Optimistic Game Chapter 83

Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus

– Ruby –

Ruby was always aware of her lack of foresight, but perhaps even she should’ve seen this coming.

“Oh my god, it’s Ruby Rose!” A Beacon student exclaimed, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

“Holy crap, it is!” Another confirmed.

“The Second Titan Slayer!” A third cheered.

As dozens of students, all older than her, rushed toward the meek and shy girl, Ruby quickly felt overwhelmed. For someone who’d never liked socializing or meeting strangers, this was pretty much hell for her. Countless people, boys and girls, swarmed the poor Titan Slayer, who struggled to get even a word out.

“What are you doing here?”

“Um, well—”

“Will you be attending the festival?”

“Er—”

“Hey, hey, can you tell us what surprise Sir Astera will reveal at the tournament's end?”

“I-I don’t know—”

“Oh yeah! What’s that about? Do you know what he meant?”

No. Hell was nothing. She would’ve preferred hell over this.

Ruby had thought she was getting a lot better at handling strangers, and she was. She knew she had built up much more tolerance for dealing with people she didn’t know. She noticed herself stuttering a lot less, becoming a bit more confident and firm, and the prospect of speaking to people other than her friends wasn’t as upsetting anymore.

But this was far beyond what she could handle. There was a reason Ruby never left the mansion, and it was to avoid this exact situation. Now that she was a famous Titan Slayer, living a quiet life of privacy was not an option anymore. Gone were the days when she could quietly read her comics at the bookstore without random people bothering her.

Now she had to either order her comics and snacks or send Titania to do it for her, who would begrudgingly agree to do her bidding at the small price of letting her get whatever she wanted for herself. Yes, Ruby was very, very grateful for Titania. Truly, they were the best of friends.

The reason she was in Beacon at all was to meet up with the rest and discuss their next move. Something they could’ve done in their private group chat or a call, but Weiss had insisted that they meet up. They couldn’t leave Beacon because then they could miss the flight to the arena with the rest of the students, which would disqualify them from the tournament.

That was a big no-no. It wasn’t entirely known to the world and most of Beacon which team it was, but it was no secret that Reid had taken apprentices. It’d be a huge upset if all the excitement and expectations of seeing them in action were never met.

And, well, Ruby was admittedly interested to see Beacon for herself. She had only seen bits of it during her big interview after she’d become a Titan Slayer, but never enough to satisfy her curiosity. She’d wanted to see what could’ve been had she never met Reid.

It was strange for Ruby. Getting into Beacon had always been a dream of hers. A dream for which she had worked long and hard. She’d shed sweat, blood, and tears to step a single foot here, and now… Now she was greater than that. Much greater than any hunter Beacon could produce.

Ruby could tell at a glance. The difference between her and the students here was vast. She understood now that Reid wasn’t exaggerating when he’d said how much more powerful she was compared to people her age. How she should be proud of herself.

And why shouldn’t she, right? She’d become a hero a lot earlier than she expected, at the tender age of fifteen. The youngest Titan Slayer in the history of Remnant. Wasn’t that an accomplishment to be proud of?

Oh, if only it had helped her deal with strangers. The life of a hero was a tough one.

“P-please let me go…” Ruby mumbled meekly, her back against the wall as the students surrounded her, unaware of her discomfort.

“Hey, do you know which team was trained by Sir Astera?” One of them asked.

“Wasn’t it Wildberry?” Another said. “Pretty sure it was. I’ve seen them skip combat class more than once.”

“That’s just a rumor. I’m sure Ms. Rose knows the truth, though.”

“Speaking of rumors, I heard you and Sir Astera are dating. Is that true?”

“U-um…”

“No way, my OTP is real?!” One of them whispered.

But Ruby heard that. And she wasn’t happy about the implications.

What do you mean by OTP?! Ruby thought, disgruntled. She was online enough to understand what that term meant. Are people shipping us?!

“OTP? You’re so boring. Weiss Schnee is the better pick.”

THEY ARE SHIPPING US!

Even if they were dating, why were random people so invested in their relationships? Wasn’t that kind of weird? They were real people! Not fictional characters! What was wrong with these people? That wasn’t normal, was it?

At the same time, had Ruby been ever so slightly braver than she currently was, she would’ve called out the person who picked Weiss over her. Love wasn’t a competition. They all loved him, and he loved them all. But that annoyed her way more than it should have.

