Chapter 3: Aftermath
"Woah…" The noise she made echoes throughout the vast emptiness.
All around her was bright space that houses nothing as far as she could see, it was akin to a blank canvas, the thought of her being a drawing amuses her for a bit before turning to the only other person there with her.
Still in his suit, Luka hovers near his partner in case something bad happened. His presence was enough to reassure the Huntress, and she went further ahead, checking for any sign of life aside from them.
"…not that different…"
She heard him mutter something under his breath and left him to it, the place they're in reminds her of those vaults where Ozpin stored the relics, they all shared the same surreal feelings to them.
"Where are we…?"
When her boyfriend started painting runes all over the ground and said that they needed to pay a visit to a god. She was tempted to turned her brain off and just go with the flow, but realising they could use some common sense in this relationship, she valiantly becomes the voice of reason until the hero took the role again.
"Well, I guess you could say this is his domain." He walked next to her and looked around, "Or realm, whichever fits more."
"Do they usually have one like this?" Tapping the ground, it made no sound.
Humming in thought, Luka answer after a bit, "The only two I've met so far has one, so maybe it is." He shrugged, "If you can make your own personal realms however you want, wouldn't you?"
"Of course! I'll make it rain cookies all the time!" She excitedly responded.
He laughed, "Out of all the things…" crossing his arms, he grinned, "It's been a while since I last baked any, so after we get back, why don't I make you some?"
Her eyes sparkled, mouth already watering at the thought. Luka's homemade cookies were like drugs, the memories of their friends fighting each other for one back at beacon plays back in her mind.
"Get down from there Ruby!"
"I have the high ground! I'm invincible!"
"You can't just hogg all of them for yourself!"
"They're mine! All mine~!"
"She's eating another one! We have to stop her!"
"Everyone! Please stop fighting!"
The hero realised that such great power comes with great responsibilities. He promises to never bake any cookies ever again, much to the despair of everyone, that is until today.
"Heh hehehe…" Now she'll have them again. All to herself…
"…Ruby."
"Hmm~?"
"Why are you making that face again?" Asked the hero worriedly.
"What face?"
"That one," He pointed at her, "the one you made when you took all my cookies and climbed on top of the clocktower."
With her promise of temperance almost broken, the huntress shook her head and regain her discarded focus.
"N-No I wasn't!" She turns away, "That's a… must've been your imagination."
"Right…" With that settled, Luka proceed with what they're here for.
Summoning his aura, he flares it upward, making a beacon of light that went higher than either of them could see. Light blue enveloped the area around them as the hero kept it up for a couple more seconds before letting go and turning it off.
"…"
"…"
Huh. She really thought something was gonna happened just now.
"Maybe he's busy?"
"Doesn't look like that."
"Wha-" A pillar of golden light coming from above interrupted her.
It's too bright for her at first, Luka stood infront of her automatically, just like when they encountered different threats during the war. When she could see again, a dragon made of golden light appeared before them, the majesty and sheer power emanating from it felt imposing yet familiar to her.
"There he is." Leave it to her boyfriend to stay calm in a situation like this.
"I acknowledge your bravery, young star."
As she hears the celestial's voice booming through the space around them, she felt a sense of familiarity and an itch on her eyes.
Looking over, Luka's aura has also gotten brighter. From the look on his face, it wasn't intentional.
"Are you good?" He asked.
"Fine, my eyes just feel weird."
"It would seem this form of mine are causing some discomfort, that wouldn't do."
A flash of light later, the giant dragon was nowhere to be seen and replaced by another form. This one a tall humanoid being made out of golden light with an antler on their head.
The itching stops and Luka's aura dimmed until it disappeared.
'That's better.'
"I agree, young Rose."
Her startle gasp was followed by the deity addressing the hero. "Now, I believe we have something to discuss."
"That's right." Luka went on to explain his plan to take her to his world and sort things out, she couldn't see the deity expressing any emotion, though the wave of power around them hasn't been hostile so far (she wholeheartedly hopes it stay that way).
"Very well, something of this level wouldn't cause any chaos to spreads." Her boyfriend gave a sigh of relief, and though she doesn't know what the chaos thing is, the huntress encouragingly patted his back.
"However, I could not say the same for the angel and her group."
"Who?"
Luka seems to understand the meaning of those words, with a stern look on his face, the hero asked what they have been doing while they're here and the deity told him so far nothing has yet to happened.
"If that's true, then either they've been reformed while being here or that something vile is cooking in the background…" She doesn't like the sound of that, "If something like that happened now, while this world is still recovering from the war, everything would fall apart!" The grimace on his face only made it worst.
"Indeed, while I would have love to say that your duty is done. It would appear that you are still needed, hero." The deity then gesture to them both, "Which is to say, until this matter is resolved, I unfortunately cannot allow another transferring between worlds."
