The wind curled around me, trailing behind as I ascended the cliff face. My aura flared, pushing away the lingering heat of battle. In my arms, limp and unconscious, was the girl I'd fought—Raven Heart. I still didn't know her real name.
Below us, the battlefield stretched out in violent scars: hundreds of trees ripped from their roots, craters that looked like they'd been carved by meteor impacts, and a ravine that definitely hadn't existed before. I hovered a moment, scanning it all.
I'd taken my time getting here. Maybe because I wasn't sure what I was going to say because I was still deciding if it was worth letting her live.
I'll have to apologise to Ozpin later though. The battle had clearly destroyed the Emerald Forest, and because of my existence, the Fall of Beacon won't be happening as Salem plans. Which meant it would exist next year thus new freshmen will arrive.
The sun was shining as if nothing had happened. It had a cruel sense of humour like that.
I touched down softly at the edge of the cliff. Nora and Ren were already there, waiting. Both of them tensed when they saw me—or more specifically, what I was carrying. The girl was unconscious, bruised, and bound by ropes of my Ki. But alive.
Nora was the first to speak, eyebrows raised like she was trying to be polite but couldn't quite resist the question. "You sure you didn't forget to finish the job?"
I set the girl down gently and stood straight. "She's not dead, that's intentional." I said flatly.
"...Why?" Ren asked, soft and cautious, like someone stepping through a minefield.
"I would have. A year ago, I wouldn't have hesitated."
That was true both ways. As Kaelith, and as Sumire.
They looked at me like they were trying to solve a puzzle. Fair enough. I was a confusing picture to piece together.
I exhaled and sat down on the grass. "In my dimension, people like me? Well we were called the Saiyans and we weren't heroes. We were conquerors. Destroyers. Saiyans didn't save planets. We sold them. We razed civilisations to the ground, then handed the wreckage over to the highest bidder. We were a Warrior Race who did anything to sate our lust for battle." I let my words sink in by pausing. "I've done enough destroying for several lifetimes. So, I want to try saving something. She's not fully gone. I can feel that. And besides, I need information only she has."
Nora blinked slowly. "Wow. That's... okay. Big dramatic monologue energy there."
"Thanks," I said dryly. "I've been workshopping it."
"What makes you so certain she'll be willing to give it?" Ren inquired.
"Let's just say I have my methods." A small, perhaps unsettling, smile flickered across my lips. "Besides, she owes me a planet-sized repair bill for the forest."
A thoughtful frown creasing his brow. "So, she's a prisoner now," he stated, his voice analytical. He scanned their surroundings, the rugged cliff face and the remnants of the ravaged Emerald forest. "Do we have a secure location prepared for her? Somewhere that can contain… someone of her apparent capabilities?" He didn't expect a literal dungeon, but his pragmatic mind was already assessing the limitations of their current position.
"A secure holding cell that Ozpin will have," I replied, standing up. "Ozpin must be informed," I glanced towards the path leading back to the academy. "Speaking of Ozpin…"
Just then, the Headmaster of Beacon appeared, his usual calm demeanour slightly ruffled, his gaze sweeping over the ravaged landscape before settling on our small group and the bound figure at our feet. Glynda Goodwitch stood beside him, her expression a mixture of shock and stern disapproval.
A notification flickered.
[DING! Quest "Get the Relic and return to Ozpin" has been completed
Rewards:
2500 EXP
The Rewards from the Bonus Quests:
55,000 EXP
Sharicite Blade (B)]
I dismissed it mentally as I looked at the man, his silver hair catching the sunlight.
"Miss Kaelith," he began, his voice calm despite the obvious devastation, "it seems initiation was… eventful. I wish we could talk under, better circumstances." His gaze flickered to the girl, then back to me, a silent question hanging in the air.
Glynda stepped forward, her riding crop tapping against her leg. "Eventful is an understatement, Headmaster. The damage to the Emerald Forest is… substantial." She looked at me, a hint of accusation in her eyes. "Perhaps a little too enthusiastic in following instructions to 'destroy everything in your path'?"
I sighed. "With all due respect, Professor Goodwitch, the destruction wasn't intentional. It was… collateral damage from dealing with her." I gestured to the unconscious Goddess with my foot. "She's from another dimension."
