Optimistic Game Chapter 84

Edited by: Marethyu, Priapus

– Gwyn –

Under the commands of his master, the Great Wolf scouted the area in which the supposed slave market took place, watching from a distance as two of Reid’s strongest golems tore it asunder from the inside. He wanted to get in on the fun, but it had been made very clear to him that he was only to observe and wait for the ‘trap’ to go off, whatever it was. That would be his cue to go in there and get both the golems and the slaves out in case they couldn’t make it.

The one named Indra would be the one mainly slaughtering those willingly participating in slavery, as he was purely a combat golem, while Sentry, Reid’s golem armor, would rescue the slaves and bring them to safety, seeing how he could easily change shapes and sizes. And he could fly.

And it was highly unlikely that this trap would harm them, but just in case, Gwyn was here. His master would become very angry if two of his strongest golems were to die somehow, one of them made from his best materials. It would be a very devastating loss, and that wasn’t good for Reid’s rapidly deteriorating mental state.

Like a lot of other canines, Gwyn knew that his master was sadder than he usually was. But unlike other canines, he knew it wasn’t just ‘sadness’. No, Gwyn was far more intelligent than the typical dog or wolf. He comprehended the complexities of human emotions better than most, and he knew that Reid’s problems ran a lot deeper than simple ‘sadness’.

Whether it was his crippling fear of failure or his stubbornness in making everything his full responsibility alone, Gwyn had been there during every one of Reid’s most challenging moments. Mentally and physically. He’d seen it all, and while he hadn’t always been as intelligent as he was now, he now knew that at the rate things were going, his master would eventually snap. He’d lose his mind one way or another, and it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Of course, it didn’t help that Reid refused any form of support from his pack. Both were aware that Gwyn knew exactly what was bothering him, yet he refused to show even the slightest hint of weakness if he could help it. It was, naturally, frustrating, and Gwyn knew that he wasn’t the only one feeling that way. He could tell that the red one shared his feelings of frustration at his master’s stubbornness.

Despite his attempts to comfort his master, nothing worked. Reid would brush it off, say his sadness ‘would pass’, then never talk about it again. Even a wolf like Gwyn knew this wasn’t healthy in any stretch of the word. At first, Gwyn had thought that Reid would eventually wise up and talk to one of his mates or really anyone about it, but it wasn’t looking like that was going to happen any time soon. Meaning Gwyn might be pushed to do something drastic if this continued on any longer.

But, for now, he’d do his master’s bidding. Succeeding in this mission would probably help Reid’s mental state. At least for a little while until Gwyn could find a permanent solution. With this ‘Pig Emperor’ gone forever, that’d be one less thing to worry about. Hopefully.

Panting and wagging his tail, Gwyn resisted the urge to hunt down those inside, waiting for the signal. He was as sharp and focused as an extremely excited giant wolf could be, but his hunting instincts weren’t making this easy for him. Had he been a lesser canine, he would’ve lost control and ignored his master’s orders. But Gwyn was a great wolf with equal intelligence to humans. In fact, Gwyn knew how to read and write thanks to Ruby. And Reid didn’t even know.

With him being always so busy with this ‘business’ stuff, and with Gwyn relaxing in the big house all the time, he would naturally play with her whenever he could. And to test his intelligence, Ruby decided to teach him how to write and read their strange symbols. Letters, as she called them. They kept it from Reid to surprise him one day, but Gwyn had never found the opportunity to show him. All for the sake of praise and treats, of course.

Despite his immense intelligence, Gwyn was still a dog.

He waited for the signal, staying within earshot as the pained screams of the slavers could be heard. Well, Gwyn could hear it, considering his enhanced senses even as a wolf. He was still standing very far from where the market was. Unlike a lot of other slave markets, where they’d be set within a random cave, this one was hidden inside an old, abandoned bunker, with Grimm warning signs all around it to deter travelers and explorers.

