Rinko took a deep breath, setting down the now-empty glass with a quiet clink. He turned to Selene, who stood as still as ever, her hands neatly folded in front of her. The candlelight flickered against her unreadable expression, casting faint shadows over her sharp, disciplined features.
"Selene, can I talk to you for a second?"
She inclined her head slightly, her voice calm and composed. "What is it, Master Rinko?"
He hesitated, searching for the right words. "You know it as well as I do. You've seen it with your own eyes—Jacques has changed."
"Yes," she answered without hesitation.
"And..." He exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders. "You also know the truth. That I'm not actually Rinko Schnee."
Another simple, unwavering response. "Yes." Then, after a brief pause, she added, "I mean no disrespect, Master Rinko, but where is this leading?"
Rinko leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms on the table. "That you—you of all people—have a choice. You could live a life outside of this. Outside of fighting. Outside of serving the Schnee family." He held her gaze, searching for any flicker of emotion beneath her composed exterior. "And yet, you chose to stay."
Selene remained silent for a moment, her posture unshaken. Then, she spoke, her voice softer than before, but still firm.
"I am aware."
Rinko frowned. "Then why?" He leaned forward slightly, watching her carefully. "By all means, you have no reason to stay here. I know you still carry a deep hatred for the Schnee family—for what Jacques did. So why remain? There must be another reason."
Selene lowered her gaze, her usual composure wavering. A heavy silence stretched between them before she finally spoke again.
"...I hurt Klein." Her voice was quiet, almost hesitant. "He's like a father to me. He raised me when he found me in the black market—took me in when I had nothing." Her fingers curled slightly. "And when he began to suspect something was wrong in the manor... I pushed him away. Literally."
Rinko said nothing, letting her continue at her own pace.
"He was always kind to me," she murmured. "He taught me how to act, how to read and write, how to live with dignity despite where I came from. He... trusted me." She exhaled shakily, her eyes drifting toward the backyard. "But my goal was never to serve. It was to kill Jacques and.. Well.. you too."
Rinko's expression remained unchanged as he listened.
"My attempts never succeeded in killing Jacques after you went to Beacon," she admitted, her tone filled with something deeper—self-loathing, perhaps. "Klein's intuition was too sharp. He always knew when something was amiss. He didn't suspect me at first, but the closer he got to the truth, the more desperate I became. And then, the night he finally realized there was a killer in the manor... I pushed him down the stairs."
Her voice cracked slightly at the confession.
"I can still hear it," she whispered. "The sound of his body hitting the steps. The way he looked at me before he lost consciousness." She placed a hand over her chest, gripping her uniform as if trying to steady herself. "I betrayed him. He gave me everything, and I repaid him with that."
Silence filled the space between them once more.
"And now," she continued, her voice steadier but filled with resignation, "I will do whatever I can to make it up to him. Even if it means serving the very family I once swore to destroy."
She turned to Rinko then, her blue eyes filled with an emotion she couldn't quite place.
"This... is the only path I have left."
Rinko watched Selene, studying the resolve in her eyes. A quiet sigh left his lips.
"I see..."
But before he could say more, the house trembled, a deep, reverberating impact shaking the walls.
Baby Adrian, content just moments ago, startled, his tiny hands grasping at the air as he looked around in confusion. A muffled thud echoed from above—the roof, the third floor.
Rinko and Selene exchanged tense glances.
"What was that..?" Selene asked, her tone steady, but her stance shifting, readying herself.
Rinko remained silent.
Selene wasted no time. She scooped Adrian into her arms, pressing him close to her chest. The baby let out a soft whimper, his tiny fingers clutching at her uniform.
Then came another noise.
A heavy bang—this time from the front door. A second later, the entire frame exploded inward.
A Griffon stood in the entryway, its dark, jagged form silhouetted against the dim light outside. Smoke-like tendrils of Grimm essence curled off its body as its piercing red eyes fixated on them.