Ozpin's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "Another dimension?" he repeated, kneeling beside the unconscious girl with a hint of wary curiosity. "She's from your world then?"
"She's not Saiyan, if that's what you're wondering," I said, folding my arms, "We all have tails, and she'd be stupid to not protect it with her life. And based on what I sense the girl doesn't seem to be from it too. I would know."
Ozpin didn't speak right away. His eyes were fixed on the girl, but his mind was clearly spinning faster than the gears in his clocktower. He was always like that—ten thoughts ahead, half a dozen plans already formulating before anyone else had figured out where the starting line was.
"I see," he said finally, in that maddeningly neutral tone of his. "Then the question becomes—if she is not from your world, nor ours… where is she from?"
I lied rather easily, "No idea. I won't know everything there is to know about other dimensions when me coming here was an accident."
Ozpin stood slowly, brushing his coat as if he'd knelt only to tie a shoe and not assess an interdimensional threat lying unconscious in a field of decimated nature. He didn't look at me when he spoke next.
"Miss Kaelith. Your honesty is… noted. Though I would caution you that misleading us in these early stages may prove counterproductive. We are on the same side, are we not?"
That last sentence was barely a question. It sounded more like a carefully veiled test.
I stared at him evenly, crossing my arms. "Depends. What side do you think I'm on?"
That earned a pause. A long one. Even Glynda's usually razor-sharp tongue held back, perhaps sensing the live wire crackling between Ozpin's inquiry and my loaded response.
Then, finally, Ozpin smiled. Not the warm kind. The kind you'd wear when shaking hands with a wild animal and hoping it doesn't bite. "The side that doesn't level continents without warning, ideally."
I gave a short, humourless laugh. "I only level things when I'm ambushed."
"Then we must ensure you are not ambushed again."
Translation: We need to control the walking supernova before she decides we're annoying.
A bit too late, I was already annoyed at dealing with this worlds bullshit constantly. After sealing Salem in a jar or maybe I'll use a rice cooker. Maybe even a trash bin? Either way, after sealing the immortal witch and thus gaining the ability to go outside this dimension I will never revisit this verse again.
Glynda's eyes flicked toward the unconscious girl again, then narrowed on me. "How exactly do you plan to interrogate her? She's clearly dangerous. She might be more powerful than any of our Huntsmen."
"Even if Ozpin was to go all out, he'd still get one-shotted." I casually say. "I've been stronger than you all since I stepped into this world."
That was the truth.
Ozpin didn't rise to the bait.
Instead, he straightened his tie with the deliberate calm of a man who'd just been told a bomb was ticking under his office chair and decided to finish his tea anyway.
"I don't doubt that," he said evenly. "But strength without direction is simply chaos. I trust you're not planning to indulge in further... demonstrations?"
I smiled faintly. "Not unless someone else from a mystery dimension drops in and tries to end me whilst. In which case, I'd consider it rude not to respond."
Glynda's lips pressed into a thin line. "Headmaster, with respect, we cannot keep her here without safeguards. This level of power—"
"She is the safeguard," Ozpin interrupted quietly.
Glynda turned to him, her disbelief unmasked for once. "She just tore apart the Emerald Forest. Alone. And brought back that." She jabbed her riding crop in the direction of the girl as if might wake up and finish the job right there.
Ozpin was quiet a moment longer, and I could see the calculations unfolding behind his tired eyes. He was trying to weigh risk versus necessity—and I knew exactly which side of the scale I tipped.
"She is the safeguard," he repeated, firmer this time. "And if what she says is true, then she may be the only one capable of handling what's coming."
What's coming? Oh, you sweet summer wine bottle of a man. If only you knew how much worse it could get.
Nora sat down beside me with a dramatic huff, clearly trying to defuse the tension. "Okay, so, team formation ceremony later, interdimensional war crimes tribunal now? Cool, just checking."
Ren gave her a side glance but didn't disagree.
Ozpin's gaze hadn't moved from the girl. I could see it in his eyes—he wasn't just thinking about her, he was thinking about me, about how to use me. Not out of malice, but out of necessity. I couldn't even blame him. If I were in his place, I'd be trying to figure out how to weaponize the walking apocalypse that just casually carted an unconscious godling up a cliff.
