156

Chapter 156:

Sasame moved from one patient to the next, her eyes sweeping across the assembled injured, taking in every detail. Even as she went to work mending more grievous injuries with her hands, her tails brushed across others, pulses of Aura easing pain and closing more minor wounds. Working like this, she was able to perform the work of an entire small hospital's staff over the course of mere minutes.

However, the number of wounded continued to flow in. Vale was on the verge of being overrun by the Grimm. Even if people hadn't been mauled by the beasts, plenty of others had fallen, been trampled, or even struck by their fellow people in the panicked rush to flee the monsters. Working as hard as she could, and with Miyu assisting her, Sasame was just barely able to meet the demand. So far, of all who had entered, seeking treatment, none had yet died before she or Miyu could tend to them.

And, despite that, Sasame knew it wasn't enough. There were undoubtedly people who were still on their way, people being carried or dragged as fast as their helpers could manage. But that wouldn't be fast enough. For each few people she saved, another had probably expired before even reaching her doors. It was frustrating to know. However, the only thing she could do was continue working. She wasn't a god. No matter how great her skills in the Healing Arts were, the best she would ever be able to do was treat the people in front of her. It was a bitter truth that all healers had to accept, sooner or later. She wasn't sure if Miyu had grasped that truth yet, or if she was too busy with her own work to give much thought to the grim reality of the situation.

However, the flow of wounded into the impromptu hospital suddenly began to taper off considerably. The people limping, or being carried, through the doors slowed to a trickle, then stopped altogether. The sudden lessening of pressure struck Sasame as more than a little unusual. As they finished working through all the wounded who could make it in for treatment, she had expected their numbers to taper off gradually, over the course of another hour or so, before they finally got through nearly everyone who had been injured in this disaster, and been able to make it this far.

Confused, Sasame spread her Extension, which manifested in the form of invisible additions to her fox-tails, winding and weaving through the space around her, questing for information about the situation outside. As her phantasmal tails searched, Sasame choked back a gasp, feeling them come into contact with a very familiar presence.

"Sensei...?" asked Miyu, looking up from her work.

"Remain focused, Miyu-chan," said Sasame, giving Miyu a small smile. "We're almost done here."

"Already...?" Miyu had the good grace not to look around, already focusing her eyes back on the unfortunate woman beneath her hands.

"Yes," said Sasame, her smile widening. "We just got some very reliable help."

Mere seconds later, the doors swung open. Makoto of the Taishiro swept in, his presence washing across the room like a soothing wave, the mere Projection of his Aura easing pain and beginning the healing process across dozens of patients at once.

Miyu had it in her to pause and gasp for a short second, before immediately bowing her head back over her patient, renewing her focus on her work. One of the most important strictures of the healer was that one's patients always came first. Matters of protocol would wait until after lives were no longer in danger.

Not even acknowledging the presence of Sasame or her apprentice, Makoto went to work, immediately zeroing in on the injured that Sasame or Miyu had yet to treat. He had no tails to extend his reach, the way Sasame had, but made up for that in the sheer speed with which he worked, often seeming to brush a hand over some terrible injury, only for the wound in question to vanish, as though time itself was running backwards.

So it was that, between the three of them, the remaining injured were all seen to in a matter of moments. After that, Sasame and Miyu stood up, their faces and bodies soaked with sweat, which stained their clothes. Even so, they came to stand before Makoto, then knelt reverently before him.

"Makoto-sama, I am grateful for your arrival," said Sasame, she and Miyu rising again.

"I am glad to see that you are both well," said Makoto, giving them a calm smile. "Ibuki-kun, I can see that your skills have improved, since I last saw you work."

"I-I'm honored, Makoto-sama," said Miyu, bowing her head again.

"I take it that Sora-sama received my request for assistance," said Sasame.

"That she had," agreed Makoto. "It is good that we left immediately. Just an hour or so later and we would have been too late for a great many people."

Sasame nodded gravely. "Who else has come?"

"We came with a small detachment," said Makoto. "I made sure to bring a few of my Guard with me. Aside from that, Sora-sama ordered that the Goyosei be dispatched in their entirety to assist."

"All of them!?" gasped Miyu, floored by the notion.

Makoto nodded. "Shinrei and Keikoku have secured the southeastern wall, where the pressure from the attacking Grimm was heaviest. Taihaku has helped to secure the perimeter of the safe zone. Chinmei has dealt with the Wyvern."

"What about Saisei-sensei?" asked Sasame, canting her head.

"Saisei..." Makoto's eyes narrowed. "Saisei is already here."

"Huh?" The nonplussed look on Sasame's face was such a rare sight for her that Makoto couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Mizutani Moriko has officially retired," declared Makoto. "As such...you are now Saisei of the Mibu Goyosei. Mitarai Sasame...do you accept this appointment?"

