Welcome back for another chapter:

Before we start, I feel the need to say this-

Yapping Warning: Kenjaku levels of lore discussion, so don't skim and ask questions I answered already (looking at you people who keep asking why everyone thinks Yuji's a Faunus when I explained that in Chapter One)

Sidenote: You know, one time, a dude got mad, and DM'd me saying I needed to put a spoiler warning in the description when there had been one there since the first time I uploaded this fic?

How do you skim so hard that you don't even read the description, then get mad about spoilers because you didn't read it?

Also, why read a fic if you aren't caught up? Like, bruh?

Anyways, let's get into this:

Beta Readers: Chris72637, Luxutor, MegaDumbo, and Tupjunk

...

The city phased from commercial to industrial in the blink of an eye, with factories and warehouses lining the dirty streets of lower Vale.

Itadori blankly stared at the random bits of graffiti and shattered glass lining the nearly empty roadways, wondering if this was 'cause of those zoning laws Nanami-Sensei kept complaining about-

Actually, what kind of business did he even do?

It was a very recent discovery for the sorcerer that 'salaryman' wasn't actually a job for like, a specific company.

Maybe Weiss was onto something with him needing to put more thought into his future...

Ruby ran circles around him, knocking the vessel out of his thoughts, "So, whaddya gonna do? Run in, say some cool lines, and start punching people!? Ooh-ooh, can I pick one!? Can I say one!? Please-please-please!"

Yuji wordlessly raised a hand before bonking the Huntress over the head with an open palm, making fake tears leak from her eyes, "Owwww, what was that for?"

"'Cause you freak me out sometimes, goober."

"I am not a freak!"

"You're frea-ky, not a freak."

"What's the difference!?"

He raised two fingers, "One's a girl that's a little crazy about guns, and the other's the kind that wants to shoot ya with guns for no good reason."

The hooded girl hummed, "Soooo, Weiss?"

"Yeah, kinda."

"I know, right!? She is so angy all the time!"

"Did you just say angy?"

"Angy-angy! It's like when you're mad, but it looks cute, so you're not angry. You're angy!"

Yuji's eyes widened at this revelation, "Ohhhhh, she is kinda angy if you think about it."

Ruby turned into a pencil drawing, her face going blank, "Uhhhh, shouldn't we be planning instead of talking about being angy?"

The vessel waved her off, "Nah, I got this. Just make sure you cover your face and stuff. Otherwise, someone's gonna, like, bomb your house or something."

"BOMB MY WHAT!?"

Itadori tilted his head, "What? You've never fought an army before?"

"In video games! And wait a sec, when did YOU fight an army!?"

"Well, it was more like special forces. Americans, I think? They said somethin' about wanting to capture a buncha us sorcerers, prolly for some dumb experiment, I guess."

Yuji flashed her a goofy thumbs-up, "I got to kick a flashbang back at 'em, so that musta looked kinda cool, right?"

Ruby's face was very scrunched up at this point, "I don't-I don't...why is your life so crazy? And what the heck's an American!?"

The sorcerer blankly stared at her, "Eh?"

She matched his energy, "Ah?"

He gave a condescending smirk, "You don't know what an American is? You should read more-"

"Oh, I know for a fact that you don't read!"

"You don't have any proof!"

"I've seen your grades!"

"No, you haven't!"

"You can't just 'No' me, Yuji! That's not how that works!"

"Yes, it does."

"Oh, you are so-RAHHH!"

Ruby flashed behind his back, wrapping her arms around him, trying to suplex the vessel, but she couldn't make him budge an inch, so the Huntress settled for jumping on his back like a monkey, still failing to pull him at all.

"I-You-GO DOWN!"

Itadori leaned back, blankly staring at her puffed-up face before pointing a finger, "Angy."

Ruby gnashed her teeth at him, making him point more, "You're spicy."

"RAHHH!"

He deadpanned, "I really gotta get some of you guys on a workout plan. Do you even get enough protein?"

Ruby tilted her head, "Is there protein in cookies?"

"Unless you're goin' for a dirty bulk, then nah."

She slumped over, her chin resting on his head, "Awwww...I dunno how you and Yang eat all that healthy food. It's so yucky!"

The vessel laughed, "Ah, you get used to-"

He suddenly twitched, going eerily quiet as Ruby tilted her head, "Yuj? Something wr-wha-"

In the blink of an eye, the sorcerer's hand flashed up, pulling her hood down, sending the Huntress sputtering, "H-Hey! What was-"

"We're being followed."

She started to move, only for the sorcerer's tone to shift so drastically that it made her pause in place, as if he were a different person entirely, "Don't look back."

Yuji kept walking with her on his back, his eyes no longer light but a dull blank stare, "I'm not jokin' when I say this stuff. Stare straight ahead, and if any of 'em look at you, face away and never say your name or anything someone could trace. You don't want these people getting a clue who you are, got it?"

She stuttered for a second, so the sorcerer spoke again, this time more commanding, "Got it?"

"O-okay. I...I get it."

He could feel the stares coming from every derelict building and crevice, but this sort of thing didn't bother him anymore, "I'll do the talking, and if you wanna learn how to handle this stuff, then just watch, but make sure you're ready for anything."

"Do you- do you really think it could go wrong?"

Yuji hardly reacted, "With these things, it's easier to ask when or how somethin' bad'll happen, not if. You can't put faith in common decency with people like this."

They stopped next to an alleyway, with the sorcerer setting her down, "Don't drop your guard, not even for a second, and if it goes down, I'll handle it. You don't need that sorta thing on your hands."

Ruby's eyes shook a bit, "What? What sorta thing?"

Itadori didn't answer, walking ahead, "Just hope it doesn't come to that."

With her falling in line behind him, the sorcerer marched ahead, his eyes staring straight forward as he walked into the eerie silence, ignoring the distant sounds of shuffling footsteps and the occasional masked face poking out of various windows, each staring at him with eternally blank expressions.

Their masks had the same white material as Raven's, each with a different set of red markings etched along the surface, probably part of some ranking system.

Something told him Gojo Sensei and the others would mock these people for being cowards, and after all this time, he understood what it meant.

When you're truly strong, there's no point hiding what you are, not when you choose the outcome, and this told him one thing-

These people were afraid.

A series of footsteps echoed out as a rusted hatch door opened at the end of the pathway, with several masked members filing out in order, opening a clearing right through the middle.

Yuji didn't look back but spoke anyway, "You can still back out if you want."

Ruby was sweating bullets at this point, her voice so caught in her throat it even hurt to swallow, forcing herself to mumble "...No I-I can't...not if I want to prove myself-"

"There's no shame in deciding not to take a risk. Your life is more important than some-"

"And what about yours?"

"Mine?"

She tugged at his sleeve, "I...I can't just let you do this alone!"

Yuji shook his head, "The risk ain't the same for us. These people couldn't hurt me if they tried, but there's a lot more on the line for you."

"I know that...but-"

The Huntress took a breath, "I'm not just doing this for my team. I-I wouldn't be able to look at myself the same way if I let someone I know walk off somewhere dangerous. Even if nothing happened, I just couldn't-"

Ruby seemed so certain about this, and with a fire blazing in those silver eyes of hers, Yuji couldn't help but respect it.

Itadori only nodded, "If you're sure that's what ya want, I won't stop you."

The scythe-user forced a smile "N-...not that you could. I'd b-beat you up."

He lightly laughed, "I'm sure ya would."

The pair fell into silence, with the vessel taking the lead into the dark depths below, while Ruby only muttered, "Why can't they do this somewhere less spooky?"

"'Cause it's illegal, goober."

She pouted, "You aren't helping..."

The moment the two began their trek downward, he could feel all eyes on them as the masked members followed suit behind them.

No going back now.

Eventually, the stairs came to an end, with the walkway opening up into a massive underground basement, filled to the brim with derelict machinery from some bygone era.