And despite it being a trap, there were a few guards standing near the entrance. Just deep enough into the cave where they couldn’t be seen from outside. This ‘Pig Emperor’ obviously didn’t want this to be an obvious trap, even though it was an obvious trap anyway, so he kept the illusion of it being a serious slave market till the end.

Although Reid did say that it was a real market, and Piggy was seemingly willing to sacrifice millions of Lien just to get rid of the Black Phantom forever. If the Black Phantom caught on and didn’t raid the market, then he’d have made a profit selling the slaves. To him, it was a win-win situation, not knowing Reid was standing next to him right this instant.

Gwyn would’ve felt bad if he weren’t an enemy, but he didn’t with how much slavery angered his master. There were very few things that made Reid this furious, and enslaving others was near the top of that list. So, naturally, as his familiar, it angered Gwyn just as much.

As more time passed, Gwyn flinched and felt it— a surge of magic from deep below the bunker, prompting him to growl and rush forward immediately. Any other time, he wouldn’t feel so worried about Reid’s greatest creations, but the power he felt was immense. Of a scale that would surely severely damage them if not outright destroy them.

Gwyn barked, crashing through the walls of the bunker, seeing Indra behead the last remaining slaver. Sentry had already rounded up the slaves in place, transforming into a bubble and surrounding them. Magic gathered from below, surging higher and higher and giving them less than adequate time to escape. 

But thankfully, they were quick enough. As planned, the bubble attached itself to the giant wolf using two tendrils that wrapped around its back and belly, while Indra got on top of Gwyn, injecting him with a swiftness potion. With his semblance and magic tandem, Reid’s familiar rushed outside, just in time before a massive explosion engulfed and utterly vaporized the bunker from the inside.

With his speed, he was more than fast enough to outrun the explosion, avoiding damage entirely. Once they were out of the radius, Gwyn turned around and watched in utter shock at the mushroom cloud penetrating the sky. This… could’ve been really bad. Although not the most knowledgeable about magic, Gwyn knew that a bomb at this level could only be achieved by using Stardust.

Even if the explosion had miraculously killed no one, the leftover magic would attract hundreds if not thousands of Grimm. And that was if it didn’t awaken a nearby Titan. With this being right next to the borders of Vacuo…

…Reid would need to hear about this ASAP.

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– Ozpin –

With the preliminary and second rounds done, Team Wildberry, of course, won all their matches. He’d had no doubts, and their performance was exceptional. Reid’s training was incredible if it turned a couple of first-year students into that pure powerhouse of a team. With magic on top of it? They were going to be quite the unstoppable bunch. The audience was beyond entertained now that they were fully aware who Astera was sponsoring. The bets were reaching numbers never seen before in the history of Remnant. He would know.

But, naturally, after a few hours of excitement, there needed to be a break between matches. For the audience to have lunch and for the participants to actually rest up a little. Reid had boasted to him and the other councilmen that Wildberry didn’t need rest, as they were used to way more than a couple of easy matches, but even if that was true, that couldn’t be said for other teams.

Regardless, this also meant they could actually discuss the situation of the illegal slavery of Vale now that Reid had figured out the identity of the Pig Emperor. 

“Are you certain, Mr. Astera?” Ozpin asked him. Back in his office to avoid the prying eyes and ears of this supposed ‘Pig Emperor’. “You’re aware how serious these accusations are, yes? If you turn out to be mistaken, then—”

“I wouldn’t tell you if I weren’t so confident,” Reid cut him off. “It’s definitely him. Everything lines up perfectly. Besides, I’ve seen enough lunatics to recognize bloodlust and sadism from a mile away. It’s not natural for someone to suddenly feel like that for no reason. Unless, y’know…”

It was still quite hard to believe. Valentine had been a good friend of Ozpin for decades. Why would someone like him be this infamous Pig Emperor? He’d never even shown the smallest trace of being such a vile criminal. Could he really have been fooled all this time? Was there some sort of misunderstanding, perhaps? Or was Reid mistaken about something?