"I..." Sasame paused, blinking at the completely unprecedented development. Despite the resolve she had spoken of to Ruby, she hadn't been prepared for her elevation to her new rank to occur this suddenly. There was a part of her that wanted to resist, to urge that she wait just a little bit longer. However...the greater part of her accepted the truth, that the time to take her new place, and her new name, was now.

"I accept," she said.

"Kneel," said Makoto sternly.

Sasame dropped down to both knees, before dipping her forehead all the way to the floor. Miyu stepped back to stand behind her, watching in awe She wasn't the only one. The impromptu ceremony had seized the attention of everyone in the crowded gymnasium. Practically no one else (at least among those still conscious) understood what was actually happening. However, they could all feel a strange sense of solemnity that had settled in the air like a heavy blanket. However, the sensation wasn't stifling. Rather, it was filled with a feeling of expectation.

"By the power vested in me by Mibu Sora of the Taishiro, I hereby absolve you of the name of your birth," declared Makoto in an imperious voice. "You are Mitarai Sasame no more. Now rise, Saisei: Wood of the Mibu Goyosei."

Sasame, now Saisei, raised her head, then got to her feet, gazing reverently up to Makoto.

Now smiling, Makoto reached down and rested a gentle hand atop Sasame's head in a gesture that was almost fatherly. "Well done, Saisei. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Sensei," said Saisei, bowing her head.

"Congratulations Sasame-sen-Er!-I mean...Saisei-sen...or...sama...?" Miyu blinked, more than a little confused as to how to address her teacher, now that her name and rank had both changed.

Giggling, Sasame turned to beam at Miyu. "For now, you may still call me Sasame-sensei," she said. "We wouldn't want to confuse our friends in the Kingdom."

"I...suppose," admitted Miyu, unsure of how the friends they'd made in Vale would process this change. Doubtless, it would be a strange occurrence to most of them, and it was unlikely that they would break the habit of calling Saisei by her old name before she left.

"Now then," said Makoto, "the wounded have been seen to. It is time to take care of more official matters."

"Of course," said Sasame, nodding.

"That being the case, I ask you to convey me to whoever is currently in charge," said Makoto. "Our arrival was rather sudden. Given the emergency, we opted to forgo protocol. I hope that the leader here is not offended by our impropriety."

"That is hardly a matter of concern," said Winter, entering through the same door that Makoto had passed through before. "General Ironwood is grateful for the intervention of you and your people, and is happy to meet with you at your earliest convenience."

There was a substantial degree of acknowledgment in that choice of words. Normally, the entrance of unauthorized foreigners during a crisis situation would merit a swift and harsh response from the one in command, until their intentions and capabilities could be properly assessed. However, Ironwood had instead phrased his words as a request, out of respect for the immense service performed by the Mibu.

Makoto nodded his head. "Now that the injured have been seen to, I am honored to meet with your commander."

With that, Winter led Makoto away, while Sasame and Miyu moved to sit down next to the sleeping Ruby and Natsuki, the pair of them substantially tired as well.

"I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done," said Ironwood, trading a firm handclasp with Makoto. "Your intervention has saved countless lives today."

"I am glad that we were able to arrive in time," said Makoto.

"Your intervention was certainly decisive," said Ironwood. "To think that a mere five people were able to break the back of the Grimm attack, and in a matter of moments."

"In a sense, that is because those who were already here did the main work," said Makoto. "I have been told that there were several artificially-seeded spawning pools that were destroyed. In a sense, we merely cleaned up the aftermath."

"I suppose that's true," said Ironwood. "I will have to make arrangements with Vale's Council."

Makoto nodded. "I hope that we gave a sufficiently good accounting of ourselves that they will be open to dialogue."

"I suspect that won't be a problem," said Ironwood, smiling thinly.

He'd already gotten the rundown of the situation from Makoto. The Goyosei represented the peak of the Mibu Clan's military, and Makoto had stated that the head of the clan, Sora, had ordered them dispatched to assist. While it was understandable as an altruistic gesture, sending her strongest soldiers to aid an embattled Kingdom, there was an extra motivation that wasn't readily apparent.

By sending her strongest soldiers, Sora had essentially arranged a devastating demonstration of their capability. Ironwood had no idea what the average Mibu soldier was capable of, but he cold hazard a guess that few, if any of them were capable of such dramatic feats as what the Goyosei had done. In other words, Sora had also arranged for this situation to be a showcase for the capability of the Mibu to the world, and Vale in particular. And she had done so in such a dramatic fashion that those in charge, initially either indifferent or hostile to the Mibu, were unable to effectively protest. It belied the insight of a shrewd leader.

Mibu Sora... Ironwood thought to himself. Clearly, she isn't to be underestimated.

"Is there anything that I can do for you in the meantime?" Ironwood asked.

"I would like a detailed briefing of the course of events," said Makoto. "Most importantly, I wish to know the situation with Kyo...and the one called Jester."