*Flick-flick-flick

The lights turned on one by one, revealing a chamber filled to the brim with armed guards on all sides, with makeshift firing lines strewn across the floor, walls, and even the catwalks near the ceiling, with more than enough firepower to cause some trouble.

Itadori couldn't help but stare at the lights for a second, thinking that scene was straight out of a movie, making the vessel briefly wonder if they did this to look cool or if they didn't wanna pay the electricity bill.

*Click-click-click-click

"I must admit, it's fascinating how willingly you approached us. Very few accept their first offer, though yours was far more formal than most. Tell me, do you know why so many flock to join our number in spite of the risk it poses to themselves and others?"

More lights flickered on, revealing a high platform at the center of the chamber, with a shadowed figure reclining on what could only be called a throne, their amber eyes gleaming against the darkness, staring straight at the sorcerer with keen interest.

A series of old screens activated across the room, drowning the atmosphere in a haze of grainy footage, each with varying levels of abuse directed at people with animal-like features, easily noticeable or not.

"Segregation, legalized inequalities, lack of citizenship, or even something as simple as the refusal of business, each member of our organization has suffered injustices at the hands of the majority, and their stories begin with a question, 'what have I done to deserve this?'"

She waved a hand, her tan skin briefly showing, the limb coated in dark stripes, "There's never a satisfying answer. However, I find it important to ask because the response one gives can offer many insights into the kind of person they are. A victim, a collaborator, an empathizer, a hate-monger, or even an apathetic bystander, this one question can give so much for so few words, and so, Yuji Itadori-"

The last set of lights flickered on, revealing a woman with wild black hair and a noticeable set of feline ears sticking out of her head, with both sets covered in golden earrings.

She wore a form-fitting black top outlined in white cloth, with a long skirt of the same design, topped off with a flowing red cape cascading down her back as the woman's golden eyes remained firmly on the vessel's.

"I, Sienna Khan, High Leader of the White Fang, ask you this: is it a sin to be born?"

There was utter silence, with only the sounds of Ruby shivering in place, filling the void as if she were too terrified to even move.

Yuji didn't have that problem, keeping his hands firmly at his sides, "No. You don't have any say over how and why you're born, just the same as everyone else in the world. What you do have control over is where you go from there, but calling something a sin? That depends on who's talking about it because we all live by our own wants and needs."

The tiger faunus raised a brow, "And if I were to ask, if placed against someone with an utterly opposing viewpoint, why would yours hold more meaning?"

The sorcerer clenched a fist as his dull stare spoke more than words ever could, "It's not about meaning. The only thing that would make my cause worth more is that I'm stronger than the person I'm up against. Power backs purpose, and it goes both ways. Living by anything else would just make you weak."

She smiled at that one, "You certainly aren't an idealist, though that's to be expected from someone capable of defeating Raven Branwen-"

Ruby's eyes went wide, flashing toward the vessel, "You did what!?"

He didn't even look at her, but the anger in his voice made her completely pause. "Stop."

The sorcerer blankly stared at the leader ahead, "How do you even know about that, lady?"

The tiger faunus faintly smiled, "You could say we had an arrangement of sorts. When you're working with networks such as ours, your agents occasionally garner too much attention, and she had a way of...making them disappear for a bit."

The figurehead looked over her nails, each sharpened like a knife's edge, "In exchange, we'd give her bits of information gathered by our informants, and for a time, she'd gain a few extra hands...some of said hands were there the day you two had your fateful encounter, and they returned with tales of a young man besting her so handily, she ran for her life. You truly are something remarkable, aren't you?"

Yuji didn't react, his expression remaining completely neutral, "There's nothin' special about me. I'm just one piece in a puzzle way larger than either of us."

"And whose puzzle is it?"

"Who knows? It's not my job to understand how these things work. I just play my part."

She leaned forward in her chair, "And what part is that?"

Itadori's expression hardened, "There's no real reason behind it, and if you asked why I think this, I couldn't answer it, but I've known that my role in things is to kill anyone or anything that wants to hurt humanity, even if I have to do the worst things imaginable to keep this up."

The crowd shifted, a noticeable tension filling the air as weapons of all makes and sizes aimed down at him in the blink of an eye, with bitter voices ringing out-

"Traitor!"

"You'd sell out your own kind FOR THEM!?"

"HE'S EVEN BROUGHT A HUMAN HERE WITH HIM! KILL 'EM BOTH!"

Yuji's expression shifted, and with gritted teeth, the vessel brought his arms together in a cross as the skin bubbled along its surface, glancing toward the Huntress beside him, "Close your eyes-"

Ruby felt so many emotions; it was like she was in a daze, "H-huh!?"

The scythe-user instinctively tucked herself closer to the sorcerer, putting her hands over her face, but before anything could happen, Sienna simply raised a hand, "Lower your weapons right now."

She had said it so calmly; it was as if she were scolding children, but within moments, the entire army had returned to their positions, earning a sigh from the leader, "This boy would not have come here if he wasn't absolutely certain he could wipe us out, and this matter extends far beyond mere recruitment, or even our plight against human oppression."

Sienna leveled a stare at the crowd, "If any of you dare do that again, I'll have you executed for treason, and your charred remains will be fed to the Grimm. Is that understood?"

There was a resounding chorus, "BY YOUR COMMAND!"

With a firm nod, the pressure dissipated as quickly as it arrived, showing the sheer authority this one person wielded over such an extensive force.

The moment didn't last, as the high leader beckoned a hand toward the Beacon duo, "I apologize for that disruption. Would you care to join me up here for a proper conversation?"

The sorcerer slowly lowered his arms, his eyes shimmering like gold, "You've got a funny way of talkin' to people, lady."

Sienna only laughed, "I would be inclined to agree, but my mere presence in Vale poses significant risks to our entire organization. I hope you can understand the anxiety driving my followers' actions, however misguided."

With a simple nod toward his partner, the vessel led the way, marching through the crowd as hundreds of eyes landed on them, making his way onto the center stage as the High Leader rose to meet him, extending a marking-coated hand toward the sorcerer.

"From one tiger to another, Hello."

Yuji met her stare with his own before meeting her halfway to shake the leader's hand, "Tiger?"

Her animal-like ears fluttered a bit, catching his attention as she spoke, "Some traits are more obvious than others, and while I thought yours were the markings on your face-"

Sienna glanced down at his mutated hand as it gleamed a bright red, "You seem to have more than one."

Yuji had no idea what this lady was talking about, "Traits? But you got stripes too, dontcha?"

Her formal smile grew a bit, "Whether natural like yours or synthetic like mine, markings carry quite a lot of meaning if you consider their implications. They etch a story on your very flesh, one which cannot so easily be tucked away from sight. Though, just the same, we both bear ours with pride for all to see."

His brow briefly furrowed as if a flash of anger came and went, but it disappeared soon after, "Whatever you say-"

The sorcerer let go of her hand, letting his drop to his sides, "But if it's so risky for ya to be here, why come at all? There's no way you thought I'd actually join you."

She raised a finger, "What is it you kids say these days, 'can't blame a girl for trying?' The propaganda you're often shown in media tells a false tale of how we gather new members. We don't simply walk toward prospective recruits like an armed group of robbers. These things start with a conversation and mutual interests, and ours might just happen to coincide."

Yuji raised a brow, "What could we have in common? You guys bomb stuff or...whatever you do."

Sienna clasped her hands behind her back, "While we certainly do... 'bomb stuff'...as you say it, there's actually quite a lot of consideration behind our actions. We never target locations with high civilian numbers and focus our efforts on industrial sabotage. While other methods might be more effective, we understand the costs, both physical and moral."

Itadori deadpanned, "You just aimed guns at us like two seconds ago..."

