Encroachment

Raven had been busy the past few years. Not with constant battles, but with her current plans and family life. Teaching was something she quite enjoyed, though she often heard Yang, Ruby and Shirou groan about the intensity of her training. The results showed though, as Ruby, who was ten years old, was strong and skilled enough to enroll in signal early. Summer didn't want her to yet, of course. Wanting Ruby to at least finish elementary school before going into a Combat prep school like Signal.

Yang, on the other hand was above even the seniors at Signal, being overqualified enough to enroll at Beacon. Though she didn't, due to wanting to stay with her friends and Raven's insistence she learn more at Signal. There was also the fact that Raven's opinion of Ozpin dropped drastically. Where there was a mutual respect, now there was tension. Ozpin seemed different.

He always sent Qrow out on mundane or completely suicidal missions. He knew Raven would go with her brother and she knew he knew that. It was all an effort to gauge her abilities and it was growing increasingly grating on the twins. Raven often made a point to avoid personal meetings with the man, too. As something about him felt off now.

One thing to be happy for was that Raven's persistence and presence gave Salem the motivation to fight against the numerous wicked souls within her. She tried to extract them with the same ability that helped her absorb Gilgamesh's black water from but it was a futile effort. They had become attached to her very soul and to extract them meant killing Salem.

On the Fuyuki side, Raven often stayed at her temporary home there with Kiritsugu. The man was very private regarding his affliction and past but eventually, enough trust was built up to allow Raven to get some insight about magecraft, the holy grail wars and magi. The Grail would return but not quickly enough. Her current plan was to devour Angra Mainyu and remove him from the Grail. Perhaps then, she could return to Remnant with it and remove the souls attached to Salem. So to decrease the waiting time, she fed her mana into the atmosphere in Fuyuki every day for two hours until she was empty.

Shirou himself had progressed quite a bit. His unique form of projection had managed to copy Omen. Something that impressed both Kiritsugu and Raven due to it being reforged into a Noble Phantasm. He had also learned reinforcement to a high degree as well. Upon his tenth birthday, he received Kiritsugu's crest. Raven gave him various materials she plundered from Gilgamesh and encouraged him to forge his own blade, one he could truly call his own.

Unfortunately for the Emiya household, Kiritsugu seemed to be dying. Not that Raven couldn't save him if she tried. But Kiritsugu himself did not wish to change his fate and asked Raven to look after Shirou when he passed. It was coming soon, judging by all the philosophical talks he had with Shirou. Something which greatly irked Raven, as currently, she heard the two speaking while sitting near the backyard.

Walking quietly, she heard Shirou ask him a question.

"You 'wanted' to be one? Did you give up?" He asked, innocently looking up at his Father figure.

"Yeah. Being a hero is... Well, no- Let me rephrase that. Being my ideal hero is a limited time thing. When you grow up, you'll realize certain things. It gets hard to call yourself one. Honestly, I only realized it when I met you and Raven" Shirou and Raven heard an odd tone of gratitude and regret in his voice.

"What do you mean..?" Shirou asked, looking over to Raven as she walked over and sat next to them.

"He means the type of hero he strived to be was unrealistic, Shirou" Raven answered, hearing Kiritsugu hum in acknowledgement.

"Unrealistic..?" Shirou questioned, seeing Kiritsugu sigh.

"He was a bit too naive and self sacrificing. Heroes.. The ones I read about to you, Shirou, have had different approaches and motivations for being how they are" Raven explained as Kiritsugu remained silent and listened.

"In a war not too long ago now, the Japanese soldiers were seen as 'heroes' who slaughtered the 'lesser' and 'evil' Chinese across their lands. Of course, they were simply portrayed as 'heroes' and never truly did anything heroic. Just the opposite, really. Then, there are the self sacrificing heroes, who give everything they have to protect something. An ideal, their country, their family.. Their nature almost guarantees they'll suffer and live out a lonely existence" Shirou shifted uncomfortably and stared at Raven's pale skin.

"But for some, it is worth it. Some heroes are born from a selfless reason to protect those things and others are born from the selfish reason to protect those things" Raven ran her hand through his red hair and explained.

"What's the difference if they're protected in the end?" Shirou asked with a furrowed brow.

"The selfless usually die and never get to see what they gave everything for, flourish. Whether that be their ideal, nation or loved ones. The selfish, while still having the possibility of dying to protect those things, are more likely to live to see them flourish. They're more flexible in what they're willing to sacrifice" Shirou slowly nodded his head and looked to Kiritsugu, whose eyes were downcast and looking up at the moon.

"It's time for bed, Shirou. Raven and I need to talk about something, in private" Kiritsugu spoke in a firm tone Shirou was unused to, though he complied and went to his room after bidding the two a good night.

"He's already on a self sacrificing path, Kiritsugu. He stays after school to help without going out with his friends. Simply because he wanted to be like you. Because of your past ideals" Raven commented, hearing a sorrow-filled sigh from the man.

"Please try to steer him away. I at least want one of my children happy.." He requested, voice getting weaker.

"Of course. You have another child..?" Raven was surprised, she never heard him talk about it before now.

"Yes.. That's why I have another request. My last one. I made a lot of recordings for this inevitability. My daughter, Illya. Can you please save her? I have nothing to offer you but.. As a father, I beg of you. Please help my daughter.." Raven nodded silently as she watched the tears fall down his face.

