#sadistic switch hitter

[fruity-basketcase]

Why was he so bisexual in this movie

Disenchanted (2022) - James Marsden as Prince Edward

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Gearghost

CR 5

Chaotic Evil Tiny Undead

Bestiary 4, pg. 123

Wickedly persistent Undead born from the souls of thieves and adventurers who’ve died to a hidden trap, a relatable death if there ever was one. I can think of several dungeons which must be positively chock-full of these things, each filled with hate and envy for the living and waiting so, so patiently for them to step on a tile, or over a tripwire, or onto a switch. Gearghosts make their living in the same dungeon that killed them, familiarizing themselves with every room and hallway and using their +17 in Craft (Traps) to reduce, reuse, recycle any material they get into parts for their vile machinations, slowly rigging their homes into... well, deathtraps in more ways than one.

Fun fact: The craft DC of a trap with a CR of 1 to 5 is a mere 20, so a Gearghost only needs a 4 or higher to succeed their arts & crafts project. Even going into CR 6 to 10 raises the DC to 25, so a Gearghost needs only an 9 or above to have one built. However, depending on the trap in question, that can cost quite a bit of money (ignore the official rules for trap prices please i’m begging you for the sake of your sanity ignore them), which is why most Gearghosts either repurpose materials they find from other hapless adventurers... or eschew the higher CR traps and Craft (Traps) in general in favor of twiddling their fingers and creating one.

Once per week, a lone Gearghost can create any trap with a CR of 4 or below without investing a single copper, their diabolic devices springing into existence fully loaded and seamlessly integrated into their surrounds. Even with the CR restriction, a Gearghost’s repertoire is quite intimidating; I recommend clicking that link to familiarize yourself with the lower CR traps, which nonetheless include heavy-hitters like the Acid Arrow trap (2d4/round for 4 rounds), the ever-reliable bear trap (2d6+3 plus bolting the victim to the surface the trap is on), the simple but effective spike pit (a 10ft pit that can deal up to 4d4+8 on first drop), or the electricity arc trap (4d6 Electricity damage in a 30ft line). By increasing the CR of an existing trap, the Gearghost can also add a poison to it just for some extra stat damage on top! There’s no limit to what kind of traps a Gearghost can magic up, and the DM is encouraged to create their own fabulous death devices so long as they fit inside the CR restriction! See this section to find out just what sorts of death can be doled out.

Side note: Two or more Gearghosts working in tandem become astronomically deadlier, as the CR limit for their traps raises by 2 per ghost involved!

With enough time to set up its gadgets, a party may be worn out or even half-dead before they even know the Gearghost is present, simply believing their rotten luck to be owed to a particularly sadistic trap-maker who inventions continue to work long past the time they’ve died. But unlike the trap-maker and their curious art, the efficacy of the Gearghost’s contraptions are very much witnessed by their creator. Gremlins in all but creature type, Gearghosts use their Tiny size and ability to fly to keep a close eye on any adventurers they detect coming into their hallways of pain (a Gearghost can add the Alarm spell to any trap it creates without adjusting its CR). Their +24 to Stealth checks is nearly impossible to overcome without serious Perception investment, so the little bastard could potentially trail the party for hours through a dungeon without any of them realizing it’s there... letting it perform its secondary and, arguably, far more dangerous function.

A Gearghost is an expert Resetter, amplifying its already Gremlin-like qualities tenfold. As a move action, the phantom can cause any trap with the “manual” or “repair” reset conditions to fold back into its ready position, and if the trap rearms itself over time, the Undead can make it spring back into function as a free action! The ability is loosely written with very little description, and so its functions are incredibly broad; as written it works on traps of any size or type (mechanical, magical, natural), it manifests new ammunition for any projectile trap, recharges expended magic in a trap, fixes any broken parts (like tripwires) and scenery back into place (eliminating any trace of its presence), and worse still there’s no listed range limit! Though, presumably, it must be within the ghost’s Telekinesis range, meaning it must be within LoS and 760ft, which is still considerably generous. Resetter works with ANY trap, not just a trap the Gearghost has conjured, so any traps native to the horror’s dungeons are fully within its power to repair and reset. Even smashing the traps to pieces won’t work, because they have Mending at-will and Make Whole 3/day, and Resetter has no limit to how often it can be used. Have you ever wondered just how traps inside of dungeons that no creature has entered in centuries stay functional? There may be one of these things lurking nearby, giggling to itself as your party Rogue fails their fifth Disable Device check in a row to shut off the arrow trap that somehow keeps going off.

Despite the unbelievable utility it offers to a dungeon’s ecosystem, a Gearghost caught in direct combat is basically helpless. Their AC and HP aren’t outstanding for their level, and though their 40ft Fly speed would normally confer a significant advantage to them, their choice of locale (dungeons) means their maneuverability doesn’t really matter. They have a pair of pathetically weak slam attacks (1d4-2) that are only really a threat to creatures who’ve been worn down by their traps, and the only offensive magic they have is... well, it’s Telekinesis at-will, which is by no means bad, but it’s not going to kill someone with any particular swiftness. Indeed, the primary purpose of their telekinetic prowess is to shove people into traps, or push them back into one they’ve just escaped. Because Resetter is, at its slowest, a move action, the Gearghost can re-arm a dangerous trap and then use its standard action mentally picking up and putting down the victim on the firing switch. Hell, in some cases, it may just trigger the trap itself with its telekinesis if the party is especially keen on avoiding the triggers.

