Embedded Files
Bob's Note:
Bob has been playing Doom Eternal
He loves it
Bob loves to rip and tear
RIP N' TEAR UNTIL IT'S DONE
Also don't mind the image above. The author just don't know what to put on, so he chose a random image from his collection
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Ironwood is by no mean an overachiever
Despite what his accomplishments in the course of his two decades of military service would indicate, the general is far from the glory hound people like to paint him as. James may strive for results, but he's not as dull-witted as to sacrifice his men for a chance at promotion, a trait which Ozpin have pointed out in their first meeting with amusement
He serve his Kingdom dutifully. He look after his soldiers as he would his family. He ensures the protection and safety of Atlas's inhabitants by dedicating himself day and night to his profession. He risks his life, both social and literal, for the pursuit of his ideal
No matter if it's otherworldly monsters seeking for destruction of humanity, men who have fallen to the depth of depravity, or people who threatens the stability of his government, the General hunted them down with unbiased efficiency
For 2 decades, he had thought it's enough to ward off the evil that haunt this land called Remnant
And then the Huntsmen Headquarter Massacre happened
Like a man awaken from his dream, only to find himself in a nightmare, James Ironwood could only sat there as his operative described the fall of the beacon to his kingdom, a place known as impeachable, the symbol to their hopes and dreams, utterly dismantled by a single individual over the course of a single night
Disasters after disasters. No matter how much he sends them in the hope of stopping that walking calamity, the only results are thousands of body bags being sent back to his department and billions of Lien in property damage. All the while, that which he had wanted never came
He had his eyes opened....as to just how fragile peace really are
The citizens he's strive so hard to protect. Now openly supporting the terrorist known as the Grim
The government he'd dutifully worked under for so long. Most of them went mad from panic, their dignity thrown out the window as they scrambled for their positions
The friends he'd worked with. Now revealed to be traitors after the evil deeds of Dr. Evil was exposed to the public
The realization. That everything he'd worked for up util this point has been for naught. That everything was...just a game to this monster
Checkmate. Checkmate. Checkmate
A single pawn. Dancing elegantly across the battlefield. Black or white, it does not matter. From across the chessboard, two glowing red eyes opened into existence, peering into his very soul.
No hostility nor wariness, only a sense of amusement as it ensnares it's prey in it's grasp. Slowly, the grip on reality tightened, threatening to choke him-
"Gah!" With a cry, James Ironwood awoken from his slumber, panting heavily with sweats pouring down his forehead. It took the man a moment to realize he'd fallen from his seat, papers still fluttering in the air and a shattered mug beside him
.....
"...Just a nightmare" He sighed, collecting his thoughts as well as the reports littering the pristine white floor underneath him "I should contact Reaper for more coffe-"
The General stopped, he slowly closed his eyes
"Right, he's dead...."
Woe art the fates of those who crossed path with Him. Ironwood sighed. Due to his nature of being a Stealth-based Specialist in the information department, not much was known about Reaper's personal life, thus he could not contact his friends to inform about them about his circumstances of death
A blade, cleanly pierced through and severing the brain stem in one smooth flick, as though done by a professional versed in the art of killing. An instant kill
Had it been different, he would be impressed at Pietro's creation, P.E.N.N.Y. The closest thing that could imitate, no, become human. As the scientist would often boast with him: 'Atlesian engineering technology are the best in the world'. His claim is not exaggerated
Ironwood remembered a time when he would try to convince him to turn the girl into something more specialized for combat. A few more weapons for her equipment, a few enhancements to her core, turning her into something more than she already was and maximizing her potential on the field...for Atlas's sake
He regretted that decision now. Now they got a dangerous rogue AI on the loose, possible working in opposition against them, and her creator assassinated. The perpetrator's identity still uncertain....but there is no doubt regarding who is behind it
Grim, that cunning son of a bitch
Taking a deep breath, he took out his Scroll and dialed a number into it, waiting for the other person to pick up
And fortunately, they did
"General Hawk listening. What's the situation, Ironwood?"
"Sir" Even when they are the same rank, Ironwood respectfully referred to the man as his superior due to the fact that he has been given the lead on this operation "I have called you to express my concern regarding this mission"
A pause on the other line
"Is this concern subjective?"
