Unexpected Incarnate (RWBY Ozpin Incarnate SI)

Zack's POV

After finding that memory storage device created by my ancestors and my unintentional use of it, Ruby and I spent the next hour exploring more of this ancient underground city. And honestly, there wasn't much to look at since most of anything valuable had rotted away or fallen into dust thanks to the attrition of time. Nevertheless, that memory storage crystal we found has proven quite fascinating to poke through whenever Ruby and I take minutes-long breaks.

While on the surface, it seems just to be able to store memories of their choosing, it also appears to have an entire log of this ancient city's history. The place was called Amberholde, and much of the city's history is based on its ruler, Ionia Arakan. The Fairy Faunus who lived for over two centuries as its sole ruler and guardian! Was the sister's magic so strong at the time that it extended our lifespan?

Or is it the nature of evolved Faunuses like us to be able to live longer? That could be the reason why ancient Faunus used to think we were demigods, I suppose…

Digging through it revealed more about how most of the Arakans' descendants that did not stay in Menagerie eventually split off to form their enclaves after the first Arakan had passed away. Some went north and settled into Anima. Others headed west and through the sea before finding a home in Sanus. One even chose to head far north into the cold tundra of Solitas to establish their own home there.

But apparently, that settlement failed due to mismanagement, the harsh environment and ice variants of Grimm. And for that reason, the survivors fled south to find refuge. Part of the reason why so many underground settlements seem to be located in Anima.

And looking through all this information made me wonder, what happened to most of these settlements and my ancestors who ruled them? Did they all fade away into history because of the Grimm? Or did something even more sinister have occurred to every one of them? Or could it be possible that they are still thriving out there?

All isolated from the four kingdoms that lie above. The fact that Oz doesn't seem to have any knowledge of my ancestors speaks volumes about how secretive my ancestors are about hiding their existence. Is the will of the sisters that only now am I to step out again and be used as a tool?

Or is something else at play, like another shadow war between the Brother Gods keeping the status quo or the Sisters of Twilight attempting to take back what's rightfully theirs?

I… I do not know what will happen in the future, that's for sure.

From what I know and this abandoned city I'm in, I'm basically the last of my kind to my knowledge. Shaking my head softly, we eventually met with everyone again. Though… While they all looked in good condition, Nora, Ren and Ghira had their clothes scorched as if they had activated a fire trap while exploring.

I mean, parts of their clothes were blackened and desperately needed a wash. Even more, Nora was holding a tiny gilded chest in her hands, for heaven's sake! She even has a goofy smile on her lips while Ghira and Ren are looking annoyed at her.

"Whoa, what happened?" Sun was the first to ask upon seeing the state of Nora, Ren and Ghira.

"Dad! Are you alright?" Blake called out to her father and ran straight to him.

"We're alright, my dear," Ghira says before his eyes find themselves on Nora. "Though, we were caught in a fire trap when your friend triggered it when she touched that chest." Nora simply laughed sheepishly, as if she had been caught in a prank. And to my utter shock, she reached into her bag and pulled out all sorts of jewellery and gold she found!

"Where the hell do you even get all that from?!" I couldn't help but call her loudly while Ren sighed as he rubbed his nose.

"We tried to dissuade her from touching them, but that didn't stop her."

"Hahaah! We're going to be rich, Renny!" Nora continued to giggle with a smile while everyone silently blinked before Ruby geeked out and appeared before Nora, taking a few necklaces and gems in hand to look at.

"Wow! They look pretty. I mean, look at those designs!" She said excitedly. But I was outraged, not because of Nora becoming a loot goblin and taking anything not nailed down, but because the idea of selling these precious gems and jewellery of potential history just irks me the wrong way.

And probably because they could have belonged to someone in the past, and where the hell did they stumble into? A palace or something?!

"Nora! You are NOT selling those gems and treasures for Lien! They could have belonged to my ancestor or something. Even more, where the hell do you even find all of this?!" Without even realising it, I appeared right in front of Nora before jabbing her onto her shoulder. Even more so that I could not tell that my aura was flaring up, as was my tail now all straight and stiff.

Realising that I was taking this seriously and my eyes drilling into her fucking soul, Nora's smile wavered, as did her body as it began to shiver under the murderous aura I was unintentionally giving out. "And don't get me started on how you ignored my warnings of traps here, seeing the state of you, Ren and Mr Belladonna are in right now. What if some of them trap you or something?! How are you going to get out of that?!"

I felt the eyes of my friends on the back of my head while I continued to lay it down on Nora's antics that could have gotten her, her not-boyfriend and Ghira hurt or even dead if they were unlucky! "Like seriously! Maybe if I was around, I could help you deal with the traps since some I encountered appear magical in design!" I ended up letting out an exhausted sigh. All this yelling and ranting made me tired, and if this were the show, Nora would have anime tears in her eyes right now.

Now I feel like an asshole.

"Um… Zack, I think Nora gets it." Ruby said behind me before I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"I can tell… I prefer them to go to a museum, since all these you get are precious artefacts of the past, you know?" I then brought a hand up onto Nora's shoulder before patting her. "Just try to control yourself, okay? That's all I ask." I said before I could tell that Nora's mood had improved dramatically as she kept all the treasure in her bag.

