2,862Finally the end of the trilogy. This is Part 3 of the Battle of Beacon. It all comes to an end. But when one door closes, another one opens. The battle may have finished, but so much other stuff will be sure to follow. I realized some of the end results might seem similar, but with new reasons that will lead to new adventures. Plus there's a sneak preview at the end of what Toaru characters might make an appearance. People have been asking where they are. Well, it's about time to learn. Those that don't read the Toaru Light Novels will probably have to wait for descriptions in later chapters. Which might be a bit as I'm going to take a break from it to plan out a few long term things. Salem and her forces will definitely be more deadly.
If you enjoy my stories and feel like tossing a few bucks my way for expenses, please see my P a treon below.
P a treon . com (Slash) Darkbetrayer
Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or RWBY.
'Don't they ever learn?'
Another Gryphon rushed at Accelerator, shrieking in anger. Yet it never even got close to him as the creature was torn apart by the light coming from his back, vaguely resembling powerful angelic wings. It wasn't entirely vector manipulation, but Accelerator didn't question it, as it wasn't the first time he used such power. It had just been a long time. In fact, it was long before coming to Remnant and lost his connection to the Misaka Network. It already felt like a lifetime ago.
Thanks to Weiss, he finally could remember those comforting feelings that were once so foreign to him. Protecting Vale and his friends wasn't just repaying a debt anymore. Not this time. The boy truly wanted to help them for purely selfless reasons.
Red eyes scanned the skies.
Rows of battleships surrounded the city of Vale, with the majority of them between the wall and the fallen Colosseum. Most of the Grimm were funneling there due to the negativity from the evacuated crowd. As Accelerator was eradicating the flying Grimm, the military was focusing on the ground invasion. All the airships were free to rain down destruction upon the land-bound monsters and decimating their numbers. Vale no longer was at risk, and the military was in the process of cleaning up the remaining Grimm. Accelerator flew between a few ships, making sure none of the Grimm decided to ignore him and continue to tear into the metal.
"Okay, Vale is safe, and I assume he took care of things at Beacon."
Accelerator stared into the distance where the Huntsman Academy stood. It was too far away to make out what was happening, but flashes of light occasionally broke the pure darkness. There was still some fighting going on, but the actual situation was impossible to tell from this far away. Of course, with Grimm not using weapons; the explosions and flashes indicated people were still there. A couple of Bullheads were flying towards Vale, evacuating students, and Accelerator flew by to make sure none of the Grimm tried anything. Those beasts were known to be opportunists.
The Battle of Vale had been won and while there were still many Grimm flooding toward the city, they weren't going to break the defense ring. It was just taking some time to clean up the leftovers. Taking a deep breath, Accelerator just floated there, relief flowing through them. He didn't need to worry about Last Order or Weiss anymore now that those two were safe. There were still other people Accelerator found tolerable, and part of him was worried about their status, as they were last seen at Beacon or the fallen colosseum. The boy debated flying to the school and taking care of that large dragon-looking Grimm. Touma being there was enough for him to give pause. If anyone could handle that without his help, it was that damn hero.
Accelerator's eyes narrowed.
Something was happening way in the distance. A white light exploded above the forest. Beacon wasn't that far away from Vale's walls, but it was still easier to take Bullheads to and from there rather than cross the woods. There was still a decent distance. Something big generated the noticeable large flood light and while Accelerator couldn't make it out, an off feeling in the back of his mind was warning him he couldn't relax yet. He found himself drifting closer toward the end of Vale closest to the Huntsman Academy. At this point, he wasn't needed to kill Grimm anymore, but he might have just flown down and wiped them out himself if Beacon wasn't drawing his attention.
A dull thunder noise caused him to stick a finger in his ear.
"Must have been an engine." The boy muttered, glancing at a passing airship. "There's no way I could have heard that Grimm all the way…"
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAWWWWRRRRRR!"
There was no mistaking it this time. Accelerator instantly narrowed in on the creature, unleashing a deep thunderous roar. It didn't sound like the Wyvern. As it passed Vale, the Grimm had let loose a high-pitched shrieking sound. This roar came from a different creature, one that formed goosebumps on Accelerator's skin. When he realized this, confusion passed through his mind. Fear was not something Accelerator was used to. Due to his Aura, Accelerator felt like his old self, even better actually, so nothing should have been able to threaten him or those under his protection.
Protecting, not saving. There was a key difference.
Then the creature came into view.
Pitch-black darkness that was visible even against the night sky in the form of a giant flying wingless serpent. Massive, with a head large enough to swallow a person whole. As the thing drew closer, the armored scales protecting its body came into view, but its face was what drew Accelerator's attention. While the body was serpentine, the head was clearly that of a dragon. Just one without eyes. It might have been a Grimm, but the beast had no white bone structures like all the others. The entire body was pure darkness.
As it drew closer, Accelerator began to feel something. A tingling in his skin and mind, more than the previous goosebumps. He felt his reflection activated as if something was pressing down on him. Maybe it was a mental attack of some kind. It wouldn't be the first time someone thought they could strike at his mind when physical attacks were useless. His auto-reflection was set up to prevent any kind of outside influence that would cause him harm. However, there were times when something outside his calculations would bypass his defense, albeit rare. One of the other Level 5s could manipulate matter and energy, turning sunlight into a damaging attack, while the so-called magicians and their strange powers had unusual interactions with him.
Some of this mental pressure was slipping through. Trying to manually calculate the change in his vector reflection wasn't yielding positive results. Rather than wasting time on something that wasn't working, Accelerator focused on using his newfound, mysterious power to shield the city. His wings of light spread outwards as he forced back whatever was affecting him. Accelerator knew that if this fear was reaching him, everyone else was probably being overwhelmed.
Rockets from dozens of airships began firing like mad. Not in any systematic fashion, though. More like, the crew members were hitting every button to unload missiles as fast as they could against the dragon. Screams from Vale rose in an unholy choir as people of all ages were running in fear. Several battleships were falling back before suddenly stopping, as if the men on board wanted to flee but were forced to stop. Things were quickly falling apart into pandemonium and Accelerator was spinning his head to grasp the situation.
Then he noticed the Grimm.