Truthfully, Ozpin knew the news would’ve been shocking regardless of him going along with Reid’s plan. Taking the Pig Emperor’s bait while also being in the same room to monitor his emotions for anything out of the ordinary was a plan only Reid would be able to execute with his plethora of strange, otherworldly abilities.

According to the Titan Slayer, he’d prepared a bomb powerful enough that it would’ve wiped out more than half of Vale City just to take out the Black Phantom. Measures so drastic that it was unbelievable. Utterly unrealistic. But with communication lines suddenly being cut after the energy of the bomb reached the CCT tower, it supported such absurdity.

And, after communication lines were restored, it only confirmed it. A massive explosion near the borders between Vacuo and Vale had suddenly happened out of nowhere. At a scale so large, it would’ve made General Onyx mobilize an entire battalion had Reid not told him to stand down.

“Mr. Astera, I hope you understand that we cannot arrest someone because you sensed his emotions.” He told Reid before pausing and sighing. “I do believe you, Reid, but we cannot be rash.”

“You don’t need to arrest him.” The Titan Slayer snorted. “I don’t think arresting him would even work. Criminal or not, he still has a lot of political power, and you’ll need to do a thorough investigation before you can apprehend him. By the time that happens, he’d have fucked off to god knows where.”

“I’m well aware, but you realize that’s necessary, yes?” Ozpin pointed out. “Otherwise, what’s the point of the justice system?”

“Justice delivered by the system can very easily be avoided by the politically powerful,” He argued, sounding too similar to a few tyrants he had known back then. “My justice, on the other hand, can’t be. Commoner upbringing or royalty means nothing to me, so I’ll personally handle him. You just have to trust me on this, Oz.”

“I cannot stop you, Reid.” He said. “But what if you end up being wrong?”

Reid paused for a moment before responding, seemingly unsure how to word his next sentence.

“I’m not,” He said, remaining confident. “Look, Oz, I have ways to prove it. Here. I’ve even worked on this yesterday.”

He took out a new green and red potion from his storage magic. It had a peculiar aura to it, unlike most potions Ozpin had come across. It felt more… abhorrent. Of the dark magic kind, rather than the regular, soothing potions Reid typically made.

“This is a truth serum,” He revealed. “I just gotta inject him with it, and he wouldn’t be able to lie even if he wanted to. Simple, right?”

“And how do you plan on using it on a councilman?”

“I’ll kidnap him first, obviously.” I shrug, sending the vial of poison back to my inventory. “I have a few people on standby ready to do that for me. We already discussed this.”

With an expression of disapproval on his face, he took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and sighed.

Ozpin wasn’t a fan of this method, admittedly. Reid had yet to understand the ramifications of kidnapping a councilman at all. Yes, he had a multitude of methods to avoid being connected to a crime like that, but it didn’t change how violent this was. Violence only few were truly capable of.

“For the justice you seek, you’ve always taken the most violent path imaginable, and I can’t say I approve of it, Astera. Especially not when you’re so young.” He said. “But as I said, I cannot stop you even if I tried.”

“You say that as if there are other options,” He replied with narrowed eyes. “There aren’t. You of all people should know that.”

Ozpin looked back at Reid. Wise brown eyes staring into resolute blue ones, and, for a mere instant, flickering into her vicious, inhuman gaze. In no way could they ever be compared. She was a monster long corrupted by the evil of the world, and he was a hero struggling to do the right thing. Ozpin knew that. It wasn’t fair to Reid, but to say he did not sound like her in that moment would be a lie.

But, at the same time, there was another flicker. One that reminded Ozpin of what it felt like to stare at his reflection in the mirror. Despite those words of his, there was unimaginable pain hiding behind his eyes. It was at this moment that Ozpin knew what this was about. What Reid was going through.