"Yeah, of course!"

"You still haven't told me where you got them from, Nora." I dryly asked while she chuckled nervously before Ren spoke.

"We found what, we assumed, was a treasury vault." A treasury vault? Talk about them either being lucky as hell to stumble across a treasury vault or unlucky for triggering the trap so much to look this burned. And seriously, I still wonder how strong Nora is to carry this much gold and jewellery with her?

And what is she even going to do with them?

"Can we visit the vault before we go back up?" I then heard Sun asking for permission before I stared blankly at him.

"You just want some of that gold, right?"

"Mayyybe?" Sun gave a sheepish grin and a shrug, with Blake facepalming in the background. I was so tempted to say no, but I cannot deny the interest to seeing how much gold was left behind. And perhaps I could convince Nora to return them. It still feels wrong to have my friends loot in the place.

But before I chose to do that, I took out my scroll to see the time, since we'd been down here for some time already. And well, will you look at that! It's 4 in the evening, and we're getting close to dinner! "Well… Perhaps we could continue later, guys. It's close to dinner, and I, for one, will cook for today." I waved my scroll beside my head.

It was also then that Ghira hummed in. "Yes. Mr Arakan is right, and we should return to the surface. I still have much to do back and for our next move." He said as nods went around before Nora approached me with that same gilded chest in her hands. And even before I could even turn to address her, Nora was visibly vibrating on the spot with a hint of excitement.

"Zacky! When we go back up, can you help open this up?" She asked, before my eyes found themselves on the gilded chest. And I can see why. It has some sort of warding on it.

"After we made it through the numerous traps, Nora tried to lock pick it open, but it did not work and triggered a retaliated explosion that sent her flying." Ren deadpanned while we began making our way back to the surface. Then that earned concerned looks from pretty much everyone at the possibility of it exploding again, yet I was not and instead fascinated by it.

I think many of the more important items in this place are purposely rigged with a trap or are protected by wordings of some kind. Not every day you stumble onto a temple that was rigged with traps all over the goddamn place.

"Should we be worried about that?" I heard Ilia asking out before Blake joined in.

"I agree. I wouldn't want that chest to explode again. Besides, how did Nora even get that to begin with at all?"

"Mr Belladonna and I had warned Nora not to take it with us, but the explosion only happens when someone tries to pick it open." Ren deadpanned before brushing his fringe aside before Nora grabbed him by the shoulder and began vigorously shaking him. Humorously enough, Ren did not react to Nora shaking him in the slightest.

"Renny, how could you?!"

As for me, I couldn't hide a smile from my lips before I chose to add in, and that garnered everyone's attention. "I could have a look at it. After all, Ruby and I stumbled across another item of interest protected by magical warding. I managed to disable it and have it in my bag now. Perhaps I could look at it later and do the same for it?" I gave a simple shrug, right as Nora cheered like Christmas had come.

Hmp. I remember now, Remnant technically has its version of Christmas, though it is named the Winter Holidays. How bland. Then again, their version of Halloween is called Hallow's End, which does sound neat! Technically, this will be my first time celebrating it since we tend not to do it in Singapore or my stay in the orphanage for different reasons.

I wonder how the gang at home are doing right now?

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Meanwhile…

"Get your ass back here you little shit!" Yang roars while Neo runs away with a shit-eating grin on her lips, while Weiss and Jaune are later chasing after the two around their home. "Stay still so I can punch you in the face for once!"

Yet, Neo simply stuck her tongue out before dodging another punch Yang threw while Weiss yelled. "Both you dolts, cut it out now! We're supposed to be preparing for Ruby's birthday! Don't do this!" Weiss angrily curses before swinging Myrtenaster out and having two black Glyphs appear underneath the two troublemakers.

Those Glyphs glowed as they ground Yang and Neo to a halt and pinned them to the floor.

"Yeah, what Weiss said." Jaune agrees wholeheartedly after catching his breath from chasing after the both of them around for nearly an hour. "We're supposed to be preparing for Ruby's birthday before they come back, not attacking each other. Do you guys remember what Zack said?"

Yang groaned while rubbing her forehead with annoyance, still lacing with every word she said. "I know… But the little shit here bothered me when I was supposed to figure out what to get!" She points her finger on her prosthetic arm at Neo, who simply sticks her tongue out and pulls down on one of her lower eyelids with a finger.

"Augh…" Weiss groaned, "Get it together, both of you! They'll be back in a couple of days, and we haven't even had all we need for Ruby's birthday!" The ex-heiress could only sigh while glaring at Neo, who had her arms folded. What would their fox Faunus friend think of this? She could only wonder if he and the others were doing fine while they struggled to organise a birthday party.

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Back to Zack.

Eh, I'm sure they'll be fine. Hopefully. Maybe with Neo there…

A few minutes passed, and we soon returned to the surface. Ghira and Ilia went off to plan our next move alongside Blake, who followed them, before the latter two joined us later for dinner. As for the rest of us, we were gathered outside at night by a recently created campfire and enjoying the meat and potato stew with rice I made for everyone.