"A Grimm?!" Rinko snapped.
The creature let out a shrill, ear-piercing screech, its twisted beak opening wide. Adrian's soft whimper turned into a frightened wail.
Rinko's mind raced. 'A breach? Damn it.. I know it was only a matter of time—the Relic was no longer safe.'
He gripped his Kunai tighter.
'We need to leave Argus.' He exhaled sharply, pushing down the surge of frustration. There was no room for hesitation.
With a burst of speed, Rinko lunged forward, his body moving on pure instinct—his kunai flashing as he closed in on the Griffon with lethal intent. The Grimm screeched, black saliva dripping from its jagged maw as it spread its wings wide.
Selene wasted no time. Clutching Adrian tightly, she moved swiftly toward the backdoor, putting as much distance as possible between the newborn and the immediate threat. As she stepped into the backyard, her sharp instincts screamed at her—something was above.
A shadow loomed overhead.
The heavy whoosh of beating wings filled the air.
Selene snapped her head up, her breath catching in her throat. A Manticore descended in front the shack where Oscar was. Its eyes glowed with that familiar, soulless hunger, its tail swaying menacingly, the venomous stinger poised to strike.
A bead of sweat slid down Selene's cheek.
Adrian whimpered, his tiny hands clutching at her uniform. His fear was palpable, and it was only a matter of time before his cries rang out again.
The Grimm were drawn to negative emotions.
And yet, her weapon—Galeguard—was still inside the house.
She was weaponless.
But...
Selene inhaled deeply, her body shifting.
Her biceps tensed, muscles subtly expanding beneath her sleeves. Her calves hardened, reinforcing her stance. Strength flowed through her veins.
She adjusted Adrian slightly in her arm, pressing him close to her chest.
"I'll keep you safe," she whispered to the child.
The Manticore let out a guttural growl before lunging at her.
Selene squared her shoulders as her fist tightened, shifting into a defensive stance.
She was going to fight this Grimm with one arm.
Rinko
Rinko gritted his teeth as he drove his legs into the Griffon, shoving it off the house and sending it tumbling into the empty street. The creature crashed into the cold pavement with a sickening thud, its blackened talons scraping against the stone as it struggled to regain its footing.
The streets were eerily empty. The moment the Grimm burst through the front door, the civilians must have fled—either taking shelter or escaping the area entirely. At least that was one less concern.
Rinko exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around his kunai as arcs of White Lightning crackled to life along its edge. Sparks danced across his fingers, illuminating his steely gaze as he locked eyes with the monstrous abomination. The Griffon—despite being a mindless creature of destruction—seemed to recognize the threat before it. It hesitated for a moment, its beady red eyes filled with an unnatural hatred.
Then, it screeched.
The sharp, piercing sound reverberated through the streets, but before the echo could even fade—
Rinko vanished.
In a blur of motion, he reappeared directly above the Griffon, his body twisting mid-air. His kunai—charged with lethal electricity—whipped downward, piercing the Grimm's skull with ruthless precision.
The Griffon's body spasmed violently as White Lightning surged through it, frying its nerves from the inside out. It let out a final, choked cry before its form began to disintegrate, black mist rising into the air.
Rinko landed softly, rolling his shoulder as he watched the remains of the Grimm fade into nothing. His kunai still crackled with lingering energy.
He didn't relax.
If one Grimm made it into Argus, then that meant—
His thoughts snapped back to Selene and Adrian.
His body moved before his mind even finished processing the danger. He turned on his heel, bolting back toward the house.
Backyard
Rinko barely registered the sensation of the backdoor slamming open as he rushed outside, his pulse pounding in his ears. His eyes darted around, searching—
Then, he saw her.
Selene stood in the middle of the backyard, cradling Baby Adrian in her arms, her voice carrying the final soft notes of a lullaby.
"Ooooo~"
The haunting melody faded into silence as the last wisps of a Manticore's ashes were carried away by the wind.
