you merge with the new host? Do they pass on or are they for lack of a better term stuck with you? Moving on, the maidens are real and serve to guard the relics which are held within one of the academies, and to top it off there are external forces led by a grimm queen who seek to either end or rule over humanity. That about sum things up?" Jaune asked
"Yes that sums things up rather perfectly Jaune, can I call you Jaune?" Lionheart said after a pause
"Of course, we are all allies here."
"Jaune you seem to be taking all of this in with little issue," observed Theodore.
"Well in the grand scale of what I've seen this is considered quite tame really. Ozpin knows the full details of what I have been through while in Chaldea's employ and can give you more details. And I will arrange for a secure file of Chaldea's records to be presented to the group. To ensure security it will be an encrypted read-only data set with conditional access to be granted by joint approval of Ozpin and myself."
"Now, moving on to the actual security of the festival. Thanks to our mole we know that there is a planned assault during the final match of the festival consisting of a joint grimm and white fang assault to serve as a distraction while they seek something hidden at Beacon. Furthermore, we know the identities of those involved thanks to those same sources. They plan to cause an incident during the festival to get negative emotions running as a lead-up to the assault. Thankfully our interference with the CCT tower incident has allowed us to neutralize the virus they attempted to introduce into the system. Instead, we have full control of their systems."
"We have a few options, one is to let them continue under the illusion they have control and take them into custody then come up with an excuse for why they dropped out of the festival, or we could be proactive and deny them access entirely, potentially scaring them away and securing both Amber and the relic. Jaune pondered giving the group the options as he saw them.
"How reliable is this mole?" questioned Lionheart.
"They have been vetted by both Chaldea and Arcadia, additionally Chaldea has provided them with a mix of facts, half-truths, and outright lies to feed our enemies. In the hopes that this will lead them to make crucial errors in both judgment and action"
Ironwood crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It seems you've thought this through thoroughly, Jaune, it's a delicate game you're playing and a dangerous one at that."
"Yes, it is," Jaune responded, meeting Ironwood's gaze. "But I believe the risks are well worth it."
Ozpin cleared his throat to regain attention. "Allowing our adversaries to believe they have the upper hand might work in our favor," he said, sipping his cup of tea, "But that would also put the festival attendees at risk."
"There's also the matter of the Fall Maiden," added Glynda Goodwitch who had been quietly following the discussion up till now. "Even with additional security, her location is a direct avenue for Salem's forces to strike."
Jaune nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that's why the team assigned to capture our adversaries will seek to capture or eliminate in that order. I understand that the need for lethal force in this situation is far from ideal, but it might still be needed. I can with the aid of my servants have a covert team on stand-by.
After a moment of silence, Lionheart finally spoke. "Risks will be taken regardless of the path we choose, after all, we are at war...I vote for the first option."
Ironwood remained silent for a moment before he nodded too. "I agree with Lionheart; let them think they are winning and if the opportunity presents itself act to either gain further intelligence or remove the threats."
Theodore also agreed with Ironwood and Lionheart: "We ought to use every advantage we can get."
Glynda sighed softly but nodded as well. "I fear for the safety of our students and guests at the festival," she admitted. "But this might be our best chance to keep everyone safe."
"Then we are in agreement." Said Ozpin.
"Very well, if we have nothing further to discuss then I believe this meeting is over. I will arrange for medical and security to be transferred to Amber's quarters and General I will have the Arcadian wine you asked for delivered to your ship."
As Jaune was preparing to depart, his mind focused on the upcoming battle against Salem's followers, he was interrupted by a nervous and fidgety Lionheart. The room fell silent as all eyes turned to the man, sensing the unease in his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, if I may," Lionheart began, his words carefully chosen, "there's a matter that needs to be brought to light. Something that...concerns Salem and her...let's say, recruitment strategies."
Ozpin's expression remained stoic, but his narrowed eyes betrayed a sense of gravity. Everyone waited with bated breath for what was to come.
As silence fell upon the room, Lionheart's quivering voice filled the void. "While Ozpin was between reincarnations," he began, his tone laced with apprehension, "Salem's agents contacted me. They revealed something...unsettling. They spoke of her immortality and how futile it was to continue fighting against her as Ozpin had been doing. They offered me a choice: join her or suffer certain defeat on the losing side."
His confession hung in the air, burdensome. Lionheart paused, swallowing hard before continuing, "I did not falter in my loyalty, nor did I lose faith. Deep down, I knew that Ozpin had a plan. But it is imperative for everyone here, especially you Jaune, to understand the true extent of our enemy."
Ozpin's response was measured and composed, but his tone had an underlying reproach: "Leonardo, your unwavering loyalty in the face of such pressure speaks volumes. However, this information should have been brought to my attention first."
Jaune interjected, his words firm yet empathetic, "And why is that, Headmaster? Lionheart remained steadfast in his trust for you and the group. His decision to withhold potentially demoralizing information was admirable. He believed that all the suffering and loss would not be in vain."
"Professor Lionheart," Jaune addressed him directly now, "your loyalty to Ozpin despite Salem's attempts to sow doubt is commendable. It is a testament to the strength of our cause." He turned to address the rest of the room, his confidence stemming from a well deeper than most had realized. "But this information cannot be withheld under any circumstances. It affects our strategies for capturing or eliminating Salem. Knowledge is just as much a weapon as strength."
With conviction in his voice, Jaune concluded, "Salem's immortality changes little for us. What to you must seem to be an insurmountable obstacle, we at Chaldea call Tuesday.
At Chaldea, we have faced gods and monsters that defy understanding. The concept of immortality is just another variable for us to overcome in our plans; it does not mark the end of our efforts. We only have to uncover what kind of immortality she has and devise the appropriate counter. We will adjust our strategy accordingly, always adapting to face any challenge that comes our way. As for Salem and her associates, they will be dealt with swiftly and decisively. As we gain more intelligence we will consult the group about refining our plan."