And after the horror of meeting with Salem…

No wonder…

“And are you truly satisfied with that?” Ozpin questioned, his voice firm and even.

For a moment, Reid hesitated, but he very quickly gathered his resolve and nodded.

“Yes.” He said. “If being the violent monster I am now means that no one else has to take on that burden— if violence paves the way for the perfect world I’ve always envisioned since coming here, then there’s NOTHING I wouldn’t do to make it a reality.”

Ozpin said nothing.

“You’ve been at this for countless centuries, Ozpin. You know what it’s like. To be the only one capable.” He added with a shake of his head and a sigh. “Wouldn’t you have done the same in my place?”

Of course, he would’ve done the same. No, it was more accurate to say he had already done something like that. Many, many times. From a benevolent ruler to a tyrant who had ruled with an iron fist, desperately trying to keep peace by any means necessary. Anything to stop wars and, eventually, unite the world against Salem.

And, in his experience…

“You are correct. I’ve been alive for numerous lifetimes. I’ve seen and taken countless paths myself, and, sadly, the path of violence has continued to prove itself to be a far more effective method.” He confirmed. “But you have done things I couldn’t even dream of, Reid. You’ve changed our world in ways I never imagined. You have made progress. Is it truly absurd to think that you could have done better?”

Reid once again hesitated. He had clearly picked up on the remorse in Ozpin’s voice if his look of surprise was anything to go by, but it wasn’t for the reason he thought. No, Ozpin had a very immediate regret— a mistake that he should not have made: a mistake he had just realized, and one he truly and utterly regretted.

“I know what it’s like. I do. I’ve been there many times, and it is not something I wish for anyone.” Ozpin said quietly. “This path you are on shouldn’t be a burden you have to suffer on your own, Reid. The loneliness that comes with it—”

“I’m gonna investigate the explosion. And stay there a little bit in case something happens.” He said, turning around. “Be sure to give Theo a heads-up. And I’m sure you don’t need to be told this, but the nuke going off has to remain a secret.”

Ozpin resisted a sigh, knowing he couldn’t push him right now.

“Very well,” Ozpin responded. As Reid began to walk away, the Headmaster worked up the courage to speak again. “Reid.”

“Hmm?” He turned his head to look at the immortal huntsman.

Ozpin bowed his head slightly.

“I am sorry.”

Reid paused and blinked, looking very surprised. He glanced around awkwardly before smiling at Ozpin slightly. A genuine smile, unlike the fake ones he’d been giving those around him the past few days, showed the older huntsman that, despite everything, the hero he’d first met was still there. A glimmer of idealism still remained.

“…I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for, but sure.” He winked, giving a thumbs-up. “Whatever this is about, I forgive you.”

With that, he walked away, making Ozpin sigh deeply and lean back on his chair, now realizing that he should have listened to Qrow back then. Perhaps if he had placed less importance on the boy—if he hadn’t burdened him with so many responsibilities and pushed for him to be the hero everyone relied on —then he wouldn’t be in such a terrible state.

No one deserved to carry the weight of the entire world on their shoulders and all the pain that came with it.

Not even the strongest man in the world.

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– Reid –

After my discussion with Oz, I decided to book it to where the bomb went off. As much as I’d love to watch the rest of the tournament or capture Piggy myself, he just decided to make my job harder. Of all the things he could’ve prepared as a trap, he decides to rig a goddamn magic nuclear bomb? Is this guy out of his mind or what?

Everything from the massive fucking bomb he set off trying to kill the Black Phantom to his reaction directly afterward. Honestly, this guy is insane. The lengths he’d go just to get rid of me had me genuinely shocked. I mean, seriously? A nuke? Granted, that wouldn’t have killed me—damaged me, yes, but I could survive it. We’re just lucky there’s no radiation to worry about in magic bombs like that. Well, kind of.