As they continued to bombard her with questions, none of them even waited for the courtesy to hear her answer. The voice of a savior then suddenly sounded out within the tides of students, passing through all of them and getting in front of Ruby.

“Alright, everyone. That’s enough. Stop bothering my lil sis.” Yang said, taking her hand. “Out of the way, please.”

“Ruby’s your sister?!” One of the students exclaimed.

“Yup, and she’s here for business, not pleasure.” She responded. “Headmaster Ozpin wants to see her. Move, please.”

“But—”

“What about—”

“Will she—”

As several of them voiced more questions simultaneously, Yang silenced them by speaking over all of them with a louder voice.

“Yes, yes, you’ll get your autographs later.” She said, taking Ruby somewhere. “Toodles~”

Thankfully, most of them didn’t follow, and those that tried to, Yang lost by taking several turns as she quickened her pace. Through the hallways of Beacon, the blond took Ruby around every corner until they arrived at WLBY’s dorm room. None were there to see them enter, fortunately believing Yang’s lie.

As the door closed behind them, Ruby glared at her older sister.

“Could you have walked any slower?!” She said. “Do you know how long I was stuck there?! I almost died!”

“Sorry, Rubes. But you told me you were on the left wing.” Yang pointed out. “You weren’t. That was the right wing. I only knew where you were because many other students said you were there.”

Oh. So it was her fault.

“Y-you could’ve gotten there faster…” Ruby weakly argued, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes.

“D’aww, I’m sorry, sis. C’mere.” Yang hugged her. “But I’m really proud of you. You handled it pretty well, y’know?”

“I-I did?” Ruby blinked, returning the embrace.

“Yup.” Her older sister nodded. “The old Ruby? She would’ve panicked and run away. You didn’t. That’s progress.”

“I guess…” Ruby muttered, shamefully looking away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”

“It’s fiiiine.” Yang waved it off. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

Ruby couldn’t help but smile at that. Her sister was always so patient with her. She was lucky to have Yang.

“As much as I’d hate to interrupt something so sweet, we are pressed for time,” Blake said, audibly clearing her throat. “So, Ruby. What did you learn?”

“Yeah. Sorry.” Ruby nodded, ignoring the glare of jealousy Weiss gave her and Yang. “You want the good news or the bad news first?”

The team looked at each other, and Weiss was the first to answer.

“Bad news.”

“I’m giving you the good news.”

“Are you for real?” Weiss scowled.

Yang snorted and laughed in amusement while Blake rolled her eyes.

“Why even give us a choice, then?” Levi sighed.

“Sorry. I just always wanted to say that.” Ruby giggled sheepishly. “Well, the good news is that I convinced Reid to schedule a meeting between me and his dad.”

“Excellent.” Weiss smiled. “To be honest, I had doubts, but you did it. Well done, Ruby.”

“Same here.” Blake nodded, equally satisfied. “I never thought he’d actually agree to it.”

“I thought for sure he’d figure out what you were doing.” Levi agreed.

“Well, that’s a lesson to never doubt my sister again,” Yang said with a smirk. “She never disappoints.”

“And the bad news?” Weiss asked.

“Well…” Ruby grimaced. “He said he’d let me meet his dad only if he was there too.”

“That… could be a problem.” Blake hissed.

“Guess he’s still guarded after all,” Levi muttered.

“But that’s not all.” Ruby quickly added. “Reid said something weird about him. Something that makes me think he is responsible. I don’t know why, but Reid told me not to call him his dad.”

The girls had the same reaction she had when she heard that, how one would react when they see several red flags raised. Eyes wide in shock and a slow realization that this was a lot more serious than they thought. Which was a surprise to even think about.

“I don’t want to assume things, but…” Ruby said.

“Yeah, that’s not a good look.” Yang agreed. “He shows up with Reid, who became depressed all of a sudden, then apparently he’s not acknowledged as a father?”

“Could it be possible that he’s not Reid’s dad, though?” Blake questioned. “Maybe we got it wrong?”

“No. I’m confident.” Ruby insisted. “The book Reid gave me made it pretty clear. Also, when I told Reid I knew who Eero was, he reacted.”

“Reid’s trying to distance himself from his dad, then,” Levi said. “But why?”