"Until we know more," he said at last, "she will be kept under constant observation. Miss Kaelith, she is your responsibility. You are to keep her contained, conscious or not. Should she pose a threat—"
"I'll handle it," I interrupted, brushing off my pants and standing. "If she wakes up and gets froggy again, I'll knock her back into a coma. Simple."
"You say that like it's a bedtime story," Glynda muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "When you've had to vaporize a kaiju mid-sneeze, this doesn't really register on the trauma scale anymore."
Images of one of Kaelith's missions to a Planet full of giant sentient Snakes that called themselves Gorgions entered my mind. And yes, they could sneeze. Really fucking badly.
That earned me a sharp look. She wasn't amused. Ozpin, on the other hand, almost cracked a smile. Almost.
Footsteps echoed softly behind us—measured, deliberate. I didn't even need to turn around. The energy signature was Pyrrha's after all.
"Yo." I raised my hand greeting her whilst my back was still turned.
"Kaelith," Pyrrha's voice was gentle, laced with concern as she approached. Her eyes flickered between me, Ren, Nora, and the unconscious figure bound at our feet. "What happened? We heard... well, we heard quite a lot." She gestured vaguely towards the ravaged forest with a delicate hand.
"Long story short, dealt with the girl who ripped the sky open and came out of a portal." I say calmly.
"She… she doesn't look like anyone from around here." Her perceptive eyes, however, then flickered to me, a hint of something more than curiosity dawning within them. She had been my partner during this after all.
"That's because she isn't. She's from another dimension."
Pyrrha's emerald eyes widened, "Another… dimension?" she repeated softly, her gaze shifting between the girls still form and my nonchalant posture. "Like… like in stories? Other worlds?"
"Yup," I confirmed, popping the 'p'. "Think of it like... parallel universes but within a space that isn't quite Omniverse and Multiverse, but rather a space that allows travel between them. This one," I kicked the girls side, " had a bone to pick with me for some reason."
"Because of the Song of Power?" She asked.
"Actually I'm curious about that too. Kaelith, is there something that you're not telling Nora and I?"
Glancing at them, I took a moment to think.
Was it better giving them the truth, right now? Let's weigh out the pros and the cons.
Pros:
• I don't have to hide the fact that I have memories of a past life constantly. Seriously, it's exhausting dodging questions like I'm a damn politician. Even worse with my Axiom Memory literally making it impossible to not think about my past life.
• Telling them about the Gamer would help massively. I could share information without the song-and-dance routine of pretending I'm normal for my Race.
• It might build trust. Not just between us, but with Ozpin and the rest. Harder to manipulate someone when they know exactly what cards you're holding but that also makes it easier to manipulate them. And trust? Easier to weaponise than strength it is.
• As a general rule of thumb, I won't be telling them about the White Room or the fact they are a TV series. I'd destroy them mentally if they learned how terrible their own show was.
Cons:
• Glynda already wants to throw me in a vault. This would give her the final PowerPoint slide in her "Kaelith Is A Hazardous Material" presentation.
• It could freak them out. Like, "oh hey my best friend is a reincarnated cosmic mercenary playing life on New Game Plus" freaked out.
• They might see me as something other. Not a teammate, not a friend—but a tool. Which is Ironic, because that's how I view them. What? You all think I cared for them as friends? Please, it took my only best friends 2 months before I cared for them as more than just... pawns to learn from. Akari and Yami are 2 of only 3 people I care about, with Mei being the only other one whom I still hold dear to my heart.
Nora and Ren remind me of my old friends, and have the highest chance of breaking past this tool mindset but right now, I viewed them as useful assets. And possibly new friends.
3 Cons over the 4 Pros... it would be worth it.
"Alright then, fine. Sit down, this is going to be a long one."
Nora plopped down instantly, criss-cross applesauce and unblinking, like a gremlin who'd been handed popcorn and front-row seats to a murder mystery. Ren settled beside her, far more composed, but equally attentive. Pyrrha knelt across from me, brows gently knit in concern, curiosity simmering beneath the surface.
I glanced at the unconscious girl again, still held tight by the cords of my Ki. Still dangerous. Still waiting.