With DR 5/-- and Undead immunities protecting it a Gearghost takes a while to go down, but go down it will, especially if the party can somehow grab it and drag it into its own maniacal devices for extra irony, as it possesses no innate immunity to traps and isn’t incorporeal despite its wispy appearance. However, this isn’t the end of things, because a phantom so sadistic isn’t easy to keep down forever. A Gearghost Rejuvenates in just 2d6 days unless holy water is poured over the tiny bits and pieces of rusted metal that made up its corporeal form WHILE the pile is within a Hallow spell... which, you may notice, is a little out of reach of a player party that’s within the Gearghost’s CR range. The best a party can do is haul its remains to a sanctified location and perform the destruction ritual there, and that’s probably what you need to do, because the wretched little thing will spring back to life from assorted scraps anyway unless you destroy every single trap within 100ft of its body. That’s every trap currently in range of its corpse, so taking its corpse out of the dungeon and into a Hallowed area negates that otherwise completely ridiculous resilience!

Still, though, the fact it requires a 5th level spell to permanently kill combined with the fact Resetter works with traps of any CR suggests to me that this little bastard is meant to be sent after much larger prey than a bunch of level 3s and 4s. Even in the 8, 9, or 10th level range, these monsters can punch above their weight class so long as they have an environment they can work with, keeping out of sight of the party and messing with them from a distance via Telekinesis, tripping traps the party thought they avoided while resetting every single one they manage to disable or move past unharmed, making the trek OUT just as painful as the trek IN.

You can read more about them here.

[starlightrealmofficial]

Kokoro Connect-Underrated Gem of 2012

Hello, ladies and gentlemen from all across the multiverse! god, it feels like forever since I used that greeting. come to think of it it has probably been a good few moons so yeah it’s pretty much been forever. Welcome to another post on this lovely blog. Do you ever watch an anime or any other show and you feel it’s really good but never hear people talk about it? Well, I have one of those, probably more but when I think of this subject one series in particular always comes to the forefront.

Let me take you back in time a bit, it’s the summer of 2012. Naruto’s in its final stages, One Piece’s Fishman Island arc started, Sword Art Online just reeled its head on screen, Hunter X Hunter and Fairy Tail both in good stretches. Kuroko no Basket, Gintama, overall a pretty big point for the hard hitters (if you excuse Naruto’s final arc and don’t mind filler with Fairy Tail that is. :)

With such a lineup people are talking, shows are going strong and a newcomer not so high on energy isn’t likely to break through, is it? And that, that is a real shame. That’s the landscape that the focus of this little article had to face, but enough beating around the bush, what is Kokoro Connect? Those of you who know a lick of Japanese may think it’s some sort of romance if you were to translate the “Kokoro” into the English “heart”. Such an assumption however is wrong.

How to handle an emotional teenage drama without constant tearjerkers or edge

So what IS Kokoro Connect about? I hear you asking. Well, let me enlighten you. The primary setting for the series and the sequel OVA is a school with a little strange of a rule. You see every student must belong to a club. and our main cast members are very much misfits, either they wanted to join a club that does not exist, or no club in particular interested them, or they straight up did not want to be in a club. So what did our outcasts do? Why make a club of their own, duh.

And so Yamaboshi Academy gains an extra club on the roster, the Student Cultural Society which consists of wrestling fan Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase, an indecisive optimist; Himeko Inaba, a Kuudere computer wiz,; Yui Kiriyama, a petite and emotional karate girl and Yoshifumi Aoki, the class clown who wanted a gaming club.

Ok so we’re gonna have some normal slice of school life wholesome series? yes, but take the “normal” out. You see strange things are starting to happen to them, yes very strange indeed as our new friends soon begin to switch bodies at random between each other and I don’t know about you, I personally never was part of a school club but that does not seem like a typical thing to happen in them. The series sees our group of protagonists juggle life under those strange new conditions and even other peculiar conditions that come later because body swapping alone is not the only thing that’ll happen in Yamaboshi Academy oh no. There are a lot more strange occurrences where that came from, and I’d like to talk about where that came from so if you don’t want spoilers I’d advise you skip the next paragraph, It won’t be really big plot twists or anything but just in case you don’t want any knowledge past the first episode, I’ve got you covered.

The Cause

The students quickly find the culprit behind those strange phenomena happening to them. an entity possessing their teacher calling itself Fusenkazura, or Heartseed. I will stick with Heartseed for the duration of this article just because it’s easier to type. So what are the motives? what exactly does this strange entity want? Well, it’s quite simple. All Heartseed wants is to be entertained and to that end, it brings the phenomena to the Student Cultural Society simply because it found them interesting.

A little more in-depth here, I really like Heartseed as a part of this story, he’s sadistic to a point and somewhat playful but ultimately pretty benign to the point where I struggle to call him an antagonist when such a moniker is used for characters like the Joker, Frieza or Smoker who very much actively want to bring harm to the hero. Joker and Frieza have both wanted to kill their nemesis at different points, only one ever succeeded tho, at least in a way that ever mattered for more than a couple minutes. and even Smoker who let’s face it is ultimately a just and pretty likable guy surely understands that were he to capture a certain rubber boy, said rubber boy may well end up not so alive by the end of proceedings. Heartseed is different from these guys, sure he doesn’t really attempt to make the club’s life easier with all the body swapping and other shenanigans but he’s not actively out to harm them either. he’s in a weird morally light gray area, a moral Gainsboro if you will.