“Whatever happened between them must’ve been significant.” Weiss nodded. “I suppose that’s the only piece of information we’re missing right now. What could’ve happened that made Reid feel that way?”

“Wait,” Yang said. “Something about this is bothering me.”

The group looked at her and waited for her to explain.

“Back when I went to the dungeon with Reid, the one where we fought the dragon…” She started. “We talked about the whole situation with Raven, and he told me that he never had any parents. He grew up an orphan. Maybe it’s something like me with Raven?”

“You mean he’s a deadbeat?” Blake asked.

“I don’t want to assume, but that’s pretty much what it’s leading up to be, yeah,” Yang responded. “Either that, or he just never met his dad before, and he’s struggling to make sense of it.”

“He could’ve been lying to you.” Weiss pointed out. “As much as it pains me, Reid clearly has a lot of secrets he’s not willing to share with us.”

‘Painful’ couldn’t even begin to explain how Ruby felt about this.

“True, but he didn’t feel like he was. And why would he lie, anyway?” The blond shrugged. “Look, I don’t know what Reid’s feeling and why he even took Eero with him to Remnant, but maybe he’s trying to connect with him? I mean, getting over your biological parent isn’t easy. I would know.”

“I suppose that makes sense. Maybe Reid doesn’t feel close enough to his father to be calling him ‘dad’ yet.” Levi said.

“Or he’s ashamed of his dad somehow,” Ruby muttered.

She didn’t understand why an emperor would come with Reid to Remnant when he had an entire empire to take care of, but Ruby had to admit, her opinion of this Eero individual wasn’t what she would call ‘positive’ anymore.

“Regardless, I don’t think we can get much out of him with Reid there,” Weiss said, but then she paused to think for a moment. “Unless…”

They waited for the leader of Wildberry, who clearly had gotten an idea. Weiss looked at Ruby curiously.

“So we know he speaks our language, but are we sure he can read it?”

“I think so? The book Reid gave me was in Valean, and he never mentioned translating anything.” She nodded. “But I’m not sure. Leviathans and Sea Serpents have their own language.”

“We’ll take our chances.” Weiss nodded. “When Reid isn’t looking, try to slip him a note telling him to meet somewhere. You’re his son’s girlfriend. Surely he’d listen to you.”

“I don’t like how sneaky that is, but I don’t think we have a choice.” Yang sighed.

At that, Ruby noticed Blake visibly wincing. A faint look of conflict and sorrow took over her expression, worrying the younger girl.

“Is everything okay, Blake?”

Everyone glanced at the Faunus as soon as she asked that, noticing her hesitation and discomfort.

“I’m going to be honest, this feels wrong.” She admitted. “Doing all of this behind Reid’s back— it feels like we’re betraying his trust.”

“I’m aware how bad this sounds, Blake. But like Yang said, what choice do we have?” Weiss questioned. “We all know the type of person Reid is. He’d never give us a clear answer.”

“Maybe, but how can we be so sure of that?” Blake argued. “Shouldn’t we at least try to ask him first? What if he does tell us what’s wrong?”

None of them answered, awkwardly shuffling and shifting at Blake’s response. Because she was right, wasn’t she? Ruby knew better than everyone the kind of person Reid was, but would it really hurt to ask him first? Even if it did end up making him more guarded, they should at least give him the courtesy of showing some trust in him. Even if the chances of him telling them were less than 1%.

Otherwise, wouldn’t it make them hypocritical?

As if he’s not the hypocrite… Ruby thought.

All of that meant nothing, though. Because the chance of him saying anything wasn’t just lower than 1%. It was 0%. Reid wouldn’t tell them a thing even if they tied him up and locked him in a room.

“I get it. Reid isn’t the kind of person to share what’s been bothering him. He likes to shoulder everything himself. And it hurts. A lot.” Blake added. “But two wrongs don’t make a right. Our last resort shouldn’t be the first thing we do.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Yang agreed. “Maybe we should be forward with him first. Taking the sneaky option without trying other alternatives doesn’t sit right with me.”

“I suppose we can give it a shot.” Weiss nodded. “Alright. Then we’ll confront him after the Vytal Festival. Is everyone in agreement?”

As the girls voiced their agreements, Ruby almost wanted to disagree, knowing this wouldn’t work. But if they insisted, then so be it. She was outvoted anyway. Not much she could do about that.

