All I have to say in this chapter, all of you are going to like this.

Oh yeah, warning as there will be a scene of torture. Viewer discretion is advised.

Dark Souls: Embers of Remnant Volume II

Twenty-Five

Was it really worth it?

Once Winter had settled down, she met up with Ash outside of the dining room, where they both entered and stood at the side of the General. By the looks of it, it has gotten worse. "General, since you were appointed Headmaster, there have been Atlesians who are sceptical of one man holding two Council seats." Camilla voiced concern.

"Yes, which is exactly why we have checks and balances," Ironwood told her.

Which was immediately deflected by Sleet. "We're supposed to, but lately, you've been running roughshod all over them, making unilateral decisions without us."

"Councilman, I never intended—" The General was about to speak.

"What people intend and what they do aren't always the same, General." Sleet once again interrupted.

While this happened, Jacques had both of his hands over his mouth. His expression had that look of smug confidence. Just then, Faunus Butler walks into the room to his side and whispers to him. "Hm?" He spoke while hushing. "What? For how long?" The butler whispered once, and this only made him widen his eyes. "My authorization? Recheck it!"

Ash slightly tilted his head as he looked at the scene before him. Something had gone wrong. "Mind telling us about your concern, Councilman Schnee?"

Jacques only tensed as he turned back to face everyone. "Um…" He cleared his throat. "Yes, I, uh… agree with everything that was, uh, just said. No, uh, no further questions." He quiets down to collect himself, which only earned him stares from the Council Members and the Ashen One.

Now, it was Robyn's turn as she faced the General. "I'm not quite done yet. You're afraid of something, General. Aren't you?"

This only made him look blankly at her. "I think that's pretty obvious, Miss Hill. I'm trying to prevent Atlas from becoming another Beacon, another Haven."

"Yet, you don't trust your own Council to help you?" She rebukes in a suspicious tone. "These are the actions of somebody who's hiding something."

"I'm not hiding anything." He clarified.

Robyn highly doubted that. "Let's put it to the test then." She stands up and approaches him. All the while, Jacques lowers a hand from his face so as not to raise any suspicion. "You're all aware of my Semblance. Let's settle it here and now, General Ironwood." The Huntress stands next to him and holds her hand out to him. He then looks at her before looking at the other Council Members. "Here and now."

Once again, Ironwood looks at her hand. However, before anything could happen, the doors in front of them loudly opened. "WAIT!" Everyone went towards the door, much to Robyn being slightly annoyed by this, as they saw Weiss standing at the doorway while holding both doors. "You've got the wrong man on trial. I know who's been framing Ironwood, who rigged the election." The former Heiress walks in and stops next to father, who she then glances at him. "And my father does, too. He's been working with him." This causes the CEO to get nervous upon hearing this.

She places a scroll on the table, and a hologram appears. There, it shows Jacques sitting in his office with a tan-skinned man. A man with whom the councillors were all too familiar. "Is that…Arthur Watts?" Camilla spoke with shock.

This made Sleet stand up upon this revelation. "That's impossible! Dr. Watts died in the Paladin Incident years ago."

Ash only stared at this sudden turn of events. "This is interesting."

Naturally, this caught Jacques off guard. "Wha— W-w-what is this?"

Ironwood stood up from his seat and was suspicious of the CEO's reaction. "Play it." He demanded.

Weiss wastes no time as she taps the scroll, and the video immediately begins to play. "That bastard is costing me more money every day with this embargo. I'd lay off every employee in Mantle if I wasn't trying to get their damn votes for this Council seat!" Jacques said truthfully in the video. At the same time, the CEO becomes more and more nervous, which causes him to fidget with his hands and then his Mustache while a sweat quickly appears on his brow.

"You've got a lot of anger there lately. Is something bothering you?" Watts asked.

"That's because an armoured individual accompanying my daughter had the audacity to call me a lecherous pest. A pest?! I am no pest because I provided everything to the company! How DARE he insult me! How ungrateful he is after I did everything to stabilize my company!" For apparent reason, Jacques became more nervous as the Unkindled gazed blankly at him while his hands curled into a fist.

The video shows the scientist scratching his chin before sitting on the other couch. "Interesting. What if I say you can use a stone and kill two birds?"

It showed Jacques looking at him. "What do you mean by that?"