With a smile on my face, I watched as my friends enjoyed our meals. Sun was on his second serving and even called me a master chef! I think he was exaggerating how good my cooking is, to be honest. And his compliments for me only got even greater, more so when my friends told him of me cooking for them despite me being younger than most of everyone here. He even joked about how I'm the group's personal chef.

Heh. I'll take that as a compliment.

With an empty bowl resting on my legs, I found myself staring into the night sky before the noise of Nora shuffling through her bag caught my attention, and she soon brought up that gilded chest from earlier!

"Zacky! Can you see if you can open it now?" She said before passing the chest over to me, and I looked at it well. It is the size of a medium-sized bowl, and all over it were golden intricate designs graphed by ancient methods. Even more so, those intricate designs gave it an antiquity-like feeling. It almost made me wonder what the culture of the ancient Faunus under my ancestor was like.

After glancing at the chest and marvelling at its designs, I returned to the lock, which looked complicated as around it were several layers of circles, each with unique designs and magic radiating from each circle. Hm… This is different from what Oz was doing earlier. Gently brushing my hand on it, I felt a connection was formed between me and the lock, and before I knew it, the circles began to rotate and make clicking noises.

Half of my friends decided to shuffle away from me just in case I failed to unlock it while the others, like Nora and Ruby, crept ever closer while my eyes were entirely focused on the lock. It is difficult to explain, but every thought in my mind would make one of the seven circles turn, and it took much effort to figure out how to turn each lock individually since each can turn clockwise or anticlockwise.

*Click*

*Click* *Click* *Click*

*Click*

*Click*

Even more so when the curious looks of my friends and Sun's irritable need to speak would occasionally make me lose focus, and I have to start again from the beginning. But eventually, I managed to unlock all seven circles, and the sound of all the circles clicking as one was all we needed to hear to know that I had succeeded! I felt a smile grow by the second before Ozpin's voice suddenly echoed in my head, making me blink in surprise.

"Well done."

"Oh, Oz! Were you awake and watching me the whole time?" I asked while everyone gathered around me.

"Yes, you can say that, Arakan."

"Cool." That was all I could say before I mumbled loud enough for my friends to hear me. "Now, time to see what lies within." And so, my hands reached over to the lid and my friends behind me, I pushed the lid open to reveal…

A necklace?

What?

"Inside the chest is a… necklace?" Ilia was the first to speak, before I could only stupidly pick one up for a closer look. It looks different from what one would expect of jewellery. Overall, it has a silver chain in a design of leaves with incredible detail. The main embellishment of the necklace resembles a rose, and the Gemstone right in the centre of it is a Ruby gem that glistens in the light coming from the campfire.

"Huh… I wonder what's with it that it needs to be put through seven locks?" Sun wonders out while my stare intensifies on the necklace. And unlike the other jewellery Nora found, I sense magic in it. Is this some sort of enhancement I sensed out of it?

"Zack?" The voices of my friends snapped me out of focus before I noticed an inscription on an incredibly old paper scroll hidden underneath the wooden mould for this necklace. Earning everyone's curiosity, I unfold it to reveal…

Something.

It's unreadable to everyone.

"Uhh… Any idea what that says?" Ruby asked before an idea struck my mind. And so, I gently brushed my thumb over the unintelligible words, and it worked! The words shimmer in violet before a readable translation appears over it.

"Amulet of protection." I read out before Ozpin hums in my head with ever-growing interest.

"How interesting… It appears your ancestors were known for enchanting their equipment."

"Amulet of protection… No guesses what this thing does." I thought to myself before Nora expressed her interest with excitement.

"Cool! So this thingy protects people?"

"From the name of it, yeah, I suspect that's what it does, Nora," I explain while rubbing my chin. "But I suppose there should be no harm in finding out how it protects the wearer."

"In what way are you supposed to test this out?" Ren asked before my eyes found their way towards Ruby. This amulet has a plant-like design and offers some sort of protection. It would probably fit well on her, assuming she likes shiny things. And if this thing is what I believe it is, perhaps it will be wise to have Ruby wear this amulet to give some additional protection, or even Weiss, due to her lack of endurance on her part in battle.

But I should at least try it on the first thing I do tomorrow to see how it works.

"Eh, we'll see what it does tomorrow, shall we guy? Let's just enjoy the night." I explain as I get nods all around, except Nora, who sounded disappointed about me putting it off for the next day.

"Aww… Are you sure you don't wanna do this now?" She says while I place the amulet back into the gilded chest, and shaking my head, I answer her earnestly. "Yep." Though… to be honest, I was just lazy and wanted to put it off for tomorrow, so our dinner passed smoothly.

Two hours later, I found myself geared and out in the forest in the middle of the night. Why? Mainly because I'd like some time alone and everyone to think. And also because of my introverted nature. Because despite everything and even my time on Remnant, I still need some time alone or else it would be too overwhelming. It also doesn't help that some curious Faunuses among them were also asking questions about my unique condition.

Just my wonderful luck.

Both from those following Ghira and the White Fang that had surrendered and joined us hours back. Including that Perry guy who recognised Ruby, the interaction between them was rather awkward and humorous on my part as I watched them try to talk it out.

