Chapter 124: Ambush

"Well, what else could you expect from a bunch of bandits." 

Cinder said disdainfully, sitting in front of Raven. 

"Two of my people defeated a dozen of your... bandits in a friendly duel." 

She smiled.

"..."

 Raven gritted her teeth. 

"How long are you going to keep bringing that up?"

The irritation in her voice was noticeable.

"You arrived suddenly when my people were still recovering..."

"Excuses. I hope there won't be any excuses during our mission." 

Cinder said, her smile fading as she hinted at their impending attack on Haven Academy. 

She extended her Grimmified left arm to intimidate.

"Don't worry, everything will go as planned. My people won't let you down."

"If necessary, the faunus will help you... There's one crazy bull eager to take revenge on a certain huntress after she stopped his plan to become the head of the White Fang..." 

Cinder smiled devilishly.

Raven was furious but kept her composure... After all, this involved Salem herself, and she definitely didn't want to cross paths with her.

She had discovered that Cinder wanted to locate the relic hidden in the academy, and a plan immediately formed in her mind to prove that she wasn't to be trifled with.

She would steal the relic herself... but a shout from the edge of the camp interrupted her thoughts.

"We're under attack!" 

One of her people yelled.

"It looks like we have guests... You didn't betray us, did you? Salem wouldn't like that..." 

Cinder looked at Raven with a threatening gaze.

"No, I didn't tell anyone you were here." 

Raven answered, standing up to check on what was going on. 

She only managed to grab her sword—Omen or Foreboding, which had many telescopic blades in its sheath, making it easy to replace the blade when it broke. 

They broke often since each blade was made from elemental dust.

As soon as Raven ran out of the tent, she had to dodge one of her clansmen's flying body quickly.

"That's the way!" 

She heard a girl's voice exclaim... a familiar voice. 

Raven ran forward hoping it wasn't what she thought it was... and saw Ruby Rose and the rest of her team.

"There you are!" 

Yang yelled as she attacked Raven.

"How did you... never mind. You should leave this place." 

Raven told her with worry about what Cinder might do, but she simply attacked her which was expected.

"You've all become stronger and more capable."

I praised them for deciding to help deal with Raven. 

Pyrrha still used her shield and spear but more thoughtfully, fully participating as part of the team.

Ren and Nora also joined in the fun. 

After all, this was a clan of murderers and thieves, and no one objected to beating them up. 

As soon as we stepped through the portal, Winter immediately checked our location. 

Before this, she had sent a letter to the General and told him that the headmaster of Haven Academy was actually working for Salem and that it was now his problem...

"It's not far from the academy."

She frowned.

"While considering they tried to destroy Beacon and literally attacked Vale, I can assume their target this time was Haven Academy." 

I said, already sensing that Yang had begun fighting Raven.

"They need the relics." 

Oscar said who also managed to step through the portal before it closed. 

However, Ozpin stayed in his new body at the academy, probably contemplating what had happened.

"Well, bad for them because I've already taken the relic from here. Are you ready to help?"

I looked at him, and he nodded confidently.

"Then... Purewop." 

I said, and a light enveloped him.

"I... feel immense power!"

He exclaimed.

"Go help your friends; you're now ten times stronger than you were before."

He nodded gratefully and rushed to fight the enemies. 

I could have made him tens of thousands of times stronger, but there was simply no need for that.

"I sense a storm of emotions within you... Do you want to fight Cinder?" 

I guessed, and Winter nodded.

"Yes... I want to see how easily I can handle her this time. After everything I've been through and gaining the powers of the Winter Maiden." 

Winter clenched her fists.

"If that's what you want, who am I to deny you?"

I asked rhetorically. 

Winter wanted to prove to herself that everything she had endured had made her stronger… but she would always have doubts until she saw it with her own eyes.

I opened a portal that led straight to Cinder's location and saw a girl with dark hair who looked sexually appealing... with short hair and an arm resembling Grimm's. 

As soon as I opened the portal, she noticed me, but her intuition kicked in, and she blocked Winter's sword strike.

"No, no, don't move." 

I appeared behind the green-haired, dark-skinned girl who wanted to rush to Cinder's defense and a guy with prosthetic legs.

"..."

Without a word, the guy tried to turn and kick me with his leg... at that moment, I felt an illusion, likely the work of the green-haired girl. 

I suspected I wasn't supposed to see the kick… but I still did nothing and allowed his leg to make contact with my chest.

"Crk"

A pitiful metal crack was heard, and the gray-haired guy continued his attacks. 

He quickly dropped to his hands to gain momentum as he spun to strike me again with his legs. 

Once again, nothing changed, and I continued to stand, barely feeling the blows.

"Who the hell are you?!" 

He exclaimed after landing a full-force kick to my face with no effect.

"Maybe he's an illusion too?"

He looked at his green-haired partner.

"He's... the one who defeated Cinder."

The green-haired girl gulped, clearly remembering me. Perhaps she had seen me fight Cinder, or Cinder had told her about me.

"Quite weak for Salem's followers."

I couldn't help but remark. 

My eyes glowed brightly, and a pure white beam shot out, completely obliterating a nearby rock formation and the forest hundreds of meters behind it.