She seemed to ignore that, nodding off to the side, and the screens across the room shifted to an overhead image of a small continent coated in slum-like dwellings made from wood and scrap metal, "Seeing that you're from a separate civilization, I assume you don't know of Menagerie."

His confused face said more than enough, "It's a dangerous place, almost entirely uninhabitable, with vast deserts stretching as far as the eye can see, with just as many Grimm to boot. The pieces of land that can be farmed and populated are overcrowded and destitute, yet our kind still chooses to live there. Do you know why?"

The leader raised a fist to her heart, "Because it's ours, a place where we can exist and not suffer because we were born different, but there simply aren't enough resources to bring all of our people there, and so we advocate and fight for their equality across the kingdoms."

She looked out over the crowd, briefly studying their various animal-like traits, "However, we, the true members of the White Fang, understand that its fragile stability rests on a knife's edge, and if we push too far, then it would justify an invasion and our ultimate destruction. Even still, radical forces within our organization threaten to throw everything we've done to the wind, pushing the boundaries of what is and isn't acceptable to such a degree that many now see us as monsters, not liberators, and under no circumstance can I continue to let this happen-"

Sienna barred her teeth, revealing her sharp canines, "And it's all because of that damn cult."

Yuji paused for a second, "A cult? You mean like...religious types or somethin'?"

She shook her head, "This situation goes beyond religion and into the realm of fanaticism and insanity. Before they weren't much of a concern, complete lunatics for certain, but they were few and far between. We could mitigate the actions of the occasional loose canon, deny responsibility if needed, but lately, something's changed."

The leader gripped a fist tight, "They aren't just a loose collection of individuals anymore. They've organized and have become one of the many factions in our movement. With their incessant preaching of needing to bring about the end, they're attracting more and more members as circumstances get desperate. They don't push for peace, they don't care for equity, all they want is to cut everything down to nothing in some foolish belief that only then will things be made right."

Sienna walked right up to the sorcerer, "Look me in the eye when I say this. The Cult of Ryomen must be stopped, and I need your help to achieve this."

...

...

Ruby tilted her head, not understanding the lack of any response.

She leaned over, only for her face to pale more than it ever had before-

Yuji was shaking, his lip quivering as his teeth chattered, holding an expression so severe, so haunted, and so terrified yet furious that it made her want to curl up and hide, but what unsettled her most-

Were his eyes-

They were filled with spirals, swirling toward the center like an endless vortex.

...

Meanwhile, in Beacon Tower

The door to the Headmaster's office slid open with an audible hiss, and a familiar disheveled figure came strolling into the poorly lit room, one hand on his head, the other digging through his pockets, "Hey Oz...sorry 'bout bein' a little late, heh, had kind of a wild night."

Ozpin stopped his typing, "Ah, Qrow...so kind of you to finally join me. Allow me to get the light-"

"Ah-ah-ah, hold onnnn, oneeee sec..."

The veteran Huntsman dug through his pockets, pulling out a bent pair of sunglasses before putting them on, "Alright, you're good."

The Professor hummed, "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to 'steal my look,' as it were."

Qrow scoffed, "Nah, hangovers just make me real sensitive to light...and who the hell's been teaching you slang? It's weird hearin' you say that stuff."

The Headmaster flicked on the lights, giving an amused smile as his longtime ally flinched at the sudden brightness, "Is it now? But to answer your question, I believe you two have already met...and fought on public property."

"Well, what was I supposed to do, not fight him?"

"He is fifteen, while you are nearly forty, which would make this assault on a minor. I could press charges, you know?"

Qrow's mouth widened a bit, completely ignoring the threat of legal action, "Damn, only fifteen? But that kid hits like a freaking train..."

Ozpin tilted his head, a smile on his face, "He does, doesn't he?"

"Is...is that pride on your face?"

"Well, he is my grandson, after all."

The drunkard rolled his eyes, "Right, and I'm the King of Vale. Cut the crap, Oz. We both know that kid ain't related to you."

The Headmaster took on a stern expression, raising his ever-present mug of hot chocolate, "So long as the public thinks we are, that's all that matters. But blood-related or not, I have decided to take that boy under my care, and I expect you to show some respect for my judgment."

"Ooooh, strict today, aren't we, Ozzy?"

Qrow walked off to one of the walls, digging through a cabinet and pulling out a clear bottle, only for the Professor to flash him a look. "You replaced that one with water the last time you did your rounds."

"I...I did?"

"It was quite the night, at least from what I saw on the security footage."

The Huntsman grabbed a different one with brown liquid instead, "Eh, probably. I don't really remember it."

After popping open the top, he looked for a glass, only to shrug, sipping straight from the bottle as he slumped into a chair across from the Director, "Alright, so, what's the deal with the kid? He your new pet project?"

Ozpin tilted his head, "Do I need a reason?"

"You always have a reason."

"Do I now?"

The aged man leaned back in his seat, giving a distant chuckle, "It's funny, all these years of doing the same repetitive thing, and I never quite noticed how predictable I've become until as of late. But I suppose that's a given."

He raised a hand, dropping his fingers one by one, "Wait a hundred years, see if anything's changed, attempt a new solution, and if that fails, try and try again, never adapting myself to the times, even over the course of new eras, each with a new identity to add to my name. It's little wonder I found myself so dulled. I was treating my lives as a scientific process, though that may just be an old habit I refuse to let go of."

Qrow scoffed, taking a swig, "Me having a little 'refresher' now and then is an old habit, but yours might as well be a tradition at this point. But what's gotten into you, Oz? You're not usually this-"

The Headmaster raised a mug, "Reflective?"

"Oh please, you're always a moody little bastard, but you're not usually this...I dunno, happy? Man, that felt weird to say."

Ozpin hummed, "Well, it's as they say, the slightest prod can evoke great change in any living being, though, in my case, it would be more accurate to state I've relearned something I had forgotten a long time ago...that my life, even dedicated to stopping her, can still have meaning beyond that cause, and it's because of that boy's influence."

"You're really putting him on a pedestal for talking you out of a funk, you know that?"

"Normally, I would be inclined to agree, but Yuji is...different. He has that effect on most people, even if unintentional. One could call it his 'special ability.'"

"Special ability? Huh?"

The Headmaster took a sip from his mug, "A world like ours runs on fear and labels. Everyone must identify with something and despise all who stand for something else, no matter how similar. Even you and I trip into these pitfalls on occasion. But with Yuji, it's almost as if these things hold no meaning to him at all, seeing beyond hateful generalizations and focusing on the individual instead. This mentality has allowed him to forge some truly unusual bonds over his brief stint at this institution."

Ozpin leveled the Huntsman with a smile, "For instance, your nieces are both quite fond of him despite their radically different backgrounds. People often focus on what divides rather than what unites. It's how we function as a species and even a society, but these things don't seem to cross their minds at all. Human and Faunus, Huntress and Sorcerer, all irrelevant, and seeing that shift for myself has made their friendship one of the more enjoyable things to observe this year."

Qrow suddenly lowered his bottle, "Wait-wait-wait...hold on."

His expression shifted, becoming utterly solemn, "Oz, did you just say he's a-"

The Headmaster leaned back a bit, clasping his hands around his heated mug, "Indeed, I did, Qrow. He's one of them."

"You...you don't mean-"

The Director typed along his keyboard, spinning his digital monitor around as images of various ruins across the world blipped onto the screen, "While many civilizations predate our own, there are some so distant that even I wasn't alive to witness them, and while our knowledge is limited, on occasion, some bits of their existence find their way into ours."

The Huntsman leaned forward, "But you told me that these things are always-"

"Dangerous? Quite so, but as I've said, Yuji drastically differs from what I've encountered before, a living relic from a bygone era, though he's the first to not show any signs of hostility. For all intents and purposes, that boy is just that, a young man with a heart kinder than most, though his origins leave me with concerns."