Rinko's sharp eyes took in the details. Selene's left arm was pristine, not a single mark on her glove. But her right arm—
The sleeve was torn, revealing faint scorch marks on her skin. Her glove was completely gone, likely disintegrated in the heat of battle. The scent of burned fabric still lingered in the air.
Yet despite that, she held Adrian gently, rocking him slightly as the baby slept peacefully against her chest.
Selene finally turned her gaze to Rinko, her expression unreadable.
Rinko let out a deep breath, tension melting from his shoulders. His lips curved into a small smirk.
"Seems like you don't need my help after all," he said, slipping his kunai back into its holster.
Selene glanced down at the sleeping child in her arms, then back at Rinko. For the first time, there was no mask of formality—just a quiet, genuine smile.
"Well," she murmured, her voice softer than usual, "I'll do what it takes to protect a child."
For a moment, there was nothing but the distant howl of the wind. The battle was over, but the war still loomed ahead.
Rinko knew they couldn't stay in Argus much longer.
And judging by the look in Selene's eyes, she knew it too.
The tension never left Rinko's body, even as the dust settled.
His sharp eyes tracked the two Manticores soaring high above, their dark forms casting ominous shadows over the ruined cityscape. They hadn't noticed them—yet.
But the third one did.
A low, guttural growl rumbled from the beast as it circled overhead before swooping down, its leathery wings kicking up dirt and debris as it landed heavily in the backyard.
Selene clicked her tongue in frustration, adjusting her grip on Adrian. She had just put him to sleep.
Rinko took a step forward, his kunai already in hand, sparks of White Lightning crackling along the blade's edge. His stance was calm, assured.
"I'll take care of this, Selene."
She hesitated only for a moment before nodding.
"As you wish, Master Rinko," she said, taking a step back, her expression unreadable once more.
Rinko exhaled slowly, stepping toward the Grimm. Its piercing red eyes locked onto his, analyzing, waiting for an opening.
Then—
"THELMA!"
The voice rang through the air, carrying power and conviction.
Before either of them could react, a massive fireball shot past Rinko, its heat licking at his skin as it slammed into the Manticore.
BOOM!
The explosion engulfed the Grimm in flames, scorching the ground and sending a shockwave through the backyard.
Rinko's eyes widened as he covered his face from the explosion.
Selene barely flinched, already prepared—she had wisely placed earplugs in Adrian's ears, shielding him from the sudden blast.
As the smoke cleared, only ashes and embers remained where the Manticore once stood.
Rinko turned sharply toward the source of the attack.
Standing just outside the shack's wooden door was Oscar, both hands still outstretched, fingers trembling slightly from exertion. His chest heaved, his Aura flickering as sweat dripped from his brow.
He looked stunned.
Then, his eyes widened in realization.
"I... gasp... I did it!" Oscar panted, a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration on his face.
Inside his mind, Ozpin's voice hummed with quiet approval.
'Yes, you did, Oscar.'
Ozpin's voice echoed in Oscar's mind, steady and reassuring.
A moment later, he heard hurried footsteps—
"Oscar!"
Rinko was already rushing toward him, concern flickering in his blue eyes.
"R-Rinko!" Oscar called out, still catching his breath. He turned toward Selene, who remained poised, Adrian still fast asleep in her arms.
He let out a relieved chuckle. "Phew... I'm glad you guys are still in one piece."
Rinko chuckled in return, shaking his head. "You're one to talk. You look like you just ran a marathon."
Selene, standing a few steps away, offered a rare, genuine smile. "It was impressive."
Rinko's curiosity finally caught up with him, his eyebrow arching as he folded his arms. "So... you gonna explain what that was?"
Oscar scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin forming. "Oh, that? I was actually training with my magic. Ozpin's been teaching me."
"Maa, maa... Is that so?" Rinko exhaled, letting his stance relax. Then, with a smirk, he reached out and ruffled Oscar's hair. "You did well, bud."
[End]