"James Ironwood never recognized my genius. After everything I gave him, he still disgraced me. I simply wish to return the favour." Watts responded. Sleet could only watch in silence before he sat down. Ironwood then begins walking across the room toward the Schnee.

This interested Jacques as he looked back at the disgraced scientist. "What's in it for me."

"A seat on the council. All I need is your login credentials for the Atlas network." This causes Elder Schnee's Daughter to narrow her eyes and shake her head at the disappointment of her own father. "You promise to make Ironwood's life a waking nightmare, and I will guarantee you victory at the polls by giving the voters down in Mantle a little… "digital push" if you will." Robyn watches this with widened eyes before gripping a nearby chair and narrowing her eyes angrily. "Not to mention, with this, you can hit back at this armoured individual who insulted you."

Hearing this, I look back at Watts. "I always knew you were a good scientist, Arthur... but I never knew you were such a good salesman." This causes him to begin cackling.

Ironwood had enough of hearing this and looked at the Former Heiress he was near. "Enough."

Weiss immediately stops the video, and everyone looks at Jacques. "Really? I always knew you were such a lecherous pest, Jacques." Ash commented with a lace of malice. "But this is on an entirely different level of it."

"That, that is— I—" Jacques could only stutter as he quickly stood up. "I can explain that." He clears his throat. "That… isn't real."

This didn't fool anyone, as they only kept staring at him. "Jacques, take your seat." Sleet angrily commanded the newest Council Member while pointing at the table.

Seeing that the odds were stacked against him, there was only one way the CEO could do it. And that was to frantically run away from everyone towards the double doors behind him. He opened it, he was immediately kicked and tumbled backwards a little before landing on the floor. "Well, well, well. Where do you think you're going?" He looked up to see a bald man looking at him with a very satisfying look he displayed. "Can't handle the consequences? Oh, it won't matter. After all, the Schnees are always tricked because of their greed."

Ash could only sigh as he looked at the trickster Merchant while walking before he was near him. "Thank you, Patches. Can you get the others? We are really going to have only a lengthy talk." He asked while looking down at Jacques, who only looked back at him with a mortified look.

-Scene Change-

Ash, the Atlesian Military Officers, and the Councillors intently stared at Jacques, who sat on a chair facing them. Team RWBY, Penny, Olivia, and Patches stood together at the end of the room. "I cannot believe you would go to such lengths, Jacques." The Unkindled commented. "Even to the degree of being aided by a dead man."

"Says the one who called me a 'lecherous pest'." Jacques retorted, trying to deflect his words.

"Both of you, enough," Ironwood reminded the two before turning his attention to the other man while crossing his arms. "He's got a point. Now that I know that Watts is alive, Working with a madman like Tyrian Callows, it would be easy for someone like him to coordinate an unthinkably heinous act like the one in that warehouse. Watts designed Mantle's entire security network. He used that access to hack the surveillance system and frame someone else for the job."

Everyone turns to Penny, who looks down with a sad expression. Ruby places a hand on her shoulder in comfort, which makes the General look back at the CEO. "All while stealing an election." He moves closer, which makes the other man feel pretty intimidated. "And once you became a Councilman, your newly granted clearance gave him a backdoor into Atlas' secure network. But you probably hadn't even considered that, had you?" He slammed his hands on the chair, making him jump.

Robyn could barely contain her anger at this sudden realization. "The people that died that night, their blood is on your hands."

"Jacques Schnee must be tried!" Sleet added, "Not only for treason but as an accessory to murder."

"These are outrageous accusations!" Jacques shouted back in deflections of his recent actions. "I only intended to win the election. I had nothing to do—"

"Outrageous? That has got to be the most ridiculous thing I ever heard." Now, everyone turned to the Unkindled, who seemed to have his body tensed while curling his fist. "You always think you're the victim, Jacques? Here is the truth, you're not."

"But-" The Patriarch of the Schnee tried to say.

"Do not even attempt to interrupt! You only do that because you don't want your true character to reveal." Ash interrupted, causing everyone to look at him with suspicion. However, Winter and Team RWBY knew what was about to happen. "You are looking at the man who is the embodiment of the scum of Remnant." This causes Jacques to get angry with his words. "This man only married to usurp his wife's company and uses slave labour to become very powerful and covers his crimes with his PR stunts. He even abuses his own family when criticized."

Hearing what was said to him only caused him to become angrier. "How dare you say those false claims to me! I would never do such a thing!"