"No, I get it." The hero slowly shook his head before continuing, "It's a delicate problem we have here, I can't afford to act reckless."
Turning to her, Luka sadly explain the situation, "Hey Ruby, I know that this is all probably confusing to you. I really wanted to show you my academy and everything, but right now we can't go there until we took care of something here first."
Holding his hand in hers, she kindly smiles back, "That's fine, I'm sure we can handle this no problem! It'll be like our old mission, with our team together again."
"Together again… I would like that."
"That's the spirit!" She smacked his back playfully.
Facing the god once again, Luka nodded confidently at them. "Once we made sure they aren't gonna be a problem, we'll try this again."
"Very well, I wish you two good fortune. May you prevail against the chaos."
The ground bellow them glows and she could feel herself hovering in the air, "Whoa! I'm flying!" Next to her, the hero is also flouting upward. As they get higher, it also started getting brighter.
"One more thing before you go, hero." The celestial's voice reaches them. Her boyfriend looked over in surprise, "Next time, I would advice against challenging a deity in their on home as a greeting."
Luka's face went red in embarrassment as realization kicked in, soon they were both back to their old base.
===0===
A lot happened after that, she got a crash course on what chaos is, who they're fighting, and why letting them do whatever they wanted is bad for everyone. It was hard to process so many things at once, but the cookies definitely helped. Since both of them are bad liars, they decide to only gives half-truth to their friends when asked. This will probably bite them both back later, but stopping Seekers of Truth comes first.
One week after informing their friends that a suspected group of terrorist is on the loose, multiple cases of people disappearing started showing up, most of the missing people were male which further convinced Luka that it was one of them. They eventually caught up to her and Luka manages to tied her down after ambushing the alchemist in her underground lab. Her name was Lucia, and all of the kidnaped victims were still alive by the time they got there.
She refuses to tell them the whereabouts of her fellow Seekers of Truth but agreed to cooperate with the authority and not cause any trouble by Luka after he explained the severe danger of chaos energy being formed.
"It was liberating to be free and do as I please, but my past actions have caught up to me, even now in another world…"
Not long after, some reports of civilians claiming to have seen a walking corpse wondering around the Hunters Graveyard was found by an investigating Ren. When the hero and huntress got there, it was like walking into a zombie horror movie. The haunting sight of resting Huntsmen and Huntresses moving around, attacking anyone that got close and not having a will of their own, calling it disturbing, would be an understatement.
Angrily making his way through the army of undead, Luka burst the entrance of the hidden lab open with one of his skills. When the smoke clears, they saw a mildly annoyed necromancer observing them across the room, untouched by any dust. Fighting a bunch of reanimated corpses of people who sacrifices their lives for a better future is horrible no matter how you look at it, so Luka decides to not play her games, turning himself into a bomb of holy magic, the burst of his aura cancel her dark magic, rendering her army of undead useless.
Luka cuts her down when she refuses to give up, not taking any chances of his friends getting hurt. To their shock, despite having been mortally wounded, she did not show sign of pain or any emotions. Just like the zombies, her body is one that's brought back from death.
"My name is La Croix, and with my art, I will find the truth… If you have come here to end me, be it for revenge or anything else, then go ahead. You could never kill me in any way that matter."
Searching her lab after they tied her up, they manage to find a report given to her made by Promestein. Tracing its origin, Penny discovered that her lab was hiding in plain sight unlike the previous members of Seekers of Truth, one of the Hospital built in Horizon City actually has a secret underground lab that she designed to look just like an ordinary storage room.
Hacking into the building, Penny manages to deactivated the cloaking system used to hide the entrance they had and was then kicked out by the next member of Seekers of Truth, Laplace was a chimera fully composed by mechanical parts created by Promestein. Due to her brain being linked to the entire hospital, making the building an extension of her body. She proves to be extremely capable of combat and subduing any intruders that were to come inside.
Ruby's friend held her own using the maiden's power until Laplace deduced it was only a distraction, scanning the lab, the roid discovered Luka and his team has been rescuing all the people experimented by Promestein. Before she could put a stop to it, Ruby appeared and together with Penny manages to forcefully deactivate Laplace. She was put in a specialized prison made for them and requested to meet with the ones who had beaten her.
Penny would come and spent times with her whenever she could, happily answering any questions the roid has and offering to be her very first friend. Even if they failed to locate Promestein and apprehend her, everyone was glad they stopped her operation before it gets worst.
Laplace informed them that she could no longer senses her creator, indicating that she has been abandon. This doesn't upset her, however, as she viewed it as the next step in her journey through life. Making a promise to never again harm anyone, she now dedicated her life helping those who are lost and without purpose, stating she could relate to them as she was like that before befriending Penny.