None of the Grimm were following this beast toward Vale. Nor were they taking advantage of the lack of firepower raining down on their position. Instead, they had stopped their charge when they noticed the dragon closing in. One could still think of this pure black dragon as a new type of Grimm and was joining its kin to attack Vale, except for one key feature. As one single unit, all the Grimm on the ground chose to make a 180-degree change in direction before bolting like frightened rabbits away from the city.
Every last one of them.
Only one person had that kind of power. Grimm didn't even flinch before Accelerator's unstoppable ability and yet would flee like cowards in the presence of a single boy. That black serpent was hardly Touma though. The blue and gold partial dragon form he showed on TV was not only a different style, but color too. Whatever this creature was, it still had something to do with the damn hero, and Accelerator wasn't sure if he should strike at it. The thing was chasing the other Grimm away, so it was doing what he would have done if he had been here with Accelerator.
Explosions originated in the distance from the beast as the missiles rained down upon it. Ships were firing everything they had at the dragon, and Accelerator had no way to tell them to hold fire. With the fear they were experiencing, even if he managed to lessen it, there was no way the military idiots would just hold back and wait. The thing looked too much like a Grimm to them. Gritting his teeth, Accelerator moved forward and prepared to intercept in case the black dragon grew enraged. He floated between the creature and the wall of battleships, his white wings stretched out and reflecting whatever he could to try to calm those behind him. As the dragon grew closer, even the faux angel could feel more of the terror seep into his thoughts.
"Alright, guess it's going to be the hard way." Accelerator uncrossed his arms and frowned. Lurching forward, the boy charged the dragon. It was better to be safe than sorry. The last thing they needed was for that dragon snake to attack people and cause more panic on top of the terror field it was emitting. If it belonged to Touma, it should stop before reaching him. If it didn't… well, Accelerator wouldn't hold back. The blind creature drew closer, fangs glistening as it opened its maw.
There was no way this thing was friendly.
Instinctively, Accelerator struck as his light met the darkness. White wings met black teeth with enough force to cause a shockwave. Air was blown away as the two forces collided. Any normal foe should have shattered against those wings.
But the dragon hardly flinched.
When it didn't even falter, Accelerator was instantly on full alert. Fangs seemed to sink into the material that wasn't solid and even began to tear the very light itself. Warping and twisting it into the mouth before disappearing completely into the void. Making a fist, Accelerator slammed it into the side, unleashing the full force of his vector manipulation.
The scales and flesh should have caved and torn apart at the mere touch.
In a near terrifying reality, the beast roared, opening its mouth to release the white wings, and had its head fly back through the air before it could stabilize itself. Accelerator's power worked on the dragon, just not in the way he wanted. Just like how those powers from the so-called magicians back home worked. He would have to figure out how to modify his calculations. Though his current power should have done more as it worked on other unnatural powers. Like in Russia when the sky split open and toxic golden light rained down.
The dragon snapped its mouth at Accelerator, who flew to the right to avoid it. While his reflection should work against the physical attribute of the attack, there was a mysterious power about the beast. Those fangs weren't just physical but something more. Bypassing his calculations before he could adjust them was a possibility he wasn't going to risk again. Willing his wings forward, he slammed the power down on the back of the dragon's head. Again, the force pushed the black beast down through the air, but it righted itself before it went down very far.
Attacks didn't seem to be doing any damage except angering it.
Blinding flashes of fire engulfed the dragon's head and body as another barrage of missiles collided against it. The Atlas ships weren't stopping and trying to assist him, even if the attacks did nothing. All the other Grimm were now gone, fleeing as fast as they could to get away from the blind dragon. Now all the security forces could focus on the remaining threat. Though it would have been better if they just stayed back. If Accelerator's attacks weren't harming the monster, their weak missiles wouldn't either.
"Idiots!" Accelerator yelled, knowing none of them would hear him. The dragon tilted its head toward the nearest battleships and began to move. "Of course, you fuckers drew its attention!" Charging forward, Accelerator slashed the body with his wings, causing a tear against the black scales. Finally, some noticeable damage. The beast ignored him for some reason and instead charged the airship. Missiles battled its hide and didn't even shake the creature. Accelerator tried to grab it, but even with his power, it was like trying to hold something slippery and wet. His vector manipulation wasn't slowing it down.
A sickening screech echoed as the jaws of the beast sank into the ship's engine.
Multiple eyes widened at the sight. This was followed by explosions that weren't caused by militaristic weapons. The Dust Engines were being crushed and torn apart. Chunks of the airship were falling to the ground below, as the entire structure was being shaken like a chew toy. The dragon was literally tearing out the engine and devouring it. Rushing over to help, Accelerator again attacked with the wings of light and forced the creature's head back. That didn't help the ship stay airborne, as the entire Dust engine was completely shredded. It began to fall and Accelerator had to fly over and touch the hull to manipulate its vectors to keep it from crashing down into the ground.
The dragon roared at Accelerator after swallowing the engines.
"Fuck you too!" Accelerator snapped back. "If you belong to the damn hero, get the fuck out of here!"
The blind dragon obviously didn't understand him, snapping its jaws in response, but it seemed to consider Accelerator to be too much work to consume. Its head shriveled around like it was looking for something that only its blindsight could detect. However, whatever the creature was looking for must not have been there, as after releasing one more deep thunderous roar, it started to fly off. Not toward Vale, not toward the other battleships closing in, or even back toward Beacon where Touma should have been. Instead, it flew away into the night sky toward the area outside of Vale. Not one person had a clue where it would want to go.
Accelerator considered following it but decided against it. He had to deal with the broken remains of Atlas technology. They really should have designed their ships better to have emergency systems in a different spot over the primary engine. At least for emergency landings. Since the dragon was leaving, the priority would be saving these idiots. They should have realized missiles were useless, but of course, the military mindset was if you're not killing something, shoot it more.
Compared to the Amity Colosseum, lowering a simple battleship was a piece of cake.
Setting it on the ground, the door to the side opened up and a man with a white and blue uniform came out and saluted him.
"Y- you saved us all!" The soldier was still trembling, although he seemed to be calming down by the second.
"Can I leave you here?" The boy asked, still with an indifferent tone.
"Yes, the Grimm have fled and there are no major injuries onboard." The man nodded. "We'll be able to return to the city without issue. I'm sure you have other, more important matters to deal with." There was a pause and his eyes seemed to focus on the wings behind Accelerator. "You saved this kingdom, and we can't thank you enough."