Ironwood sighed, turning to gaze out the window. "To be truly honest, we do not know," he said. "Jester abducted Kyo right at the beginning of the attack. There has been no sign of them since."

"I see..." said Makoto, his expression betraying unease for the very first time since his arrival.

Ruby blinked slowly, her sleep gradually trickling away. Right...I fell asleep, didn't I... she thought to herself. As she did, she sensed a change to her surroundings. She'd fallen asleep up against a wall. However, as she came to, she realized that her head was resting on something firm, with just the slightest touch of springy softness. Her head was in someone's lap, that someone gently brushing fingers through her hair. It was a touch, a presence, that Ruby recognized all too well.

Opening her eyes all the way, she slowly turned her head, looking up into a pair of blue eyes. "Hey," she said, smiling up at Jaune.

"Hey, yourself," said Jaune with a chuckle.

"How long?" asked Ruby, turning her head to take in more of her surroundings, as her vision cleared.

"A few hours," said Jaune. "It's daytime now."

Ruby let out a soft sigh. She'd been moved while she'd been asleep, apparently. Normally, she would have chided herself for falling asleep so deeply. But her fight with Adam had taken absolutely everything she'd had, and then some. Her fight with Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald before that didn't even compare, nor did her battle against Tyrian.

From what she could tell, they were in a conference room of some kind...at least, it had been. At some point, whatever had been in this room before had been removed, and the room was now serving as a temporary barracks for Huntresses and Huntsmen. Not far away, she could see the members of Team CFVY sitting on the sides of a pair of cots, chatting in soft tones. Scarlet, Sage, and Neptune from Team SSSN were sprawled out on their own cots, snoring away. Sun had crawled into a closer cot, cuddling up beside a sleeping Blake, having wrapped her up in his arms, while his tail curled around her waist. Not far from them, Pyrrha and Dove were also sleeping together, the rest of Dove's team still resting as well.

Ruby moved her gaze, seeing others, some awake, others still asleep. Everyone seemed exhausted, or at least recovering from exhaustion. Gathering her strength, Ruby finally, with some reluctance, lifted her head from Jaune's lap. Sitting up, she yawned, stretching her arms over her head. As they came back down, Jaune snaked his arm around her waist, pulling her up to snuggle against his chest. Fortunately, he'd removed his armor, so it was more comfortable than it would have been at other times. Pressing his fingers against her chin, he guided her face around so that he could bring his lips to hers. They held the kiss for over a minute, before finally parting.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Jaune.

"Likewise," said Ruby, relaxing back against him with a sigh.

"So...I'm guessing you beat Adam," said Jaune.

Ruby nodded. "He was strong...unbelievably strong. I can't believe he'd changed so much since I last saw him."

"As long as you're safe, that's all that matters," said Jaune.

"Thanks," said Ruby. "So...what happened with you?"

"Quite a bit," said Jaune.

He explained how they'd hunted down the spawning pools, and then went on to reiterate their battle with Tyrian. He also told them about how Team RYNB had been doing the same thing, but had encountered Hazel.

"So they're dead," noted Ruby, remembering the horrifying scorpion-faunus, and the mountainous human.

"Yeah," said Jaune. "Tyrian was nuttier than a fruitcake. But Hazel..."

"What about him?" asked Ruby.

Jaune told her what he'd heard from Yang and Blake, about Hazel's sister. After returning, Blake and Ren had gone so far as to check with Glynda on the matter. Glynda, with a little reluctance, related the sadly brief story of one Gretchen Rainart, who'd joined Beacon Academy against her brother's wishes, and had ultimately perished on a training mission.

"That's...so...sad," thought Ruby.

"Kinda makes you feel bad for him," guessed Jaune.

"A little," said Ruby. However, her empathy only went so far.

She could understand the grief of loss. Granted, she'd been much younger than Hazel had been, when she and Yang had lost their mother. Ruby remembered the pain, but also knew that it hadn't been as bad as what Yang had gone through (Taiyang as well, but Ruby didn't like to think about that). Hazel had lost his twin sister of over seventeen years. Worse still, it had been in a manner that had validated all his worst fears. She had done the very thing he had told her not to, and suffered the very fate he had feared she would. The pain of loss he'd experienced would have been incredible.

On top of that, he'd apparently learned the truth about Salem, at some point. He'd learned that she was immortal, that she and Ozpin were locked into a war that had been going on for untold centuries, if not millennia. Against the weight of all the lives that had been lost in a war that had progressed through countless eras, what was the life of one girl? Gretchen's life had been but a drop in the bucket, just another pebble cast to the wayside. Her death was ineffectual, meaningless in comparison to the scope of the awe-inspiring conflict she'd been an unwitting participant in, or so it must have seemed to Hazel.