Ash knew Jacques was lying. "Is it? Because I can remember you threatening to ruin my life." He glances at Team RWBY. "Isn't that right?" They nodded, which caused Jacques to be taken back by this, and his anger turned into horror. "That's what I thought." The Unkindled proceeds to get closer. Once he is at range, none expect him to grab Jacques around the throat and lift him before he tightens his grip. "You were never a good man, Jacques. You are always the leech that climbs through other people! You is never successful. You is only a failure!"

"Ash!" He glances at Ironwood, who has an unimpressed look on his face.

He then puts Jacques back on his seat, though that doesn't mean he has other intent. "You are never the man of your word, Jacques. You always seem to be kind and benevolent. But, in truth, you are cruel and malevolent. You know what happens to people like you?" Jacques looks up at Ash with a scared look.

Again, most of them never expect Ash to put a hand over Jacques's left face. "The same cruelty you inflicted on the lives you ruined." Soon, flames sprouted from his hand. His action caused Jacques's entire left face to be set on fire, which made him fall to the floor to get rid of it.

Most of the audience could only watch in horror as they heard Jacques screaming while rolling on the floor, trying to set the same. However, everyone didn't expect Ash to kick hard behind his head before kick mouth, which sent a few teeth flying from his mouth. Seeing the state of this scum made him want to do more.

"Hey, buddy?" Ash looks back at Patches, who seems to be calm about this. "I know this isn't a good time to say this. But is killing him going to be worth it?"

His words break Ash out of his rage. He looked back at Jacques, whose left was still on fire before it settled. With a sigh, he walked towards Jacques and placed him back in his seat. "Drink this." He put his Estus Flask near him.

Jacques looked at the bottle before he deathly glared at him. "Do you honestly think—"

"You want your face healed?" He asked, making the Schnee look back at him. "Then drink it."

Jacques wasted no time in drinking the flash. Right after a sip, he felt as though he had been healed. Even he felt his teeth regrow. He scanned his entire left face and felt no burn scars. "It... it's healed!?"

Ironwood was taken off guard by the Unkindled's action. "That wasn't really necessary, Ash! Huntsmen like you shouldn't display such cruelty!"

Ash looks back at the General. He was about to open his mouth when someone did it for him. "There's no need to be a feud, now." Patches spoke before the two could enter a heated argument. "I can tell that we are all shocked by what he did. But do huntsmen really have to "follow the law"?"

This made the General look at him with doubtfulness. "This doesn't concern—"

"Oh yes, it does." Patches interrupted. "I've seen people like Jacques. Time and time again. Let me tell you, only a handful truly got karma. Ash showed such a thing despite it being deemed "inhumane". Which got me thinking…" He looks at the CEO with narrowed eyes. "Do you think you can get away with what you have done? Hm?"

"Do you think a lowly like you could dare question me?" Jacques reminded the merchant.

Patches could only shrug his shoulders. "Doesn't matter. You are so blinded by your power and status that you're so oblivious to the many blind spots you have. You let power get in your head and feel invincible and entitled to everything. However, I will tell you this. You are nobody." This causes Jacques to be entirely off guard by what he is called. "Yes, you heard me right. You are a nobody. You will die and not be remembered by anyone. Isn't that right?" He looked at everyone.

Jacques did the same thing, trying to find his way out of this. However, he only got glares from everyone. Even his own daughters. "Just what I thought." He looked back at Patches. "No one's gonna save you. You are alone, and no one to back you. Even if you are confident about it. After all these years, your hubris has finally caught up to you. There is no one to blame other than yourself." He glared at the CEO one last time before looking at the other Councillors before turning to Ironwood. "Now, since this idiot gave this supposedly dead man access to your Kingdom, what could he do?"

"With enough time… whatever he wants." The General responded.

The Councillors' Scrolls started to ring, causing Jacques to slightly jump. Ironwood, Camilla, and Sleet withdraw their Scrolls, displaying an emergency alert, and one answers a call. "Wait… wait, what? What do you mean the heat has gone off?" Hearing this revelation caused Weiss to cover her lips, Blake to be somewhat worried, and Yang to be angry. The only individual who didn't react was Olivia, who seemed calm in all of this.

"You have to believe me, I-I-I didn't know he was—" Jacques was about to say.