She hoped they were right. That Reid would finally trust them enough to share his problems with them. But deep down, she knew this would never be the case. It was never going to be this easy.

Because as much as Ruby hated to admit it, she’d be doing the exact same thing if she were in his position.

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– Reid –

This is honestly so easy, I’m starting to think that something wrong is going to happen. Because when wasn’t that an issue, right? You think you've got everything covered and handled. You think you’ve got a solid foundation for your plan, but when push comes to shove, everything just falls apart. This basis you’re so proud of crumbles under the weight of a mere feather.

And it’s more frustrating every time it happens. The consequences of poor planning can cause the deaths of countless people. Dangerous villains escaping. Valuable resources lost. And all that responsibility falls on the shoulders of the person who made the plan. It’s almost never fair. But all I can do is better. That’s the only thing afforded to me.

But that’s enough depressing thoughts for this joyful occasion. The Vytal Festival is here, after what felt like five long years for some reason. I’ve been waiting for this for two big reasons. First, I’ll finally get rid of the Valean slave market for good and get total control over the underworld. That’s huge. Information is a powerful tool, so a spy network of some kind would prove really useful to me. Perhaps, eventually, I’ll be able to use it against Salem.

Getting rid of Piggy right now wouldn’t be too much of a problem. He has already fallen into my trap— he assumes the Black Phantom would be there to stop his trade, and he’d actually be correct. But it’s not me who’s going there. No, no. After all, I wouldn’t miss this tournament for the world.

I simply gave the order to Sentry. Gave him the Nahkriin mask, my cloak, and the sword I used. Sentry may not be as strong while alone, as he’s primarily a suit of armor, but he should be more than enough to handle the slavers and whatever trap Piggy might’ve cooked up. Besides, I sent Indra with him, my most powerful combat golem, and Gwyn is on guard duty near their general area in case something happens.

They’re currently on standby waiting for my signal. The moment I say it, the slaughter begins, so unless there’s some high-tier Titan waiting there, which I highly doubt unless some god does have a grudge against me, then Pig Emperor is dead. Because he’s gonna get the news of the market being wiped out or whatever possible trap he’s prepared going off, and when he does, he’ll react. Either negatively or positively.

Perhaps not outwardly, but my Observation will be working on overdrive. I’ll catch him, and when he’s alone, he dies in the most gruesome, most painful way imaginable.

But that’s enough about Piggy’s impending demise. I’ll finally be able to see the difference between my students and the rest of Beacon. Sure, I know that team Wildberry is far superior to any other team here and from other schools, but to actually see it? That’s pretty exciting, to say the least. Though, of course, I made sure to put some ground rules before that.

Mainly, no magic or Haki. Even without their absurd stats compared to the rest of their peers, these two abilities would’ve probably given them a smooth victory. Plus, it would’ve raised a lot of questions seeing them use multiple ‘semblances’ now, wouldn’t it? The competition is already unfair enough as it is.

To be honest, I almost forbade them from entering the tournament entirely, because seeing them annihilating every opponent wouldn’t have been very fun for me or the audience. Nor would it have been fair for the rest of the students. But the Vytal Tournament only happens once every two years, so it’s not fair for Wildberry either, because the next tournament is going to be even more of a wash than this.

So the compromise was disallowing them from using anything I taught them, like Haki and magic as previously mentioned, and to hold back a little. Just enough to make this fun for everyone, but not too much that it becomes obvious and/or disrespectful for their competition. Also, no potions, but that’s banned from the tournament, not just for Team Wildberry.

Poor Ruby, though. She’s not allowed to participate because she’s not a Beacon student, even though she’s pretty much part of Wildberry right now.

But I am making it up for her with something I’ve been hyping up on social media. A special little aftershow I’m doing this year. Something most people would surely enjoy seeing. Thankfully, Ozpin was on board when I told him and decided to organize it.

People usually don’t get to see a Titan Slayer, well, slaying a Titan. So, how about we show them what it’s like when two Titan Slayers duke it out? With all the flashiness that implies, it’ll be one hell of an aftershow for sure. Plus, Ruby needs a wake-up call since she has been getting really lazy recently. Displaying the growing gap between us should hopefully be enough.

“Right behind this door, sir.” The secretary says, leading me to where the rest of the councilmen are watching the match.