That had to be infuriating. Hazel had probably felt that Ozpin didn't care...and maybe he was right, to a certain extent. One did not go through such a long-spanning conflict, and endure so many centuries' worth of losses, and not develop some degree of indifference to it all, if only as a self-defense mechanism against the pain and guilt that would have been stacking up into virtual mountains of emotion. Whether Ozpin mourned Gretchen's death or not, he would move on, and go onto training the next Gretchen, who might well find herself meeting a similar fate, sooner or later.

And yet...despite the sympathy that had stirred within her upon hearing Hazel's story, Ruby knew full well that none of that pardoned Hazel for what he had done. He had taken his grudge against Ozpin, and used it as an excuse for everything he had done. As one of Salem's servants, Ruby had no doubt that Hazel had ended plenty of lives with his own hands. For all she knew, her mother might have been one of Hazel's victims (or Tyrian's). How many others like Gretchen had Hazel killed, when fighting for Salem? How many sisters, brothers, fathers, mothers, and friends had he killed? He had apparently turned to Salem out of grief for the death of his sister, but had become an instrument in service to the very catalyst for that grief.

During this very battle, Hazel had planted spawning pools, setting innumerable Grimm upon helpless and innocent civilians. Yet he had the gall to act as though he was the injured party, as though his suffering excused the countless lives that had been ended through his actions. Because of that, Ruby had little trouble looking past his loss.

"What else happened?" asked Ruby.

To her surprise, Jaune actually grinned. "Well...let's just say that we got some help from an unexpected source."

"Huh...?" grunted Ruby.

"Sensei!" Ruby dashed for Shinrei, leaving a trail of petals behind her.

Her teacher laughed, getting to his feet and catching her in a hug. "It's good to see you, Ruby-chan," he said. "From what I've heard, you've been doing pretty well for yourself, here."

"I can't believe you're here," said Ruby, stepping away from him.

After hearing about the Mibu's intervention from Jaune, Ruby had immediately gone out to find Shinrei, momentarily forgetting about her boyfriend in the process. As it turned out, the military and Huntsmen had turned an office building in the safe zone into a sort of base of operation for the Huntsmen, Huntresses, and Students that had responded to the crisis in Vale. A portion had been converted into a dining hall as well, but Ruby had been too excited to see her teacher again to think about eating at the moment.

Granted, the dining hall was where she found Shinrei, who was seated at a table with Qrow, of all people. Sasame was there with them. The other three members of the Goyosei were apparently out with the military, verifying that all the Grimm within the Kingdom had been dispatched. Taihaku had actually gone out to Beacon to check on how things were over there. Makoto was meeting with Ironwood, and Vale's Council.

Smiling approvingly, Shinrei rubbed the top of Ruby's head. "Your uncle's been showing me some of these...video-things...of what you've been up to. I gotta say, you did good." His smile became a smirk. "Though...that match against Natsu-chan was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen."

Ruby blushed furiously as Qrow and Sasame chuckled in the background.

"What else happened?" asked Ruby, looking to Sasame and Qrow.

Qrow's smile faltered. "Well...I ran into an old friend of yours," he said.

"Huh?"

Qrow revealed that Morgan had been flying the airship that had brought down all of Ironwood's warships, to Ruby's horror. She'd genuinely thought that Morgan had perished, along with her submarine, back when Weiss had sunk it. To realize that Morgan had survived, and had been working with Salem, was terrifying. Even the revelation that Qrow had managed to confirm her death didn't fully calm the shivers running down Ruby's spine.

Aside from that, she also learned about Sasame's promotion.

"Um...Should I call you Saisei-nee, now?" asked Ruby, looking at her sister.

Sasame giggled. "I think I'm just fine with you continuing to call me Sasame," she said. "Regardless of name or rank, nothing will ever change that you are my sister, Ruby-chan."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"You'll be able to talk to the others in a bit," said Shinrei. "Makoto-sama'a Aura should have chased the Grimm from most of the Kingdom. But the radius of his presence isn't as wide as Kyo's, so we're playing it safe for now."

"How bad is it?" asked Ruby, looking to her uncle.

Qrow sighed. "Pretty bad," he said. "Even if everyone did a damn good job getting on top of the situation, it doesn't change the fact that a lot of people died. They're...still tallying the totals...but we could be looking at several-thousand dead."

"Oh..." Ruby blinked, feeling pressure build behind her eyes.

The casualties weren't limited to civilians either, as Ruby quickly found out. She was horrified to learn that several students visiting for the Vytal Festival had given their lives in the ensuing battle. A few Huntsmen and Huntresses had given their lives, including an entire team that had run afoul of Tyrian, and been massacred. According to all assessments, the cost could have been much higher. But that did little to assuage the guilt Ruby felt in her heart, the feeling that there should have been more that she could have done. While she'd been napping away, people had been fighting and dying for the Kingdom she now called home and, in the end, all she'd done was kill a single man. In comparison, that was hardly anything to be proud of.

"Don't sweat it, Rosebud," said Qrow, gently ruffling her hair. "You did good, taking Taurus out. That jerk was bad news. If he'd gotten past you, I don't doubt he would've made things ten-times worse than they already were."