Ash could only utter in disappointment right after back smacking him on the left cheek, who silently looked back in response "Patches is right. You are an idiot to not even consider this happening. This is what he told you, and now people are going to die because of your short-sighted actions."

Ironwood could only stare at the alert on his Scroll. He lowers his Scroll and turns away while the Vigilant walks over to a window and places her hand on it while looking outside. Penny and Ruby looked at each other worriedly before the latter approached him. "General Ironwood? How bad is it?"

The General needs to respond. Instead, he taps into his Scroll before a shape that resembles the Global Communication Tower appears on the screen. "He's using Jacques' credentials. We can follow that activity on the network. If he's found his way into the Amity system…" He spoke worriedly." This causes Robyn to turn her head towards him. "No, the secret is safe. For now. But if he learns about Amity, she learns about Amity."

Patches glanced at the Firekeeper. "He's really getting paranoid, ain't he?" He asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Indeed," Olivia responded stoically before she proceeded to step forward. "General, if I can ask of thee. Wouldst thou tell them about thine worries?"

This causes the General to freeze to what he heard. "What do you mean by that?"

Robyn saw an opportunity and decided to take it. "Like, do a disgraced scientist and a disappeared serial killer find each other? Why would they target you? And why are you working so hard to hide the Amity Communications Tower from them?"

Ironwood only stared blankly at the Huntress. He was surprised by this sudden revelation. "You know?"

"Yeah. Who wouldn't? That little project of yours needs to be taken into the spotlight." Patches spoke up, causing Ash to shake his head. He glanced at his side to see Blake and Yang looking at one another and was suspicious as to why.

Again, The General looked at the merchant with the same expression. "You as well?"

The Huntress was getting somewhere as she nodded. She turned her full attention towards him. "I used to think you were hiding something to protect yourself. But I can tell there's something much bigger going on here. Now I think it's to protect something else. Us… Atlas, maybe even all of Remnant. And you're afraid of what might happen if you tell the truth."

This made the General frown at this thought. It was immediately gone when Clover and Oscar entered through the double doors on the other side. Ash scanned their face and saw it was urgent. "General, the Grimm are all over Mantle." The Leader of the Ace Ops informed his Superior as the two went near him. "The air fleet's doing everything they can, but they can't easily target Grimm in the city without risking casualties."

Ironwood was afraid this scenario would eventually occur. "This... this is what I was afraid would happen." He places a hand on his jaw before he walks away.

"Sir, we need ground support now," Clover demanded.

"What we need is to start evacuating Mantle." Robyn pointed out in this urgent situation, "If it's completely overrun, it's not going to be safe anywhere. Use the fleet to get—"

" If I move the fleet, then Atlas is vulnerable." Ironwood interrupted. Ash, Olivia, and Patches were the only ones to know his tone was masking his built-up fear. "I… I tried to keep the kingdom safe. And now we're losing everything."

The General put his right hand on the wall and leaned on it while the other covered his mouth. Oscar approaches him as he rests his hand on the Relic of Knowledge. "General? Earlier, you asked for my advice."

Ironwood looked back at the boy. "I wanted Ozpin's advice."

"And his advice probably would've been to keep your secrets. "The boy guessed. "You already knew that wasn't the right course when we arrived. You had a new plan."

"It's time to give up on that plan. The General eventually straightens up before lowering his left hand. "It's all falling apart."

"The panic you were worried about? It's already happening. The secrets you're keeping? They're about to be in the open anyway. It's time." Oscar reminded the already panicked General, which caused him to look over at the boy. "Tell the truth."

"You're not alone." Now, he turned around to see approaching him with an encouraging smile. "We can do this together."

Ironwood smiled at this response after nodding at them. "Thank you. Oscar, I think it's time you return to the Academy."

"I think you're right." Oscar agreed with the General while he rested his hand on the Relic again.

Ironwood then looks at the Councillors and Robyn as if he will reveal something. "Miss Hill, Councilman Sleet, Councilwoman Camilla, there are some things you need to know about. Let's figure out how we can help Mantle… together."

Winter, who was in her Scroll, then looks at the Huntresses and Huntsman in the room. "I've called a transport."

That was good news, but one more problem needs to be sorted out. "What about Watts and Tyrian?" Yang asked.

"You leave them to me," Ironwood responded. "Right now, you're needed down below."

Ruby steps toward the others and poses with her hands on her hips while Winter watches with a smile. " Alright, everybody, it's time to do our jobs. All of us."