Overall a fascinating secretive character and a testament to the fact, not all mysteries should be solved. an undeniable part of what makes Heartseed so freaking interesting is that we don’t know everything about him and the only things we do know are things he himself tells us, which speaks volumes not only to the overwhelming reality warping capabilities of the entity but also the state of self that comes with it. Perhaps even Heartseed feels telling the club everything would make things less entertaining? who knows?

Talking about the plot is all well and good but man does not live by plot alone. so what about the other aspects that make an anime? let’s talk a little about that now.

The People Behind The Series

The anime was made by the studio Silver Link which you may know from series such as Jahy-sama, Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry (We will definitely come back to that one at some point), Bofuri, or Masamune -Kun no Revenge. so in my experience at least there’s a decent level presented even if the studio is not talked about as much as Madhouse, Bones, or Sunrise.

The series itself is directed by Shin Oonuma and Shinya Kawatsura. the former of these fine gentlemen has directed an episode of Bakemonogatari and directed Watamote as well as Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry. While Kawatsura’s works include a few episodes of Blue Exorcist, Jojo part 3, Storyboarding and directing a few episodes of Toaru Majutsu no Index II, and being the assistant director for Durarara. So I’d say with a clear conscience that these two know what they’re doing

When it comes to the source material that comes courtesy of Sadanatsu Anda who has penned a great story, tho as a writer they have very little to their name that I could find. The art is done by Yukiko Horiguchi who has worked on things such as K-On and Lucky Star as well as animated for Inuyasha and I am here to inform anyone not in the know that those, well those are kinda a big deal.

What about the soundtrack? well, the sound director is Toshiki Kameyama who has a lot of series under his belt the ones I’ve heard of include 3-Gatsu no Lion, Nisekoi and SSSS Gridman.

Names and portfolios are all well and good but Rouga, I hear you asking, how’s that Project onto Kokoro Connect?

well sit tight cuz I’m about to give you the things that you give to questions, and that is what we call answers.

Visuals And Sound

When talking about the visual side of Kokoro Connect I feel one word describes it perfectly, that word being “fitting”. the visuals are just what they need to be for a given scene and they do their part phenomenally between the actual art, animation or the lighting, everything just plays together very well in painting the perfect picture that needs to be painted and the scores paired with the scenes make a very good atmosphere for the series, It’s a school life comedy with a bit of drama in just the right moments, tones and amounts to enrich the story. I’ve one scene in particular from much later into the series and oh my god is it emotional. All I will say to avoid spoilers is that when you see it, you will know it.

Of course a great story needs characters to populate the environment and an anime needs actors to bring those characters to life. and Kokoro Connect’s cast is very much a positive. We have Miyuki Sawashiro known for her roles in Fruits Basket, Psycho Pass and Sword Art Online, Aoki’s voiced by Takuma Terashima who you may know as Shiki from Edens Zero, Oscar Orcus from Arifureta or Shiroe from Log Horizon. and Taichi is voiced by the man behind Orochi Ginba from Beyblade Burst, Jun from Erased and Hetalia’s Finland,Takehiro Mizushima. just to name a few voices you can hear while watching.

Final Thoughts

Overall Kokoro Connect is a very well made series that utilizes each aspect of the medium: art,music,voices and animation to great effect making a series that is very much worth a watch. Sure it may not be as hype as Hunter X Hunter or as emotional as Anger Beats,or have as much visual flair and pzazz as Mob Psycho or Demon Slayer but I feel like that is actually a benefit to the series rather than a detriment. Kokoro Connect isn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s a relaxed school comedy and it plays out great as such. I highly recommend you watch the series if you haven’t. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. Maybe see it with a friend who you’d like to get into anime? I believe it to be a nice entry point to the slice o life genre if not anime as a whole.

Thank you for reading and I hope to see you in the next post I make.

[nezzfiction]

Team WISE Chapter 5 - Iris (Part Three)

Series Synopsis: Ten years have passed since Team RWBY disbanded. Remnant is in the midst of its Second Great War. And while the Kingdoms wage battle and destruction against one other, a darker, more ancient threat grows in its shadow. Only a select few are willing to set aside past differences to see the greater danger Remnant faces. Only those who possess the wisdom to seek out the truth in the dark—those who are truly wise. To that end, Weiss Schnee assembles her private group of covert operatives.

This is the story of Team WISE.

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below:

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Iris (Part Three)

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They honor Graves.

They decorate the Royal.

And they reward the Faithful.

.

.

It was approaching night on the Saharan Front of Vacuo.

The sun was setting, and the sky dimmed a darker hue. Waving hills of sand lost their fluorescent gold, and faded to purple. And as the last rays of daylight retreated over the horizon, so too did the forces of Vacuo’s Southern Faction withdraw from the battlefield.

The Northern Tribes suffered a surprise attack during the afternoon. It was an unforgivable mistake, and their defenses paid dearly for it. To make matters worse, when they finally recovered enough to launch a counterassault, night was falling and the Southern Faction’s White Fang kited back. The Northern Tribes were at a disadvantage due to their lack of night vision. And, of course, there was the possibility the Southern Faction, which listed many Faunus in their ranks, set up an ambush should they recklessly pursue.

In the end, the Northern Tribes could only watch as their enemies retreated safely and leisurely over the hills. Defenses would have to be rebuilt, draining on what limited resources they had. There was also the body count, which received a huge blow. Their numbers, growing more and more difficult to replenish with each hit and run by the opposition.