"Tsk… whatever." Accelerator turned and flew toward the city to make sure everything had settled. Fatigue began to weigh down on him. It had been a long day and if he hadn't been so tired, he would have checked out the situation at Beacon. Right now, he wanted to see Weiss and Last Order. Both of them should have been safe inside the city since the Grimm never breached the walls. They were sure to be impressed at what he did.
Cheers erupted from the streets as the boy flew above the buildings. People of all ages were pointing up at him, waving and shouting, with a couple even getting down on their knees. Of course, the boy didn't spare them a second glance. There were only two people he was interested in finding. The long pure white hair should be easy to spot from above. Though in a large city? Randomly searching was stupid and a waste of time, so Accelerator decided to head to the airship docks. Weiss would most likely be with Ruby there to wait for their teammates from Beacon.
Landing outside the airfield, he was aware of hundreds of people gawking at them. Nothing new there. Accelerator was used to people being impressed once they knew who he was. The wings of light flickered and vanished since they were no longer needed. Red eyes swept the crowd and then met with disappointment. If the people he was looking for were here, they would have pushed forward and revealed their presence. Taking out his Scroll, he prepared to call them.
The noise was too much though as people were calling out and cheering him on. It was a little much for all the civilians to know what he did. The military, sure. Even the people near the walls who might have seen him could spread the word, but this quickly? Something else had revealed his identity, and it didn't take long to see what. One store window had a stack of TVs where a news station was reporting the situation. A scene flashed by, showing Accelerator saving the Atlas battleship and the black blind dragon leaving the scene. Whoever had taken the shot must have been near the Vale walls to get such a short.
"ACCELERATOR!"
A loud voice drew his attention. Not one that he was actively searching for, but a familiar one nonetheless. Nora pushed through the crowd with Ren right behind her. Accelerator turned to them, prepared to ask them where the others were when he instantly noticed a third person with them. Someone who should have been with someone else.
Last Order was holding Ren's hand so she didn't get lost in the crowd staring at them.
"What's going on?!" Accelerator demanded. "Last Order is supposed to be with Weiss!"
"Some stuff happened." Nora tapped her fingers together nervously.
"It's complicated," Ren interjected as Accelerator opened her mouth. "She's not hurt, but there was an unexpected situation. Let's go somewhere private."
Taking a deep breath, Accelerator agreed as Last Order grabbed his hand.
"MISAKA is happy to see you return, MISAKA informs you as MISAKA takes your hand."
"Was there any doubt?" The boy asked
"Nope!" Last Order giggled as they walked past the crowd. Now that they were close, the shouting was no longer a roar of jumbled words. Accelerator could make out what they were saying. Men and women were cheering him on and laying out compliments.
"It's the Hero of Vale!"
"He took out the dragon!"
"Wasn't he the one who stopped the Colosseum from falling during the terrorist attack!?"
"You're a hero!"
"We love you! You saved our families!"
Accelerator blocked out the words by reflecting the noise from his ear. Mushy stuff wasn't for him. Those idiots didn't understand what a real hero was. All he did was protect those around him with his power. Something anyone in his position could do. Lost in thoughts, he didn't realize that Nora and Ren were trying to get his attention, since he couldn't hear them. They were in an alleyway between buildings, away from prying eyes.
"... hear us?" Nora was asking as he lowered his reflection.
"Yeah, I just had to block the noise back there to avoid a headache," Accelerator replied. "So, where is Weiss? She was supposed to be watching Last Order."
"Her father came and picked her up! MISAKA answers. He said she had to go with him, MISAKA adds unhappily." Last Order answered.
"HUH?!" Accelerator was in disbelief. "Why?"
"We don't know." Ren shook his head. "We were lucky to be nearby. Weiss asked us to watch Last Order until you returned, since she had to go."
"More like pleaded." Nora crossed her arms. "First time I've seen her that frazzled. I think she has some problems with her dad and can't say no."
Accelerator remained silent at this.
"So we've been waiting for you to return." Ren continued stoically. "We were watching the news and saw what you accomplished. Vale is most likely safe because of you."
"Did Weiss say anything else?" Accelerated demanded to know, ignoring Ren's compliment.
"She said not to worry about her, and she'll come back when she can," Nora admitted but didn't sound convinced. "She didn't sound very…"
"Sincere." Ren supplied and Nora nodded in agreement. "I'm sure you know she was putting up a front, but I don't see how she would be in danger at home. Atlas is an ally with Vale and not only do you both have ties with Ironwood, but she's also a trained Huntress. Normal security wouldn't be able to stop her."
All good points, but that didn't calm Accelerator's worries. He checked his Scroll and didn't see any messages from Weiss. That was odd as she should have sent him one immediately.
"The CCT was bombed too, and long-range communications are disabled." Ren noticed what he was doing. "Only short-range frequencies will work until it's back up and running. She probably did not have time to contact you, which is why she asked us to pass on the message."
"Fuck…" Accelerator wasn't sure why he felt so irritated. He trusted Weiss completely and if she said she was okay, then he would accept that. So why was he upset? Was it because he thought as a boyfriend she would make more effort to let him know directly? Maybe it was because he got so used to her being nearby, that things felt weird. There's no way it's because he wanted to show off to her after saving a city. Accelerator was not that petty.
…
Right?
"MISAKA misses Weiss already, MISAKA mutters as MISAKA tries to hide her disappointment." Last Order said, bringing Accelerator back to reality.
"She'll be back soon," Accelerator reassured the little girl. "If not, I'll go and see what's up personally…" His vision blurred, and he staggered for a moment, causing Nora to catch him.
"Are you okay?" The ginger girl asked.
"I'm… fine…" Accelerator tried to weakly pull out of her grasp, but his body felt like lead.
"You're exhausted." Ren examined his pale… well, paler… complexion. "You need rest. Once everyone gets back, we'll find out the full situation with Weiss, okay?"
Accelerator grudgingly agreed although it wasn't like he had a choice. His body was reacting as if it were filled with lead.
Touma gritted his teeth as he pulled with all his might against the beam, trying to lift the metal pinning Roman to the ground even a fraction of an inch. Blake was next to him, grunting herself as she assisted in pushing down to pry the debris off the man. Things were not looking good as the smoke was growing thicker, the metal hotter, and the flames drawing closer. They were lucky all the explosions had subsided after the original crash. Now they just required muscle, which was what they were lacking in the most. Blake and Neo were agile, dexterous fighters, while Touma didn't have Aura. If only he could figure out how to access that dragon form of his for a strength boost.