"Semi-subjective, sir" He replied, already preparing the necessary points in his head "I think there are several problems with our current task"
"You could have voiced this when we were first tasked with it, James" The disapproval was expected. Any competent general would detest wasting time and effort in their operation, where many things are at stakes
"The operative in my place was incapacitated before he could relay the news to me" He explained "That aside, even if you do not acknowledge my opinions, that would be your choice and not mine"
"Fine. Speak your mind"
"The first and foremost problem I have with this is the passive aggressiveness in our approach" he sighed "While I understand it's a textbook tactic with guaranteed result, I would like to point out the holes that we ourselves has left open for HIM to exploit"
Their target was a lone man, trapped on an island that was surrounded by the sea. The plan has been to send in their men discreetly, gaining control of the nearby sea route by encircling the outer perimeter, thus sealing off his escape, at the same time spreading false rumor to elicit some actions from him
Search and detain. If the situation calls for it, search and destroy. It'll only be a matter of time before Grim, the desperate fucker that he is, make an attempt to escape as a last ditch effort to weave around the law.
Against any criminal, they would be nothing more than a rat trapped in an iron cage, unable to retrieve nor advance, stuck in a deadlock until they are forced to turn themselves in
But the Grim is not just a normal criminal. There's a reason as to why everyone considered him to be an unofficial S-ranked international target in their eyes. Intelligent, manipulative, resourceful with a vast network of intelligence and allies at his disposal, a master of charisma who can sway others to his cause with nary a word.
As if that's not enough, his combat prowess were on par with a top ranked Huntsman, capable of tracking down and taking out individuals who have eluded the grasps of law for years. Any person who has seen him in person could understand why the General was being so paranoid about this
"The encirclement tactic only works in a short amount of time. I won't bother with statistics since I'm no military analyst, but long term attrition will be the double-edged blade that may be the crucial point to his plan" Ironwood closed his eyes "As you know, keeping thousands of personnel at sea will require a great amount of resources, to which may amount to thousands of Lien to maintain morale among my troops"
"Such things are trivial" He could practically hear Hawk waving his hand in a dismissal gesture on the other side of the phone. Something that irked the general greatly "Grim is our highest priority right now. Need I remind you that he alone had caused millions of Lien in property damage prior to his plight at the coast of Atlas?"
"Beside, think about the sheer advantage our Kingdom would reap if we can get him on our side. The BioTech department would love to have him for their experiments"
"That is for you and the higher-ups to decide, sir" He growled out "Regardless, that is not the only thing you'll have to be wary of"
"Oh?"
"Our troops deployed along the sea and blocking every routes out will inevitably cause an outrage among Menagerie's populace. Economically and politically, not only does it cut off their main source of living and trading in the mean of seafood, it also causes further conflict between the people of Menagerie and our Atlesian government. To which I must remind you, us and they don't get along very well ever since that last battle in the Great War"
At this point he was sure the opinion he had on the matter was made clear, but Ironwood pressed on
"I already received report from our intelligence, to which you had tried to hid away from the rest of your team might I add. Ghira Belladonna was trying to hold the rein, but the rest of the radical faction has been on the rise ever since, amassing more and more followers by the day under the lead of their leader Sienna. It'll only be a matter of time before another revolution took place, one far more bloodier than the past...."
"As I already said, the Grim is a far more concerning priority. International politic is not our forte, and thus we need not to concern ourselves with it" Hawk's voice sounded tired, either from their conversation or the potential problems that could arise he did not know "We follow orders, we complete them. If they want the Grim, we hunt him down" He let out chuckle
"And plus, they are Faunus. Their weapons are primitive at best and their natural advantages, both biologically and geographically, can be annulled or even surpassed with our current technology. I reckon if we were to get into a war with these folks, it should be easier than the past"
"Do you honestly think those disadvantages alone are enough to hinder the Grim, sir?" James asked, incredulous to his superior's ignorance over the matter "Sir, he infiltrated one of the most secured place on Atlas with no help from the inside, killed most of the soldiers stationed there, and revealed scandalous info to the public in the form of evidences against the government that almost escalated into a civil war. As if that's not enough, he turned a bunch of traumatized kid with barely any basic skill on them into efficient killers just by teaching them how to use a gun. Imagine what would happen if he were to have access to the White Fang's manpower and resources!"
At the end of his speech, the General's voice was raising. Not with anger, but with anxiety and, if one were to be crude...fear
"You are exaggerating over the matter, general Ironwood"
"Am I?" Tiredness permeated through his voice, conveying his feelings to the other man without turning it to words
Perhaps. Yes. Perhaps this will go better than they expected. Perhaps they will find and arrest the Grim without resistance from him. Perhaps this matter of Menagerie will fade away, forgotten over time and a political discussion between the leaders. Perhaps then life will go on as always for the General, without any blood being shed and lives being lost in the process
If only that can happen
"Need I remind you of the person we are hunting down, Hawk?" The respectful tone he'd held in until now broke into a cold whisper "You have not seen the horror he is capable of. You haven't witnessed him in his most terrible. You have seen nothing"
"And you have?"