As I shuffled through the forest, I felt the cold breeze of the night brushing upon my face and the calming moonlight shining onto my face from above. With things getting more intense in the coming weeks, I found little time to spend alone. That and those stupid flashbacks from Cinder gave me sleepless nights, much to my frustration.

I just want them to leave me alone…

Finding a tree with thick branches, I began climbing up it and sat with my back, leaning back onto the bark with the shattered moon seen above me with the stars glistening in the background like sparkling gems in the endless sea of darkness. A reminder that despite everything, and even while shattered. Ishmael and her sister will watch over us.

I won't lie. I've been dreading every day, my worries and fears as the days tick by. When we finally get to Atlas, can it even be saved? Can I and the others not let what happened in the show repeat itself? Would Ozma be enough to convince his friend Ironwood to work together with us and not let his fear and paranoia take over?

Or would it not be enough, and everything will fall as it did at the end of Vol. 8?

Feeling the cold air in my lungs with my eyes closed to enjoy the silence, a memory of the past sprung up in my mind. A time when things were so much simpler. A time when my parents were still alive and around. More partially, the time my mother sang a lullaby while I slept on her lap under the shattered moon.

A lullaby that I now realise the significance of it. Her soft singing echoed into my ears as it had done so long ago.

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Cast away your worries, my dear

For tomorrow comes a new day

Hold to me. You've nothing to fear

For your dreams are not far away

As you lay your head and you rest

May your dreams take over my love

Listen close, my son of eternal hope

For your destiny lies ahead

Though the world is cruel

There's a light that still shines

In the darkest days of our lives

When all hope seems lost

And you can't find your way

Think of me as you look to the sky

Oh child of mine, your future is bright

For your mother's blood's in your veins

In dark times, I pray you will fight

For the world will soon know your name

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And without even realising it, I've begun to sing it as well, slowly. I remember it well. I remember the first time I heard it was because I woke up from a nightmare, and she was there to soothe me back to rest. Never did I realise the significance of this lullaby to me. And my role in the future. It made me wonder whether she knew of her oncoming end and my place in the future, as unlikely as that was.

But remembering and singing that lullaby makes me realise how much I miss the warmth of my mother and how much I genuinely miss both her and my father, no matter how hard I try to move on. I… wonder how they see me. And perhaps if I get a chance, I could see them again through Ishmael or AWOR.

I felt my breath hitched with tears brimming from my eyes. Damn it… Why… Why must I cry now upon remembering my mother? The negative feeling will attract Grimm to me. I have to leave now for my safety. Wiping the tears from my eyes with a single stroke of my arm and with a hand clutching onto my chest, I leapt from the branch and was about to return to where everyone was when a snap of a twig behind me caught my attention.

Letting my combat instincts take over, I Instantly drew Oathkeeper from my back and got into my stance, but what came from behind the trees wasn't Grimm. But someone wearing a white cloak with a plain white mask. Who are they, and why are they here? And I could see a katana dangling on their hip and some sort of cylinder on their back?

What the hell is that thing?

"Oh my… It appears that I have alerted you to my presence." This mysterious person spoke in a feminine tone. A woman? Then again, with that body frame and skintight suit that shows her… uh… curves. Of course, this mysterious person is a lady. The only question now is who and why is she here.

"Who are you? And why are you here?" I ask tensely as I can feel the tension rising by the second.

"Who I am is of no concern to you, little fox." The mysterious woman gave a mocking curtsy bow with her arms wide open as she bowed. Little Fox, huh… She either knows who I am or calls me that because of my Fox trait. "What's more important is the test you must take with me."

I felt my grip on Oathkeeper tighten when I heard her words. "A test? What the hell are you talking about?" I wondered in my head before my eyes narrowed down on this mysterious woman. What test is she talking about? And it is clear she's a subordinate of someone. The question now is who she serves and why. I watched as this mysterious woman pulled her hood down to reveal blood-red hair tied into a ponytail. Yet, the mask remains on.

Drawing her katana and pointing it at me, I felt my body tense further before she spoke. "I've been watching you for some time now. According to my master's will, you must be trialled through combat. You are of interest to him." Interest to whom? It cannot be Salem because her master is a guy…

Who whose eyes have I earned?

"There's no way to resolve this peacefully?" I asked, and that made her laugh her head out as if I'd said a joke. You don't have to mock me like this woman! A simple no would have been enough.

After seconds of straight laughter, the mysterious woman before me calmed down before uttering in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Another chuckle broke out from her, while I frowned with caution. "There's no running from this little fox. I will see my Khan's will be done and if he desires for your strength to be judged. I will see it fulfilled!" She follows the will of a Khan? It can't be Sienna since she has been assassinated and deceased for a while, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't have any other siblings last I checked…

Unless she's referring to a leader or ruler called a Khan.

Yeah, that does sound accurate.

I could only silently watch before she grabbed the handle of that cylinder on her back, and without hesitation, she pointed it at me right as I finally understood what the hell is that thing. It's a bloody cannon! Aw, fuck!

"Now, enough talk! Let the test begin!"

The cannon glowed red before a blast of energy erupted and launched towards me. Seeing it coming made me snap out of my shock and dodge to the left as the beam missed me completely and annihilated everything touched by it. Is this woman trying to kill me with that?!