Qrow's brow furrowed, "Oz, he threatened to kill me the other day, and even if I was-"

The Professor shook his head, "I saw the footage, and believe me, if Yuji had truly wanted to bring you harm, you would not be sitting here right now. That boy is more powerful than you can imagine, and picking a fight with him was a horrible decision on your end, but still, the fault lies on me."

Ozpin took another sip, "I never told him of you and never gave explicit orders for you to avoid him...and given your resemblance to your sister, it's little wonder he reacted so violently."

Qrow paused, "My...sister? Raven?... Oz, I know you're trying to give me the rundown here, but I need to know what she did this time to get you so riled up."

The man only nodded in response, "I'll get to it in a moment, but I believe you need to understand the severity of these circumstances first. Because while my purpose has always been to bring an end to Salem, there remained other concerns at the back of my mind."

The Headmaster glanced out his window and toward the distant wilderness, "A very long time ago, I was warned by a prophecy that someday, our world would be faced with an ancient threat, one even the gods themselves dreaded to mention, and with that in mind, I began my travels, wandering the distant shores of Remnant, trying to understand where and when this could happen."

He briefly adjusted his glasses, their lenses reflecting a myriad of landscapes for just a moment, "And on those journeys, I noticed the Grimm congregating in the most bizarre places, some so far flung from human settlements, I couldn't help but wonder what was drawing them there when all they fed on was negativity. The Emerald Forest was and still is one such place, near a city now for certain, but back then, it was nothing more than wilderness, and I felt an indescribable urge to settle and observe. However, at the time, I had work to accomplish, as the young and ambitious always do."

Qrow lightly chuckled, "You were young?"

"Believe it or not, mentally speaking, I was quite immature at one point."

"What, like you'd go out drinking with me for once kinda immature?"

"Oh, back then, I likely would have outpaced you, and the bar...and my tab...thankfully, those debts didn't carry over into my new incarnations, or I would still be paying them off, though, I digress."

Ozpin remembered a fleeting number of faces, each his own at a different time, "Many lifetimes would pass, and I would continue my investigations, feeling this bizarre pull toward the Kingdom of Vale, though never understanding why or the feelings of dread I would have upon my arrival, but my concerns only grew worse with time, and then...it happened."

The Professor took a short breath, "Tell me, Qrow...how much do you know of what happened to the settlement of Mount Glenn?"

The Huntsman quirked a brow, rubbing the back of his head, "That old place?... Wasn't it abandoned way before the Great War?"

Ozpin shook his head, "That's what we teach in our curriculum, but reality and fiction often go hand in hand within our world, considering the panic that would ensue if the public knew the truth."

The Headmaster plucked his glasses off, staring his longtime ally down, "Mount Glenn was never abandoned, Qrow. It would be more accurate to say that it and the people inhabiting it were exterminated."

"What?...what does that even...exterminate?"

The veteran stood up, "No, you exterminate Grimm, Oz, you don't do that to people, why would you even say it like-"

*BOOM

The Headmaster slammed a hand onto his desk, sending a crack across the entire structure as he stared Qrow down, "Because that's exactly what happened on that day."

He let out a huff, walking away to refill his mug with shaking hands, "...I don't have all the details, but I can give a general account...That city was founded as the kingdom's first true attempt at reclaiming land from the Grimm, and it was positioned in a highly defensible location, nestled deep in the Mountains of Central Vale, but it came with one glaring issue-"

He raised a finger, "Those mountains were another hotspot for the Grimm, but no matter how much research was done, they could never figure out why they congregated there so readily-"

Qrow crossed his arms, "Then why live there at all? Why take the risk?"

"Do you know how difficult it is to handle the Grimm when corporations control an overwhelming share of the world's dust supply? Some of them have been more than happy to raise their prices for no other reason than greed, even at the cost of innocent lives, whether they be the Faunus forced into those labor camps or those that could have been saved if soldiers were provided with the right equipment...you should know, given your history with a certain Schnee girl."

The Branwen hummed, "Ice Queen? Nah, she's not too fond when you mention her family. Even I avoid that one when I'm messing with her."

Ozpin bit his cheek, watching the hot water pool into his mug, "Think of it in these terms: the King had wanted to extract the rich ore veins in the mountains, seeing them as a way to protect his people from any and all threats, but they ran into problems almost immediately."

He twirled a spoon, mixing his drink, "The deeper they went, the worse the Grimm became, growing more violent by the day, their attacks getting more and more frequent, forcing a massive militarization of what was meant to be a civilian hub, and it wasn't only affecting them."

The Director turned to face the Huntsman, "If you were there yourself, you'd have felt an overwhelming sensation of dread bearing down on you at all times, so much so that they had to bring in enslaved Faunus to replace the human workers, who continued to quit in droves...and one fateful day, they went down into those mines-"

His expression grew severe, "Their screams reached the surface some hours later, lasting moments at most before going silent, and before long, only one being made its way out, and it tore its way through the city, its mere presence driving the Grimm into some kind of frenzy, and as they broke through the walls, the people were faced with a dilemma, to face certain death inside, or risk running against the horde...you can still see the marks that thing left to this very day-"

Qrow's red eyes widened a bit, "You mean those...cut marks? Right? I've seen 'em before, the ones on-"

"Every single building, yes, those are the ones. From the few survivor reports we obtained, we knew that it was ruthlessly efficient, turning a settlement of ten thousand into nothing within a mere few days. I arrived sometime after, not expecting to survive in the slightest, but I just couldn't live with myself to do nothing...if I was to die once more, it would be trying to stop whatever monster crawled out of the depths below, but-"

Ozpin visibly winced, "Amid all the desecrated bodies, between all the destroyed buildings and every wrecked element of what was once a burgeoning settlement, I encountered one being. Even though it wasn't a monster of legend or a beast of old, it felt as if I were facing down a nightmare itself, but it was...-"

Qrow leaned forward, "What? What was it?"

"It was one of the workers-"

"Workers? Like...the miners?"

The Director slowly nodded, "One of the Faunus... still wearing his tattered uniform, but the way he stood...how he moved...it was so unnatural, and his eyes...If you could see them for yourself, you'd think you were looking into insanity itself."

Ozpin's hands lightly shook, "It was more than just a feeling. It was as if I instinctively knew this was what the gods had warned me of, and I was staring at it face-to-face, or rather...at the face it was wearing. I demanded answers for...something...to know what could justify this level of atrocity, and all it could do, looking at what it had done, was laugh, an evil, utterly demented cackle."

"...And so we fought."

...

Back at White Fang Headquarters

Itadori was frozen in place, staring up at a monitor, the veins bulging around his neck as tension ran so high that it felt as if the world around him were about to implode. That symbol-

"...Why?"

"...Why?"

He'd know it anywhere-

That spear-

The same one that appeared on him whenever-

whenever-

The vessel clenched a hand over his stomach, twisting so tight, he could feel his skin tearing, "...You?"

The vessel stood there in silence, utterly ignorant of the confused expressions around him, and as emotions ran high-

He could hear it-

'heh...hehehehehehe...'

Yuji stood utterly still, his expression unreadable, as a familiar voice bellowed out from the depths of his mind with malice and condescension rippling out with every sound.

'Hahahahahahahaha-HAHAHAHA! So that's how it is?'

Unaware of what was going on with the vessel, Sienna grimaced, "With your expression, I can only assume you've dealt with them before, isn't that right?"

Yuji seemed like he was in a daze, putting a hand to his forehead, "Wh-wha-"

The leader shook her head, "You don't need to share if you don't want to. I already know the sort of things they're capable of, and it's exactly why they need to be wiped out to the last man, and given what they're planning-"

She reached out a hand, dropping it over the sorcerer's shoulder, "You and I may just well be the only means of preventing all-out war."