Instead, there’s going to be a massive wave of Grimm approaching that general area in the next twenty-four hours. And not regular weak Grimm, either. Strong Primal-class and, in the worst case, Titans. So that’s gonna be awesome to deal with. Really, who doesn’t like a gorillion Grimm coming to absorb whatever mana the bomb left in its wake?

Jesus Christ, man. I knew the guy prepared a trap, but I never expected him to go that fucking far. Did I really scare him that much? Because he should be scared now. If that really did awaken a Titan nearby, then I’ll make sure his death is ten times more painful than what I was willing to deliver before.

Really, how the hell did he get his hands on Stardust anyway, assuming that’s what he used? I was pretty thorough when it came to extracting each vein after killing the Titans, and I was so careful with it that I’ve left it in my inventory since, and even refused to give Oz any. He’s a friend, but nobody here knows how to use Stardust better than I. Giving it to anyone would be a huge waste of resources.

Either he found a batch before I killed my first Titan, or he didn’t use Stardust. Just a fuckton of high quality dust instead. You’d need like thousands upon thousands of tonnes to make an explosion like that. Billions of Lien were wasted to make an absurdly powerful bomb like that.

Only for it not to kill anyone. Extremely hilarious fuck up on his part. So, you know, despite the insanity of setting off a fucking nuke just to kill me, everything went relatively well. The ones that needed to die are dead, and everyone else survived. I’m just happy that none of the slaves, Gwyn, or my golems suffered. I knew having my familiar nearby was a good idea.

Also, fortunately, since the explosion temporarily disrupted communication lines from the massive amounts of magic it released, that meant no one received news of a random explosion near the borders between Vacuo and Vale yet. Hopefully, it will stay that way for now. The news will just spread immense negativity, and with a crowd this large, might awaken the Wyvern Titan taking a nap in Mountain Glenn.

And according to Oz, that one is much, much stronger than the other Titans I’ve fought. Also, I can’t be in two places at the same time, so if that bomb has already awakened a Titan, things could escalate way too damn fast for my liking. Still, gotta make sure nobody gets hurt from the incoming wave of Grimm here. As for Piggy? He’s being dealt with right now.

By none other than the psychopathic midget I regrettably befriended, as well as her dad. I have faith that they’re not going to fuck this up, as I made it pretty damn easy after a few days of planning and preparing, but I really hope Neo doesn’t deliberately mess the plan up and let him escape just to piss me off, but that shouldn’t happen. I made it explicitly clear that they were to capture him by any means necessary, and Roman knows to keep her on a tight leash.

As for Piggy supposedly being a former hunter? Not a problem. First of all, it’s a two-on-one, Roman and Neo have stat boosting pots, and he’s gonna be swarmed by golems anyway. Yes, I’m that prepared.

“Titan Slayer, sir!” A Vacou military soldier salutes as I approach, floating down in Sentry. “We were informed of your arrival. It’s an honor, sir!”

“At ease,” I respond. “How’s the situation?”

“Massive waves of Grimm are approaching from the north and west. Aquatic and Desert types, respectively.” He answers.

“Titans?”

“None, sir.” He nods. “Or, not yet. We don’t believe there will be a Titan attack— the only known Titan nearby is Thanatos, and it shouldn’t be close enough to have sensed or heard the bomb going off.”

That’s good. Thanatos is one of the oldest and, I think, strongest Titans in the world. Fighting and killing it would take me ages to do if I’m even capable of destroying it as I am right now. I don’t really have a reference to how strong the high-tier Titans actually are compared to everything I’ve faced, but that one is also one of the most destructive. It’s annihilated former kingdoms in the blink of an eye.

“Good.” I pat him on the shoulder as my helmet forms around my head. “I’ll take it from here. Return to Vacuo.”

“But, sir, we were ordered to remain on standby.” The soldier says. “In case you needed help.”

“Hah! Who do you think I am?!” I respond with a boisterous tone, floating slightly upward. “I’ve dealt with monsters way scarier than a handful of Grimm. Trust me, I got this.”