Ruby nodded slowly.

"Aside from that, it sounds like things got crazier at Beacon than we originally thought," added Qrow.

"What do you mean?" asked Ruby.

"Well...besides the Grimm attacking, it looks like the White Fang that Adam managed to rally under him went after Beacon," said Qrow.

Ruby gasped softly. "Ashley! Is she okay?"

In the end, she had thought that having Ashley and her family wait at Beacon, during the final round of the tournament, had been a good idea, even if she'd felt a little guilty that Ashley wouldn't be able to watch her match in person. But, considering the possibility of an attack, a suspicion that had been borne out, it had proven to be the right choice...or so she'd thought. But now she'd learned that a group that had been gunning for Ashley for months had launched an attack on the very place she'd been hiding in.

"She's good," said Qrow, holding up a hand. "Weiss confirmed it a while back. The Fang weren't there for her anyway. From the looks of things, they were aiming for the tower."

"The tower...?" Ruby blinked in confusion.

"Probably wanted to bring it down," said Qrow. "With the CCT down, the last thing people around the world would have seen was Vale being overrun, and people dying. Considering most of our forces were deployed to Vale to help the population, and most of the rest holding the line against the Grimm coming out of the Emerald Forest, the White Fang nearly managed it."

Ruby swallowed nervously.

Qrow grinned. "Fortunately, there were a few people who were able to take care of 'em."

"Who?!" gasped Ruby.

"Your godfather, for one," said Qrow with a chuckle. "Yuki might not be taking as many missions as he used to, but he hasn't let himself go slack."

"Oh!" gasped Ruby, also glad to hear that Yukimura had gotten out of this mess all right.

"Arc's dad helped hold the line too," added Qrow. "They got a hand from a couple of others too, like Blake's color-changing friend, Torchwick, and even that pint-sized minion of his."

Mixed in with that good news was the extra good news that Neo had recovered from the wound that Adam had inflicted upon her, apparently enough that she had been able to take part in the defense of Beacon.

"But enough talk," said Qrow. "You just woke up. I bet you're feeling pretty peckish, right now. Go get some food, then catch up with your friends."

"Okay," said Ruby, heading towards a table that had been loaded up, buffet style, and picking up a plate for herself.

As she did, Qrow got to his feet with a sigh.

"Going somewhere, Qrow-san?" asked Shinrei.

"Gotta check with someone else," said Qrow. "Keep Ruby occupied for me."

"Of course," said Sasame.

The view from the top of the building currently serving as the headquarters of the Huntsmen and Huntresses protecting Vale wasn't exactly spectacular. Most of the high rises within the safe zone had been repurposed by the military as observation posts. The rest weren't particularly suited for the job. Of course, when it came to choosing such a location, the view from the top wasn't particularly high on the list of attributes that were considered.

That didn't have much meaning for Yang. She hadn't exactly come up to the roof of the building to sightsee. Instead, she just needed some time to herself. She was hardly the only person up here. However, the others occupying the roof were similarly interested in peace and quiet. No one had bothered her, and Yang had easily taken one of the four corners, sitting on the edge, with her legs dangling down the side. It was a sight to send many a mother into fits of horror, but Yang didn't need to worry about what would happen if she fell off. She had a landing strategy after all...

...And she also no longer had a mother to fear for her safety either...not that the one she'd had left would have bothered worrying over her like that.

Her ears picked up the soft scuff of shoes against the concrete of the roof behind her. Then a familiar figure settled down next to her.

"How you holding up, Firecracker?" asked Qrow.

"I...don't know," Yang admitted, staring down into the empty alley below. "I...I just don't know how to feel about it. Just a few months ago, I saw her for the very first time, in Mountain Glenn. And now...she's gone."

"I can understand," said Qrow. "She might've been garbage, but she was still my sister. Whatever I might've said, you don't erase a lifetime's worth of sibling bonds, like they never existed."

"She was a terrible person," said Yang. "At the end of the day, the only things she cared about were getting back at Ruby, and getting the Maidens' magic."

"And keeping Salem from killing her," added Qrow.

Yang nodded unhappily.

"But it still hurts," said Qrow.

"It does," admitted Yang.

"Raven was garbage. I'll be the first to say it." Reaching into one of his pockets, Qrow pulled out a new flask, which he'd gotten to replace the one he'd thrown away during the battle. "But...she still had connections, both to you and me. I will say one thing though."

"What's that?" asked Yang.

Qrow smiled at her. "Whatever else she might've done; all the harm, all the damage, all the pain she's caused; there's one unquestionably good thing that Raven did, the one thing that no amount of evil she did can ever tarnish."

"What's that?" asked Yang.

"She brought you into this world," said Qrow. "You exist, because of her. Even if she up and left before you were even old enough to remember her, even if she only ever came back because she thought you might help her agenda; the fact remains, Raven gave birth to you...and that's the one thing I'll probably never stop being grateful for. You are the one true good thing that Raven did. And so..."