"No, which is why I am...wary. Seeing the sheer carnage he left behind in his wake would be enough to terrify a person to their core" James closed his eyes "The first time he made his appearance, Grim left no survivor save for my agent Reaper. The man was imbued with paranoia to the point of insanity - abandoning sleep and waking up screaming more often than one could count - until he was killed just yesterday, possibly having served his purpose and thus is nothing more than a loose end waiting to be cut"
"The second time at the border of Atlas, he left only one man to survive. Major Nikos of company 120...."
That man was young. Oh so young. A talented personnel who quickly rose through the rank with his outstanding service. A father with a happy family and a beautiful daughter, just waiting for him to return home from his long-term mission...
"He committed suicide the day after. Post-traumatic stress disorder"
In the silence that followed afterward, Ironwood got a chance to revised what he'd said. His breath was labored, sweats concentrating on his brows as the general realized his hand was shaking slightly from recounting his experience with that thing
"In spite of my advice, I can tell that you are not quite convinced about him" He chuckled humorlessly "Ah, but do forgive me for my rambling. If you still want to initiate this operation, know that you have my, and the Kingdom's wholehearted support"
With that he cut off the connection
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Another new day comes, and with it he opened his eyes
For information's sake, he doesn't exactly need to sleep in the first place due to him being an undead.
Rather, the physical need was eliminated due to lack of fatigue in this body, but that doesn't mean (Y/n) couldn't enjoy the feeling of sinking into consciousness and let the comfortable feeling of rest overtake him, for it offered him some mental respite from all the shits that he'd had to dealt with everyday
(Y/n) looked out the window, where the sky was still black. Under the moonlight, Menagerie's sank into the serene silence of the darkness, a scenery that would have served to bring peace to the mind if it wasn't for the distance light of Atlas's warship trouncing in the distance
'Right, first order of business....' He closed his eyes '....continue sleeping until the sun rose up'
"......."
"Fucking hell" He groaned "Why did my crotch feel funny?"
Looking down, (Y/n) could feel a bulge pitching up against the cover of the sheet, right at where his waist is. Slowly, he lifted the thing off, expecting this unfamiliar feeling to be a sign of his hormone acting weird for a long time
Fortunately, it wasn't
Unfortunately, it wasn't
Honey-colored eyes blinked as Helen lazily lifted her head, only to come face to face with her leader's deadpan stare
"Get off"
"Can I stay?" She coiled further inside his thigh, as though seeking the warmth they offer "It's comfortable between your legs"
"Not without giving me a proper explanation as to why you're here" His voice was straining. (Y/n) wasn't used to dealing with girls who invaded his personal space "Now. Be a good girl and get off"
"Yes, yes. I guess you weren't someone who would enjoy it" She blew out a strand of hair and sat up from the bed, looking amused, but for the most part annoyed...at what he don't know "To make it short, I need you to train me"
The Grimm blinked as her voice took a turn to a more serious note. (Y/n) sat there in silence, his cold undead mind contemplating and mulling over his current situation. Right now one of his former acquaintance was making a rather unexpected request from him
Disregarding the fact that she had somehow managed to locate and sneak up to him without [Sixth Sense] being activated, the fact still stand that he's in no position to truly refuse her. Sure, he could say no, but then he would lose nothing if (Y/n) accept either. It may even help gain a favor or two from the girl
The boy is disturbed at how calm he is over this situation
"Helen...." He began, before shaking his head "I'm not going to ask how or why you would request such a thing, merely that you yourself have asked something of me..."
At that moment, he should have known what he is getting himself into
"...And as your friend, I am inclined to lend a hand to you"
Honey-colored eyes blinked. Surprise, shock, disbelief. A smile decorated her face as the slime hugged him. (Y/n) sighed in exasperation, but nonetheless enjoy the sensation of her touch as his hand raised up to pat her head
It was then the boy realized the compromising nature of their circumstances. Here he was, hugging an underaged-looking girl on his bed, and what's worse? He looks like he's sexually harassing her
Not like he hadn't before, but...
'Well, at least this isn't a Rom-com where another girl barge inside my room and misunderstood the whole thing' He internally cringed 'That would have been awkward'
"Master (Y/n), I'm home!"