"Connecting… having someone who accepted me as I am. Being able to be with them is my meaning of life. I wonder how the others would think of this."
The next couple of weeks went by without any trouble, they tried to find the crimson-hair woman in any way they can, but not a single lead was found.
Going out on a date was supposed to be a way to bait her out, making themselves looked like an easy target on purpose and surrounding her if she shows up. They ended up having a great date instead, not that the couple minded, but it's weird how nothing dramatic happened like they usually do.
When Ruby and her boyfriend entered their old base, what they didn't expect to see was Promestein calmly drinking Luka's favourite brand of coffee on the couch. She slowly looked up from the comic she was reading and smugly address them both.
"Did you enjoy your date?"
What followed was one of the most chaotic night of her life. Luka tried to talk her down, saying how her actions could cause chaos energy to formed and invited even more problems for both worlds if she continues, the fallen angel tossed aside his warning with a condescending scoff. Be it from her arrogance, or her unending thirst for knowledge, she's actively going against his words despite knowing the harm it could bring.
Luka, filled with righteous fury, was about to attack her before the house was covered in a circular red barrier, blocking any connections they have to the outside. Snapping her fingers, chimeras made of grimm started entering the house, If that wasn't bad enough, inside the barrier the couple could not call forth their innate power or aura, only having to rely on skills and experiences. Promestein has somehow manage to sealed their soul, making the fight harder than it has any right to be.
Horizon and Cresent Rose drawn respectively, the couple prepare themselves for a long and predictably gruesome night. Covering each other's back, they fend off the offending army of chimeras as long as possible until either of them figure someway out of this predicament.
Clearing the ones in front of her at the moment, Ruby took the opportunity to fired a flare up to the sky via the holes one of the chimeras has caused on the roof. It should be enough to alert the people nearby and if luck was on their side, one of their team members.
"Calling for assistance I see, unfortunately for both of you, I've already made sure that not a single one of your friends would come. Not only is it the middle of the night, should any one of them ever attempt to help they would need to go through the army of chimeras I have station outside."
Well, so much for that idea. No matter how slim the chance might be, she had hope it would help.
Not letting her word for to him, the hero continues to slay as many chimeras as he can, not willing to let his guard down for even a second. Considering the severity of the situation, he was right to be.
This seems to only amused the mad scientists, her cold calculating eyes fixated on him. "How I wonder, you're so determined to stop me despite letting someone like Black Alice free? Doesn't that made you a hypocrite hero?"
"You and I both know it's different," Luka countered her words confidently as Ruby got back in the fight. "She's a danger, that much is obvious to everyone, but her type of danger doesn't have the fate of two worlds in peril, unlike yours."
Not to mention the fact she kind of mellowed out after the war. Instead of an evil sadistic Monster Lord she used to be, now she's just the creepy lady who lives next door that would occasionally make her neighbours feel uncomfortable with her staring. Aunt Micaela said that something happened to her while he's busy with project Andromeda.
Something about her finding a journal or whatnot? He doesn't know the specific, but after the opening day of Andromeda, he remembered seeing her calmly talking with Tamamo about something. They both emanate an aura of melancholy yet not once did either of them seems disgruntled by the other. He took it they made up somehow.
"You may call it peril, but I prefer to think of it as the next step of my life's work." Like a public speaker eager for attention, she began to monologue. "Imagine it, the ability to travel across worlds as you please. How much untapped knowledge and resources are out there waiting for someone to make use of them. That being me, the one who will bring about the new age of science across the multiverse." Finishing her speech with both her arms wide apart it's clear she's prepared to embrace the unknown with everything she has.
"Ahh... that sounds great and all miss, but didn't you take into account the fact it has a chance to doomed everyone in both worlds if you failed?" The huntress pointed out in the middle of beheading one of the chimeras, trying to reason with the woman.
"Yes I do, however, it is a risk I'm willing to take." Promestein nonchalant response only served to made his partner sighed in defeat.
While trying to think of a way out of this predicament, Luka notices something else, particularly how everyone's shadow is facing the same way. Considering the electricity has went out a while ago and that the moon wasn't very bright tonight, it could only meant something else is providing the light.
'Over there!'
Looking up through the ruined rooftop, he saw it. Up in the sky, something is hovering near their old base.
"Ruby, I saw something giving off this lights up there, do you see it?"
"Yeah, Is that like... a drone or something?"
The thing looks like a mix between futuristic technology and magical artifact together. It's coloured red with a bit of white highlights on its side. Hovering above all of them, the red barrier seems to be coming from it.
"I see you've found my latest masterpiece. I was planning on making multiple of them but for now it would have to suffice." As Promestein said this they could see the strange device has a pointed tip on its lower side. The light must have been projected from it.
"Ruby, I think I have a plan." The hero said somewhat unsurely.