Qrow unscrewed the lid of his flask and tilted it in the open air, pouring a stream of liquor off the edge of the roof, letting it fall into the alley below. "At the very least, I can hope that she's found some measure of peace...that the thing she found at the end of the tunnel wasn't as bad as she was afraid of. Maybe that's naive of me, but as her brother, I at least feel that."

Despite the feeling of melancholy welling up within her, Yang was able to smile at that. "Thanks, Uncle Qrow."

"I'm so glad you're all right!"

Weiss couldn't keep a wry smile from her face at those words. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?"

She heard a giggle from the other end of the line. "I guess so," Ashley replied. "But...we didn't really feel like we were in that much danger, even when the White Fang attacked. We were taking shelter with the civilians that were evacuated from the coliseum, so I barely saw anything of what was going on."

"That's probably for the best," said Weiss. "I'll get up there as soon as I can. Ruby will too."

"Is she okay?" asked Ashley. "The last I saw of the broadcast, she was going to fight Taurus."

"She won," said Weiss. "I don't have all the details yet, but I'm guessing that Adam was much stronger than he'd been, the last time they'd fought."

"I suppose he'd have to be," said Ashley. "What about you?"

"Well, we teamed up with one of Ruby's friends from Leng," said Weiss, "then went hunting for those spawning pools that were set up inside the Kingdom. We wound up facing one of the people who planted them, a real piece of work."

"Is he...?"

"He's dead," confirmed Weiss. "From the look of things, we got all of Salem's lackeys."

Given that one of the first things Weiss had confirmed with Ashley was that she had seen Jinn's answers too, Weiss realized that there was little point in playing coy with her girlfriend. Ashley now knew who Salem was. Everyone knew who Salem was.

"Weiss..." At the mention of Salem's name, Ashley's tone had grown softer...frightened. "Is it true? Is that...thing...really what we're up against."

"It is," agreed Weiss, swallowing. "She's real...and...it looks like she's immortal."

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Jinn's story had come along with the revelation that Salem was impossible to kill. Cursed with immortality by the God of Light, she had been rendered incapable of dying. However, her punishment had been turned into a curse upon the rest of the world. The human race now had to contend with an undying, implacable foe, who would not stop until she had brought the Kingdoms to their knees…and then wiped them out altogether.

On some level, Weiss had put off with having to deal with this revelation by focusing on what needed to be done in the immediate future. The Grimm had to be stopped, Vale had to be secured. After that, they could worry about more existential matters.

I wonder how everyone else is taking this, mused Weiss. She and her friends had the advantage of being aware of Salem's existence, and her machinations, beforehand. They hadn't been aware that Salem was immortal, a tidbit that Ozpin had apparently withheld for…reasons…from everyone. Weiss could hazard a guess what they were. For many people, finding out that they were fighting a war against an undying foe would utterly destroy their morale. However many victories they won in the present, the final, ultimate victory was forever out of reach. There were more than a few people who would abandon the fight, then and there.

"What about the other thing?" asked Ashley. "What do you think about the Mibu?"

"I...don't know," admitted Weiss.

As strange as learning about the origins and truth about Salem had been, learning the truth about the Mibu was even stranger. From the story Jinn had told about Salem, one would have assumed that this was humanity's second emergence on the world, after the previous wave was destroyed by the God of Darkness, when Salem led humanity in rebellion against the gods. However, immediately after that, they had learned that they were, in fact, the third wave of humanity. The Mibu were descendants of that true original human race...sort of. The relation of their origins had been even stranger than the story of Salem, in its own way.

And it was the Mibu who brought the human race back, thought Weiss. Or, at least, it had been Kyo's ancestor who'd restored the human race to the world. It made her wonder if Kyo possessed that kind of power.

"What does Ruby think about it?" asked Ashley. "I'd be pretty weirded out to find out that the people who raised me were made artificially."

"I guess it does sound weird," conceded Weiss. "I haven't gotten the chance to check with Ruby yet, but...I don't think she'll let it bother her. After all, it's not as though the Mibu she and we know were created that way, just their really distant ancestors. It's been who-knows-how-long since that time, so it doesn't really matter where the Mibu came from."

"I guess..." agreed Ashley.

"It's going to be a mess," conceded Weiss. "People are gonna be struggling with a lot of existential questions. But we need to get things sorted out here first. Then we can worry about the bigger picture."

"All right," said Ashley.

"I'll be up to see you as soon as I can," Weiss repeated. "We can talk more about that later."

"Okay...I love you."

"I love you too," said Weiss, smiling fondly.