The door to our room sprang open, and there come in an energetic Nightbringer carrying two grocery bags on her hand. She's in her casual outfit of wearing a black shirt and a tight fitting pair of jeans, enhancing the curves around her figure more than it already is
"Would you like me to make you special pork Ramen? Grilled cheese sandwich and fried eggs with bacon? Fluffy pancakes and maple syrup? Or do you want me for breakfas-"
Her voice came to a halt as Helen's presence made itself known to her. Standing still, the Leviathan's eyes trailed from (Y/n)'s form, which made it looks like he's being pinned to the bed, slowly continuing upward until her eyes meet that of the Sin of Sloth's
In a similar fashion, Helen temporarily disregard (Y/n) in favor of flickering between the grocery bags on her hands to the other Grimm's bust size, before settling on matching her gaze
Two natural predators coldly sizing each other, gauging their opponent's weakness as killing intent slowly flooded the room
A little fun fact, Grimms are extremely territorial by nature and usually don't take kindly to others stealing what was rightfully theirs
"Um-"
Before (Y/n) could speak, everything blurred into action
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With a snarl, Nightbringer hurled the bag on her left hand toward Helen at breakneck speed. The soft container, aided with high velocity force, now become an extremely deadly projectile at close range
(Y/n: not the fucking grocery)
The slime sprang up from (Y/n) lap, deftly jumping over the bag as she used it as a stepping stone midair for her agile frame to launch herself at the enemy. The nylon sack landing softly against his lap due to the decrease in momentum moments before
(Y/n: thank you Helen)
Undeterred, his Leviathan companion threw the other bag while summoning her tridents out from behind her, the air around her rippled as she thrust the weapon forward with inhuman force
The slime casually summoned her sword and sliced the bag in retaliation, spilling the content inside on the floor. Using the loss of trajectory force, she twisted midair to avoid the thrust and retaliate with one of her own
(Y/n: JESUS FUCK, HELEN!)
CLANG
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang across the apartment in loud echoes. In a split moments, dozens of strikes connected with each other. Dozens are blocked, and dozens evaded. The two's form danced across the room in nothing more than a blur
With a distinctly loud "clang", the two girls entered into a blade lock. Each trying to overpower the others using their superhuman brute force
His former pack members growled, twisting her blade sideway to to redirect her strike at a more lethal angle, aiming at Nightbringer's neck who growled in response.
The other girl locked around her blade and broke their stance then lunged in a tri-pronged attack, tackling Helen into the floor
What she hadn't expected was for Helen to wrap her legs around the Leviathan's head with a twist of her hips. Before the other can register it, the sin of Sloth started choking Nightbringer like a serpent, tightening her hold around the female Grimm by the seconds
The Leviathan retaliated by opening her jaws wide and sank her sharp fangs unto the other's limb, drawing a cry of pain from the slime
At that point, (Y/n) decided to intervene physically by getting him between the two girl.
"Alright, stop, stop! Time out!" He said, separating them from their position. Albeit with greater force than he;d expected "No fighting at this place"
Fortunately, his title as [Leader of the Pack] proves to be useful once more as the two girl reluctantly pushed away from each other, still glaring with the intensity of a thousand dagger at their adversary
"(Y/n), who is this....girl?" She asked, wiping the blood off her lips
"I should be asking that. Leader, who is she?"
"...Fuck me" The Grimm closed his eyes as he looked toward the ceiling, silently praying for the god of Eroges on the heaven to take pity on him. Several seconds passed, after hearing no response from them he once again lowered his head and sighed "This might need some explanation, but let's start again. Helen, meet Nightbringer my friend. Nightbringer, meet Helen my friend. You two are packmates now"
"And how exactly-"
"Are you hungry?" That shut them up. Lesson learned, food can be used to your advantage in a persuasion against Grimm "Just stay here and wait for me to make you something to eat" My cooking aren't exactly on par with the likes of Bill Cosby, but they're passable
"Hm" I rummaged through the scattered ingredients on the floor, internally thankful that none of them were ruined "How about pancake? My treat"
"Pancake sounds good"
"Hm...pancakes are delicious"
The two girls agreed as they sheathed their weapon, a temporary agreement formed between them for the time being
The room descended into silence as (Y/n) started preparing the ingredients. Soon enough, the familiar sizzling sound could be heard, accompanied by an attractive aroma that permeated the space around them
"..." (Y/n) wordlessly delivered two stacks of hot pancake to each of them, before putting the bottle of maple syrup between his friends. He slumped down the nearest chair, stifling a yawn as the Grimm struggled not to let his tiredness shown
"So Helen...tell me as to how you managed to track me down?"