Itadori seemed to return to reality a bit more with that statement, "W...war? But you just said they're a small-"

The tiger faunus sighed, "The Kingdom of Atlas has been looking for an excuse to invade Menagerie for decades. It's the one safe harbor in which the White Fang can consistently operate and launch operations from across the nations, and its removal would be more than enough incentive, but with the world divided like it is, they simply can't act as they wish. Their leadership needs a justification, and while we take the necessary precautions to prevent this, the cultists want this aggression to occur."

She shook a bit, "Their movement thrives on suffering, using the pain our people endure to bolster their numbers with promises of revenge and retribution. Were Menagerie to fall, they would have hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised recruits, each lining up for their chance at bringing that level of pain to Atlas itself."

Something clicked in the sorcerer's mind, "A cycle of hate, huh? That's what they're going for?"

"It would appear so, and while hatred often simply leads to more hatred, they wish to exacerbate, and even expedite this process, to give our people so little to live for, so little to hope for, that they would radicalize, and join their ranks, and with them, they would initiate another war against humanity, with the ultimate goal of extermination."

Sienna met his stare, "You may judge us as terrorists, as fear mongers, whatever words you choose. I won't deny them, but I will tell you this. Despite the lack of self-control from my followers, the True White Fang does not hate humanity. We use fear as a reminder of our plight. However, our ambition has always been to achieve equality. Still, this balance isn't stable, and if the cultists manage to wrestle more control over the organization, they could subsume the leadership for themselves. By then, our destruction would be guaranteed."

Yuji looked off to the side for a moment, "...I get it-"

His fist clenched so hard his nails dug into his skin, "I get it more than you can understand, and if someone worshiped...him? After everything he's-"

The vessel took a sharp breath, barring his teeth, "Where are they? I'll deal with 'em myself right Goddamn now!"

Ruby recoiled a bit, seeing the utterly uncharacteristic expression on his face-

It was sheer rage, something she didn't think he was even capable of.

"Yuji? What are you going to-"

He gave her a look that sent the Huntress into silence once more.

Sienna's eyes dropped, ignoring the exchange, "While our information on their whereabouts is limited, I can tell you this: There's no need for you to go hunting, little cub. They'll come to you soon enough...and it's exactly why I brought you here."

The Faunus lowered her arm, turning to face the surrounding area, "It's a good thing you came here so soon. Otherwise, I would've had to find another way of approaching you by day's end, and time is not something you or I have at the moment. But with more than a few feet of concrete and various bits of equipment to ensure no unwanted listeners are about, we can speak freely of this."

An image flipped across the screens, displaying a massive meeting hall surrounded by men wearing strange white armor coated in blue lining, each armed with some kind of advanced rifle or other, with Sienna giving off a gentle hum, "Already set up for the day's events...meticulous as ever, James..."

She pointed a finger at the screen, "Tomorrow, several high-ranking individuals, civilian and military alike, will attend your welcoming ceremony, and regardless of defense, that sort of congregation is too appealing for the cultists to miss. From what my sources tell me, they're planning an all-out assault on the venue, with the ultimate goal of assassinating both James Ironwood, leader of Atlas in all but name, and your grandfather, Professor Ozpin."

Yuji paled a bit, "Kill Gramps? Why the hell would they-"

She grimly nodded, "One can say he does a significant amount of behind-the-scenes work, more so than anyone else in the Kingdom of Vale or, debatably, even all the others, just the same as Ironwood...their deaths would throw the political order into all-out-mayhem, and regardless of who takes the reigns in Atlas, their militarized society would demand blood for blood, and the dominoes would fall to our inevitable destruction."

"Why...why tell me this?"

"Pardon?"

Itadori waved a hand at himself, "I get that I'm strong, but lady, I'm...I'm not the kinda smart guy that can deal with this using politics and stuff! Why not go to this Iron-guy and tell him yourself? He's got an army!"

Sienna shook her head, "Ironwood is not the sort to forgive and forget, and given our history, he'd be more likely to put a bullet in my head than listen to what I or any representative has to say...No, as a military man, he'd allow the celebration to continue, if not for his own pride, than for that of his nation."

She clasped her hands together, walking along the stage, "Atlas thrives on martial success, and if their people ever found out so-called terrorists bested them without having fired a single shot, getting such a massive event canceled out of fear, it would hurt them more than any massacre ever could...and what I ask of you goes beyond political maneuvering, and into the realm of action."

The High Leader turned to face him, "When I look at you, I don't see the image of innocence you try to portray, no...your eyes tell a different story. You've killed before, and from one who's taken many lives to another, both of us know how this has to end."

Yuji didn't move, his stare ever static, "...So that's why you wanted me here? Because I'll do what my Gramps won't wanna go through with...is that right?"

Ruby had gone completely silent at this point, but her shocked expression said more than anything.

The tiger faunus nodded, "Evil rarely exists in its pure form, not in a muddled world like ours, but when it appears-"

The sorcerer's eyes flashed, "You gotta crush it before it can do any harm."

Sienna gave a genuine smile at that, "That's right...I knew you'd understand, but I suppose it takes one tiger to get another...but I do have one selfish thing to ask of you."

Itadori crossed his arms, "Whaddya want?"

"It's not what I want, but... more so, who I want to see again, someday..."

"...What?"

Her eyes turned white with anger as she clenched a fist, "I'm getting there!"

She was back to her regal self in moments, faking a cough, "Ahem...as I was saying...while normally, the cultists' ability to gather information is extremely limited, as each of them are marked with very distinguishing patterns, making espionage nearly impossible, recently, they've turned someone...very important to me, that changed this dynamic."

The screen shifted to a picture of a tall teenager with bright auburn hair and noticeable horns protruding out of his head, his upper face covered in a distinctive white mask, wearing a long-sleeved black blazer and equally dark dress pants.

Sienna took on a more somber expression, "This...is Adam Taurus, my protege of sorts and recent recruit to their cause...and you very well might encounter him during the attack."

Yuji blankly stared, looking the guy over, "What's so important about him?"

The woman looked away, "Before I realized what he was up to, Adam abused my information networks to gather the necessary data, and although I've removed his access, the damage is done, but still, my reasons for wanting him to live are more...personal than anything...he's been dealt a very difficult hand in life, and while I can't excuse his actions...I don't believe he deserves to die for his misguided anger."

The sorcerer scoffed, "So, he's helpin' plan a murder spree? And you want me to...what? Send him your way?"

She shook her head, "No...nothing like that...frankly speaking, were he to return to the fold, Adam would likely continue to cause problems, and as our movement stands, further division can't be tolerated at any cost-"

Sienna ran a hand along her tan arm, "I've...done away with any hope of reconciling with him...but were I to greenlight his death, it would cause further internal conflict, but regardless, it's just something my heart couldn't bear to take, but leaving Adam to his fate simply isn't an option."

The High Leader grimaced, "Being captured alive by Atlas forces might as well be worse than a death sentence. They would ruthlessly torture him for information, valid or not. And while he and I have never seen eye-to-eye on world affairs, I know your grandfather is an understanding soul. I ask that you make him aware of this, and when everything's said and done, ensure that it's Ozpin granting a fair judgment and not some arbitrary decision from Ironwood...regardless of the outcome, I'll accept whatever choice he makes."

Yuji shook his head almost immediately, "You think, for one second, that I'm just gonna let someone get away with this 'cause what? He's important to you? Lady, he wants to kill the guy you think should help him!"

"I'm aware what he wants, but understand that it's-"

He angrily swiped a hand, "NO! You don't get it! Anyone who wants to be like...him...doesn't deserve to live! Not a single fucking one of 'em!"

"What do you mean by him?... You act as if you know-"

The vessel pointed a finger at her, "That's none of your business."

The sorcerer didn't wait for a response, turning to storm out, "If they wanna worship that sick son of a bitch, then they're all gonna get what's coming to them!"