From atop the ridge of a tall dune, a heavily cloaked figure monitored the progression of the entire battle. He purposely took caution in hiding his appearance, very few being privy to his actual whereabouts. But it was him, who commanded his forces to exhaust their enemy than fight the fair fight.

The leader of the Southern Faction’s White Fang.

Adam Taurus.

As he watched his forces retreat and glanced at the still burning remnants in the enemy settlement, a sadistic smile curled his lips.

“Have our forces rest four hours on returning to base,” he relayed his orders to his comms officer. “We’ll attack them again at night.”

The White Fang soldier nodded, and began speaking to the corresponding leaders of each division.

On their way back to their outpost, Adam continued to evaluate the strategy and the condition of the civil war as a whole.

The assassination attempt on the Northern Tribes leadership went comparatively well yesterday. They were able to eliminate some key threats with only the sacrifice of a few minor chieftains. It was a shame Sienna Khan survived. They could not have accounted for Blake and her lieutenants acting as bodyguards incognito.

Adam’s forces were performing well on the Saharan Front. They wounded the enemy and bled their enemy’s resources, while his army remained relatively unscathed. If they were lucky and their adversaries were incompetent enough, which was the case most of the time, the enemy might draw upon their exhausted forces from the Mojave Front to reinforce this position. Maybe then, he would reveal himself to Blake—and kill her once and for all.

While the idea brought some joy in its anticipation, a foreboding lingering stalked the back of his thoughts.

The current tactic was cruel and efficient, but his projections for the war were falling behind. The main reason for that was…

“Have we received new provisions from Mistral yet?” Adam asked his Logistics Officer.

The White Fang member checked his clipboard, then shook his head.

“No, sir. No shipments today either. Should I send another request?”

“This will be the fifth time already…! Remind them that if they want Vacuo as an ally, they have to make sure I win it first.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Hmmm…” Adam grunted.

What is Cinder Fall doing?

He realized thinking about it wouldn’t do much at this juncture. The man could make a big deal out of it if his requests were delayed this time. Until then, he had to maintain his army’s harassment.

“What’s the status of our forces?” he asked the returning comms officer.

“Tired, sir. Some are wounded, but most are exhausted. Especially with the surprise attack this morning and afternoon.”

“…You have something more to say?”

“They could…use more rest.”

“…Have them ready for the night raid. Four hours rest on making camp,” Adam ignored the consultation.

“I understand,” the officer nodded uneasily.

After some time passed, Adam’s army returned safely to base. Their usual small village of tents were erected on the spot around an oasis.

Tired soldiers tried to finish their remaining duties, so they could collapse onto their sleeping bags as quickly as possible. Bleary-eyed sentries took positions for first watch. Some seemed to choose to forego eating altogether, and postpone it until they woke.

…

And above the encampment, a certain cloaked airship treaded the sky.

“How are they looking, Fox?” Coco asked an update from her teammate.

The man sharpening his forearm blades replied,

“—Tired.”

It was vague, but after having worked with him so long, his teammates were able to interpret his meaning. The Aura levels of the army below them was low. Incredibly low, in fact.

Fox was Team CFEN’s radar, in a simple sense of the word. Due to his blindness, he was forced to develop a particularly high level of Aura Sense, in which he used Aura to discern his surroundings. It also allowed him to track the energy levels of others, even letting him evaluate their health conditions to a fine degree. And it was this skill, which he applied to the countless soldiers below them, that told him one other thing…

“Soft.”

The second word assessment by Fox came like the word of a hunter—or maybe, a predator.

His other teammates reacted to it with a knowing smirk.

“—Alright, brain trust,” Coco snapped, before tossing a digital map tablet to Neo and Fox. “Get to mapping their positions. I want us hitting them the same time their precious heads hit the pillows.”

She turned to Yang, who was taking apart her prosthetic to clean it. Then, putting it back together.

“The ice queen really sign off on this gig? We’re gonna leave a pretty big footprint on this one.”

“Well, if we don’t leave anyone alive, no one will ever know we were here,” Yang answered coldly.

“…”

“…Full operational impunity, Coco. Even if they did ID us, our team doesn’t work directly under Atlas anyway. Not officially.”

“True. Not like we can take the HVT without the mayhem. So, no blowback on our people?”

“Small blessings,” Yang grinned.

“That’s what I like to hear.”

At that moment, Neo handed Coco the digital map tablet. On it, an accurate layout of the camp with marked soldiers displayed on its surface. And in the center of the formation, was their main objective signed with a red skull.

“Alright, then,” Coco called her team’s attention, while mentally making custom small changes to their plan. “No major discrepancies from the drawing board. We run it like rehearsal. Get ready, get evil.”

“We drop in five.”

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X  X X  X  X

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In the main officer’s tent, Adam had barely closed his eyes for a second. Then, all of a sudden, chaos sounded all around him.

He exited the door flap to see what was going on, only to find soldiers rushing in every direction.

The night sky was full of high sparkling flares, which lit up their encampment like it was day. There were fires and explosions all around the perimeter. And as if the surprise attack wasn’t causing enough disorder, there was also a high frequency ring that caused consternation to their Faunus soldiers. Also, a foul-smelling gas permeated the air, which did a number on those with keen noses.

Adam coughed with tears in his eyes. His heightened senses were assaulted on every front.

What the hell is going on?!