She hung up the scroll, then set it down on the table in front of her. Taking a look around, she surveyed her surroundings. She'd chosen to take her call with Ashley in an empty room that had been an office, before Huntsmen and Huntresses had set up shop within it. Granted, this room was mostly untouched, as the forces defending the safe zone were mostly working with the larger rooms, were several people could be assembled or quartered at once. This arrangement wasn't likely to last more than a couple of days, Vale had largely been purged of Grimm. All that was left was to verify the safety of the remaining buildings, and count those who had died.

It would be bitter work. Salem's agents had planned their attack well...and it had come within a hair's breadth of succeeding. If the Mibu hadn't shown up, even if the spawning pools had been destroyed, the Kingdom would have likely still been overrun by the Grimm drawn by the rising negativity caused by Jester's little display in the coliseum, and the chaos that had followed. Weiss had seen the videos of the attack that had hit the walls from the direction of Mountain Glenn. She had never even imagined a Grimm attack of that scope. That Keikoku, and later Shinrei, had successfully thwarted it was a shocking testimony to the things Ruby had always been saying about the Mibu, and the potential of Aura.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss stood up and left the room. She made her way through the building, not quite sure where she was heading, but figured that meeting up with her teammates and friends would be a good start. From there, they could figure out what to do.

Much to her shock, the first person she ran into wasn't one of her teammates, friends, or even some random Huntsman. Rounding a corner, Weiss came to an abrupt stop, finding herself looking straight at her sister.

"Winter!"

Winter was almost as startled as Weiss was, taking half a step back, before regaining her composure, then breathing out. "I'm glad to see you, Weiss," she said. "How is Ashley doing?"

"She and her family are all right," said Weiss. "Are things going all right in the Kingdom?"

"Vale is safe for now," said Winter, with a surprising degree of conviction. "It seems that this Makoto-person, who led the Mibu dispatched here, is similar to Kyo, in that his presence deters the Grimm. So there is little need to worry about a second incursion."

"But..." Weiss prompted, sensing that the other shoe was about to drop.

Winter sighed. "But the real problem is now with the other Kingdoms. We've received word from Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas that Grimm attacks are on the rise across all of them. Vale's settlements are in similar straits too. The revelation that Vale made it through the attacks was enough of a morale booster that the pressure has eased in some places. But...there are still a few places that are in serious danger. Some settlements have fallen already."

A heavy feeling settled into the pit of Weiss' stomach.

"We're trying to coordinate the response," said Winter. "The General is already making plans with the Council to dispatch the Huntsmen and Huntresses stationed in Vale to the Kingdom's settlements to provide relief. The first teams will be departing in just a few hours."

"Will we be going too?" asked Weiss, referring to herself and her teammates.

"That is undecided, as of yet," said Winter, her tone grave. "There are certain matters that need to be resolved, particularly before we send Ruby off anywhere."

"Ruby...why?" asked Weiss.

Winter frowned. "We still have no word on the condition of her brother."

"Oh..." Weiss shivered.

In all the mad excitement that had infused the Battle of Vale, she had all but forgotten that Kyo had been stolen away by Jester. It had been that act that had opened Vale up to attack by the Grimm once more. Presumably, Kyo and Jester had fought, were maybe even still fighting. However, Weiss thought back to Jinn's second story and shuddered. Jester, this...creature...was an existence even higher than that of Salem's. The Mibu, who had the power to recreate humanity, could not do anything about him. If that was true, what reason did they have to believe that Kyo would achieve any different results?

Winter reached out and rested a hand on Weiss' shoulder. "For now, just rest and regain your strength, Weiss. You and your friends fought hard and well. You should be proud of what you've accomplished."

"I am," said Weiss. However, it was impossible to completely shake the sense of unease that welled up within her at the thought of what might be to come.

Gradually, Ruby was able to meet back up with her friends and teammates. She was glad that everyone in her immediate friend-group had made it through. She was excited to introduce everyone to Shinrei, and her teacher was happy to meet the friends she'd met, while at Beacon.

"And to think, this is the girl who nearly flew into a panic, because I suggested she do a few less training sessions a week, so that she'd have more time to socialize," teased Shinrei.

"Sensei!" protested Ruby, blushing furiously as her friends laughed.

"That's Ruby-chan for you," said Natsuki.

"It's certainly jarring to find out that the girl who approached us basically did so because her mother gave it to her as a homework assignment," added MIyu.

"Miyu-chan!"

"Does it really count as a homework assignment though?" asked Setsuna. "I mean, she was given it at home to perform in school."

"Yes, but...calling it schoolwork would give it the wrong impression, don't you think?" Miyu retorted, she and her boyfriend ignoring Ruby's pouting face. "Besides, what would you call it then?"

"Friendwork..." suggested Setsuna.

Miyu paused, thinking it over. "I suppose that will do."

"You guys are awful!" complained Ruby, while the others laughed.

As they did, Natsuki glanced towards the edge of the room, noticing that one person wasn't participating in the fun. Amber was leaning up against the wall, watching them. Every now and then, her lips would quirk up in a slight smile. But it would quickly fade, a more pensive expression taking its place. Carefully, Natsuki shifted away from the others, taking advantage of the fact that everyone seemed to be taking their turn making Ruby squirm to discreetly shift to Amber's side.