He pushed his way through the crowd, storming out, but on the stage, Ruby seemed to mumble something to the leader, taking something from her before running off after him.

By the time the sorcerer had made his way up the stairs and back outside, a voice came screaming at him from behind, revealing the scythe user, holding a look of concern.

"YUJI! Just...just wait a sec!"

The vessel paused, seeing Ruby glaring him down from behind, "Not no-"

"NO! STOP DOING THAT!"

The Huntress seemed to completely ignore the many stares in their direction from various observation points, "Why are you so against just giving someone a chance!? This isn't like you!"

He flinched a bit, "You...you just wouldn't get it-"

"Then make me understand!"

He stared her down, "...No, I won't."

"N-no? What do you mean no?"

"I said NO! Use your ears and listen. I'm not draggin' you or anyone else into this, so just DROP IT!"

Ruby looked hurt when he said that, looking down, "You can be as mean as you want...but I know you're not a bad person!"

Yuji shook his head, pointing a hand at himself, "When are you gonna get it? I AM a bad person!"

He winced, taking a step toward her, "What she said... About me killing people? It's true, and it's just the tip of the freaking iceberg of terrible things I've done! The kind of things you would hate me for if any of you knew!"

"Even if you did...even if you say that stuff, I don't think you'd do it to hurt anyone...I don't hate you, Yuji, so please stop saying th-!"

"YOU SHOULD!"

He slammed a boot down so hard the ground broke beneath him, "God damn it! YOU SHOULD! Everyone I know gets dragged into my nonsense, and they get KILLED FOR IT!"

"I don't...what does this have to do with you!?"

"EVERYTHING! FUCKING EVERYTHING!"

His face scrunched up before he turned around and stormed off again, "I was a moron for thinking I could just pretend to be normal for five seconds. It never ends-"

He stopped in his tracks, just facing the ground as his eyes burned, "It never end-"

*FWOOSH

*POMPF

There was a swirl of rose petals, and the next thing he knew, Ruby was in front of him, giving the vessel an iron grip hug, but he was in no mood for it.

"Let go."

"Nope!"

"I'm being serious. Let go, right now."

"Nope!"

...

...

He didn't react, just standing there with his hands at his sides, "I never shoulda brought you here."

Ruby shook her head, even as it was buried against his jacket, "I went here 'cause I wanted to, goober. You had nothing to do with that."

"...I coulda stopped from seeing and...hearing all that-"

The Huntress paused, "It was...it was kinda scary, hearing you two talk about all that serious stuff, but...I don't regret it, and I don't want you to feel like it's your fault that I heard it-"

Ruby looked up at him with a sweet smile, "I was gonna learn about that stuff someday anyways, so I'm glad it was with you-"

He shook his head, "No, just...don't...talk like that-"

She looked confused, "Why?...Why wouldn't you want me to learn the steps? What's wrong with-"

He raised a hand, putting it on her shoulder, "Because I know that you can't come back from losing your innocence, and I don't want you pushing yourself to make it happen. I...I used to be just like you. I could look at my friends and think everything was gonna be alright, that if we gave our all, then somehow, it was gonna work out for the best, but now-..."

The sorcerer's expression was so somber, it was almost unreal, "For most of them...I'd have to go to their graves if I wanted to say anything to them, and right now, I can't even do that-"

Ruby's face dropped, "What?"

Yuji just stared down at her, "I'm begging you here, please, don't ever, ever try to be like me, and don't force yourself into being miserable because that's not what makes someone a leader...that's how you end up with nothing and no one."

"Stop!"

The vessel paused, hearing a sniffle, realizing that his friend was tearing up, "Hey...are you-"

She was shaking, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, "Just stop! Stop talking about yourself like that! You don't have no one. You have...you have me...you have Yang and everyone else!"

The vessel knew this was temporary from the very beginning.

With Sukuna sealed away in him, when he got back home, the order would come back as well, and that meant they'd never see each other again when he left.

But he couldn't bring himself to tell her that, not yet.

...

...

Yuji sighed, pulling her into a hug, "You're too young to understand what I'm talkin' about."

"We...we're-"

She sniffled again, "We're the same age!"

"Maybe, but...you haven't seen the stuff I have, and I never wanna have you, or anyone else, go through that, not now, not ever. You guys matter too much for me to ever let that happen, so-"

His eyes dulled a bit as he looked off into the distance, "Even if I gotta do the worst things imaginable, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure they can't hurt anyone again."

Ruby shook her head more, "You aren't like that! I know you aren't, so why force it!? Don't you...don't you-"

"Hate it?"

The sorcerer gave a sad smile, "I've always hated every second of this. Havin' to hurt people never sat right with me. Still, sometimes, you just gotta throw everything you want to the side and do what's best for the people that matter most...and if you stick with being a leader, then eventually, you're gonna have to do this too, but for now, let me handle it, and someday-

His expression was unreadable as if he were thinking of a distant memory, "You'll take it from there."

Ruby's lip quivered, "It...it doesn't have to be that way! Maybe if you tried talking to him, that Adam guy, maybe you could-"

The sorcerer just patted her on the back, "Don't ever lose your trust in people, but if I can give ya some advice...there are people in this world that just aren't worth saving, especially the ones that think they have the right to prey on others for something as stupid as them being weak-"

"If-"

Ruby clenched a tiny fist against his back, "If you don't try to help him, I'll...I'll-"

"I'll tell everyone else what you're gonna do!"

Yuji just stared at her, "Don't do that-"

"Nope! If you do, I'm gonna!"

"Seriously, you'll just worry them for noth-"

"Can't hear you!"

"Stop being stubborn-"

"LALALALA!"

"You're just provin' my point."

"What point!?"

"That you aren't ready for these kinda talks. This is serious business, and you're just-"

Ruby looked up at him, "I'm just as serious as you! I'll call Yang right now and prove i-"

"Don't do that! You're gonna make this so much worse if you freak everyone out!"

"Then promise you'll try to help that Adam guy!"

"What!? Why!?"

"That tiger lady said he didn't deserve it!"

"You shouldn't believe everything you hear. People just make stuff up to get ya to do what they want!"

"And what would she get out of that!?"

"Gee, I dunno, maybe bust him outa prison?"

The Huntress puffed herself up, "You're making stuff up right now! You don't know if she'll actually do that!"

He closed his eyes for a second, briefly wondering if he was ever this frustrating to his mentors, "Oh my God...will you PLEASE just listen to me! You can't bring morals into this! Not when these people wanna do-"

"It doesn't matter what they wanna do! So what, you're just gonna stoop to their level!?"

"I'm doing it, so you don't have to! What's so hard to understand about that!?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO THAT TO YOURSELF!"

The sorcerer winced before pulling back, starting to walk away, with her chasing after him, "What we want doesn't matter; it's about what needs to happen, and the fact you don't get that tells me you aren't ready."

She looked toward the ground, "If that's what being ready means, then...I don't ever wanna be like that!"

"Then don't. Be selfish, live your own life, and let me handle things for as long as I can."

"Why can't you just let people care about you!? You've got all this talk about helping us with stuff, but the second I worry about what you're going through, you just shut me out!"

The scythe-user grumbled, "We're friends...aren't we?"

The vessel paused, "Yeah, we are...and it's exactly why I'm not gonna let you anywhere near this. Let's say I did let this guy, or any of them, live, and one day...one day...what if I'm gone, and you're stuck dealing with 'em when I coulda ended it then and there?"

Ruby squinted, "Gone? What do you-"

He sighed, "I know, you guys were there that day...back when I was talkin' to Port in the woods."

"Y-you do?"

"I'm not mad, but since you heard it, you've gotta understand that I don't have time to take risks like letting this guy live because I probably won't be around if they come back to bite you later...not with so much on the line."