He tried to get a hold of one of his officers in charge, but found their communications jammed.

Damn it!

They know what they’re doing, whoever the hell this is!

Adam began shouting to his soldiers nearby, trying to bring order to his subordinates’ panic.

…

From a distance away, laying prone in the sand, a dark group of individuals peeked just over a sand dune. Their binoculars focused on the settlement ripe with chaos.

The leader of the pack went quickly to identifying the perpetrators of the attack. A certain woman seemed to blink in and out of the air, driving an icepick thin blade through key officers. A man made quick work of some figures, spilling their intestines on the ground or opening their esophagus. Another woman switched between several heavy weapons to fill bodies with bullet holes. And a particular individual, smashed through several armored stations with nothing but her fists, leaving a swath of destruction in her wake.

There were only four in all, and an impressive amount of damage caused between. They joined together, executed combos interchangeably, then split apart with perfect precision. It was a hybrid performance of both solo and coordinated movements. A deadly flow only few teams in the world could probably pull off.

Mercury Black hailed his allies through a relay of secure communication lines.

“—Mercury, report,” Cinder Fall’s voice came from the other end.

“They’re here. The White Queen’s favorite pipe-hitters, including the one-arm wonder,” Mercury said.

“I see. So, the one called Ember is finally getting here revenge after all these years. I knew Tyrian would break.”

“What should we do, boss?”

“……The status of Blake Belladonna?”

“She disappeared for a day, came back around the afternoon. No other changes.”

“Hm.”

Mercury could hear Cinder tapping on her desk in thought.

“…It seems our joint enterprise with Adam Taurus has reached a most disappointing conclusion.”

He understood what the statement meant.

“Copy that,” Mercury shrugged indifferently. “And the surveillance on Belladonna?”

“She returned, you said… Resume recon. In the instance she disappears again, do try to keep track of her this time.”

“Easier said than done without being seen.”

“That will be all. Keep monitoring the situation, and report the aftermath.”

“Roger that.”

The line went dead, and Mercury gave a tired sigh.

“Hahhh, what a slave driver.”

The man continued to peer through his binoculars, once in a while gnawing on a food ration snack. He watched the massacre, like he was watching one of his favorite shows. And then, a depraved smile appeared on his lips.

“Sucks, buddy. But sometimes, when you gotta go—”

“—You gotta go.”

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X  X X  X  X

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On Adam’s right, the soldier had his chest cavity opened with a cross-slash. On his left, a woman’s head was blown clean off with a single shot.

One White Fang lieutenant moved in front of the leader, probably trying to shield him from what came next. His body was large and the chainsaw in his hands was massive.

“—Hollow Point.”

On Coco’s order, a blazing yellow figure dashed in front of the giant Faunus. Neo laced Yang’s fist with pointed glass, while she entered the man’s guard.

The lieutenant swung his rippling chainsaw across, but Yang dipped her head below it. Then, with her crystal encrusted fist, snapped a vicious liver blow to the body. On piercing the skin, the glass shattered, sending countless shards tearing through inner organs. Some of the shrapnel cut so sharp, blades popped out the other sides of the body.

The White Fang lieutenant collapsed to his knees first, then his face hit the dirt.

The flares in the sky gave out. Nothing but the fiery remains of the army and their tents gave visibility to the four figures before Adam.

The man stepped inadvertently back.

“—Hey, asshole,” Yang greeted casually. “Long time no see.”

“You…!” Adam gritted his teeth with recognition.

“Yeah, me. Shoulda killed me when you had the chance~♪”

“……Coward. This is the only way you Humans can fight. Always underhanded, without a speck of honor!”

To the insult, Team CFEN only stared as if to say, “Like you have any right to talk”. They glanced to each other, before focusing on the one whose vendetta this belonged to.

“Well, I guess that’s true. We did kinda do him dirty,” Yang brandished an easygoing smirk. “So, let’s do this nice and fair. Mano-e-mano. No help, no handicaps.”

Adam had to fight down the smile from showing in his face. His opponent took his bait. But then, there were also the woman’s teammates to watch out for.

Fortunately for him, the rest of Team CFEN took some steps back. Even Neo postured herself on the dead corpse of the White Fang Lieutenant. The other three all but communicated their intention to simply let the duel proceed without interruption. Something Yang probably requested beforehand.

Adam lowered his body into his signature iaido stance. A menacing bloodlust leaked from the stillness of his sword-drawing form.

He recalled Yang’s data and Semblance. Adam’s technique was its perfect opposite when applied correctly. He wouldn’t give Yang the chance to build her energy from his attacks. The swordsman would end it with a single move, one fatal swing of his blade.

Yang cracked her knuckles challengingly. The previous glow of her hair was nonexistent, giving muteness to her Semblance. But the red of her eyes seemed to glint something hungry.

The woman lowered into her own fighting stance. Her boots ground into the rough sand and dirt. The right of her armed prosthetic drew back, while the left stretched out to lead.

All was still in the tense atmosphere. Every crackle of fire was like thunder in a brewing storm. The contest of wills built until its pinnacle moment.

Then, a burning tent collapsed under the strain, giving signal to their duel.

Simultaneous explosions occurred as both combatants kicked off the ground. They pulled the triggers on their respective weapons, which propelled them with a shock and a bang. The space between them was a mere ten paces, but it served as enough momentum for their clash.

Despite the great force produced by both, only one side would bear the suffering of catastrophic ruin.