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Feeling his blood freezing at the sheer carnage that cannon did, Zack moved in to engage and utilised his grappling hook to close the distance, and before long, he aimed and slashed the mysterious woman. However, she reacted quickly enough to bring her katana up and block his attack with ease before she swung her cannon at Zack, who backed up as it went past him.

Only to be kicked in the face hard and launched back by that woman, who used the momentum of her cannon to spin herself into a brutal kick to the face. "Agh!" Zack cried out in pain before he crashed and tumbled onto the grassy plains, while she pointed her cannon at him again and fired numerous projectiles once more.

Unable to evade all the oncoming projectiles, Zack brought his shield up and managed to tank a few shots, though a couple did land a grazing hit on his exposed body, making his aura shimmer. "Come on! I'm surprised you had the guts to go easy on me! Fight harder, or are you this weak and pathetic?" She taunts before the fox Faunus dodges into cover behind a tree, draws a water Dust crystal from his pocket and makes a pulling gesture on it.

The next second, water began to gather and cover his arm before Zack ran out of cover. "Fuck that! You want me to play ball and take this seriously? Fine! I'll fucking play ball!" Thrusting his hand, Zack sent a wave of water from his palm at the mysterious woman, who quickly jumped aside to avoid the blast. Unfortunately, the Fox Faunus saw that coming and spun his hand in a circle.

To the woman's shock, water began to form a whip and began to wrap around her leg before it tugged and slammed her face-first into a tree with such force that it cracked! "Get fucked!" Zack yells before he runs straight for her, pausing and yanking her harshly with a water whip into a slash to her torso.

She gasped in pain as she flew back with her aura flickering in response to getting hit. However, she recovered quickly, and her feet found their place on the floor. "C'mon, is that all? Keep them coming!" If Zack could see her face, he would have noted that she was smiling with glee as she lifted her cannon, and something shocking happened that made Zack pause.

The cannon began to change its form, and within the span of a few seconds, what was once a laser cannon was replaced with a multi-barrel minigun! With his mouth wide open and in sheer disbelief as to what he was up against, the fox Faunus could only cry out. "Oh, what the fuck is this?!" He could say those words before the woman pointed her minigun at him one-handed before her gun began revving.

With a second to react before he was pelted with hundreds of rounds, Zack sprinted for the nearest tree for cover before the woman's minigun finally revved up and fired hundreds of bullets at the Fox Faunus, who could only hunker down for cover. The sounds of hundreds of rounds firing and the splintering of wood rang throughout the forest, and the poor tree Zack used for cover was rapidly shredded to bits from the onslaught.

"Lotta bullshit this is!" He could only silently curse out before he got into his stance and quickly put a jet of water straight at the woman. It worked beyond his expectations and forced her to move and cease firing on him. Peeking out of cover, Zack could only be stunned at how everything near him had been filled to the brim with bullet holes, and the poor tree he'd been using as cover was almost rendered a stump.

"Huh… Not a bad idea to stop me from shooting, little Fox. But you gotta try harder than that." Her voice snapped Zack out of his stunned stupor before he remembered something. There's water everywhere, and much of the water he controls is everywhere. That means…

"Not done yet," Zack mutters before he dashes in. The woman quickly dodges his attack and is about to lash out with a kick when numerous water tentacles suddenly erupt from the ground beneath them and begin to bind her legs. "I am not falling for that again, woman." Clenching his fist before dragging his hand behind him, Zack sends the woman flying before he fires his grapple hook enhanced with electric dust at her.

And it gave that woman an agonising shock as soon as she found her footing on the ground. her pained screams echoed throughout the forest, while her body jerked from the painful shock. She appeared to slump unconscious onto the dirt once the fox Faunus retracted his hook on her. Staring at her body for a moment for any signs that she could be awake, Zack sighed before slowly shuffling towards her, still on high alert with Oathkeeper in one hand and a ball of water in another that quickly condensed back into Dust for safekeeping.

As he got close, Zack slowly pushed her off her chest so she would be back up, only to see that her mask was still on tightly. Frowning, Zack reached down for the mask, only to receive a surprise when she suddenly jerked back up and landed a punch to the face that sent him flying! And then she laughs.

And it's not the light-hearted laugh you get when you hang out with friends.

But one full of mockery and a small hint of impressed admiration.

"Bravo! Bravo! You impressed me a lot, little fox!" She clapped her hands like those of an entertained audience before she bent over and picked up her weapons, while Zack could only stare at her in disbelief. How? How is she already back on her feet? Wasn't she unconscious earlier? Unless it was a farce to lure him in! "But I am not so easily defeated!" She laughs more excitedly than earlier before charging back in, while Zack could only curse himself at this situation.

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Meanwhile…

"Hurry! I hear them this way!" Blake yelled out as she and her friends, including Ilia, ran through the night forest and towards the sounds of combat. While they were supposed to rest for the night, the sounds of combat, as well as the sudden sounds of hundreds of bullets ringing out in the night, woke up those who could hear it, even more so when their friend had told them that he needed some time alone for the night before he joins them for the night.