"I did not do as much tracking as you'd like to think, (Y/n). Maybe you don't know it, but your energy level can be seen hundreds of miles away from where we sit" She took a mouthful of pancake "It's like staring at a nuke explosion actually. I'm surprised no Succubus had made a move on you yet"
"Haha...how lucky..." He laughed, eyes nervously averting to the side
Shit, does this have anything to do with his evolved Emperor's Aura?
Idly, (Y/n) noticed she has the same remark the last time they talked. Perhaps he should start how to control his Aura
"I see...how have you been?"
"Went to the Grimmland, training my heart out to try and best my father in combat, to little efficiency" A small frown "It just wasn't the same with you. You always knew what to say, where to go and how to do something like the back of your hand. I could understand why that fox is envies you"
He raised an eyebrow, though if one were to look carefully they could see the faintest hint of embarrassment on (Y/n)'s face
"I'm not that good at motivating people, Helen"
"Yes you are"
"No I'm not"
"Yes you are. And if anyone says otherwise they either fear you or they are in denial. You are the greatest male I've ever had the honor of meeting"
"Please stop..."
"No, I will not stop until you've stopped viewing yourself as anything less than the best, because that's what you are in my eyes"
At this point he's not sure if he's blushing or not, but judging from the please glint from the girl's eyes the face he made must have said it all
"(Y/n), why aren't you eating with us?"
"I have no need to" The boy replied, glad for the change in conversation. He's an undead, that means every biological function aside from the circulation of important inner fluids are deemed as unneeded to him
"....Well that won't do" Nightbringer grinned, a calculative glint in her eyes. Before he could ask her anything she took half her portion and leveled it at his face
"What are you doing?" Are you seriously going to hand feed me what I cooked for you?
"Sharing is caring, now say ahhh"
Hesitantly, he bit down on the pancake, savoring the fluffy texture that seemingly melts in his mouth. Emboldened, the boy took another bite, his lips brushing the skin of her palm
"Ah...not that place, Ngh!~" The Leviathan threw her head back in ecstasy as (Y/n) licked the maple syrup off her fingers, stimulating her finger as he sucked off the remaining sweet nectar, accidentally coating the tip of it in his saliva
'For some reason, [Lesser Demon of Lust] allows me to have a longer, more flexible tongue - akin to that of a feline' He hummed, licking the stray food on his cheeks 'I don't know why such a modification comes to be, but having such a thing is quite convenient'
(Y/n) noticed the subtle shift in her line of sight to the left, where Helen was watching them with an impassive gaze. The girl caught her eyes, which immediately blanked as she sensed the taunting messages in them
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow, not liking the neutral expression on her face at the slightest
The Grimm racked his brains for previous interaction with his friend. A particular line that would trigger such a negative reaction from her
Oh, of course...
That's because while (Y/n) has chased them out of his pack, he then made a hypocrite of himself by supposedly taking in another member. In her eyes, that is equivalent to him abandoning them in place of someone he considered better. A sense of betrayal and hurt would only be expected
'You did it' (Y/n) clicked his tongue in annoyance 'Well, at least now I know not to do it in the future again'
What a terrible affair. He sighed, taking the last bite of pancake from his friend and withdrew. He then placed a hand on Helen's head, prompting the blank look on her face to be replaced with surprise
"Don't mind Nightbringer here, she's not that bad when you get to know her" (Y/n) smiled reassuringly "I know what you're thinking...as for the reason why she's with me..well that's a matter of circumstances"
Her reaction was partly unexpected. Curiosity. Joy. Hope. A sight that almost made him wince
"(Y/n), does that mean you're reforming the old pack?"
His hand came to a stop. The boy closed his eyes, once again mulling over the answer. His heart is telling him yes, but his mind - the more sensible and unaffected part of his body - is telling him that's a bad idea
This is moving too fast for his liking. He has no idea what's happening at all
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"I would...if I could" I slowly replied, already expecting the quizzical look they threw at me "Maybe after I leave Menagerie, I'll do it. Though I'm not sure if Alistair and Murdoch would approve of me seeing them"
She nodded, seemingly accepting my answer
"Shorty, what's he talking about?"