The moment Adam drew his sword barely out from its sheathe, a few trace flames licked up and down Yang’s arm. The woman’s gold mane burned a scorching crimson.

At the same time Adam was caught off-guard by the surprise appearance of Yang’s Semblance, the boxer bypassed the man’s sword range. Her arm pitched forth like a howling star, connecting her knuckles with Adam’s own.

Caught between burning steel and the hilt of his blade, the swordsman’s hand was crushed. The impact of the clash sent him crumpling to the ground. His katana flew through the air with some parts of his crushed fingers.

“GRAAAGGHHH!!!” Adam painfully sprawled in anguish, grasping his twisted appendage to his body. “How…?! How did you—”

“My Semblance hasn’t worked that way for a loooong time,” Yang gloated, swaggering towards him with a triumphant strut.

With an uncanny movement, Adam picked his sword off the ground with his remaining hand, and swung it…

But Yang caught it with ease. And with a violent motion, ripped it from his grasp like taking it from a child.

“Okay, this is getting pathetic.”

“I’LL KILL YOU!!!” Adam frothed. “I SWEAR, I’LL KILL YOU!!!”

“Huh, no wonder you lost. Should’ve known you never had it in you—not the real stuff anyway.”

“I WILL DESTROY YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU LOVE! My rage will never stop! You’ll never escape me!!!”

“HAHAHA!” Yang cackled. “Your Rage?”

She used Adam’s sword to peel off the man’s White Fang mask. The scar of “S.D.C.” branded on his eye was revealed.

“Your cause, your beliefs?” Yang continued. “They’re nothing but an excuse for you to throw your tantrum,” she growled low. “You think you own Rage? Adam… Your hate doesn’t even burn.”

The woman strode to him with ominous steps. Adam felt his soul culled, as he struggled to crawl away. But an unforgiving hand clasped hard around his throat, forcing him to turn around.

“Look at me…!”

Above him, was the crimson inferno of hate personified. Yang bore down on him with eyes of accursed stars. Her hair stoked with unfettering embers.

“My Rage is my Semblance. It lets me run cold, and it also burns me from the inside out,” she breathed, with plumes of flame. “And I saved a lot of it, just for today…”

Adam tried to look away again, but Yang smacked him across the face one way, then back the other. She hoisted him up, single-handed like a dangling ragdoll.

“Any last words?” she asked.

“………Please…!”

“Nope.”

Yang sank a fiery fist through Adam’s heart, and rested it there. With a violent twist of her wrist, she unloaded a special thermite charge, which sparked a conflagration in the man’s chest. His insides began to melt like lava, while Yang’s Semblance burned, slow but sure.

“I owned my scars, but you tried to hide yours behind a mask,” she muttered disappointedly. “My anger could never lose to yours.”

As the lights dimmed in Adam’s sight, he remembered something told to him long ago.

“I pity you,” the voice said. “One day, your so-called Rage will fail you. Because you don’t have it. The fire that comes from a pain so hard and so deep, it defines you.”

Adam tried to reach out to that person. The only one who could possibly save him.

“Pray the day never comes,” Raven Branwen said, over her shoulder. “This is farewell, my old apprentice.”

…

The remnants of Adam’s body collapsed. Nothing but ash and dying embers at the end of Yang’s outstretched hand. And with a violent swipe of her foot, scattered the remains of his existence into the desert winds.

“A coffin’s too good for you, Adam. I already forgot who you were,” Yang spat.

Suddenly, a voice came over her in-ear radio.

“—That was certainly dramatic.”

“You were watching? That’s naughty.”

“…We’re on a private channel,” Weiss cautioned. “Tell me how the others are reacting.”

“Hm?” Yang wasn’t sure the reason, but did as she was told. “They look the same as ever,” she whispered, while glancing at her teammates. “Why…was someone supposed to stop me?”

The line went quiet for a second.

“……I’ll explain later. Keep a close eye on them, report any changes. Withdraw immediately.”

“Alright,” Yang grunted. “On our way back.”

After the line cut, the woman could only imagine what that private conversation was about. But for now, she wanted to take a little peace in what she just finished. It’s not everyday someone gets to settle a decade-old grudge after all.

“—You done savoring the moment, hot rod?” Coco asked, with a roguish grin.

Yang inhaled and nodded.

“Moment, savored. Let’s bug out, and get plastered.”

Coco tapped her radio.

“Penny, we are ready for pickup. I repeat,”

“Get us out of this sandbox.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

It was early morning the next day, when a small party was held in Team CFEN’s private hangar. The members drank, talked, and played a few games. It was a tradition they enjoyed after completing missions, especially satisfying ones. And the successful assassination of Adam Taurus counted among that.

“Oh!” Coco responded to the vibrating scroll in her pocket. “It’s a message from Vel.”

Fox and Yang perked up at that.

“How is she today?” Yang asked.

“She’s doin’ alright. Rehabs still a bitch. Wondering where I am and what I’m doing, always worrying.”

“Aw, cute.”

“Shut up.”

“Winter said we’re doing a cycle in Atlas. Good time for us to pay a visit?”

Coco smiled wryly, appreciating the sentiment itself.

“Thanks, guys.” She instinctively included Fox, who was giving her the same look as Yang. “I…just don’t know if she’s ready for it yet.”

“No problem,” Yang nodded with understanding.

“Hey! Speaking of babes, Neo! You gonna show us some pictures of yours, or what?”