I don’t wait for his reply as I fly east, ordering Gwyn and Indra to take that front beyond the borders. I swing by them to drop about a dozen quickly-made golems for support via ritual circles on my palms and powerful materials from my inventory, then immediately head north to handle the rest there by myself.

Several dozen Grimm have made it to land already, heading toward where the bomb went off to absorb the mana in the air left by the explosion. Unfortunately for them, they’re gonna have to deal with me first, and I’m more than happy to let loose for a little while. They’re nothing special, even Primal-class can easily be handled these days. Plus, the exp I’ll be getting from this with the limiters on should level me up a few times.

I mean, shit, I see over a thousand already. And still counting. Even then, with a wave of my hand, a spiraling surge of blue flames consumes more than a hundred at a time, burning them into tiny magical particles in an instant. Grimm these days just aren’t a threat to me, I guess. Even if you send a million, I’ll only need a few hours to wipe them all out.

Sometimes, I used to wonder why Remnant is struggling so much against a couple of these weak constructs, but after meeting Salem, I know better. These things aren’t a threat, not compared to the real monster behind everything. That’s why they need me. That’s why I’m the only one who can do this. Because if they’re struggling with normal Grimm that much, then what the hell can they do against her?

As I slaughter more and more of the approaching Grimm, not letting even one go past me by casting enormous walls of fire, I suddenly feel as if every hair on my body stands on end, making me narrow my eyes at this feeling of approaching danger, directly from above.

Rolling dark clouds unfurl across the sky, their ominous and abrupt presence casting a shadow over everything below. Sharp arcs of lightning illuminate the rough atmosphere with brief flashes of brilliance that seem to reach out toward me. The air buzzes with electricity as the storm envelops the landscape, creating gusts of wind strong enough to push me around.

The magical power caused by this storm is immense, but where did it come from? Salem?

“What the hell…?” I mutter, spotting the silhouette of a great avian flapping its wings, unbelievable power rolling off it.

For a split second, the dark clouds move just enough to show the behemoth hiding behind them. A Titan bigger than any I’ve seen before— a bird so large even one of its wings could block out the sun. Sparks of electricity crackle around it, surrounding its body and lashing out at anything nearby. It stares back at me with intelligence, its red eyes looking down on me as if I’m mere prey.

That doesn’t look good. What the fuck am I looking at?

In that moment, I remember to use observe and get a read on its stats.

Oh my god.

Name: Wakya

Title: The Thunderbringer

Age: 3156

Race: Grimm

Level: 1912

HP: 5,500,000

MP: 7,000,000

AP: N/A

STR: 28,600

VIT: 30,550

DEX: 35,670

INT: 10,455

WIS: 9,500

CHA: 0

LUK: 50

You’ve gotta be FUCKING kidding me! That’s like four or five times stronger than the Necrosidereus’ final form! What the fuck am I supposed to do?! God, I’m PRAYING this bastard doesn’t have some bullshit magic immunity or equally absurd gimmick. For fuck’s sake, man. Of course, something has to go wrong. When didn’t something go wrong? And I just fought a Titan, too…

When I see Valentine, I’m going to cut his dick off and feed it to him. This is his fucking fault.

As I prepare for battle, buffing in every way I know just to survive a fight with this asshole, it decides to turn around and, with a loud cry, the bird just… flies away, taking the storm with it, leaving me blinking in confusion. For a split second, I thought it was heading to Vacuo to kill civilians or something, but, no, it’s fucking off somewhere else. Somewhere uninhabited.

I remain frozen for a moment, genuinely not sure what to do or say. I look down at the wave of Grimm below me, then back at where the bird flew toward.

“Um…” I stammer. “O-okay? Bye?”

I thought for sure it was ready to kill me and everything within a hundred-kilometer radius. I guess not? Why did it show if it was just gonna do nothing and leave? No, you know what? I’m not gonna question this. This is good. It doesn’t want to fight, and that works in my favor. I’m not dumb enough to go after that massive bastard.