I give her a nod and a ‘thank you’ as she opens the door for me, showing a private room overlooking the stadium. In there, I see all the councilmen waiting for me, each on a comfortable chair almost fit for royalty. Beside me, there are six people in this room.

General Onyx Slate commands the Valean army. Alba Viridian oversees the kingdom's Dust and technological innovations, while Azura Scarlett, the Guildmaster of Vale, adeptly manages the guilds. Ozpin, of course, is the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. And finally, the last two. The main suspects of being the Pig Emperor. 

Valentine Rapha, who controls most of the food industry, and Ivory Roux, who supervises the entertainment industry and media, which is a huge deal in Remnant, considering negative emotions attract Grimm. 

One of these two will die today.

“Ah, there you are,” Ozpin says with a smile, pointing at the chair on his right. “I saved you a seat.”

Although I’m not a councilman, it wasn’t difficult to get a seat here with them. Even though I’m technically not affiliated with Vale, I literally just had to ask Oz for a favor, and none of the other councilmen could reject my request. I mean, what would that make them? Hell, most here are delighted to see me.

To be completely honest, though, I think I would’ve had a lot more fun if I were one of the commentators. I think I’d be pretty good at it. Too bad I have an important job to do. Maybe after I’ve gotten rid of him. Or her.

“The highly esteemed Titan Slayer. Quite the pleasant surprise to see you here.” Alba says, stroking his white beard. He was a very old man with a cybernetic left eye and a bald head. “I never thought someone your age would prefer to hang out with a bunch of old men and women. You honor us.”

“You’re the only one here who’s older than a century, Alba. Don’t lump us together.” Azura scoffed. She was a mature woman with long, bluish-green hair and yellow eyes. “Though, then again, you’re past your ninety-third birthday, aren’t you, Ozpin?”

Ozpin and I share a knowing smile.

“Not a century quite yet.” He says.

“Heh. Right. You heard that, you old fossil?” Ivory teased. A woman in her thirties with gray eyes and platinum blond hair tied in a bun. “You’re about to pass on soon. You should take on an apprentice before that happens.”

“Easy on the old man.” Valentine snorts. A man with a lean build. Pink hair and red eyes. I heard he used to be a hunter before retiring early, which explains his high stats. “Any more and he might burst a vessel and croak.”

Unfortunately, Observe doesn’t tell me if any of them is the Pig Emperor.

“Oh, on the contrary, I’m still going strong. You’re not getting rid of these old bones that easily. Not until my third century at least.” Alba chuckles, not taking any of them seriously. “Besides, I meant comparatively. Sir Astera isn’t past twenty years old yet. Quite the youngin compared to the rest of us.”

They’re a lot more lively than I thought a bunch of politicians would be. Either they’re pretending, which I don’t think is the case for some of them, or Remnant’s politicians are a lot less corrupt than Earth’s.

…I think. I don’t really remember that much, to be honest.

“Correct. Closest to his age is Mr. Slate, and he’s twenty-five.” Ozpin says, glancing at me. “With numerous achievements under your belt, I was ready to order the construction of your own booth in the stadium. Alas, we were quite short on time.”

“I feel like that’s a little over the top, if you ask me.” I shrug. “But I won’t say no. Next time, then.”

“The Vytal Festival will be in Atlas next time, yes?” Alba hums. “Reminds me I’ve not seen Dr. Polendina in quite a while. A brilliant mind, that old man.”

“They say his daughter is participating in the tournament,” Ozpin says. “Penny, I believe.”

Right, the robot girl. I completely forgot that she exists. I wonder how he made her? She’s a robot with a soul, which should be impossible considering the current tech of Remnant. I couldn’t even do this with my golems yet. Give them their own souls, I mean.

It’s an interesting case of manipulating or creating a soul, so I might have to schedule a meeting with him at some point. With the Principle of Life and Death shattered after reviving Eero, I need a new way to kill Salem. If her body is immortal, then directly attacking her soul could be the only way to defeat her. Assuming her soul isn’t indestructible.

As dangerous as that is. But I’m not left with a lot of options here.

“Pietro sired a child?”

“Yes, it came as a surprise to me as well.” Ozpin nods. “I wasn’t aware he even got married.”

“Perhaps he adopted?”

“Possibly.”

I don’t know if Ozpin is lying for the sake of lying, or if he genuinely doesn’t know that Penny is a robot.