The silent woman took out her scroll, and began showing a number of pictures proudly to her team. Laughter and awe sounds cascaded the walls of the hangar.

Meanwhile, watching the gathering below, two figures leaned on the railing of the second-floor walkway.

“—They’re impressive. Team CFEN,” Ruby commented, with her own drink in hand.

“They’ve been trained to manage much bigger threats and combat more formidable enemies than Adam Taurus,” Weiss replied.

“Like the Maidens and Salem…”

“Yes.”

“And Relics, and tougher swordsmen, like Raven Branwen.”

“Yes…”

Ruby stared at her partner a little.

“So why do you need Team WISE?”

“…”

“Weiss?”

Weiss suddenly took out her scroll, which notified her of something.

“…It looks like Iris has arrived. I wonder what might have brought this on so soon after she left,” she feigned amusement.

The doors to the hangar opened, and a dark figure came stalking through the room. Her shoes falling hard on the metal surface, making everyone known of her arrival.

“WEISS! YANG!” Blake shouted with anger.

“Oh, geez. Party pooper’s here,” Yang drunkenly chuckled with her nth beer in hand.

As Blake was about to run at her, a scarlet cape fluttered between them. Ruby started holding her friend back as much as she could.

“It was you, wasn’t it?!” Blake accused, while trying to get through. “Your team was responsible for the attack last night! You were the ones who killed Adam!”

“—Uh, you’re welcome?” Coco tilted her head quizzically.

“Am I supposed to be grateful?!”

“Kinda expected it, yeah, to be honest. Also, long time no see, kitty cat.”

“YANG!”

“—Mmm… Am I drunk enough to do this?” Yang eyed her beer bottle, and chugged what remained. “Yup. I’m game.”

As the woman was about to engage from the other side, it was Weiss who dropped in her way.

“I won’t allow any fighting like this,” she stopped coolly.

“Serious? Come ON, it’ll be fun—”

“No. That’s an order. Stand down.”

Yang traded death stares for a second, before casually knitting her hands around the back of her head.

“Boooo~!”

“—Damn it!” Blake still struggled to free herself from Ruby. “You can’t just come here, doing whatever you want, taking things into your own hands!!! There are consequences!!!”

“Yeah, like getting a loud complaint from the fun police…”

“If you just solve everything this way, you’re no better than Adam!”

“I don’t even know who that is.”

“YANG!!!”

“—Enough!” Weiss’s voice pierced them both.

Her calm and frosty demeanor enforced her stance.

“This is what we do, Blake. We see the wisdom in the moves to be made, and we take the measures which need taking. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“That can’t justify everything…!”

“It justifies enough.”

“You know the long-term problems you’ve caused! The Southern Tribes aren’t going to give up just because Adam is dead! You turned him into a martyr!”

“Vacuo’s civil war will end.”

“The Kingdom is more divided than ever! More Faunus from the North are converting to the South by the second!”

“And with enough unrest, Vacuo will have no choice but to split into two separate states.”

“…!” Blake shook her head in disbelief. “You planned for that, too…”

“Somewhat.”

“You left the Kingdom worse than it was! It’ll take years to recover, maybe even centuries before they’re willing to unite again!!!”

“We stopped them from self-destructing, and from you dying with them.”

“You’re still trying to recruit me…! After EVERYTHING you’ve done?!”

“Join and add your counsel.”

“What?!”

“If you hate what we do so much, help us do better. Join the team. Otherwise, there’s no grounds for your opinion to be heard.”

“…I don’t have a choice, do I…?!” Blake growled with displeasure. “You’ll keep interfering with Vacuo.”

“With or without you. But with you, we can intervene only as you deem fit.”

Blake finally stopped trying to push Ruby out of the way. The rising and falling of her shoulders slowed. Her glare still fixed on the silver-haired woman, the target of her righteous ire.

“Congratulations, Weiss,” Blake seethed with her forging pact.

“…”

“You’ve become everything you ever hated—but at least, you have your team.”

“…”

“Your sister would be ashamed of you.”

Immediately, Team CFEN tensed and moved from their passive spectating. Ruby shoved Blake back, upsettingly shaking her head, like the woman had gone too far. And Yang particularly, burned with the fierce Aura of her Semblance, readying to throw a punch.

But all hostilities ceased, when Weiss raised a hand to stop them.

“I see,” she gave a short reply. “Welcome to Team WISE—”

“Iris.”

.

X  X X  X  X

.

In Weiss’s private chambers, an angry Yang pinned her against the wall.

“What the hell are you thinking…?!” she snarled.

“I’m thinking, I successfully recruited the last member of our team,” Weiss simply answered.

“Blake is the last person we need! And again, I find myself wondering: Why do we need Team WISE? CFEN just kicked ass, if you weren’t paying attention—except you were, ��cause I heard you in my ear after I turned Adam into grey mist. So, what the shit?!”

“…Team WISE is essential to our operations going forward. Blake is essential to Team WISE; thus, the logic follows.”

“Bullshit!” Yang punched the wall. “You don’t keep me on the outs! Tell me the real reason NOW!”

“…”

“I deserve to know. I was there for everything. Suddenly, you’re going to start keeping secrets from me?”

“I was planning to tell you tomorrow, when you were more sober, but I can tell you today if you like.”

“Now’s good.”

For a moment, Weiss closed her eyes in thought. Her chest expanded and shrunk with her exhale. Yang’s gaze dropped slightly, before righting again.