"One:" I lifted a finger, "I remember a past life. Name was Sumire. The weird reincarnation crap of dying in another world on this Planet named Earth. I was this Super Genius, but I ended up sacrificing myself to save the girl I loved. Met a Goddess and then woke up in this one, Saiyan body, power set, the works, got the memories of the body and learned that Saiyans aren't native to this dimension. Two:" I lifted another, "I didn't just come back with memories. I came back with a system. A literal game interface—stats, quests, skills, experience points. The works. It's called the Gamer. The Goddess granted it to me because of all the good I committed in my past life, with being a Super Genius, alongside other perks I got to choose. Third:" third and final finger came up, "that girl I assume is another Reincarnator with bad intentions. And more than likely is from an Organisation or group of Evil Reincarnators that seek to destroy all Gamer Kind. I can assume they fear System Holders because of our potential to grow. She's not here because I'm famous. She's here because I'm a threat to whatever cosmic bullshittery she's aligned with wants me dead."
I had lied by saying I did great deeds of good. The only good I did in my past life was saving Mei. And that was a rather selfish decision. And Super Genius was hiding my White Room past. Then again, on the subject of Morality based on my encounter with Saishin, it was subjective when it came to the Gods of the Omniverse.
"Alright, you can freak out now." I told them.
Nora's hand shot up like she was in class. "Okay, so! Super reincarnated space monkey with god powers and a gamer HUD, got it. Just one question—do you level up by beating people up? Because if so, I feel like that explains so much."
I blinked. "That's… actually not a terrible summary. Although I have 840 unspent stat points.... give me a second."
I called the interface up like flexing a phantom limb. The numbers hovered in my vision, crisp and mechanical.
[Name: Kaelith]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 16]
[Race: Saiyan]
[Title: None]
[LVL: 84]
[EXP: 60,300 / 357,400]
[HP: 500,000 / 500,000]
[MP: 750,000 / 750,000]
[Faith Energy: 850]
[Strength: 3000]
[Agility: 3500]
[Vitality: 2500]
[Intelligence: 7500]
[Wisdom: 7500]
[Luck: 95]
[Faith: 85]
[Stat Points: 840]
[Affiliations: None]
[Occupations: None]
[Drawbacks: If your tail is cut off, you lose half of your stats and ? becomes extremely strenuous to use.]
"Alright, down to 0."
I had decided to place 500 into Vitality, then 300 into Strength, and 40 into Agility. Sure I could have saved some, but there was no need not to spend them when I had Limit Breaker.
Nora let out a slow whistle. "Okay, I'm not saying I'm jealous, but if I had a power like that I'd punch the moon just to see what happens."
"You'd punch the moon anyway," Ren muttered.
"Only if it looked at me funny!"
Ren gave a long-suffering sigh that communicated more than words ever could, then turned to me, expression serious. "You're remarkably calm about all this. You've just… revealed a great deal."
Pyrrha, still kneeling beside me, was much quieter, her brows furrowed in concern. "You've been through so much," she said softly. "Sumire… that was your name before, right?"
I nodded, and—for once—didn't deflect with sarcasm. "Yeah. Kanamoto Sumire, born in Japan, died in a fire that was caused by my school's faulty wiring. And lazy school staff, also probable corruption from the Schools headmaster to keep money." I shrugged my shoulders, "Oh well."
Nora's cheerful demeanour faltered for a heartbeat. "You died in a fire?" she asked, her tone suddenly fragile beneath the surface-level chipper. "That's… that's not a 'shrug it off' kinda thing."
Ren placed his right hand gently on her shoulder, and she quieted, but didn't stop staring at me like she was trying to reach through the words to something deeper.
Pyrrha, meanwhile, shifted closer. She looked… pained. Not out of pity, but out of understanding—the kind only someone who carried the weight of expectation and sacrifice could really grasp.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, placing a hand over mine. "No one should have to go through that, not at our age. Not at any age."
"I understand why you'd keep it hidden," he said at last. "Power like yours—history like yours—it's not something most would take lightly. But you told us. That matters." He didn't smile, but something in his voice softened. "It means you trust us. Or at least, you're trying to."
Nora sniffed once and crossed her arms, though she still looked like she was trying to hold in a hug the way a soda bottle holds in a shaken-up fizz. "I swear, if this is your tragic anime backstory arc, you better let me be the comic relief that drags you into the light with pancakes and explosions. I demand it."