As they continue to talk with each other about Pietro, Ironwood, and Atlas as a whole, the guildmaster addresses me.

“I’ve heard you prepared a special aftershow this year.” She says. “Care to share what you plan?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve seen your post on Scribe. Garnered quite a lot of attention.” Valentine adds. “What’s that about, I wonder? 

“Can’t tell you. That’s supposed to be a secret, after all,” I respond playfully. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

“Oh, come on. You can tell us, can’t you?” Ivory insists. “We’ll keep it a secret between the councilmen. Not one soul would hear about this.”

“Nope. Sorry.” I shrug. “It’s just a few hours.”

“Hmm…” Azura hums. “Then, which of the Beacon teams trained under you?”

“That’ll be pretty obvious soon,” I answer with a confident smirk, staring as the first match begins. “But don’t blink, or you’ll miss it.”

Considering there are a lot of teams participating this year, they’re doing something a little different. In earlier tournaments, the first few rounds were two teams put against each other, then two rounds of duos, and then one-on-ones until the last man standing. This year, however, the first round is four teams against each other. So in total, 16 students will be in the arena at a time. My idea. To make it a little more challenging for Wildberry.

Speaking of, they’re part of the first match. One team from each academy, with Wildberry representing Beacon. To be eliminated, your aura must be below 10%, which is tracked by the systems here, or if you’re knocked out of the arena. I’m not worried, though. They got this.

What needs to be worried about, though, is dealing with the wretched slaver in here. As the match begins, I give the order to Sentry and Indra, telling them to free the slaves and rip apart every single bastard they see without a shred of mercy.

And now, we wait…

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– Weiss –

Despite her team’s numerous advantages, Weiss had to admit that she was actually a little nervous. This was one of the most significant events in her life as a huntress. The Vytal Tournament, where only the best of the best, who could meet punishing standards for grades and combat performance, were qualified to participate. Indeed. Out of the hundreds of teams in Beacon, only three had been chosen this year.

Those teams were Wildberry, Juniper, and Coffee. Out of 32 teams participating, only three were Beacon teams. This year was once again dominated by Shade Academy teams, which was to be expected considering Vacuo’s harsh living conditions. They wouldn’t always win the Vytal tournament, but they consistently produced the strongest hunters at the cost of many students dying before graduation.

Again, Weiss was confident in herself and her team. They were sure to win this tournament and bring glory and honor to their academy and beloved teacher. But now, getting to compete for the first time? It was a nerve-wracker for sure. Not as bad as it was dealing with that Titan in Menagerie, though.

“So, how are we doing this, O’ Glorious Leader?” Yang asked. “Should we still split up in pairs? Or should we just bulldoze our way through the arena and take everyone out? I prefer this strategy, by the way.”

As per the tournament’s rules, the arena would randomly switch between different ‘biomes’ for the full team and duo parts each match. A different one housed each team, so currently there were four different biomes in total. The one they were stuck with was that of a jungle very reminiscent of Menagerie’s.

“That’s certainly a strategy,” Weiss said, not impressed with the blond. “Don’t let the power difference blind you, Yang. We shouldn’t get arrogant. That’s how we lose.”

“Sure,” She shrugged. “I’m just saying we can probably handle whatever they throw at us.”

“We don’t even know where the other teams are,” Levi argued. “They could be making traps and waiting for us to fall into them.”

“Also, keep in mind that we’re not allowed to use magic or Haki,” Weiss added. “Our only advantages are physical power and experience.”

“Fair, fair,” Yang said, putting her hands up. “Honestly, I’m just excited. I haven’t really fought anyone outside of training in a while now. I wanna beat someone up.”

“You’re such a brute,” Weiss muttered.

Desire for violence aside, at least she was having fun.

Getting in between their squabbling, Blake jumped down from the tallest tree after scouting the rest of the arena.

“What did you find?” The SDC Heiress asked.

“This way—” Blake pointed north-west, north, then north-east, listing each biome respectively. “Is an active volcano. This way is a desert with an oasis in the middle. And finally, glaciers.”

“Any structures?” Levi questioned.

“None.” She shook her head. “Our biome has the highest ground with its trees and is the hardest to traverse. If you order it, Weiss, we can hide here and make some traps.”

“That’s so boring.” Yang huffed. “C’mon, Weiss. Let’s go find and kick some ass. Don’t you wanna show how cool you are to your sister?”