Or somehow get Yang to appear.
Either would work.
"Come on!" Touma growled, pulling with all his might. A creaking sound began to pierce through the crackling of flames. "Almost there!"
"On three," Blake replied, bracing herself and flaring her purple Aura. "One… two… THREE!"
Blake pulled and Touma pushed the metal bar being used as a lever. Slowly, oh so slowly, it began to move. The pile of debris on the other side began to shift, raising maybe an inch. Without missing a beat, Neo then yanked Roman with all her might. Before he had been stuck under the weight, but with just the smallest distance, the multicolored girl managed to move her father figure. Holding tightly onto his arms, Neo pulled him away from the wreckage, and within seconds, he was free.
Good thing too because the debris piled fell almost immediately afterward when Blake and Touma lost their grip. A loud boom made them flinch, but other than that, the pile of debris only began to burn. It seemed that Dust Engines would explode with a high enough impact, but didn't leak out the explosive gasoline. For once, Touma didn't find himself running away for dear life right before an explosion threatened to burn him alive.
"Neo!" Touma coughed as he and Blake followed her. The small girl had managed to get Roman a good distance away from the wreck in such a short time. "How is he?" She didn't answer, but slid over his Scroll she pulled out of his pocket. The Aura gauge synced to him was only at 3%. "Is he breathing?"
Neo nodded with a relieved sigh and then proceeded to slap Roman across the face.
The Scroll beeped and read 2%.
"Alright, alright, I'm up you slave driver… huh?" Roman's eyes opened up and he groaned. "Damn it, Neo. What have I told you about waking me up like that?" Neo stared at him for a moment before leaning down and hugging him. "OOMPH, you know I'm bruised and sore, right?." Still, the man managed to find the strength to reach up and pat her back. "Guess I should be thankful I'm alive."
Neo stood up and pointed to Touma and Blake.
"Yeah, the kid I get helping, but the kitty cat? Pretty sure she hates my guts."
"I'm considering tossing you back into the Bullhead." Blake informed him.
"Ah, and she still has claws. Wonderful."
"Are you stupid?!" Touma demanded to know, his voice rising. "You stole an Atlas Bullhead and actually went to attack that Grimm?"
"Wow, you're the one calling me stupid? I must have died and been transported to an alternate Remnant." Roman chuckled and grimaced. Even if his ribs weren't broken, they were probably severely bruised. "Jokes aside, I had my reasons."
"To drop Neo off?" Blake crossed her arms as Neo began to bandage Roman with a roll she pulled out from under her clothes. "Or did you really expect to help?"
"Little of both." Roman chuckled and then grew serious. "Been thinking of what you said, Touma. I decided that I wanted to give up my life of crime and be a full-fledged productive member of soci-"
"Bull." The boy interrupted instantly.
"Okay, fine." Roman snorted as he was caught. "Turns out Cinder was planning to pin a lot of what happened on me…"
"Most of it is your fault!" Blake spat out.
"...true, but she's trying to blame me for things that SHE did." Roman muttered, reaching for his pocket and realizing it was empty. "Man, I need a cigar." Blake and Touma glared at him and he continued.
"The bombs that were placed on many of the Atlas ships were done by Emerald. I was forced to help after she broke me out, but I managed to disarm many of the ones I had."
"Why?" Blake didn't believe him. "You were working for Cinder in the first place. Why betray her now?"
"Because if Vale falls, he won't have anyone to steal from," Touma explained, recalling all their conversations. "He's a crook and makes his living scamming people. Fewer people equals less money for him. Roman may be a thief, but he's not a mass murderer."
"I always try to avoid killing." Roman agreed. "Very messy, and cops stick on your trail harder than if you just steal valuables. Anyway, Cinder had left faked evidence that all the bombing was my doing. Sure, her voice was recorded, but Atlas would jump at the chance to execute me. Facing this, I decided to take the advice of my favorite multiverse traveler and join him and Neo."
"It's not going to undo all the stuff you've done." Blake pointed out, still doubting him. "Like the breach in Vale."
"All under orders." Roman shrugged, looking unperturbed. "Do what I was told to do, or she sets my head on fire and finds someone else to do it. The reason Neo worked with her was to protect me. I'm sure you noticed her insane fire powers."
Neo looked up and nodded before gesturing.
"Yeah, we saw that first hand." Touma agreed, thinking back to Cinder's flames, and the phantom pain his arm was still experiencing. "Can't say I don't understand, and you did drop me enough hints that I knew you were being threatened."
"She might have had spies or bugs there, so I had to be careful." The man continued. "If she even thought I was passing you information, then I'd be a dead man. Eventually, I decided I'd rather risk living as a free man than be someone's lapdog." A laugh escaped his lips, which then turned into a cough. "And if you really want to thank anyone for helping you, it should be Neo."
"She was a huge help versus Cinder." Touma complimented. "We couldn't have done it without her."
Neo puffed out her chest and looked pleased with herself, though she did make a small stabbing motion with her hand, which Touma decided to ignore.
"You have no idea, huh?" Roman shook his head. "I'm surprised she didn't tell you. Knowing she likes to show off her skills."
"I mean, she told me about Emerald and Cinder's plan." Touma rubbed his neck. "Right before Cinder made her grand villain speech. There honestly wasn't a lot of time to go into details."
"Neo stole something important that almost got me killed." Roman growled at the girl, who looked away and whistled. "That's why I'm sure Cinder left me to die to get executed by Vale and Atlas."
"What was it?" Blake looked between the two of them.
"A jumpdrive with a virus that would have given Cinder complete control over all the battle droids Atlas brought with them," Roman replied. "Cinder broke into the CCT to get inside Ironwood's Scroll, and all I needed to do was put the jumpdrive into one of the Atlas ships to have the new orders for the robots broadcasted all over Vale. Plus control over who knows how many military systems."
Blake and Touma could only stare in stunned silence.
"Yeah, she was planning to turn them on everyone to cause even more chaos and bloodshed. The bombs were her backup plan."
It dawned on Touma and Blake just what exactly Neo did. Grimm usually didn't attack the combat droids unless they were attacking, preferring to strike humans and Faunus. All the people fleeing the Colosseum would have been sitting ducks. If the battle droids that had been on the ground fighting Grimm had turned their guns on civilians…
"Neo…" Touma whispered, and the multicolored girl looked at him. "You are a hero, aren't you?" Neo blew air out of her mouth and tried to look nonchalant.