…At least now I have a good reference for how strong the upper-tier titans are.

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– Roman –

He understood why he was being involved in a mission like this, but Roman wasn’t exactly happy about it. His place was in the shadows, away from the eyes of the law, not in the blinding lights of the surface world. To make matters worse, he was right there with the kingdom’s most influential politicians, in broad daylight. To call this nerve-wracking would be an understatement.

Of course, he had done something similar before. Several times in fact, but those types of missions were always kept as last resorts, and when they were in effect, Roman’s sole objective had been to reach a vault or treasury, blow a hole in the wall for an easy escape, then loot everything. This was the first time he was supposed to kidnap someone.

And not just anyone, but a twice-damned Vale Councilman of all people. One mistake would mean the end of him, because an infamous criminal like him being spotted here would lead to immediate execution, and with the Titan Slayer seemingly busy with Titan Slaying, Roman didn’t have any insurance that he would get out of here alive.

This was the worst. If this was his first ever mission under the bastard Titan Slayer, then perhaps taking the deal was the worst thing he’d ever done. Just what else would be expected of Roman? And Reid was so annoyingly nonchalant about it, too. ‘You’ll be fine,’ he said. ‘You worry too much,’ he’d said as if he understood just what he asked of Roman. What did he even know?

The only positive note about this whole thing was the fact that he knew the identity of Piggy, the fact that he’d be there to see him get his shit kicked in, and that his reliable partner was there with him. Naturally, as without Neo and her Semblance, this would’ve been impossible unless the gods blessed them with a miracle.

But there were no miracles here, folks. Only the Titan Slayer’s backing, Roman’s wits, and Neo’s absurdly powerful Semblance. Would that be enough to capture Piggy? Who knew? Maybe, maybe not. It was enough to sneak into the stadium and up into the councilmen’s room. Surely, that was a good sign.

He couldn’t afford to make a mistake, because screwing this up would mean death.

As Neo, taking the likeness of a typical servant, opened the door for him, Roman entered the ‘high-class’ lunch room. A buffet made by Remnant’s greatest cooks, enjoyed by Vale’s nobility, politicians, and powerful businessmen. Naturally, Astera wasn’t there, making Roman sigh quietly to himself. However, their presence went unnoticed by everyone present. Why wouldn’t it? What was so strange about the Headmaster of Beacon Academy entering a room reserved for those with similar status?

Roman scanned the room, quickly finding his target and approaching him. To think Councilman Valentine had been the Pig Emperor all this time… Even though it made sense, Roman was still struggling to accept it a little. This whole time, their number one rival had been a gods damned councilman? Practically royalty in this kingdom? No wonder they could never directly fight him.

But now, they had everything they needed to put him down. Roman had everything he needed to be the king of criminals. The only royalty in the underworld. He had to admit, despite the dangerous mission he was on, he liked that feeling. So close to greatness…

“Oh, Headmaster Ozpin.” Valentine, holding a plate in his hand as he spoke to another politician, addressed Roman as the disguised criminal approached. “I thought you returned to Beacon for business.”

“I did, but Glynda had already taken care of it for me,” Roman responded, internally thanking Reid for the information he gave about Ozpin. “She’s a doll. Perhaps she deserves a nice vacation after the festival.”

“Ah. So that’s why she wasn’t here with you.” Valentine said. “But if you’ve just returned, then you’re probably hungry. Come, take a plate and join us.”

“To tell the truth, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you, Mr. Rapha,” Roman said, giving Neo a glance. “Privately. It’s… rather urgent.”

Pig Emperor blinked, and at “Ozpin’s” expression, he furrowed his brows in a mixture of worry and suspicion.

“Alright.” He said, setting his plate aside and following Roman outside. As the door behind them closed, and no one else was there to hear them, besides Neo, Valentine spoke again. “What’s this about?”