I raised a brow. "You're already doing a decent job. Minus the pancakes."
"Damn," she muttered, pulling a notepad out of somewhere. "Mental note: always carry emergency pancake mix."
Ren gave her a long, patient look. "Please don't."
But Pyrrha didn't joke. Her fingers stayed resting lightly over mine, grounding. Her voice came out steady, but low. "You remember who you were. But do you still feel like her?"
That one caught me, but I answered as always.
"Well, yes and no. I had mastered multiple forms of Martial Arts in my past life, but It was for self-defence purposes, right now I do. Saiyan blood and all. And then there's the fact I love singing still. And playing the Violin and Piano. To be honest, some of my past life's skills came with me."
I wasn't going to tell them about Axiom Memory. But letting them know where my skill in combat came from? That was fine in my book.
Nora blinked at me, her eyes wide as pancakes—probably mentally swapping out her own irises for syrup-drenched breakfast metaphors again. "Wait, you play the violin? And piano? Please tell me you play the angry violin like in those dramatic villain backstories."
I gave her a half-shrug. "Sometimes."
"Kaelith, please," she pressed, leaning forward like I was about to confess to being a Rockstar in a secret double life. "We need to hear you play sometime. Like—soul-shattering performance, lightning crackling in the background, rain on a rooftop, maybe a single tear running down your cheek kind of vibe."
"I won't be crying or doing anything that sappy, but I do have a few good pieces that might not exist in this world. Ever hear of Opus Clavicembalisticum, or Violin Concerto... right even if they did exist in this world, they won't be called that." I vocalised my thoughts.
Ren's eyebrow arched slightly. "Opus Clavicembalisticum? That sounds... intense."
Pyrrha's gaze softened further. "It's… a lot to take in," she admitted, her thumb gently stroking the back of my hand. "But thank you for telling us, Kaelith. It helps… it helps us understand."
Ozpin, who had been a silent observer during our exchange, finally cleared his throat. "Indeed. This… revelation, while unexpected, does provide a new context for certain… displays of power." He glanced at the ravaged forest, then back at me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "It also reinforces the urgency of understanding this new variable—this individual you brought back." He gestured towards the still-unconscious girl. "Her origins, her purpose… these are questions we must answer swiftly."
Glynda remained sceptical, her arms crossed. "Headmaster, with all due respect, relying on the word of someone who admits to being from another dimension, possessing extraordinary and potentially uncontrollable power…"
"Professor Goodwitch," Ozpin interrupted gently, his gaze firm, "desperate times necessitate… unconventional alliances. Miss Kaelith has, thus far, acted in a manner that, while destructive, has ultimately been in our favour. She neutralized a threat that appeared capable of breaching our defences with alarming ease. And she brought the individual responsible back alive. That suggests a degree of… control."
He looked directly at me. "Control that we will need to understand and, perhaps, even rely upon."
"Yep. Anyways, we should head back to Red Riding Hood. And finally get these teams sorted. We wasted enough time here." I smirked, standing up. "Although, I'm pretty sure myself, Pyrrha, Nora and Ren are in a team. Chess Pieces aren't exactly subtle."
Ozpin chuckled softly, a rare sound that seemed to ease some of the tension in the air. "Indeed, Miss Kaelith. The symbolism of the relics chosen was… intentional. It appears the initial pairings have been made clear." He gestured towards the path leading back to the academy. "It's time we gathered and made the official announcements."
Glynda sighed, though a hint of grudging respect seemed to have softened her stern expression. "Very well, Headmaster. But I still maintain a… cautious optimism regarding our current… situation." Her eyes flickered towards Raven Heart in her human form, still bound and unconscious, before settling back on me with a look that promised future scrutiny.
Nora bounced to her feet, her usual boundless energy seemingly unaffected by the gravity of the preceding revelations. "Awesome! Team KNPR is official! We're gonna be unstoppable!" She threw an arm around Ren's shoulders, who offered a small, almost imperceptible smile to his childhood friend.
I smiled back at them. "That makes me Team Leader, you know?"
As we began to walk back towards the academy, leaving the ravaged landscape behind us, I slung her over my shoulder with a casualness that belied the immense power the unconscious girl possessed. The sun beat down on our backs, the air filled with the chirping of unseen birds, a stark contrast to the battle that had just unfolded.