"I… I was wrong," Blake let the words tumble out of her mouth. "I always had some suspicion you were in this for yourself, but after that…" Neo rolled her eyes at her and flicked her off. "Okay, that's much more like you." Blake got a grin in return for that statement. It seemed Neo wasn't into that super mushy stuff unless she was doing it to someone to tease them.
"To be fair, she was in this for herself too, because Vale's her home." Roman chuckled. "Now, the question is what to do next."
"Get you to a hospital for medical attention?" Touma suggested. "You're barely put together."
"Pssh, I'm fine." Roman scoffed. "A quick Dust injection and some sleep, and I'll be up and stealing wallets in no time. Though if you could find me a couple cigars…" He trailed off under Touma's glare. "Fine, be that way. But if you take me to a hospital here in Vale, I'll be booked and locked up in an Atlas jail cell so fast, that little red wouldn't be able to react fast enough. Cinder is pinning all this on me, remember? And she figured out Neo betrayed us and most likely is framing her too."
Neo slammed a fist into her other hand.
"So what then?" Blake asked, crossing her arms. "You want us to leave you here?"
"I was planning to pick up Neo and fly us somewhere else until the heat died down, but my ride is currently on fire." Roman nodded his head toward the wreckage in the distance. "So I find myself in a bit of a jam." The man turned back to face Touma. "So kid. You promised if I came over you would help me out. What's your plan?"
"You come out of nowhere, fight a giant Grimm, nearly die in an explosion, and then expect me to help you get away?" The boy gasped.
"Pretty much, yeah."
Neo and Blake both snorted, but they couldn't predict what would happen next. Touma's eyes sparkled for a moment as he remembered something important. Rubbing his chin, the boy glanced over at the forest. It looked like he had at least an inkling of an idea. One that the man would be proud of. Roman noticed the change in his expression and smirked.
"I take it you thought of something, kid?"
"It's possible… but only if Ozpin didn't do anything with it," Touma admitted. "I don't know if he ever followed up on it."
"With what?" Blake frowned in confusion as Neo mimicked her expression.
"Remember when we escaped from the White Fang base after I got kidnapped?" Touma asked. "And we sort of left the Bullhead disguised as a rock in the forest? Do you think Ozpin might have done… something… with…?" His voice trailed off as the other three stared at him.
"There's no way Ozpin would have ignored that stolen Bullhead, could he?" Blake muttered and Neo shrugged.
"I think that would be the only way Roman and Neo could escape in the current situation," Touma replied. "A lot of airships were destroyed, the rest of them are in use, and all the entrances to Vale are sure to be locked up tight, so really this is the only option. It's not far."
"I can't believe I'm helping them escape…" Blake groaned.
"To be fair, we were being threatened with death if we didn't follow Cinder's orders," Roman told her. "Otherwise, we would have been content stealing and enjoying our life with our ill gotten gains."
"Yes... That makes me feel sooo much better."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you a terrorist once?" Roman smirked and Blake looked like she was about to punch him. Touma had to step in before the last couple percent of his Aura flickered and died.
"We've all been terrorists to the world at some point, so that's not saying much." The boy interjected, standing between them. Interest formed on Roman's face, the boy always had another secret to him. "Now instead of antagonizing Blake, who by the way helped save your butt, save your energy, and let's get you to the Bullhead. There's usually some first aid pack in there that might help you out, and then you and Neo can head out. Blake and I can say we were double-checking around Beacon to see if anyone else was hurt."
"Hmm, you might want to rethink your plan." Roman mused as he glanced over at Neo, who was gesturing quickly at him. "First, if Neo is complicit, you might get dragged into things. Atlas is the type of kingdom to pin the blame on anyone else. You might be able to say you didn't know Neo was helping Cinder…"
"She wasn't." Touma snapped, interrupting Roman, who smirked back at him.
"But who's going to believe her?" Roman continued seriously. "Former criminal who was close with me, with evidence showing I was involved. People will want our heads on a platter and will want vengeance. The higher ups in Atlas and Vale will use anyone as scapegoats to keep their seats. If we go back, we're as good as dead. Maybe if Ozpin likes us and tries to help, we might just get life. But that would be a death sentence to free spirits like us."
Neo's head moved up and down so rapidly it was almost a blur.
"Second, and I'm not sure if I'm reading this right." The man glanced over at Neo for a moment at some hidden hand signs before turning back to Touma. "Did you summon some giant dragon from your arm after Cinder cut it off? Then the dragon left your arm, flew off to Vale, and then your arm grew back like a reptile's tail?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Touma said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.
"Okay, so I'm not hallucinating from brain damage when trying to understand Neo. Good to know. The entire world has just gone crazy. Well, time to go become a farmer somewhere until everything goes up in flames."
"Can we talk about that now?" Blake asked as Touma and Neo helped Roman to his feet.
"We can, but I can't tell you much more than I already have, as I honestly don't know," Touma replied as they started leaving Beacon's campus and headed into the Emerald forest. "I've never had one escape like that."
"One?" Roman raised an eyebrow.
"There's a dozen or so of them." Blake crossed her arms as she walked with them.
"I'm not even surprised anymore." The man huffed and grimaced as his body hurt with every step. "Actually, at this point, nothing he does surprises me anymore."
"We still don't know what happened when it headed towards Vale." Touma pointed out. "I hope it didn't cause any trouble."
"Hard to say, but things look calm now." Blake squinted into the distance. "I can see all the lights, but no more explosions in the sky are going on."
"Phew… then Accelerator must have taken care of things." Touma breathed a sigh of relief. "So, Roman, how worried should I be?"
"Depends on if anyone links you to shooting out a giant black dragon." Roman shrugged. "Scratch that. I bet my bottom dollar they have. Do you know how famous you became when you transformed into that half-dragon during that Peace Summit? Everyone's going to assume you did something."
"Crap…" Touma bit his lips. "I definitely do not want to be the center of attention."
Neo's eyes sparkled as she gestured at him with one hand.
"Come with you?" Touma blinked as he read the mute girl's hand signs. "I don't know if that's a good idea."