It’s now or never… Roman thought.

“An hour earlier, an assassin broke into the stadium. “ Roman lied, hearing the sharp intake of breath of Piggy. “He’d managed to go through all security measures, knock out our best hunters, and nearly reach his desired target.”

Valentine said nothing as both of them walked through the hallway before taking a turn, reaching a ‘hidden escape route’ a certain Titan Slayer had made behind a closet door, opened only using a special key he had prepared for Roman.

“Thankfully, it happened minutes before Sir Astera left, so he was still in the stadium during the time. He defeated and caught the criminal, who turned out to be the infamous vigilante known as the Black Phantom.” Roman continued the lie, opening the secret entrance. “We extracted information from him and figured out that he was hoping to assassinate you, Mr. Rapha.”

“M-me?” The councilman’s eyes were wide in shock and terror. Good. Just as Reid expected, he was too frightened to start asking real questions or poke holes in their story. “But why?”

“It seems he’s convinced that you’re behind all the black market slavery in Vale,” Roman replied, leading him to a tunnel. “Rest assured, your safety is our top priority. While he may be in prison, we do not know if he has any allies. I promise, as the Headmaster of the most prestigious Academy in Remnant, no harm shall come to you.”

But Valentine was too terrified to respond. He uncontrollably chewed on his nails, deep in thought as he followed “Ozpin” who was most certainly not leading him to safety. He was probably thinking stuff like ‘How did he know?’ ‘How did he survive?’ or ‘How could this happen to me?’ Roman would be scared shitless if he was in his place, too. To him, the Black Phantom was probably something like Death itself coming to collect his soul. It might as well be, seeing as it was Astera

And he was now just realizing that there was no escape. Death eventually got everyone, after all.

Within the tunnel, after minutes of walking, they stopped before a large group of heavily-armored individuals— some of Reid’s stronger golems to make sure this rat bastard couldn’t escape. Valentine paused, frowning in fear and confusion.

“W-what’s this?” He questioned, glancing at “Ozpin”. “Protection?”

Roman snorted.

“God, you’re such a dumbass.” He muttered, snapping his fingers. “Alright, Neo. Jig is up.”

Valentine’s eyes were wide as Neo disabled her Semblance, making Roman revert to his true form. The Pig Emperor stepped away from them, quickly grabbing the sword strapped to his side as he glared at them hatefully.

“Roman…!” He growled.

“Good to finally meet ya, Piggy~” Roman chuckled as Neo stood by his side, having followed them from a distance. “Gotta say, I genuinely never thought this would be how our first meeting would go. Me, backing you into a corner.”

“Piggy?” He narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“Please stop acting like an idiot. We know it’s you, Valentine. Astera already sniffed you out.” The Silver Fox said. “How do you think we got here?”

“What does Astera have to do with this?” He questioned. “Where’s the Black Phantom?”

“Astera is the Black Phantom, you idiot.” Roman laughed, making Valentine gasp. “He orchestrated this whole thing just to get you.”

“You… you’re lying,” Piggy replied. “This can’t be real. How did he do this? How did he know?”

“We’re gonna let the big man explain it himself. When we capture you, of course.” The Silver Fox said, twirling his cane. “So are we gonna do this the easy way or the hard way?”

Valentine stood still for a moment, and Roman noticed him trying to take a scroll out of his pocket, and so he reacted accordingly, shooting the device out of his hand.

“Oops, can’t let you do that.” He chuckled, lighting up a cigar. “So hard way it is.”

At Roman’s command, the golems began approaching the councilman with the intent to harm and capture. He tried to defend himself, but it just made him pitiful to look at. The ‘fight’ wasn’t a fight at all, but a beating that ended in a matter of a few seconds. Against dozens of these goliaths and two of the best criminals in Vale?

Unless you were Reid Astera himself, you didn’t stand a chance.