It didn't take much to piece together what happened because he was not back yet, and there was the sound of combat in the forest where he said he would be.

"Hurry! Zacky's in danger!" As did the others, Nora cried with haste as she leapt over a fallen tree. But Ruby's reaction surprised everyone because she sped off by herself with her semblance despite protests from her doing that, but she did it anyway. Even so, as they get closer to where Zack could be, they see the collateral damage everywhere. Bullet holes in trees. Several had large holes in them, and others were smashed to bits!

Blake could only bite her lips anxiously before she jumped over another shattered tree. What the hell is Zack fighting to cause this much damage? Or, more accurately, who is he fighting at the moment

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"How long have we been fighting again?" Zack could only wonder to himself as he parried a strike before ducking under a kick and retaliating with his own. "Gods… This is taking too long. And you'll think people will notice all the wreckage we are making over here. Where the hell are you, Oz? Shouldn't you be awake in this situation right now…" He wonders before he ducked under another projectile aimed at his face.

It did not help that Zack had gone through numerous flashbacks of Cinder in the middle of his fight, which made him hesitate numerously at the wrong time. And that allowed the woman to exploit them to the fullest of her capabilities by striking him before he could react. It's amazing how Zack hasn't descended into hysteria with how much stress he is undergoing now, and it shows.

His arms and legs burned from the prolonged fight, and exhaustion had begun to kick in full force. Zack didn't have enough time for a brief reprise before another clash forced him into a blade lock with his opponent. Even more so for he, who was panting heavily while that woman was also panting, but not as intense as her opponent. He can tell he's running out of steam, and another thing bothered him.

Where are all the Grimm? Thanks to his 'test' with this strange woman, they should be here.

Yet, they are not.

"I must say," Zack's thoughts were interrupted when that woman spoke again with a hint of exhaustion and respect. "You can indeed fight well, and it has been an honour to go against someone as creative as you in combat." She compliments the Fox Faunus, who could only remain tense for any tricks she could pull off.

"You got what you wanted, didn't you? Now, can we end this here before the Grimm gets to us? Where are they, though? This kind of fight would attract them like flies to a lamp, but I neither hear nor see any of them." And to his surprise, her strength slackened momentarily, as if she were lost in her thoughts.

"Hmm… Good point." A mutter came by before Zack was punched back and was sent skiing back on the ground when she suddenly broke off and slammed her fist into him. "But alas, this fight has gone on for too long, and I am the winner! No contests!" As if announcing to an unseen crowd, she spreads her arms open before thrusting them forward at Zack, who braces.

Yet, to his shock, black chains erupted from her hands and flew at him at inhuman speeds, and it was only due to training and instincts that he dodged with relative ease, only for them to curve around like a plane and begin binding him all over his body. "Is this a semblance?!" The sound of chains rattled around Zack as he struggled to get them off. Yet, to his shock and horror, the more he resists his bindings, the more they tighten around his body and crush him!

"Can't… move…"

"Don't try to resist me, little fox. Because you can't, now kneel." And Zack found himself absolutely helpless as he watched his body follow this woman's will and kneel without resistance.

"What did you do to me?" He could only ask softly because this was his first time feeling truly helpless. The wretched horror of realising that you can't even control your body and someone else could use you as they please. And yet, all Zack got was a giggle as she bent down and caressed his chin with her hand.

"Since you asked, it's my semblance… to dominate anyone of my choice." Hearing this explanation made Zack's heart skip a beat while a shiver crawled on his back. "And you have the honours to be on the receiving end of it. Not many have pushed me far enough to receive the opportunity to be under me, you know?"

"This… This is fucked, you know? How can you act so calmly using such semblance on someone else?" A whisper came out of Zack's lips. Yet, to his surprise, the woman backed away and nodded as if she agreed with his statement.

"It is… But I've learned that holding back or not utilising everything given to you is a death sentence. But at the same time, I won't lie. Such semblance as mine can be… intoxicating to use… having full control over someone…" And for a moment, she appeared lost in thought before she suddenly brought her katana out and blocked a shot aimed for her head when both she and Zack heard a bang!

"Ruby?" Zack had hope in his heart when he recognised that sound as the woman jumped back before out of the trees came a red blur revealed to be Ruby with a murderous look on her face and Crescent Rose in its Scythe mode! And to his surprise, Ruby didn't hold back as she kicked the woman aside before she got into her protective stance around her friend behind her.

"Ruby!"

"Zack! Are you alright?" She asked while the fox Faunus struggled to nod his head due to the chains still controlling his body.

"Could be better. Where are the others?" He then asked before getting a comforting smile from Ruby.

"They're on their way, and I came as fast as I could." Ruby lets out an assured sigh. "Thank goodness you're alright. I'm glad you are okay."

"I'm right here, you know?" The woman deadpanned with her arms on her hips. "And while I find it quite adorable that you have people looking out for you, I shall take my departure." A bow soon followed, and the woman decided to jump away and leave, but Ruby was not having it, especially after seeing her friend's state with those strange chains binding him in place and looking roughed up.

Are those her Semblance?