"That's better than nothing. What is it?"
"I'll distract her first, here take this."
He handed her the ring he said he would keep for her.
"Oh! A-ah Luka I'm happy don't get me wrong but I don't think now is the time-"
"Obviously not! We're in the middle of a fight right now!"
"Right... the plan." She said, somewhat embarrassed.
One short planning later, the two former students of Beacon get moving, Ruby shoot down one foe after another, trying to clear as much space as possible for this to work while Luka act as distraction to the mastermind looking over them.
There's not much time left. If things continue like this they would both ran out of energy and succumbed to the hoard of chimeras.
"Hey Promestein! Is that another one of your wicked creation!?"
While the fallen angel went on another monologue session, Ruby hollowed out one of her Dust rounds and the ring fortunately manages to fit inside. Focusing her aim, she then waited for her partner's signal.
It came in the form of a chant.
"I ask thee, eternal time... Reveal my soul, sealed in twilight... Return my true self to me!"
[Word of Dispel]
In one moment she saw the space around Luka warped around him, his body glows bright with the return of his aura,the spell no doubt doing its work. Immediately afterwards the hero moves so fast her eyes couldn't keep up.
[Flash Kill]
A noticeable gap appeared across the forcefield of the floating machine, his attack opening enough space for her bullet to go through.
"Now!"
Pulling the trigger, it flew straight to her intended target. The light flickering before turning off and with that their aura came back. She didn't know how, but the ring must've done something to stop the machine from working.
"Would you mind?" Her partner ask with a gentle, tired smile.
"Leave it to me." She said as her silver eyes illuminated the whole building. Luka has done enough already, she'll took it from here.
===0===
"-and then I decked Promestein over the head with the blunt side of Cresent Rose." Finishes the huntress, a smug, self-satisfied expression on her face as she retold the story as if it's a story. Their epic story!
...okay maybe she is a bit antagonistic about it, but come on! It should have been like that from the start!
Now where was she again? Oh right! She had just finished telling the snake lady about what happened before they came to this world. From her way she's looking at her, she must have been blown away!
Hold on, Luka's also looking at her like that. Did she mess up?
"Well now, that's one way to tell a story." Alice politely said.
"Very... imaginative?" Added her partner unsurely. Oh man, the atmosphere is more awkward than she thought.
"So..." Began the Monster Lord.
"..."
"So?"
Exasperated, Alice decided to be blunt. "I meant what is the purpose of telling me all of this?" She practically hisses at the huntress.
"Ah." Now that she thought about it, from her perspective, it must've not made sense.
Looking over, her partner is in the middle of hyping himself up for the big reveal.
Welp, here goes nothing.
"Haha! Of course, the point. I was getting to that... Well, prepared to be so surprised you'll blow your socks off... or maybe not since you're a lamia."
"Echidna actually."
"How does that even..." Luka looks like he just discovered his whole life was a lie.
"As I was saying!" Ruby quickly got back to the most important matter at hand. "The reason for us telling you all of this is because of my brilliant idea."
"And what is that?" She quirked an eyebrow.
The huntress just smile as she unload the metaphorical bombshell on her.
===0===
About a week later, Luka woke up from a coma inside the Monster Lord's Castle.
'I don't recognise that ceiling...'
The room seems to be some sort of infirmary or whatnot, his head is too fuzzy at the moment and focusing is harder than usual. A person came inside the room soon after he woke up, looking over, it was the one who started it all.
"Aunty...?"
"You're awake, everyone was worry you wouldn't after its been a week." She said, being careful not to raise her voice.
"Oh." Now he remembers.
"So what happened?" Asked Micaela to her nephew.
Barely audible, the hero of two worlds spoke. "I did it... my way..."
The doctor said it's a miracle he even manage to survive considering the level of exhaustion he was at when the man got to the hero.
Not only did he has to survive an Alice in heat, Ruby's hyper-ness also translate to how she is in bed. As a result, Luka almost reached true enlightenment.
"Really?" She smile, amused by it all.
His eyes became a bit clearer, "It was... worth it."
She began to wonder how crazier the second honeymoon is gonna be when the door behind her open explosively. The sound of one of her followers trying to fend off two very worried, very loving wives in the near distance.
"M-Miss Micaela, they're here already!"
Nodding to the elf, she patted her nephew on the shoulder. "Good luck."
"Thank you..." He appreciate the support.
END OF STORY.
Author's note: And with that, this is the first story I've ever finished. Felt pretty good not gonna lie.
I could have done it sooner too if it weren't for my procrastination. Not a good excuse I know, but at least I got this done.
Thanks to anyone whose reading this and I hope you check out my other works. See y'all there!
PS: I think it's kinda funny how Promestein is the only one out of everyone in her group that didn't get any last words in. Getting offscreen is a fate one like her deserves.