"You could stay here and get interrogated by Atlas." Roman offered. "And who knows, Neo might get lonely and revert to her old ways." Neo used her free hand and placed it over her forehead. "And aren't you supposed to help me out of this life of crime? Being locked up is a fate worse than death."
"I'll drop you," Touma warned, loosening his hold on the man's shoulder. "Besides, why would you want me along? My bad luck will make everything worse."
"It's because ever since I met you… things have… spiraled into a web of craziness, and everything I thought I knew was a lie." Roman answered with a roll of his eyes.
"Real smooth," Blake muttered under her breath.
"In all honesty, Faunus are going to be in a lot of trouble due to the White Fang attack." Roman continued. "People aren't going to care if they were part of the attack or not. As a 'dragon Faunus,' you're going to be a rallying cry and a target of hate. You're going to get drawn into things whether you like it or not. If you come with us, we let things calm down a bit before we head back. Preferably, with a good, solid plan to deal with the situation."
"Sienna was fighting Adam alongside us, though," Blake replied. "But you have a point. No one's going to believe that."
"Yep, so she's going to have a fun time escaping Atlas too, though she's not an idiot, so I bet she already left in her own hidden aircraft." Roman chuckled and adjusted his arms on Neo and Touma's shoulders. "Atlas will shoot her on sight."
"Even with all the peace talks and Ozpin's speech at the start of the Vytal festival?" Touma asked.
"Racists will use the attack as justification that Faunus are animals and protest any peace talks." Blake gritted her teeth. "Adam ruined everything! We finally were making progress!"
Touma put his arm on her shoulder to calm her down. Neo noticed them and her eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't make any major movements as she was still helping Roman. Blake took a deep breath and managed to steady herself. There was no use getting worked up right now. Things were quiet for a while as they made their way further through the trees. Even Roman wasn't talking, as he was conserving his energy, but eventually, that man couldn't resist hearing his own voice.
"So, what do you say, kid?" Roman asked. "Want to go on a little vacation until things settle?" Neo quickly gestured and he smirked. "Neo wants to go to a beach. A bit of sun, some sand? Would be a great place to take a break."
"I need to find out what happened to the dragon that escaped," Touma warned.
"Sure, but if you don't know where it went, the best thing to do is wait and watch the news for signs of it." Roman had a perfect answer and Touma was having trouble counting his points. "Plus, fatigue is terrible for the body and if you don't stop to enjoy life now and then, you'll destroy yourself."
"Still doesn't explain where we're going to go." The boy sighed.
"Maybe Vacuo? They won't care much about having another couple of criminals or terrorists running around."
"Hmm… I may have a place." Blake's words were barely above a whisper as if they escaped her lips without meaning too. Blinking and realizing what she said, her lips went tight as the others stared at her.
"Blake?" Touma asked and the girl relented.
"I know a place we can go… it's going to be a little awkward, but I think it's time I went back." As Blake spoke, Neo leaned forward and stared at her with mismatched eyes. "Yes… there's a beach, but it won't matter if the Bullhead isn't… oh… wow, it's still here. That rock is the illusion, right?"
They had finally reached the place and while Touma held up Roman, Neo walked up and touched the stone. It shimmered and vanished rather than breaking apart, leaving behind the small airship. Neo could make solid illusions that looked 100% real, but were delicate and broke with a decent enough impact. As nothing disturbed it, her illusion was set in stone.
Pun not intended.
"Not bad!" Roman laughed as Neo opened the doors. "We should be able to get anywhere we need to with this. Lacks a lot of weaponry, but it makes it lighter and has better fuel efficiency. With the kid here, we don't need to worry about the Grimm anyway. Speaking of, how much is in the tank?"
"It had been refueled before we stole it and didn't travel that far," Blake answered. "Should still be three quarters."
"Perfect. Now Neo, could you be a dear and look for the first aid kit? I could really use some drugs right now since I'm out of cigars." The mute girl rushed inside and pulled the white and red box out. Touma helped Roman to a seat so he could rest as Neo prepared a Dust injection. Normally, no one would dare let Neo near them with a needle, but Roman was important to her like a father. If anyone made sure he was okay, it would be here.
Instead, he took the chance to sit near Blake, who had taken the pilot seat.
"You sounded hesitant back there," Touma muttered.
"I told you, it's going to be awkward, but we won't get shot at least." Blake smiled awkwardly.
"You don't have to come with us." Touma pointed out.
"I know, but someone needs to look out for you and make sure you don't fall into a bad crowd." This time there was a real smile.
"Okay, but there's something you need to do." Touma reminded her.
"Like what?"
"Let someone know what you're doing?" Touma said, with a facetious tone.
"Oh…" Blake blinked and blushed before pulling out her Scroll. "The CCT is down, so we might be too far away for short range…"
"You have to do it." Touma pushed her. "I know what Ruby will do if you vanish without a word."
Sighing, Blake began to type, feeling more and more awkward as she wrote the message to her team.
I'm heading off with Touma, Neo, and Torchwick to avoid some problems for a bit. Will contact you again when we can. We are okay, so don't worry.
She held up her Scroll and was able to JUST get a signal to Beacon and Vale. However, the signal vanished shortly afterward, but at least the message was sent. Putting her device away, she turned toward the boy. The message was short, but it explained what the situation was.
"Done. Happy?"
"Very much so." Touma grinned at her, trying to sound confident, but he couldn't help thinking about the situation back in Vale. "Everyone made it out alive, so we can't really ask for much, can we?"
The boy had no idea of Ozpin's fate. Pyrrha couldn't muster the words to him due to the lack of time back at the tower.
"We have breaking news!" The male news reporter on the television said to his co-hosts on the largest television network in Vale. A few hours had passed since the attack on the Amity Colosseum finished. "We have our own Lisa Lavender, who was on-site at Beacon Academy, one of the major locations of the terrorist attack."
The screen flickered and Lisa Lavender appeared.
"People of Vale, there is a lot of speculation on who was responsible for the attack of the Atlas military and Amity Colosseum. We are here to inform the public of the culprits and remind everyone they are armed and dangerous. Under no situation should they be approached. If spotted, please alert the proper authorities. An emergency line has been established. The following individuals are Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, Mercury Black, Ilia Amitola, and Adam Taurus…"
As she talked, their pictures flashed on the screen.
"… Many of you may recognize the wanted terrorist, Adam Taurus, a member of the White Fang. Due to his involvement, many believe that the White Fang orchestrated the attack. I personally stayed at Beacon in order to uncover the truth and I have evidence of what really transpired. Warning, the following video may be inappropriate for young viewers."