“I think her sister would value actual strategy over whatever you’re suggesting, Yang.” Blake pointed out.

“Oh, please, what do we have to worry about?” The blond rolled her eyes. “I mean, seriously, I get making traps and all that, but do we actually need to do that? You and Weiss fought a Titan before!”

“Yang…” Weiss narrowed her eyes, her tone disapproving of her friend’s choice of words.

Quickly catching herself, Yang sighed.

“Look, I’m not trying to underestimate the competition, alright? But remember how Reid always tells us that we’re beyond even S-rank hunters these days?” She said. “Is it wrong to want to prove that? Obviously, I believe him, but I wanna see that for myself, y’know?”

“I guess that’s fair,” Levi responded. “I kinda agree, too. You all had your own challenges, but I never fought a Titan or a dragon. I wanna see what I’m really capable of. See how much of a difference Reid’s training made.”

They made good points, Weiss thought. Truthfully, she shared those thoughts as well. Between training with her equals or betters and incredibly powerful monsters, she’d never truly had the chance to compare herself to her supposed peers.

“I suppose…” Weiss hummed. “Then we’ll split up. Blake, you’re with me. We’ll defeat whoever’s at the glaciers. Yang, you and Levi will eliminate whichever team you encounter first. If you hear or see fighting, don’t get involved unless you see them actively tired out. We may be stronger, but we shouldn’t take any chances.”

“Aye aye, leader!” Yang saluted with a wide smirk. “Come on, Levi! Let’s show the world what Team Wildberry is all about!”

“Way ahead of you!”

As the two pairs split up and were out of earshot, Blake spoke.

“I’m a little surprised you didn’t take your partner with you.” She said. “What’s up with that?”

“I’m splitting the team’s firepower as equally as possible,” Weiss answered. “Because let’s be honest, I hate to admit it, but Yang is our strongest member. Physically, she blows everyone out of the water, and her Semblance after Reid’s aura training makes her a force to be reckoned with.”

Despite Ruby having trained the longest under him, Weiss wasn’t sure even she could defeat Yang without her weird stripping power-up. It was as if the blond was born for combat. Her talent was absurd.

“Heh. She’s pretty ridiculous, yeah. It doesn’t help that she fights like Reid sometimes. Fire magic and all.” Blake snorted in amusement. “With Levi being our weakest, I think I see where you’re coming from. No offense to her, of course.”

There was certainly no shame in that. Especially seeing that Levi didn’t have access to magic or haki anyway.

“Besides—” Weiss smiled at her faunus friend. “I like to think we make a pretty good duo.”

Blake smiled back.

“We do.” She nodded, becoming determined. “So let’s prove that to the world and win us a tournament.”

Took the words right out of her mouth.

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– Reid –

Unsurprisingly, even with the restrictions I put on them, Wildberry isn’t having as much trouble as the other teams. Why should they, right? Their stats are like five times higher than their peers at minimum. Five times faster, five times stronger, five times more durable. Besides, their aura pools are a lot higher than their opponents. Average of 15k to the Wildberry’s 30k.

Exactly why I limited them only to their skills and semblance. Any more than this makes the match boring to watch. I even almost told Weiss that she wasn’t allowed to summon anything, but I think that’d be a little too far. It’s part of her kit that isn’t magic or haki. Though, honestly, I doubt she’ll need to summon more than a few basic beowolves at most. Arma Gigas would be an overkill.

…You know, this makes me think. If Weiss can summon anything she’s defeated, does that mean Titans as well? So, had I let her deal the finishing blow on the Dreadnought back in Menagerie, could she potentially summon it to fight for her? One could argue that the aura requirement to summon something powerful would be vast, but I have the potions to eliminate that problem entirely.

That’s not even mentioning if she could summon humans, too. I don’t think she’s ever killed someone for her to test that out, but if it does work, then I'd better start finding ways to revive myself. Scuffed or not, clones are clones, and two Reids are better than one. Even if they’re probably static power-wise.

Even while nerfed compared to her grandfather, Weiss’ Semblance is probably one of the strongest in the world, and honestly? I know it’s rich coming from me, but I’m actually a little jealous. Seriously, she could actually be a one-woman army if given enough time. Imagine the things I could summon if I had her Semblance. All the Titan Grimm and monsters from Teralos I’ve defeated. Might just respec into being a necromancer or something.