"Are you worried about Kyo?" she asked softly.

"I am," said Amber, hugging herself tightly. "There hasn't been a sign of him since last night. We don't know if he's all right. For all we know, he could be dead."

Natsuki snorted. "Not Kyo," she assured Amber. "He's the strongest there is."

"But..." Amber averted her eyes. "That Jester...He's supposed to be someone that even Kyo's ancestors couldn't defeat. Shouldn't we be looking for him, and trying to help him?"

"Even if we wanted to, we have no notion of where to begin," commented Sasame, moving to lean against the wall beside Amber, opposite where Natsuki was leaning. "We have no means of tracking where Jester took Kyo. Even if we did, intervening carelessly would only lead to worse casualties. The best thing we can do, for the time being, is place our trust in him to come through."

Amber swallowed, then nodded reluctantly.

They chatted for a while longer. However, their discussions soon came to an end, when a familiar, ominous sound echoed through the city. The siren was accompanied by the buzzing of everyone's scrolls. Ruby and her friends didn't need to look to know what they were being warned about. Still, Ruby fished her scroll out of her pocket anyway. Sure enough, the message on the device was an emergency summons, indicating that a new Grimm incursion was occurring.

Immediately, they rushed to get armed up. While they worked, Ruby received a call from Winter.

"Ms. Rose, please rally your teammates, and your friends from the Mibu. We have a massive incursion approaching from the northwest. Vale's perimeter sensors can't fully register the number."

Ruby swallowed, her mouth going dry. Reluctantly, she relayed Winter's report to the others, prompting gasps of shock.

"B-but...Makoto-sama is here," protested Natsuki. "The Grimm should't want to come close to Vale."

"If they are, then it means that something is overriding their natural instincts," said Shinrei.

"I suppose we'll just have to deal with it," said Sasame. "If someone is controlling these Grimm, then there is but one likely culprit. That being the case, that would mean that this is intended to be the final battle."

The emerged from the building, ready to take the shortest route north. However, they came to a stop when Shinrei held up a hand, Sasame stopping alongside him. There was a flicker, then the other three members of the Goyosei appeared beside them. Everyone looked past them expectantly at what seemed to be an empty stretch of street.

Then the air began to warp, something spiraling outwards out of the empty space in front of them. In just a second, an object had spiraled into being, before dropping to the asphalt with a thud.

"KYO!" screamed Amber, rushing towards the prone figure. Ruby was alongside her. However, they both jerked to a stop when Sasame's tails lashed out to wrap around their waists, holding them back.

"Don't," Sasame admonished.

Ruby spent a second wondering why Sasame would stop her from helping her brother. Kyo's body was in horrific condition. His right arm was little more than a bloody stump below the shoulder. His left leg had clearly been broken in three places, the knee bending in the wrong direction entirely. There were cuts and bruises across every stretch of exposed skin, and stains against the dark fabric of his kimono that suggested further bleeding underneath it. More blood leaked from his mouth, and even from the corners of his eyes. Only barely could Ruby see the faint signs of life from her brother.

However, after a second, she sensed it too, the ominous presence lurking within Kyo's body. As Sasame bodily dragged Ruby and Amber back from Kyo, his body jolted, as though somebody had jabbed it with a live wire, his spine arching. His eyes snapped open, and his mouth gaped in what seemed to be a soundless scream. But it was Ruby and several of her friends who screamed instead, as a series of sinuous, red objects stretched out from Kyo's open mouth.

At first, they seemed like snakes. However, it became clear that, what looked like heads at first glance were, in fact, tips of white bone. The tentacles reached out of Kyo's mouth, bending down to press against the ground, using themselves to lever up the main body from within.

Kyo's mouth stretched open wider. The abomination was contorting its body to fit through the gap. But even that wasn't enough, as their ears were assaulted by the sound of Kyo's jaw dislocating. Finally, bulging and stretching, the mantle of the Grimm Seer pulled itself free from Kyo's body, rising up to hover in the air over him.

"Ruby Rose..."

A woman's voice issued from within the monstrosity, and it began to twitch and convulse, its tentacles curling inwards, twitching spasmodically. Then, with a cracking noise, the Seer's mantle broke...and black smoke streamed out. The smoke stretched upward, then began to take shape, some of it changing color, until what had enveloped the Seer's body was an apparition.

Ruby inhaled sharply. There was no mistaking the person before her. She had seen this face in Jinn's story. This was the one who had been behind Cinder; behind Mercury and Emerald; behind Watts, Tyrian, and Hazel; the one behind Jester (or the one Jester was behind). There was no mistaking that pale skin, those purple veins, those blood red irises set against black sclerae.

Her mouth opened, the name escaping her lips unbidden. "Salem..."