"I'll take care of it" Raven simply agreed, seeing Kiritsugu nod gratefully before getting up and explaining Illya's situation.

"I'll leave it to you then. Thank you" Kiritsugu thankfully bowed his head to her before he left for his room.

Seeing his declining state, Raven shook her head and returned to Patch.

~Fool is still clinging to that ideal and he doesn't even realize it~ Raven scowled before turning in for the night.

-Beacon, Ozpin's tower-

The Brother of Light, now Ozpin/Ozma was paying close attention to Kurome and Akame. Given the fact that they were Raven's children, they warranted that attention. It proved to be the right move. Although they had aura, their soul's signature was foreign, like Raven's. This greatly unsettled him. Raven could not have gained the power to travel between different worlds naturally. There was a God at play here. One he could not feel. Though he did feel the presence of his Brother, who he figured was also probing the situation.

It was a long five years of watching and learning but every time he saw Raven in person, her presence disturbed him. Not simply due to the stench of darkness on her, but her more neutral disposition despite that darkness. It reeked of a neutral God's influence and it terrified him to think of what she would do if she grew more. So, he decided the safest option was to call down a Reincarnator. One he himself had used to scout worlds under the influence of other Gods.

A man sat across from him, seated in a chair. He had silver, mid length hair that reached his collar bone. His eyes were a shade of purple and he wore a blue blazer over a loose white shirt and camo cargo pants. He was somebody who had taken the body of Vali, in a chaotic version of Draconic Deus. He was relatively new, though his system allowed for quick growth on top of the boons his body already possessed. Since the destruction of Divine Dividing in that world was certain, he got the gift of a Draconic bloodline. He traded the Sacred Gear to the other reincarnator who died there recently, much to his dismay.

Ozpin was quietly briefing him about the situation, in case Glynda or Qrow were to barge in, as they'd been doing more frequently with all his recent decisions.

"You're not to focus on Draconic Deus anymore. Far too dangerous of a champion is aligned with that new Dark God" Ozpin explained to his champion.

"Ah.. right.. Gil lost to that bastard.. She kept me away because I was still too weak.. But I'm sure we can still bring her back.." The reincarnator muttered in vexation.

Ozpin sighed and shook his head.

"Train for a little in the Grimmlands if you need to. I need to be sure you're strong enough to destroy her. Then, you can take whatever you want from this world and fight the one who took your.. lover away from you" Ozpin smiled, hiding his true thoughts.

"Thank you, God.." He said with a reverential bow.

"Think nothing of it. Just be sure you are ready for when I give the word" Ozpin pat his shoulder but did not stop him from bowing.

-Grimmlands, Evernight Castle-

Salem felt something weird happening in the dragon shaped continent she occupied. It began two months back, when the Grimm she usually had patrolling the area suddenly got cut off from her. It started small, but now numbered in the hundreds. It was quickly becoming a real concern but she was hesitant to send Cinder, Watts, Tyrian or Hazel out to check. She tried seeing out of the Grimm's eyes but all she could ever make out was a blurry, black figure.

"And it feels so.. familiar.." Salem murmured to herself, submerging herself in thought.

-Outer edge, Grimmlands-

A human figure wrapped in black leather and Grimm plates finished off another Deathstalker with ease before lowering his guard and absorbing some kind of energy from it. After that and checking that the coast was clear, he opened his hand as a mass of black liquid condensed off him and swirled on the floor. Mana covered the liquid and took shape before the figure's eyes, looking like a pale woman with short grey hair and dull golden eyes which reflected a dark amusement in them.

She wore an all black armor with a black head protector and a black fur coat. Behind her, manifested a spear with a flag attached to it. She yawned and stretched before licking her lips slowly and politely bowing to the figure before her.

"Hello benefactor. Dark God in the flesh. What's going on? I was having a lovely time turning 'To Love Ru' into a Hellscape. Cucked Rito, killed the fat principal.. Good times" The Dark God nodded in amusement at her words before replying.

"I have an unexpected issue, you see. One that we may be able to recruit. If that fails, we'll kill. Judging by my Brother's presence on this world, the person in question is a real threat to him. I want you nearby for when she is confronted by his champion" The Dark God answered, seeing his own champion crack her neck in anticipation.

"Sure. Bet she's hot too~ I'll find her myself, more fun that way anyhow" She finished with a chuckle.

[Very good, Jeanne! I'll mark the location of nearby human settlements] Her system 'gleefully' stated as Jeanne began to walk away.

"Eh I should have time for a quickie.." Her seductive voice replied as she twirled her spear.

-Mistralian Town-

Esdeath walked into an infamous bar with a spider's symbol. Tagging along with her was a green haired girl wearing a thick, concealing coat. Esdeath encountered her two years ago, trying to pickpocket her. Something which impressed the Ex-General due to only feeling her presence when Emerald had her hand in her pocket. She took a note from Raven's book and adopted the girl into her free lifestyle. Though at first, she only used her to hunt the Branwen tribe, the girl really grew on her.

Approaching a heavy-set blonde woman at a table, Esdeath threw down two thousand lien and stared into the shocked eyes of the criminal boss, Miss Malachite.

"I know you know where the Branwen tribe is. Or.. more accurately, what's become of them. Here's the deal. You take the lien and tell me or I get to have a little fun and I get the information for free" The menacing aura of Esdeath made the blonde shiver.

"So, what'll it be?"