The TV changed from focusing on her to a shaky camera recording the fight in Beacon's Cafeteria.
"Fucking idiot! Do you know what you just did?" Sienna Khan, leader of the White Fang with her chain whip in hand, was standing across from Adam. "We finally… finally… made some progress and in one fell swoop, you knocked back decades of advancement in a single moment of sheer stupidity! Have you gone mad? Did losing your little girlfriend knock a few screws loose in that self-righteous lump you call a brain?! We do not attack the Huntsman Academies; period! The Grimm threatens us all, Faunus and humans! And here you are, utilizing them as fucking weapons on both?! What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Progress? You think I've lost my mind? What about you?!" Adam spat, standing up and spitting out a glob of blood onto the floor as he rubbed his chest where a small burn was. "You talk as if we have to accept their compromise. You're admitting defeat. You won't do what it takes to win this war. That's why you're not fit to be a leader; You're weak. I was planning to dethrone you eventually, but now is as good a time as any." Slowly, his blade was drawn from the sheath, the cold unfeeling rasp yearning for flesh. "It's time for the White Fang to enter a new era."
"Yes, without you." Sienna spun her chain about, the metal links striking the floor with terrible scars and sparks. "I should have listened to that boy and reined you in when I had the chance."
"Are you telling us that the White Fang is fractured?" One of the news reporters said, as the TV screen turned to a half-and-half between them and Lisa.
"Yes, Sienna Khan is known for her ruthlessness, but even she draws the line." Lisa continued. "Any violence she authorizes is focused on those that discriminate against Faunus. She has always held the deepest respect for Huntsmen and the Academies. This attack was not planned by her and, as she said, after the progress was made, she wouldn't have ordered something like this."
"Well, many believe that since she went into hiding after the attack, she's guilty." Another woman said on the panel. "Why would an innocent person hide?"
"I'm sure she will turn up when she's no longer threatened," Lisa replied evenly. "If you aren't aware, many Faunus are being attacked by people in the streets, while the Vale Police Department is trying to get everything under control. There are good reasons why she's waiting for the situation to calm down."
"We can be here all day discussing Sienna Khan's methods." A third person, an elderly man, spoke up. "Miss Lavender. Since you were at Beacon, did you happen to see what transpired between the Wyvern and the Dragon Grimm?"
"Yes we did, and the video is too graphic to show on TV," Lisa sighed, indicating she was being silenced and hated it. "However, I need to correct you, Tom. The dragon that killed the Wyvern was not a Grimm."
"WHAT?!" The panel gasped and the crowd who were watching the show froze.
"Those who witnessed it first hand can tell you that whatever the dragon was, it was beyond a Grimm." Lisa continued, her face paling. "I was there when it grabbed the Wyvern out of the sky and tore it to shreds while devouring it. The fear and terror its mere presence caused, even to those that couldn't see it. Just being near that thing…" The woman took a deep breath to steady herself as the panelists looked at each other. Everyone there was aware of the lengths Lisa would go to get a story, even risking her own life.
But to hear her talk like that was something new.
"We do have a picture of the creature." Lisa's tone was strong and resilient once more. The screen split into thirds, with the picture showing the blind, pure black dragon rising up off the ground at Beacon. Blurry remains of the Wyvern laid in the background. "As you can see, besides being Black, this creature does not resemble a Grimm. Note the lack of bone markings. Whatever this creature was, it was willing to destroy them."
"Do you have any idea how that dragon appeared out of nowhere in Beacon?" The woman asked Lisa.
"No, I was busy recording the fight between Sienna and Adam. I haven't figured out how to be in two places at once."
"Wasn't the dragon Faunus boy there?" The first man asked after putting his finger to his ear, causing Lisa to frown. "Yes, according to part of the video you shot, that boy was there. Touma Kamijou?"
"He was busy fighting Grimm nearby, but I can't speculate what happened," Lisa replied professionally.
"Didn't he show to have started to turn into a dragon during the Peace Conference?" The elderly man pushed.
"Yes, but the color and design…"
"The boy is also nowhere to be found." The woman added, a devious glint in her eye.
Lisa knew where this was going and did not like it. Journalistic integrity was important to her. When she discovered a story, she would do anything to uncover the truth. When the network canceled her or tried to spin it other ways, it really pissed her off. There was little she could do except give live reports, where they couldn't stop her fast enough. She had the highest approval rating of any newscaster, so canceling her would be disastrous. The panelist however would spin things to bring in ratings, regardless of the truth.
"Many people are scattered over the city and Beacon still. I plan to interview all individuals involved in the defense of Beacon to find out what transpired." Lisa pushed forward, trying to cut them off. It failed when the woman continued.
"The dragon also attacked and destroyed an Atlas battleship. If your theory is right about it not being a Grimm, then it's also not on humanity's side."
"I can't comment on that," Lisa admitted, grinding her teeth.
"If it wasn't for the Hero of Vale fighting it off, it might have done astronomical damage," The older man crossed his arms and nodded. "He single-handedly turned the tide of the battle." Lisa was even more annoyed because she had missed out on seeing the boy with angel wings flying around and destroying Grimm. She really wished she could be in two places at the same time.
"Lisa Lavender will no doubt be providing constant updates, and we will be bringing them to you 24/7." The first man addressed the camera. "Up next, the Hero of Vale. Faunus or human? The debate rages on."
Lisa sighed as the camera turned off, and she was free to get back to work. The Hero of Vale, also known as the Angel, was a popular topic of those who weren't screaming at Vale officials. Many of those who saw him swore they saw white angel wings on the boy's back, while others swore the light of heaven came down and engulfed him. Depending on whom you believe, a huge debate still occurred.
Were angels actually a type of Faunus?
Faunus were humans with animal parts on their bodies. The white angel wings could be considered bird-like wings, at least in appearance. Many rumors had begun to spread through Vale, with those believing the signs of the Dragon Faunus and the Angel Faunus marking the beginning of a new era. Others reported they weren't actually animal wings, but divine wings that only humans could have, so Angels weren't Faunus. Religions started being a prevalent conversation among groups of people.
Whatever the case truly was, Lisa couldn't wait to interview him and find out what he was!