"I don't think so!" Ruby yells before she zips towards the woman and swings Crescent Rose at her. But to her shock, it was intercepted, not by the woman but by her friend, who used Oathkeeper to prevent her from attacking that woman.

"Zack? What are you doing?" Ruby called out to her friend, confused while his whole body shivered. As if… he was fighting himself. Even more so with gritted teeth and pained groaning escaping his lips.

"She… has control of… my body…The chains… they control me…" Those were the last words he said before Zack lashed out at Ruby and began attacking her relentlessly, to her shock.

And in the confusion, the woman laughed as she began walking away. "Keep her and anyone who tries to follow me busy for two minutes, then you'll be free."

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Zack POV

"I can't fight it!" My whole body shuddered in a desperate attempt to wrestle control from that semblance of hers. In the meantime, however, I watched helplessly as my body, which I had no control over, attacked Ruby with no regard while my friend did her best to avoid my attacks.

Even more so, we could see that woman fleeing the scene!

That bitch!

I'll never forgive her for making me attack Ruby!

"Zack! Fight it, please! I don't want to hurt you!" Ruby begged when we clashed against one another, and to my horror, that semblance appeared to be pushing my body to its limit, and I could see Ruby losing the clash! It didn't help that I could see the desperation in her silver eyes, and I was helpless to do shit to stop myself!

"Ruby!" I heard the other's rushing before pausing in the background upon seeing me fighting Ruby. Thank God, they are here now! I hope they can hold off until I'm free!

"Guys! Help me hold Zack off! Those chains are controlling him!" Ruby yelled out before I redoubled my efforts to resist the chains that bound me! And it's not working; instead, it inflicted more pain on me! Gods! I can't keep going unless I want it to break my insides! I felt my body reacting to the new threats in the form of my friends as it brought out my shield, changed Oathkeeper to its polearm form and got into a defensive stance.

"What?!" I heard the gang crying out in disbelief, while I grit my teeth. I felt my strength draining by the second, to the point I felt as if I could collapse any second, and everything started to appear blurry. Yet, I still cannot control my body, and for that reason, the next few seconds were a blur to me.

Though it was getting tough to stay conscious because of my growing exhaustion, I was still aware enough to notice how reluctant my friends were to stop me as I unwillingly engaged them properly. And more so, whenever I attacked them, they were unwilling to fight back and were more concerned about staying on the defensive. I felt my legs burn with every movement, and my arms felt as if they had weights on them. But they still move to the will of those chains that bind my body.

I underestimated that woman. I mean… I was suspicious of where her semblance was while I was against her, but I didn't expect it to be this horrifying. I feel so helpless as her semblance commands me like a puppet. Even more so, my whole body was burning from exhaustion, and I was beginning to show signs of blacking out, yet those damn chains kept pushing me onwards.

At this point, I'm going to pass out soon. There… There are black spots in my vision… And… They're growing…

"Zack, you got to stay awake! Keep fighting!" I heard Ruby? Or was it Blake or someone else calling out to me while my body blocked a blow from Nora and sent skiing back. I lack the strength to keep going… Forgive me… I can't keep this up… And with Ruby's eyes as the final image I saw, I fell into the dark abyss with dread gripping me while my body moved on without me.

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To the horror of everyone, Zack lets out one final fatigued groan before his eyes sag and close shut. However, those chains continued to command his body to attack them, so it lashed out and sent a wave of ice from Oathkeeper at them. "Ren! Nora!" Ruby cried out. "We need to stop it before it hurts Zack himself now!"

"Right!" Her friends yelled out before both dashed to opposite sides and tried attacking together. Still, Zack's body instinctively reacted even while unconscious and jumped into the air with his arms, ready to lash Oathkeeper again.

"Illa, Blake! Now!" Ruby calls out aagain,only as a ribbon and whip come from behind, wrap around his arms, and yank him into the ground hard. The force of the pull by Blake and Ilia forcefully pulled Zack onto the ground with a crash. A small crater was made with him in the epicentre! And to the relief of everyone, the chains that bind his body begin to shatter like glass and fade into nothing, as did his aura.

Leaving him free from that accursed Semblance.

Seeing her friend freed from that Semblance, Ruby couldn't hold herself back. "Zack!" And with a cry of hope, she zipped next to her unconscious friend and held him tightly, her head awkwardly resting on his chest. Ruby heard a rapid thumping of his heart and the vigorous breathing of his lungs as they gasped for breath. That was all she needed to hear to know that her friend was alright and free.

Yet, despite saving her friend. Ruby could only worry more.

Who was that woman who had him all wrapped up like that with her semblance?

And why?

"Perhaps he could shed some light on what happened just now, and who was that lady?" She thought to herself before another worry appeared in her head. "We need to get back now. He's safe. That's all that matters right now." Ruby thought to herself as she held her friend close to herself, all while he had a peaceful look on his face. But Ruby didn't know how to feel about her actions earlier.

It was as if something stirred within her to act when she first saw her friend pinned and in clear danger by that woman, even to the point of recklessly charging in to save him. Sure, this isn't the first time she or her friends have ever gotten into trouble or hurt, but how she reacted to seeing Zack losing his ability to control himself terrifies her. And to see him at his limit and passing out just like that? It shook her to the core, and for a moment, she swore her silver eyes were about to trigger from witnessing that.