The vessel clenched a hand over his stomach, "I...I can't tell you why, but this issue? It goes way beyond you and me, and I need you to trust that this has to happen-"

The Huntress took a step forward, "...It's that symbol, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Ruby awkwardly ran a hand along her arm, looking off to the side, "I didn't wanna say it near those terrorist people, but...that spear thingy, the one they cut on their face-"

Her silver eyes stared right at him, "You have it too, don't you?"

The sorcerer flinched, "H-How do you know about that?"

"I...I saw it that day when you and Yang were gonna go out when your tattoos sorta...faded in."

He was taken aback, "It did?...I didn't even notice-"

Ruby took another step toward him, "Yuj, what's going on?"

"I'm not one of 'em if that's what you're thinking."

She just shook her head, a faint smile on her face, "I never thought that. You're too nice to be that mean, but...I'm really worried about you, so please just tell me-"

"I...I can't."

"You can't, or you don't want to?"

Itadori dragged his hands along his face, slumping down to sit along the curb, "Even if I did, there's nothin' you or anyone else can do to help me with this...and I-"

He barred his teeth, "I can't drag anyone else into this mess. I just can't, okay?"

Her expression became more somber as she sat down beside him, "Is it really that serious?"

"More serious than anything I could ever tell ya about, and it's why I have to deal with it and leave no chance for it to come back-"

Ruby stared at him for a second, "...I know you're scared-"

"Huh?"

She raised a hand, putting it on his shoulder, "But I know you're not the kind of person that hurts people if he doesn't have to. You're-"

The Huntress gave a sad smile, "When I was all alone that first day, you talked to me, and you...you were one of my first friends in the whole world, did you know that? Growing up, I lived in Yang's shadow, and I had to hang out with her friends, but they weren't really mine...I was just the tag-along little sister that no one wanted to play with."

She teared up a bit, "You were the first friend that I could say was mine, not introduced by Yang or...my dad. You just wanted to talk to me because I was me, not 'cause you were forced to by someone else, and I felt like we had a real connection. You care about me, and I really care about you, but it's like you...like you don't want me to worry, and that really-really hurts-"

He tried to stop her, "Rube, I-"

She raised a hand, making him pause, "But I'm still gonna worry because we're friends, and even if I gotta keep bugging you all day, every day, I will if it means you won't make yourself sad when you don't have to...even if you're gone someday, I'll still worry, even if it makes no sense, 'cause that's what we do for each other, right?"

...

...

Yuji lightly laughed, leaning back against his palms, "...Guess we're both just as stubborn, huh?"

The scythe-user tilted her head back to look at him, "I do what I gotta do!"

He went quiet for another few moments, "Look...I'll think about it...what you said, but I can't make any promises about that right now, not in good faith."

Itadori bit his cheek, "I know I owe you some answers about everything, and someday, I will tell you, just-"

Ruby smiled, "I can wait...as long as it really happens later-gater."

The vessel gave a small smile back, "Thanks...but do me a solid and keep all the stuff you heard to yourself for now...at least until it's all said and done."

"Didn't you just tell me to be honest with Yang?"

"Well...you don't gotta tell her everything-everything; I got stuff I don't tell you, guys...not 'cause it's bad, but, you know-"

"Ooooh, embarrassing secret? Tell me-tell me!"

He lightly flushed, "I don't wanna-"

She scooted closer, "Pleeeeease! Gimme a hint-"

"It's...something I'm scared of-"

"Is it Weiss?"

"Sometimes, but not that's not it-"

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours-"

Yuji deadpanned, "You're scared of people-"

Her face dropped, "How do you know that!?"

"'Cause I'm your friend, goober?... Actually, now that I think about it, you did pretty good with the crowds tod-"

"STOP!"

Ruby's face got pale, "I'm gonna crash super duper hard when we get back, and talking about it's only gonna make me cringe more!"

He waved a hand, "Okay, okay! Sheesh."

"Tell me yours, it's only fairsees!"

"..."

"Yuuuuji-"

"..."

"Come ooooon."

He bashfully looked away, "I'm...scared of clowns...okay?"

...

...

Ruby's face squished together, "For real?"

"For real-real."

"Why, though? They're so cute!"

He looked at her with a horrified expression, "There's nothin' cute about some fat forty-year-old puttin' too much makeup on and running around a buncha kids..."

"Okay, when you put it like that, YEAH! But most clowns aren't creepy. They ride little bikes and stuff!"

He coyly smirked, "You'd ride one like a normal bike 'cause you're so shor-BLAH"

She shoved a hand in his mouth, "I am not short!"

The sorcerer pulled back with a gag, "Eugh, cookie taste! Wash yo hands, nasty!"

"I DID...yesterday-"

He gagged more, slumping onto his back, "You're gross-"

Ruby fell with him, sticking her tongue out, "You're gross!"

"Takes one to know one!"

"Fine, we're both gross, happy?"

He hummed, gently shoving her shoulder, "Mhm."

...

...

It didn't take long for Ruby's face to drop, "...What a crazy day."

Yuji smiled, "You handled it pretty well."

"I did?"

"Duh, most people woulda freaked out the second the guns got drawn, but you kept it together."

"That's only 'cause you were there."

"Eh, even I freaked out when my old teacher showed me a real curse for the first time...well, they were fightin' in a volcano for some of it, so-"

"Volcano!?"

"Well, technically, it was that guy's domain, but I'm too lazy to explain those right now, so yeah...volcano."

She pouted, "Meanie...you can't just talk about cool stuff and not tell me what it is..."

Yuji just dragged a finger along his eye, earning a tiny punch from the Huntress.

He just laughed, "It's crazy that we were arguin' like, five minutes ago...you're pretty good at disarming people, Rube."

"Disarming?"

Yuji raised a finger, "What I mean is, not everyone can get people to chill out the way you do, but I think it's because you're good at empathizin' even if you don't got all the details."

The vessel looked up at the passing clouds overhead, "...You know, it's stuff like this that tells me you're gonna be a great leader someday, and who knows? Maybe you'll be givin' me orders by then."

She nudged him, "I do that now!"

He laughed again, "Yeah...you really do, huh?"

...

...

The moment didn't last as he let out a sigh, "...We still gotta go get Blake's book."

"EUGH, we do!?"

Their bond had been tested, but the two came out of it closer than ever-

Though Ruby couldn't say for sure what was going on in Yuji's head-

It was as if he was keeping something from her, but what?

...

Back at Beacon

Qrow leaned forward in his seat, open bottle in hand, "So, what happened? How'd you win?"

...

...

Ozpin blankly stared at him, "I didn't."

"You what?"

"It's what it sounds like. I lost... horribly so-"

The Headmaster stared down at his reflection in the warm brown liquid, "To even call it a fight would be dishonest. As I've told you before, with each incarnation, I grow slightly weaker, my power waning just a bit more, and while I was certainly nowhere near my prime by this point, I had never felt so insignificant, like an ant against a raging typhoon."

He looked up to face him, "I was dead within minutes if that, and the next thing I knew, I was reborn on a farm in Vacuo, placed in a young boy's mind, and for the next twenty years, the world would enter what became known as the Age of Strife."

The Huntsman shook his head, "Strife? How come I never heard of that? Wouldn't they teach it in our schools or at least...I dunno, have some old shitheads talking about it every now and then?"

The Director closed his eyes for a moment, "Some traumas are so great that entire generations agree never to speak of them again to prevent those terrors from burdening the young. This was one such moment."

He took a long breath, "They came to call him Ryomen, his name spreading across the kingdoms as he traveled, massacring entire settlements for no other reason than his enjoyment, without a single soul capable of stopping him, and while the world lived in terror, some would venerate him as a sort of god-"

Qrow squinted, "Wait...Ryomen? Isn't that the one those nutty Faunus worship?"

"Indeed, it is the same, and while I can never come to terms with it, I try to see it from their perspective...hundreds of years of abuse, only for what they thought was one of their own to start tearing apart the systems that be to their very core...if you were one of them, wouldn't you see it as an opportunity to escape those shackles?"