"... we surrender." 

The gray-haired guy raised his hands with fear evident in his eyes.

"At least you're not idiots."

I said, using magic to put them to sleep.

The battle in the camp had ended as two teams of hunters had effectively taken down everyone. 

After the rock's destruction, the remaining members of the Branwen clan surrendered while fearing for their lives.

I stepped through the portal and distracted Cinder's two assistants, but Winter had already struck her, and they started fighting. 

Cinder struggled to dodge Winter's blows, and when Winter became more serious, she began losing ground while forcing her to use the Maiden's power.

"You're a Maiden!"

Cinder exclaimed when Winter also used the Maiden's power to envelope herself in a magical barrier and unleash cold, lightning, and fire in all directions. 

She seemed intent on touching Winter with her Grimm's arm.

"Excellent, I'll take that power for myself!" 

Cinder grew much more aggressive.

"You won't win this time." 

Winter spoke calmly while using her magic to deflect a lightning bolt aimed at her. 

Winter also wielded cold magic, freezing everything around her and creating ice golems to aid or intimidate Cinder.

"Where did you get such power?!" 

Cinder demanded angrily after Winter weakened her Aura with a Ki-infused punch, followed by an attack from the ice golems that Cinder destroyed with a burst of magical energy. 

It was clear that Winter wasn't giving her everything unlike her.

"Is it him?" 

Cinder suddenly realized this when distracted by a bright light coming from the side.

She saw the entire rock formation near the camp disappear...

"You managed to escape last time, but now you won't get away from me this time."

Winter attacked Cinder again and didn't hold back.

She struck her, infused with Ki and Maiden magic that quickly depleted Cinder's aura and knocked her out.

"Yang!" 

Ruby shouted as her sister was thrown back by Raven's punch. 

Raven was visibly scared when she witnessed what I had done. 

She swung her blade, trying to use her Semblance to create a portal, but it didn't appear, and I slowly approached her.

"No-no... open, damn it!"

Raven was frantic with her Maiden power flaring around her like a cornered wild animal.

"Surrender peacefully." 

I said, stopping next to Yang, who was looking at her mother with a rather strange expression.

"Who are you?! Are you the one who defeated Cinder in the past?"

Raven's eyes darted to where the rock had recently stood, then back to my smiling face with glowing eyes. 

She used all of her Maiden power to make a barrier around herself as a safety measure.

"Coward." 

Yang snorted, crossing her arms over her ample chest.

"Can you blast her with those lasers again?"

"No problem." 

White lasers shot from my eyes again, striking the magical barrier, which didn't last three seconds before shattering.

"My turn!"

Yang swiftly closed the distance to exhausted Raven and quickly punched her face.

"Finally!"

"Your relationship is quite something."

I commented, watching the mother-daughter duo.

"I have questions for her... I specifically didn't search for her after you left when remembering how Ruby and I nearly died because of my actions in childhood. After that, I was obsessed with finding Raven. Now... now I feel lighter. I have close friends and Ruby." 

She looked at her team and at JNPR.

"You forgot about Dad."

Ruby reminded them of their father.

"The old man isn't going anywhere."

Yang waved her hand dismissively, and they laughed.

"Kid, you did great too."

She gave Oscar a thumbs up.

"Surprisingly, everything went quickly."

Blake said, putting away her weapon.

"That's because we had Winter and Tony with us, and we've gotten more experienced. In Menagerie, we fought against a White Fang cell led by your crazy ex."

"Weiss… can you stop bringing that up every time? He's an enemy and won't get any mercy after what he tried to do." 

Blake said, glancing at Yang's hand. 

Adam had also tried to kill her parents and Sienna Khan to become the leader of the White Fang.

"Now we just have to wait for the Atlas troops to arrive. General Ironwood has already received permission to cross the Mistral kingdom's border."

 Winter informed them.

 Everyone decided to stay there and wait for Ironwood's arrival.

 Yang was eager to talk to Raven, and Winter wanted to gloat over Cinder.

Meanwhile, I decided to get the two remaining relics. 

The Relic of Choice was located in Beacon Academy, and it seemed Ozpin either didn't have time or didn't want to move it.

This relic didn't have a guardian spirit or conduit for its power but was hidden behind several magical barriers. 

The relic itself looked like a crown with a large gemstone in the center.

The last relic was in Shade Academy in the Kingdom of Vacuo. 

I didn't warn anyone about my arrival this time and quietly stole the Relic of Destruction. 

This relic definitely had the Dark Dragon's touch, as it exuded darkness and destruction. 

It was connected to the system of dark energy throughout Remnant, referring to the Grimm and their pools of dark energy from which they emerged. 

This relic held the power of all the Grimm in the world and could slice through anything on the planet by disintegrating it at a molecular level. 

However, the relic seemed worthless compared to my sword. 

In fact, it could wound even a god, but the Dark God could simply cut off the sword's energy supply, and that would be the end of it.

"I'll combine them later, and for now, I'll place them at the corners of a dimensional ring to keep them apart from each other."

I decided. 

After all, I didn't want to summon the gods earlier. 

First, I needed to have a conversation with the Queen of Darkness.

...

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