“I intercepted a coded message from someone with access to the team’s private network,” Weiss explained. “It was being sent to Cinder Fall.”

“……Someone on the team is a spy?”

“Yes. Now, you know.”

“That’s why you had me read the others, after I dusted Adam.”

“It was a test of sorts.”

“You had me bait a trap.”

“I knew whatever happened, you would survive.”

Yang made an amused expression, while Weiss returned a heavily diluted version of it.

“Hahhh, that is a reason not to lean on Team CFEN, I guess,” the woman admitted. “But how sure, are you?”

“I’m sure,” Weiss flatly confirmed.

“Any ideas on who it is?”

“I have my suspicions.”

“…Don’t we already know? It’s kind of obvious, right?”

“Things aren’t always what they seem. It could be any of them. The only one I’m sure it isn’t, is you.”

“Aw.”

“Shut it.”

They both went silent. Weiss planned to let Yang take as much time as she needed to process. A few times, a hissed word of “shit” escaped her.

“Okay…” Yang worded slowly. “But even if Team CFEN is compromised, you and I could always take up the work. We’re more than enough.”

“We are not. That is why I am recruiting,” Weiss disapproved.

“Right! Because we’re going to be SO much more effective with Blake Dysfunctionallona on our team.”

“…That wasn’t your best pun.”

“I’m still a little drunk. Sue me.”

“Blake Belladonna is a commander of the White Fang and has led her armies to victory against impossible odds.”

“I read the file…”

“Ruby Rose is the youngest Vice Headmaster Beacon Academy has ever had, and is a veteran Huntress, who’s slain some of the deadliest Grimm to roam Remnant.”

“That’s up for debate.”

“Inform me, Yang. Who else can we trust, recruit readily, and who possess the same pedigree as those two?”

“………Fuuuuuuuuck~”

“I’m relieved you see my point,” Weiss crossed her arms, signaling her victory in the argument.

“Everything’s gonna really suck now, isn’t it?”

“The most trying times are to come. Building this team took long enough. We must start operating as soon as possible.”

“After our shore leave in Atlas, right?”

“…”

In response to Weiss’s dead stare, Yang covered her face in her hand.

“We have work in Atlas?! Ahhh! Well, my buzz is killed.”

“I’m so sorry that’s the case,” Weiss replied in monotone.

…

As Yang’s mood worsened, she pressed her head into Weiss’s shoulder. From there, she began nibbling the other woman’s exposed neck and collar.

“No.” Weiss’s cold fingers went to block Yang’s lips from going any further. “This isn’t the time.”

“How? We’re on autopilot for what’s supposed to be a two-day flight, at least. How is there not time?”

“Despite what your assumptions may be, fulfilling the roles of brigadier general for the Atlesian Fleet and running our teams’ operations is a time-consuming effort.”

“Aren’t you just afraid of Ruby finding out?”

“About, what? Our fling?”

“A fling? Is that what you wanna call this?” Yang questioned.

“We took comfort in each other during a vulnerable moment. It’s hardly more than a one-night stand.”

“Yeah, except one-night stands don’t last more than one night.”

“…”

“Or a few years.”

“…”

“Or semi-current until you shipped me off for that undercover prison op.”

“…Do you have a point to make?”

“…”

Yang slid her arms down and held Weiss close.

“You really mean that?” she asked.

“I wouldn’t have said it, if I didn’t mean it.”

“………Okay.”

Yang let go abruptly, and left the room. A few seconds later, Weiss heard a loud bang come from outside the halls.

…

Alone in her chambers, Weiss felt sadness seep in. No matter what walls she tried to erect to keep them at bay, the sorrow and regret seeped through. Weiss had half a mind to go after her.

“Yang…”

Then, pain wracked her thoughts. Memories which didn’t belong to her threatened to drive her mad. Countless screams and a collapsing world harassed every shred of consciousness. Her Aura fluctuated as if to consume her from the inside.

Remember…

Remember…!

Don’t forget!

WINTER!

.

X  X X  X  X

.

It was a day since the Nautilus docked at one of Atlas’s secret hangars.

While many of the team members went their different ways, spending their shore leave however they liked, one did not do so easily.

She descended the spiraling staircase on her floating Glyph. A place deeper than anywhere in Remnant swallowed her up. Down and down she went, like falling slowly into the endless abyss.

When she reached the bottom, Weiss could sense a presence in the pitch-black darkness.

“—Adam Taurus’s passing was rather untimely,” a voice called to her from the shadows.

Weiss knew this person heard echoes from the outside world, despite their isolation. Regardless, it was still a disturbing feat.

“…His death was a necessary one.”

“Hm. A wise course of action,” the old woman commented. “Though I can’t imagine you did Vacuo any favors by ending him so prematurely.”

“Time is of the essence.”

“It always is, isn’t it?”

“Where is the Spring Maiden?”

“Wouldn’t we like to know?”

“Where is the Spring Maiden?!” Weiss pressed harder. “Where is her Relic?!”

“Follow the bread crumbs… But what bread crumbs, when they’ve all been eaten away?”

Weiss lost her temper, and cast light from her Myrtenaster. The sword’s shine illuminated the chained figure, as she grasped the prisoner’s hair.

“Where is the Raven Branwen?! Answer me, Salem!!”

The decrepit Witch only laughed madly in response. The oversized chains binding her neck and limbs jangled unpleasantly loud.

“Where is the Relic?!” Weiss bared her emotions.

“Where is Famine?!”