This was the scoop of the century, and every professional reporter instinct in her body demanded she find out more. There were just a couple of problems at the moment. The Grimm attack may be over and order was being restored to the chaos, but finding people was difficult. The Hero of Vale disappeared with a couple of Beacon students, and no one knew where they were. The Dragon Faunus disappeared right after the black dragon was chased off. Lisa even examined the crash of the Bullhead that fought the Wyvern, but no one was there.
Mysterious.
But Lisa always got the scoop, and she would follow every lead until she discovered the truth. Her eyes landed on a couple of Beacon students nearby and she smiled. That was a good start. First, she would find out more about those two boys and then move from there. Truth was the most important thing to her, and nothing would stop her pursuit of it.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
Wishez: Remember me? Those of you who actually read the editor's notes should. This is the first chapter from Dark where the rough draft was not complete, ASS. Don't know if I'll continue editing, but we'll see. Let me know if the chapters have a different aura when I edit them… or don't, it's up to you.
Dark: Hmm, this chapter is kind of short, so let's give a small clip of what's coming up. There might be a more significant break since the main battle has ended.
Three days after the attack on Beacon and Vale, Eliza was still couped up in the lab working on the interdimensional portal. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and slammed a large stack of papers down on her desk. Another failure, but at least this time the metal circle gate didn't twist and warp. Several short circuits were the main issue as too much power ran through the device. Her eyes flickered to the wall where a large cylinder of dark blue liquid held the Tentacle Grimm.
It still was so unnatural to use them as a power source, and yet genius at the same time.
Still, she seemed to have reached a standstill.
The portal opened alright, dozens of times. Worlds so unique and mysterious that Eliza could spend her entire life studying them. It's just it never lasted very long. Sure, some parts exploded from the surge of energy, but the main issue was stability. There had to be a way to keep the fluctuations from going crazy and breaking the electronics. Energy surges couldn't be contained.
"I guess whatever exists between worlds is causing problems." Eliza groaned. "Merlot only just started before he passed on, so he doesn't have any information about it. Maybe there's some kind of electric force separating universes?"
Eliza would either need to discover what existed in a place where nothing should exist, or find a way to fortify all the Gate's systems. The latter seemed more likely to succeed. Though getting the materials is going to be harder than ever. All funding was going to rebuild Beacon, military ships, and weaponry, along with reimbursing Atlas for the Colosseum. Even if Ozpin hadn't fallen in the fight, he wouldn't be able to get her money or materials anymore. Luckily, she fully stocked the lab with everything she might need so she didn't have to go into Vale constantly, wasting precious time.
"One more time with new adjustments and then I'll call it a day." Eliza sighed, typing on her computer as the robotic hands began to repair the damage based on her programming. "Just another day of trial and error."
Even if it wasn't for the two boys trapped here on Remnant, the fact portal travel and multiple universes exist was a huge scientific breakthrough. There was so much they could learn from other worlds, and maybe they could share their own knowledge. Or even figure out how to truly defeat the Grimm. As a scientist, Eliza couldn't stop for any reason. The attack on Vale ended with minimal casualties thanks to Accelerator. After seeing him fight firsthand, she understood why the kingdom was shocked and praised him..
Finally, she was ready for one more test.
"Systems stable," Eliza muttered as she flicked the switches and the gate hummed to life. Her goggles were on and she was standing behind the protective barrier. "Everything is green… electric output constantly. Here we go!" She pulled a large lever and the gate began to light up.
A white light filled the circular metal frame before flickering. Gritting her teeth, Eliza constantly made adjustments based on the fluctuation readings. Slowly turning the dial, the light began to start showing images. She had to get the exact spatial coordinates to connect to a world, and that's when things would go wrong. Connecting to worlds caused all sorts of energy spikes and since the multiverse was constantly changing, where one world sat, another one might show up seconds later. It's why the portal flickered between worlds so much. Once Eliza could stabilize a connection to a plane, she could then start working on swapping between them.
Yeah, a lot of work ahead of her.
But this was probably the biggest find in Remnant's history!
The portal was holding, even if the picture was flickering. Whatever world she was seeing didn't matter, she just needed to be able to hold it constant. Her eyes were scanning the screens and her fingers were a blur on the keyboard as she made adjustments and monitored every system's progress.
"Come on… hold… almost there…. NOOOOO!" An electric surge ran through the system and the light dimmed. "YOU PIECE OF JUNK!"
Then something happened. An explosion of light erupted from the Gate, blinding her. As she covered her eyes, she heard a loud clang of metal hitting metal. Fear raced through her as she thought she pushed the machine too hard and it broke. Hitting the emergency shut-off button, all the lights faded, and the gate went silent. Standing up, she left the barrier and walked to examine the gate. However, she paused as the structure seemed intact. Her eyes skimmed the area and then focused on a small black box in the middle of the floor.
"What is this?" Eliza muttered, looking at the polished service. She picked it up and saw some buttons on the side. Other than that, it was made of a solid black metal that seemed to absorb light. "Where this this come from?"
"Good afternoon, I hope this reached the intended recipient."
Eliza nearly dropped the box as a male voice came from the device.
"Who said that?!" She demanded.
"This is a recorded message, so I won't be able to answer any questions at the moment." The male voice continued. "We located an energy fluctuation involved in multi-spatial fracturing. If this was not your doing, please disregard this message. If you are aware of the situation, please press the first button on the right side. This will activate the receiver to allow multiversal communications. Press the second button to record a message to send. There are current issues between worlds caused by time dilations so direct conversation is not possible at this time."
"Time dilations?" Eliza frowned. "That could mean a lot, but since this guy wants me to record a response, it probably means one of our worlds has a faster time flow than the other. Hmm, maybe he can provide me more information on the situation."
She pressed the first button and then held down the second one.
"Greetings, I am Eliza Anthurium and I believe you have the right person. You must have detected our attempts at making a gateway. Just to be sure I'm speaking with the right person, I have a couple of questions. First, who am I talking to? Second, how many people are you looking for?"
No response came through for a while, and Eliza went back to work, though she didn't get very far. Anxiously waiting for the man to respond, she kept the black box near her at all times. What felt like an eternity, static rippled through the box and the man spoke once more.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Eliza. I would expect no less from someone capable of making a gateway to expect some proof of my purpose. Two teenage boys, one adult male, and one child should have passed through. As for who I am, my name is Noukan Kihara and I believe I might be able to help you with your gate…"