"I dunno about that, Oz. Hate tends to make people hate more, not less."

"I'm inclined to agree, but desperation makes people believe in the most fantastical of things, but I digress. By the time I had become a teenager once more, I had begun to explore the world, following his path wherever possible in some vain attempt at finding a way to stop him, but I often found myself with yet more questions."

The old spirit struggled to take a sip, "...His attacks were very spread out, with extreme acts of violence only to pause for years at a time, though why he did such a thing, I have no idea. There certainly was no way of stopping him short of an encounter with Salem, but she seemed completely disinterested in helping us in any way...then there were the remains, or lack thereof."

"Remains? You mean-"

"The bodies, yes...although graphic to think of, one would expect mountains of dead, but...once he departed a location, there were never any left, not even bones to prove they existed, and I never could uncover what exactly he did with them, but it was more than apparent that he was getting stronger, meaning I had to act before the gap grew too large."

A distant memory flickered into his mind, "Before their ultimate departure from this world, the God of Light bestowed upon me one final gift, a means to briefly return to the strength I once had, though it could only be done once every lifetime, and it was given on the condition that I use it to preserve life from Salem's rampages, I felt as if there were no other choice but to abuse it."

The Headmaster gave a small smile, "I lacked the necessary preparations to undergo the ritual during our first encounter but believed that transformation, even if it allowed me to defeat Ryomen, would not be a means of maintaining a lasting peace in this world, not when I could only use it once before falling into obscurity for another lifetime, and so, with the help of some...dear childhood friends, I went a different direction."

Ozpin stared into the colorful evening sky from his perch along the window, "In that moment, when I returned to what I once was, I divided my power amongst those four girls, with some...added tweaks, as they say, to ensure the defeat of Ryomen-"

Qrow sighed, taking a drink after a tremendous amount of self-control, "Despite how nuts this sounds...what sort of tweaks are we talkin' about exactly?"

"I don't believe there are any terms you would understand if I attempted an explanation...unless you're familiar with the ancient art of Alchemy, of course?"

"I don't even know how they make booze, Oz-man. I just drink it."

The older man sighed, "I expect nothing more-"

"Hey!"

Ozpin raised a hand, "Despite his efforts, Ryomen left traces of his existence wherever he went, and in harvesting this energy, I was able to combine it into my own division process, with the ultimate goal of destabilizing his possession...it takes a guest to know a guest, as they say, and to date, it may just be my finest work-"

"Hold up...if you divided your power...into four...holy shit...is...are they-"

"We'll get to that shortly, but first-"

The Director nodded to himself, affirming his memories, "We encountered him in Anima, not too far from where you grew up, strangely enough...and it did not go nearly as anticipated."

Qrow hummed, swishing his drink around, "What? Was it worse?"

"The opposite actually...his body or rather, his host...was already falling apart, as if it simply couldn't take the amount of power it had endured for so long, and after a brief skirmish, he seemed to pick on what we were attempting, and when they hit him with a combined frost attack, he simply...let it happen."

"He...let it?"

"We were unable to kill him, that much was certain, with most attacks bouncing off as if they were rubber balls, but when his limbs began to freeze, he...didn't fight back. It was the strangest thing, but I still remember that damn smile, the one he gave even as the ice coated him and things went silent, leaving me with this terrible feeling that things were not quite over...and now, with Yuji's arrival, I can't help but worry that things will start moving once more."

The Headmaster approached his desk, fishing through a drawer before sliding a slit of ancient-looking paper toward his ally, "Not too long ago, I encountered Yuji in much the same way as how I assume Ryomen entered this world. He crawled out of his own grave, Qrow."

The veteran just blankly stared at him, "And...you're cool with adopting a dead kid and letting him hang out with my nieces? What the fuck, Oz? That's some zombie-movie stuff!"

"I assure you, Yuji is just as alive as you or I, though I don't believe he was dead in the traditional sense. It took some time to figure out what I was looking at, but the sheet before you is much more than mere paper. It's a seal, one meant to keep a being trapped so long as it remains unbroken, and while we're still unearthing the monument, from our estimations, there were hundreds if not thousands of them down there with him, raising the question-"

Qrow nodded, "Why bury him?"

"Indeed. From my experience, he's been nothing but a kind young man, more so than most people I've encountered in all my lifetimes, which would rule out any foul play on his end. Though interestingly, he and the seals are covered in Ryomen's energy. I'm not certain why that is, but it undoubtedly means they're connected in some way."

He forced a laugh, "Truthfully, I was a bit terrified when I first felt Yuji's presence, but he turned out to be quite pleasant, so I suppose it all worked out in the end."

The Huntsman just took a drink, "And you still haven't interrogated this kid? Sheesh, maybe you are losin' your edge, Oz."

The older man shook his head, "That boy is in a very precarious situation, and I don't want to risk upsetting him until I'm certain he can handle it. Though I truly believe he's on our side, he even volunteered to join us recently."

"I'm sure you're proud..."

"Actually, I am."

Qrow paused, sitting upright before scooting in, "Alright, seriously, Oz. What's your deal? You're never this attached to anyone."

The Headmaster shrugged, "...I can't quite say, but I don't just see him as a means of preventing some catastrophe. I...want to see him grow as a person, if that makes any sort of sense."

Qrow gave a light chuckle, "First person you give a shit about, and it's some relic like you. If that ain't poetic, I dunno what is...but, you know what? Good for you."

Ozpin tilted his head, "Really? I was almost expecting you to call me a fool-"

"Oh, I think it's dumb as hell, but if that kid can make you chill out on the rules, maybe I can drink on school grounds without Glynda getting on my case about it...now, what does all this have to do with my sister?"

...

...

"Oz?"

The Director froze in place, setting his mug down to meet his friend on even ground, "This...isn't going to be easy to hear."

...

Semi-Canon Chibi:

A doorbell chimed as Yuji and Ruby exited Tukson's bookstore, their faces shadowed by an existential feeling of dread.

It had been a nightmare since they got there-

They couldn't find the book Blake wanted-

They asked the store owner-

He made a face, then asked why they wanted it-

All they said was her name, and the guy mumbled something about, 'sending kids to get your smut, how low can you go?'

That made Ruby curious, and that often kills the cat...or in this case, helps her...maybe?

They opened it together, and within a few pages, Yuji was frowning-

Five more in, Ruby was so pale she looked dead-

The Huntress stopped on what she thought was a detailed drawing of a weapon, but it was no weapon she ever wanted to see.

The second they were outside, Ruby started crying, her tears hitting the pavement, "Why...why does Blake read this stuff? Does...does she do it around us?"

Yuji gently patted her on the back, "I don't think you wanna know the answer to that, Rube."

"Can...can I have a hug, please?"

The second she opened her arms, she flinched, turning, her face hidden behind her hands as tears streamed down, "I...I CAN'T. IT'S TOO LEWD! HUGS ARE RUINED FOREVER! WAHHHHHH!"

She ran against traffic as cars smashed into walls to avoid hitting her as she screamed, "I HATE YOU, BLAAAAKE!"

Yuji faced the skies above as Ruby's firehose tears trickled down from above, "It's a terrible day for rain..."

He fell to his knees, the book following suit as its cover mocked him-

Sure, he had posters of pretty ladies in his old rooms, but nothing, NOTHING LIKE THIS!

"Damn you..."

He slammed a fist down so hard it broke asphalt, "DAMN YOU!"

Yuji screamed to the heavens above, "DAMN YOU BUTT NINJA FOUUUUUUR!"

...

With everything said and done, take it easy, and I'll see you guys at the next one.

This Volume will have 1-2 more chapters in it, so think up some non-spoiler questions for the season finale QNA of Cursebreaker; cheers!

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