As I walked, I decided to just get something dealt with mentally calling out. 'Inventory: Common Gems: Use Item.'
I was waiting for my Luck to be raised to a sufficient level before I touched these. But todays events reminded me that I needed healing items to help what comes next,
[X5 Common Gem (D):
Allows you to roll on the Common Tier Gacha. With some Good luck you might get something recherché.
Would you like to use them? Y / N]
I tapped Y on the transparent screen and looked at a wheel. Some of the rarer things seemed to have a lesser chance at being spun, but what I saw was a very little list.
• X1 Healing Potion had the highest chance.
• X3 Healing Potions had the second highest.
• X5 Healing Potions was tied for third with Random F Active Skill alongside the passive variation.
• Random D Active and Random D Passive Skill came next.
• And strangely enough, I could get 1 Senzu Bean on this wheel as the 2nd Rarest thing.
• But the Rarest thing was being able to Spin the Uncommon Wheel.
The random skill listings made it so the spaces didn't have to be filled to the brim and the Uncommon Wheel opportunity made it so things from all Wheels didn't have to be on the lowest tiered one.
What was weird, was the fact that there were no Mana Potions, but I guessed they'd be on the Uncommon Wheel instead.
Next to the wheel was a button that had Spin inside the box. Which would do the obvious.
My first 2 spins yielded 6 Healing Potions. Which were useless to me but to anyone who didn't have natural regen, they'd be useful.
It was the third spin that granted me something interesting.
[Dusting (F):
With a flick of your wrist and a minor exertion of focus, you can remove a layer of dust or grime from a small object that is roughly the size of a book or smaller.]
I got a skill that did nothing but clean... this will be useful to me though. Since I constantly read.
The 4th? I got a Senzu bean. Replacing the one I had used earlier.
And the final spin, netted me with 3 more Healing Potions.
I felt insulted by the Wheel for such luck.
The path was simplistic, a stony gravel pathway. The other students were likely already gathered in the assembly hall, eager to learn their team assignments. I could almost hear the excited chatter, the nervous anticipation. They had no idea that their first day had already been overshadowed by interdimensional conflict and the arrival of a silent, bound goddess.
Ruby, Yang, Blake, and Weiss would have questions.
As we approached the familiar architecture of Beacon Academy, the imposing towers reaching towards the sky like steadfast sentinels, I couldn't help but think back on my last month in this world.
And honestly? I still disliked it.
RWBY was just shit.
We entered the assembly hall, the large space buzzing with the murmur of student conversations. All eyes turned towards our small group as we walked in, the sight of the unconscious, bound figure in my arms silencing the room. Ruby, Weiss, and Yang stood together, their expressions a mixture of confusion and concern. Blake, however, was looking rather calm and composed.
Ozpin stepped forward, his presence immediately commanding attention. "Welcome back, everyone. It seems initiation has concluded… with a few… unexpected developments." He cast a subtle glance at me, then at the girl. "However, the results are in, and so our teams have been formed."
I sat the girl down as I awaited my turn. We all knew Team KNPR was a thing.
"Russel Thrush. Cardin Winchester. Dove Bronzewing. Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team CRDL, led by... Cardin Winchester!" He announced.
The males left the stage and me, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha stepped awaiting the announcement.
"Kaelith, Lie Ren. Pyrrha Nikos. Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the white rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team KNRP pronounced Knapper." He paused for a second, letting the weight of his decision hit harder. "Led by Kaelith."
I nodded my head, liking the fact that I had been made Leader. Glynda was probably seething at such a dangerous student being made leader. And I internally smirked at that.
I was expecting Nora and anybody to say something, but nope. Nora, Ren, and Pyrrha didn't speak.
Leaving the stage, I passed by Ruby and Weiss. Weiss looked away from me with a small scowl on her face. She was obviously still mad at me for 1, punching her in the face, and 2, saving her from the Nevermore.
As they stepped up, I turned around to watch the scene.
"And finally: Blake Belladonna. Ruby Rose. Weiss Schnee. Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team RWBY. Led by Ruby Rose!"
Weiss looks to Ruby surprised whilst the girl has her mouth a bit opened in surprise all the while Yang hugs her sister.