"Don't call me shorty" Helen closed her eyes "And I'm surprised you didn't know. (Y/n) once had a pack with him. Three of us, the sin of Envy, Wrath and me, the heiress to Sloth. We wandered around Atlas, raiding and hunting everything that comes across, and he acts as our leader that trained and teach us many things about the human world"
That left the question as to what kind of madman would attempt to do something as absurd as making a pack out of three different Sin. But since he's (Y/n), an anomaly to this world, he get a pass for doing bizarre shits
"So...you are the heiress of Sloth" The Leviathan's voice was full of apprehension, before she smiled "You're not as strong as I thought you'd be"
"Close-ranged combat isn't my forte, as each of us seven have our own specialisation"
"And that's exactly what you're going to improve upon" I clapped my hand, drawing both of their attention "I'm going to make you gear your combat performance to an acceptable level first before we get to the good stuff!"
I discreetly checked the clock. 4:56 AM. I've still got at least 7 hours to train with them
Unknown to (Y/n), the prospect of fighting and training another ally excite him more than it should have, though it may just be his gamer's instinct at work here.
"Tell me. Helen, Nightbringer, do you like tentacles?"
"What?/What?"
A wide smile threatened to enveloped (Y/n)'s face
With a snap of his finger, the Instant Dungeon's portal opened beside him, and the Grimm grabbed both of them by the collar as he giddily jumped inside
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It's been two days since she has been turned into a vampire, yet she still hasn't gotten use for it
"Come on, Willow. Don't just stand there. Use your hips. YOUR HIPS!"
Nimbly dodging a piercing attack from the bot by shifting her hips to the side, Willow Schnee's rapier trailed upward into a graceful arc as she decapitated the training hologram with inhuman swiftness
'Need to go faster'
Her footwork clicked into an offensive stance as the Schnee counter-attacked the next two parallel strikes aiming at her, using each other's momentum to redirect the force behind their attack back at them, then using the spare energy she has left to sliced off a third one's head
Temporarily stunning them as they stumbled back, she took the chance and immediately went for the finishing move. She lunged forward, piercing through one's throat and instantly killing them, the second she whipped out her gun and shot the other by the chest, utilizing the recoil from the shot to spun around and kill another two with one swing
"Yoo, did you see that, Raven?!" That bitch's voice temporarily caused her to lose her concentration, forcing Willow to block a charged attack from her target, grunting in slight pain as her Aura level dipped slightly
With a flick of her wrist, the hidden gun in her blade roared to life, disintegrating it in one hit
(Willow uses the Reiterpallasch from Bloodborne)
'Faster'
The woman's eyes narrowed in concentration
A line of Glyph shone across her. The next moment, she was gone from their line of sight, her form blurring into action as one after another was slain. Slashing, stabbing, shooting. Every movement was made with unparalleled grace.
Spinning, skipping, jumping, as though she was dancing while fighting them
"Einz, zwei, vier, sieben"
In the blink of an eye, half their number was gone
Slowing her movement to a stop as she stabilized herself, Willow raised her sword up above her head, before stabbing it into the ground
The earth underneath her shook in tremor as the summoned rises to her beckoning. The Beowolves roared. But instead of the usual icy cold palette, they now have a blood red tinge in their eyes. The minions tore into the middle of holographic crowd and tear each of them apart
All the while, Willow watched as their number slowly dwindles down, all the while shooting any target entering her line of sight. The last one bursting into digital particles is also when the combat simulation ended
The darkness around her recede, and the stadium's light flickered on
Name: Willow Schnee
Aura: 99.8%
Difficulty: Ultra Violence
Time: 49m 15s
Waves cleared: 32
Enemies killed: 288
Overall score: S+
"Not flawless...but still a victory" She calmly sheathed her sword, before walking out of the virtual arena
"Booooring"
Her eyes twitched
"Switch it on Ultra Nightmare difficulty. Only those filthy casuals would settle with something less!" Summer shouted, giving the other woman two thumbs-down. Willow glared at her, which earned a raspberry in response
Good god, Willow hope her children won't meet someone as uncouth as this woman one day
"I don't care either way. She's obviously a pussy" Raven was too busy chugging down a bottle of booze to give a flying fuck about their argument "Those fucking Schnees are always the same. Pretentious, selfish, arrogant, cowards...Isn't that right, Elsa?"
She took it back...
As long as they're not a Rose and they're not a drunk, her daughters can associate with anyone they want
Otherwise, she might just commit suicide
"Be a coward as I may" Willow huffed "This is nothing more than a test to assess my abilities after becoming a vampire. Hence the reason why we're in a secluded training area for the guards of this mansion"
"And what do you think? Becoming a vampire is worth it, eh?"
"Perhaps" A neutral answer "But it is surely unexpected. For example...this"
She pointed to herself
"What the hell is this?" The Schnee matriarch frowned, pinching her smooth skin, then at her beautiful face, and lastly to her bountiful assets "What does being a vampire have to do with me reverting to my teenage years?"