It's like back in the battle in Haven. When Cinder nearly killed him. Ruby remembered it as clear as day. It felt as if a part of her soul shattered when she woke up to see her friend dying with a hole in his chest. Then there's the trauma he developed, and seeing him in that state hurts her dearly. It is the same feeling again. Why is she feeling this way for her friend? What is happening to her?

Ruby could only question herself before snapping back to reality. She will worry about it later. Right now, Zack needs to be brought to safety. And so, she and the others picked their friend up and began returning to the White Fang Headquarters.

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Elsewhere…

The red-haired woman ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She had tested the little fox as commanded, and she was so far impressed with his creativity as he fought her. Though his stamina is lacking, his semblance is quite familiar, as if… No, she can think about it later.

Currently, she is to retreat as far as she can get. And it wasn't long until she stumbled across another person with the same white mask on their face. "Sister Nerium, I am under the assumption that you have successfully tested that child? The Khan wishes to hear news about him." The mysterious person asked before he got a response in the form of a chuckle.

"I believe you know the answer, Brother. After all, it was you who kept the Grimm away, am I correct?"

"Yes. I saw it all with how obvious you were." They deadpan while she pulled her hood up, hid her ponytail, and giggled. "And the amount of Grimm attracted by your 'test' is rather exhausting to deal with. I hope in the future you can be more subtle about it, sister. I have to call for backup to prevent it from going out of hand."

But instead of a proper response from her, the woman simply walks past them. "But you have it under control, don't you? Besides, they would have been fine, and they were all huntsmen. If they can't deal with a couple of beasts, that means they're terrible at their jobs, aren't they? I did, however, enjoy my fight with the boy." They would have spotted her licking her lips if they could see her face.

"Please tell me you didn't use your Semblance on him, didn't you? You know how much our Khan will be displeased for you disobeying his commands. He has given explicit orders only to use your Semblance in dire circumstances. I don't think he deserves to go through it. No one does, except scum."

"I suppose so… I must have lost myself in the action and forgotten about that order." An excuse came from her lips, yet they were unconvinced.

"I pray you know what you're-" Whatever they were about to say was quickly interrupted when she placed her finger on their mask.

"Ssshhhh…... Just leave it to me. I'll tell him all about it. Besides… I'm sure going through that will encourage him to grow stronger. It will be exciting to see how far he grows…" And with that, the woman pulled her finger away and vanished in the night's shadow while they could only shake their head and sigh before rushing after her.

"If we ever see that little fox again, sister Nerium. I would beg for his forgiveness." Their mumbles echoed quietly before they, too, vanished in the shadows.

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In the Evernight. Salem walked through the countless hallways by herself, passing by numerous windows that portrayed a barren wasteland beyond her castle with the skies a shade of dark red. She has seen this over and over again. Yet one thing remains constant: her plans to secure all the four Relics.

Or that was supposed to be the case after a botched attempt to ensure the Relic of Knowledge from Haven if she were to guess from that Faunus boy who stopped her from killing Leon. That coward. No doubt her dear Ozma would deal with him soon after for his betrayal.

Despite this apparent failure, since her dear Ozma's already reincarnated and stopped her from killing Leon for his cowardice, it is relatively simple to conclude that the plot to secure the Relic of Knowledge is a failure. But until her servants return and give her a debrief of why they failed and who is responsible, Salem will not act until she has the whole picture.

Even then, she finds it fascinating that her dear Ozma had reincarnated into a Faunus boy with an abnormally sized tail, of all incarnations he found himself in. And this has never happened before for as long as Salem could remember. For that reason, it picked her interest and much more when she remembered she sensed something odd about that boy.

On his right arm that goes up to this shoulder, while it is faint, Salem feels the presence of magic. But strangely enough, it was not the magic she and Ozma used. It's much different. Much more primal and ancient even compared to the magic she and her husband use. And it made her curious. This is why she finds herself walking to her library, for aeons of wisdom taught her one thing.

Knowledge is power.

And this boy is no ordinary incarnate of her husband. Someone else is placing their piece on the board. The question is, who and why are they doing this? Was it the Brothers adding new pieces on the board against her? Or is this the work of a wild card? When Salem reached her library and scoured through thousands of books, she found one on the ancient Faunus and their history.

A particular book she had aeons ago was obtained by one of her servants at her request. But she never bothered to read deeply into it much, since the ancient Faunuses never seemed to do anything and preferred their isolationist lifestyle. Even her attempts to manipulate them in the past against her husband have proven fruitless, since every one of her plans to do so failed spectacularly.

With so many failures, that earned her suspicions about why, and Salem sent spies to see what was going on the inside. Or at least that was until she kept losing her assets whenever she dug deeper. So, to save her time and resources, Salem gave up and left them alone since there was no point, and they had proven their desire not to interfere with anything, which was alright with her at the time since they would never act in anyone's favour.

But now? Salem should have taken a deeper look into their past and history. Perhaps they could give a glimpse into this Fox Faunus boy and the unique magic she picked up on him.

And so, the Grimm Witch sat on a nice, comfy chair and began reading deeply into the book.