And with that, I looked out the window, glancing up at the fractured moon a distant memory flashing in my mind.
"Sumire, do you believe in destiny?"
Her voice broke the stillness like a dropped pin in a vacuum—shrill and sharp in its defiance of silence. Even the hum of the clubroom lights seemed to hush in deference.
I didn't answer.
She didn't expect me to.
The quiet had become a fixture between us, like an old sofa that neither of us wanted to sit on but also refused to move. Mei filled the space with her usual humming—erratic in pitch, dissonant in tempo. I had catalogued the tune in my mental archive. No known song, yet somehow familiar. A habit of hers. A variable in her chaotic algorithm.
We were alone in the clubroom. Technically, I was here under the premise of extra practice, same as her. Realistically, I had finished my training exercises twenty-two minutes and thirty-four seconds ago.
I remained to observe.
Mei was difficult to quantify. That annoyed me.
"I'm not asking if you read horoscopes," she said, flopping backward onto a pile of worn-out gym mats, her arms stretched overhead like she was trying to absorb the ceiling. "I'm asking if you believe things are meant to happen. Like—cosmic fate. That sort of thing."
I stared at her.
"Predeterminism," I said finally, "is an unfalsifiable philosophical assertion. The idea that outcomes are set removes accountability from choice. In that sense, it is neither logically useful nor practical. I reject the notion of absolute fate. However—" I paused, re-sorting the words before releasing them, "some events are influenced by so many converging factors that the outcome can appear inevitable. That illusion may resemble this destiny people speak of."
Mei blinked at me from her makeshift nest of mats. "You just said a bunch of words to say 'no.'"
"Incorrect. I said a bunch of words to say 'no, but also yes, depending on your definition of destiny.'"
Mei blew a breath between her lips, making a raspberry sound that echoed faintly in the otherwise solemn clubroom. "You know, you make it really hard to have a spontaneous moment with all that logic."
"Spontaneity, by definition, does not rely on external cooperation. If your moment requires me to participate, it's not spontaneous—it's performative."
"Ouch." Mei propped herself up on her elbows, her wild hair flopping to one side like an overgrown fern. "You always do that. Turn something all poetic and nice into a… philosophical tax form."
I tilted my head. "Poetry is simply aestheticized data compression."
"That," she said, pointing at me, "is exactly what I mean."
Mei's voice had a cadence like jazz—improvised, but rhythmic in its own disobedient way. She slid off the mats with all the grace of a drunk cat and plodded toward the window, tracing a finger through the condensation.
"I think I like destiny," she said softly. "It makes me feel like there's a reason for all the garbage."
"Assigning narrative to arbitrary suffering is a cognitive bias," I replied. "It provides comfort, but not truth."
She didn't look at me. "Then what do you use, Sumire? When it's dark and no one's around. When there's nothing to observe. No patterns. No variables. What then?"
There was no answer I could calculate. Mei didn't want data. She wanted an emotional yield. I considered that for 4.3 seconds too long.
"I wait for the sun," I said finally.
She turned, eyebrows raised.
"I know it will come. It always does. That's not destiny. That's orbital mechanics."
Mei blinked, then cracked a grin. "You're such a weirdo."
"So I've been told."
She walked toward me, stopping just outside my personal radius. That was new. Mei usually breached it like a battering ram. Her tone softened.
"You ever think maybe we're meant to be here together? Like, maybe the chaos that spat us out dumped us in the same spot on purpose?"
"No," I said. "But I do think the probability of statistical coincidence increases with time."
She exhaled a laugh through her nose and nudged my arm. "That's your way of saying you're glad I'm here, huh?"
I didn't respond. But I didn't move away either.
She sat beside me, shoulder barely brushing mine, and picked up her humming again. Off-key. Familiar.
I just listened.
The memory faded, as Nora, Ren, Pyrrha and I entered our dorm room. Things were pretty quick, but we immediately decorated. As it turns out everyone understand that one thing: our room must be decorated for our stuff.
It turns out the room was a deal bigger than the show made it out to be. So no need for bunk beds. We had a small room for cookies, the bathroom, and obviously the uniform itself.
As for the girl? I handed her to Ozpin earlier, so she could be taken to a place where I could interrogate her later on.