"Now, calm down..."
"I will not! Do you know how many people mistakes me for Winter while walking down the hallway this morning? I thought I was going to die of embarrassment"
"Hey, it isn't like we suffer from the same problem. Tai didn't even recognize Summer when she went home" Raven mocked, finally putting down the bottle of Gin she's holding "Thankfully, it just affect our appearance, but not our power. It would sucks if all those blasted years at Beacon went down the drain just like that"
"Granted, eternal youth and a beautiful appearance is what every woman would die for - which you did in this case" She added "Still, why are you being so pissed about it?"
The only answer would be puberty, but that is impossible since their anatomy is already that of a corpse. Their organs have stopped functioning a long time ago
"Or...are you saying the power of Master's blood is unwanted to you?" The temperature in the room plummeted by several degree as she said that "In that case, I shall take it back from you"
"No" She shook her head "That's not what I meant. I guess I'm still too flustered about this ordeal. I'm a vampire. I serve my great master. As such I'm trying to understand my abilities to the fullest, so I can carry myself better"
"An acceptable explanation" Putting her swords away, Summer smiled "But I've got you covered on that. See, the reason why we're stronger than your average vampire Grimm is because of Master's special blood, which greatly strengthen whoever drinks it due to his status"
"As such, we have increased resistance, if not outright immunity toward most aspects that would be considered lethal to vampires. Sunlight cannot harm us, silver can only hurt us, while Hamon and blessed items are the only thing that we must be wary of"
"What about garlic?"
"We don't talk about garlic"
"But wait, there's more" Raven smirked "Your physical abilities, including your strength, agility and durability are improved. And the best thing about it is that you never tire out in combat, meaning infinite stamina for you"
Infinite stamina...Willow mused, with thoughtfulness and a little bit of joy
That means her capability as a dexterity-based duelist will not he hindered by mere endurance, eliminating one of her only weakness in combat. She can now freely dash around the battlefield while spamming attacks after attacks without even breaking a sweat
"And...anything else?"
Willow isn't the only one to notice one little change in her powers. Her summons can now last as long as she wants, wherein previously they can only last for a maximum of 200 seconds. As to previously they are passive and only moved when she ordered them to, they now seemingly developed the ability to take actions without verbal command, as though they had truly become one with her
And that red tinge in their eyes...only a blind fool would fail to realize just how much they've gotten stronger. It shook her a little just thinking about how only a few drops of her Master's blood could instill such change in her body
"That is normal. When being forced to turn into a different race, you are reborn. It could be said that your body underwent a significant improvement akin to evolving in this state" At this Summer made to jump down from her spot on the stadium and walked up to the Schnee "Naturally, mutations are expected to occur, something that was enhanced by the special properties of our Master's blood. Yours happen to be the skill of casting powerful dark magic"
"For exampled, mine was the ability to control blood" Several blood blades appeared around her, before forming into multiple shields that covered Summer "Utility, good for both offense and defense, but require a ton of concentration to efficiently utilize, which is why I still mostly use my baby for combat"
She cuddle the long blade in her hand "Her name is Rakuyo by the way"
(Again, another weapon from Bloodborne. Might as well, I'm all out of ideas)
"And mine is..." Raven stopped, before sighing "You know what? I don't see the reason why I must reveal my power to you, maybe I'll do it when I meet Master"
"Suit yourself"
"You seem to know a lot about these kind of stuff" Willow remarked
"Summer's a walking encyclopedia of Grimm and weapons, it would only be expected"
"There should be a website named Summerpedia"
"Hey~ That's mean!" Said woman pouted, then broke out into a smile "But you know what? I think our team's shaping up pretty nicely"
"...Team?"
"We have me! The charismatic leader, the badass Huntress, the one who wield swords" A pause for the dramatic reveal "Summer, vampire Saber"
"And then there's this emo lady that is basically the wet dream of every edgy teenager" Another pause, in which a vein was popped in annoyance "Raven, vampire Assassin"
"Finally you. An annoying woman with a holier-than-thou attitude that knows magic - sort of?" This time it's basically an insult "Willow, vampire Caster"
Is she intending on forming the vampire ranger or something?
"Now we only need a vampire Berserker and a vampire Archer in our rank, wonder who could fit the bill"
:)
<><><><><><><><>
"ACHOO!" Kali sneezed "Motherfucker, I swear the Corona virus's getting to me"
No wait...that's just the Atlas military being jerks. What a relief
"Now..." She turned to the soldier in front of her, making them flinched slightly at the cold look in the Faunus's eyes "What do we have here?"