"What she said. Let's make it happen, Huntsmen." Clover chimed in.

Ash watches the group leave the room. He looks at his feet for a bit before a voice interrupts him. "Ashen One." He glances at Olivia, who has a warming smile on her lips. "Thou'rt shall go with them. People in Mantle need someone like thee."

"I know." Ash acknowledges before he looks at Patches. "Please look after her while I am away."

Patches could only hum in response. "If you say so. Looking after your dear mistress isn't my niche."

"Whatever. Just do what I asked." Ash let out a small chuckle at Patches's words.

He heads out of the room to catch up with the others. Along the way, he momentarily stopped. Once again, he glanced to his side and saw a dark-haired waitress with dark green eyes looking at him in interest. This lasted a few seconds before Unkindled shook his head before he resumed towards the others. Whatever had happened made him more wary. "Who was that girl? Could it be…No. My mind must be playing tricks on me."

-Scene Change-

Ash was able to board the airship with everyone in. He recognized that Harriet was piloting them as they were flying towards Mantle. In the meantime, Clover looks out the windshield and turns around to address everyone sitting in the passenger area in the back. "Alright, everyone. I must stress to our new Huntsmen and Huntresses that we prioritize citizen safety over killing Grimm. Got it?" Everyone nods their heads in unison.

Nora looks at Ren, his head turned away, and his eyes closed. She sets her hand on top of his and grips it, and he curls his fingers to grip her fingertips. They look at each other and then look down. Yang only watches before she looks at Blake, who looks back at her, then turns away and smiles.

The Unkindled shook his head at the scene before him. He sensed that someone was looking at him and shifted to where Weiss sat. Already, he assumed the reason. "If you're thinking how if—"

"It's not that, Ash." The Former Heiress assured him. "You did what you have to do to my father. Even if you want too far. Honestly, I never knew you are capable of such a thing."

This caused the Faraam Armoured man to sigh at her words. "I know. I let my sense of karma get the better of me. I wished I could have avoid doing that." All of a sudden, a Grimm screamed was heard nearby. The Unkindled and everyone looked out of the window to see a Teryx in the left wing of the Mantra and glared at them all. Ash shook his head as he unsheathed the Wolf Knight's Greatsword behind his back. "Persistent little pest."

-Scene Change-

Back in the Manor, Jacques Schnee was dragged by two Atlesian soldiers as he was in handcuffs and escorted into a truck. The disgraced CEO complained that they were too rough on him and even went as far as to report them. Which didn't happen.

In the meantime, the same Waitress from before exited the manor. Once she was away from the building, she began skipping.

Moments later, the dark-haired Waitress enters the passcode following a door in a hallway. It proceeds to beep in green, and the door slides open. She glances down the hall both ways and enters before walking over to a glass wall with a view of the City of Atlas and standing with her hand on her hip.

"Huh. You're back early." She hears a voice behind her, and a light turns on to see a woman in a black outfit who is leaning on the wall. The Waitress could only roll her eyes as she turned to face the woman, who took a few steps forward. "Tell me you found what we've been looking for."

The Waitress strikes a sassy pose as she brings her index finger to her cheek in a feigned-thinking gesture. As she does so, pink energy resembling clusters of glass shards moves up her body, dispelling the illusion she cast to reveal her true identity. Her hair and outfit are akin to that of the Neapolitan Ice Cream; even her eyes are pink and brown. After that, she flicks her hat and smirks at the other lady.

Well, looks like Neo and Cinder has made their entrance in the story. I wonder how things will go.

I apologize if the chapter is rushed despite having it being written in ten pages in a Document. There are two reasons why.

The first is the upcoming Elden Ring DLC. I am gun-ho in playing it all day when it comes out. Hell, I am pulling an all nightery because of the DLC. Just made my seventh character and took about 12 hours to get in Moghwyn's Parlace.

The second is I am going to be on holiday in the three weeks of July. I feel like I need to take a break from writing. Fret not, I am going to resume the next chapter once it is over and done with.

That will be it. The next chapter may come out August/September time. That is if I focus on A Hunter's Guide for Running a Hotel (which I am going to resume but need more ideas) and Caboose's Guide to make Friends in Hell.

Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed the chapter so far and please GIVE me constructive criticism so I can improve on next time. Other than that, I will see you all in the next update…