Makes you wonder just what sort of power this spy has, and if they’re potentially more dangerous than a fully-realized Weiss. It’s why I won’t allow the girls to endanger themselves— I’ve heard frightening rumors and stories from Ozpin that some ancient warriors with grand souls could distort reality with their semblances. I don’t know how valid those rumors are, but I’m not taking any chances here. Once I figure out who it is, they’re dead.

“I think I know which team trained under you, Sir Astera.” The guildmaster says, looking very impressed with the show.

And why shouldn’t she, really? After splitting up into pairs, each half of Wildberry took out a whole team each, with Yang decimating the last standing team on her own with barely any trouble, completely ignoring my request to try to hold back a little. I don’t have to sense her emotions to figure out that she was excited as hell. Getting to let loose against someone other than her training partners. And, to be honest, I get it. I love having the upper hand in fights.

Even after being jumped, Yang would skillfully evade, block, or straight up intentionally eat some of the attacks before retaliating with ten times the force she was hit with. One of her quick and light punches would take out more than 10% of a combatant’s Aura and send them tumbling around like a ragdoll. It was almost getting pitiful. Almost. The audience is loving this as they cheer for the blond and team Wildberry.

It doesn’t take a genius to understand that they’re my chosen apprentices now that they’re showing their skills to the world. I feel a little guilty, though. They’re gonna get bothered by the media and their fellow Beacon students a lot now. I’m sure Weiss is used to it, but the rest are going to struggle.

“Not even the kingdom’s brightest are half as fast and strong as these four,” Onyx adds, glancing at me in surprise. “They’re a bunch of teenagers— they have no right to be this powerful. What kind of training did you have them go through?”

“This and that.” I play coy. “Can’t be revealing my secrets, General. Though let’s just say very few could handle my training.”

It’s just a cheat skill after I took the teaching profession. Granted, their talents and prior training helped a ton, and aura potions helped them get used to not having aura all the time, which made a huge difference, but the system warps space and time. It’s ultimately the driving force for why their stats are absurdly higher than those of their peers.

“Could it be related to your potions?” Alba hums as he strokes his beard. “Fascinating little invention you’ve made. I tried to crack one open and see what makes it tick, but I simply couldn’t figure it out.”

“Well, potions are used in training, yes. But mostly to restore their aura and heal any injuries.” I nod. “And if you’re wondering if they’re on enhancing potions right now, then no. This is all the result of hard work.”

Of course, none of them has the courage to question me further. From my perspective, I have nothing to lie about. Really, I have all the good publicity I need. Some people are quite literally worshipping me. My team winning or not doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. But they don’t know me well enough to really say that.

“Then, can you consider training some of my men?” Onyx asks. “With a battalion of that quality, we’d be clearing out several infested areas with ease. It’ll help us expand.”

“I’d love to, but I have a thousand other projects to worry about.” I shrug. “Maybe when my schedule’s cleared out, but don’t count on it.”

Besides, I already promised Ozpin that I’d be a teacher in Beacon for a term, so I have that to handle first after I’ve dealt with the pig in the room, who has yet to make a move ever since the slaughter at his market began. He likely hasn’t gotten the news yet, but soon enough.

As the next match begins after Wildberry’s flawless victory, the councilmen continue conversing about my apprentices’ performance and praising them, most of them not knowing what they showed today was far below their true capabilities. The next match involves Juniper, a team I’ve not heard about in ages.

Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie and Jaune Arc. Huh, I’m surprised the latter is still in Beacon after what he did, but perhaps he’s changed for the better. Still, this should be a little more exciting than Wildberry’s match— At least it won’t end in three minutes.

During the match, which I do find pretty fun, I hear a faint, booming noise in the distance, making me frown and look behind me and in the general direction of the noise. Ozpin is the first to notice this, as he addresses me with confusion.

“Is everything alright, Sir Astera?”

What the hell was that? An explosion?

“Yeah, sorry. Thought I heard something.” I wave it off as my smile returns.

As I mentally ask for a status report from Gwyn, just in case anything happened, I thankfully get an immediate positive response and a concise explanation of what happened. So there was a trap…

My train of thought is stopped as someone’s scroll starts ringing, followed by an intense wave of sadistic joy from a certain pig, making me smirk.

Got your ass.