She raised the paper in her hand
"The right to quarantine Menagerie from the rest of the world due to suspicion of an airborne disease that affect one's lungs, one that may become a global pandemic if not properly contained?"
"Correct, Ma'am" The general in front of them replied confidently, a hint of contempt in his eyes "And thus, our government has decided it would be in our best interest to organize a mass quarantine-"
"By closing up our port, surrounding our island with military vessels, cutting off any far shore expenditure, and basically starving us from the inside?"
"That is not our problem"
"Where is the medical report? I won't believe it if no credential evidence is displayed before me"
"Unavailable" The man sneered "We wouldn't want to make the masses panic now, wouldn't we?"
"You have no jurisdiction nor authority to take unapproved actions over here"
"In fact we do, miss Belladonna. While the Kingdoms may agree this is neutral territory for your kind, a treaty has been made in which Atlas, the one with the most advanced technology, has been allowed to take temporary control in this period of time"
"And what kind of bastards made this? You so realize we can reject this as the rightful authority of the island, right?"
"I signed it" Ghira said, much to the woman's shock "Until an indefinite amount of time had passed, they have the right to control the outer border of our island. It's for the best, Kali"
"You cannot be serious" She gaped, before that expression twisted into one of rage "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS"
"Kali, please, it's for the greater goo-"
"You actually believe the bullshit they're spouting? The people will not be lenient toward this, Ghira"
"Be as it may, we can't let the world be affected by this disease"
"There. Are. No. Disease" Her glare bore hole into the general's head "Do not take me or the people here for fools. We know you have ulterior motives for this, and you know what? Fine. But the moment someone got hurt because of your action here..."
"There will be consequences"
With that she stormed out of the room
"Well that is productive" The general drawled in an amused way, gesturing for his soldiers to surround him as he stood up "I would suggest you have your wife on a leash, sir. She seems to have a disagreement toward both of our mutual decision, and that may lead to..unexpected mishaps in the future"
"But who am I to educate people on treating their other half? Now if you'll excuse me-" The sound of boots hitting the floor faded "I have to bring a criminal to justice"
The chieftain could only watch those men walked off with a sense of apprehension in his eyes
"....Did I make the right choice?"
<><><><><><><><>
Back in Atlas
"Finally" The woman said "I'm not hungry anymore"
A bloody trail. Hundreds of corpses. Yet they are as light as a snack
She missed the times where human wasn't so weak. Back when they are still capable of magic, back to when they could prove a challenge to her and her sisters
Gluttony's gaze fell upon the great cliff of Atlas's Southern border, where that scent had lead her, eyes drifting to the raging sea beneath her
"Oh, what a surprise. To think the first one who released me would be you..."
She hadn't felt it for a long time. A familiar taste, that presence that could be felt even if she was on the other side of the planet. Even if he had changed his name, even if his power is just an infinitesimal amount of what used to be, even so there is no mistaking it
"(L/n)" The word rolled out of her tongue, as natural as the purpose of her existence
And just like that, the sea stilled. Every motion on the surface seemingly comes to a stop, as calm as the center of the storm
Then, the ground trembled
The snow storm howled
Lightning flashed across the horizon
Nature screamed, in anger, fear, submission, at that name which had struck fear into their heart since times immemorial. Every aspect of this world cried to him, cried for him. The primordial aspects that governed this plane of existence...terrified of a single individual
Maybe to the Grimm, he's just a myth. Maybe to the human, he's just a folktale
But even in death, the world will never forget him
She began giggling, before it burst into uncontrollable laughter. A melancholic sound that would have charmed any man who happens to hear it
...And with a leap, she descended into the sea beneath her
Menagerie is but a day away
<><><><><><><><><>
Author's Note: So, I'm back. This marked the 50th chapter of my book, also at the 300k read milestone. Gotta say the process of writing back after a long time was both exhausting and refreshing to say the least
...So you'll probably forgive me with this pitiful amount of work. I've only punched the keyboard a few time and managed about over 7,500 words before running out of steam
But let's move on to the crucial aspect of this story, one that I've been neglecting for quite some time now
The harem! The part where you're all here for!
"Fuck yeah!" I can hear you say "After 50 chapters, that bastard finally touch upon the subject"
Gee, calm down you horny readers. Admittedly I was kind of nervous since this is my first time writing romance and I might just royally fuck up somewhere, but you know what? I can't better my writing if I don't at least give it a try
What characters would you like to pair with (Y/n)? It could be someone from Canon or my own OC, whoever you choose is fine
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