[6/22 (Sunday) – Midnight]
[Vale — ???]
Roman Torchwick stood outside an abandoned warehouse, staring at the rusted steel doors with a weary sigh.
One hand rested atop his bowler hat while the other carried a heavy briefcase.
"...What a nightmare of a heist," he muttered to himself.
Pushing the doors open, he stepped inside.
The warehouse was dimly lit, filled with lockers of weapons, Dust, and supplies.
Reaching an old worktable, he set the briefcase down with a thud.
He slipped a cigar between his lips and reached into his pocket for his lighter.
A small orange flame suddenly sprang to life before his fingers ever touched it.
Roman flinched as the cigar nearly fell from his mouth.
"How very disappointing, Roman."
A familiar voice echoed throughout the warehouse.
Roman turned sharply toward its source.
The rhythmic click of heels against concrete broke the silence of the warehouse as three figures emerged from the darkness.
Walking at their center was a woman with yellow eyes and flowing dark hair.
"Whoa..." Roman let out a nervous chuckle. "Heh... I wasn't expecting to see you three so soon."
The woman didn't respond immediately.
Instead, her crimson eyes drifted across the warehouse, taking in the nearly empty space before settling on the lone briefcase resting on the table.
"... I must admit, I'm disappointed."
Her gaze returned to Roman.
"When you claimed to be a first-rate thief, I expected more than this."
She glanced toward the barren warehouse.
"At the very least... a few crates of Dust."
Roman let out a short, incredulous laugh.
"Heh... you've got to be kidding me."
The amusement quickly vanished from his face, replaced by an irritated scowl. "You were the ones who insisted on partnering me up with those stupid mutts from the White Fang." He jabbed a thumb toward himself. "They were practically useless the entire time! It's a miracle that I managed to grab one!"
He yelped as Cinder strutted towards him, entering his personal space.
Roman instinctively took half a step back, only to stop when her hand rose and gently cupped his cheek.
His words caught in his throat.
"And you will continue to do so."
Her thumb traced lightly across his cheek.
"We have big plans for you, Roman."
She leaned in just enough for her voice to become almost a whisper.
"All we ask is... a little cooperation."
============================================
[6/22 (Sunday) – Midnight]
[Beacon Academy — Clocktower]
============================================
Seated comfortably in his chair, Headmaster Ozpin quietly hummed to himself, one hand cradling a steaming cup while the other rested upon the armrest.
The office lights were dim, leaving the faint glow of a holographic display to illuminate the room.
A list of names floated before him.
[Combat Performance Evaluation : ]
1. [PYRRHA NIKOS]
2. [YANG XIAO-LONG]
3. [BLAKE BELLADONNA]
4. [WEISS SCHNEE]
5. [RUBY ROSE]
6. [LIE REN]
7. [NORA VALKYRIE]
...
18. [JAUNE ARC]
With a flick of his fingers, the report expanded.
Every student's profile had been meticulously compiled by Beacon's systems—combat footage, weapon proficiency, tactical decision-making, Aura efficiency, psychological evaluations, behavioral trends, leadership potential, emotional stability, and even subtle changes in personality over the course of the semester.
Ozpin's gaze lingered briefly on Jaune Arc.
The boy's recent improvement was remarkable. While not enough to vault him toward the top of the rankings, it was nonetheless significant when compared to his earlier performances over the past month.
It seemed that his decision to allow Mr. Arc was beginning to bear fruit.
Taking another sip of his coffee, Ozpin dismissed the report with a swipe.
His attention settled instead upon another profile.
One that had grown considerably thicker than the others.
[CLERVAL GRAYSON]
[TEAM : RWBY (Reserve), JNPR (Reserve)]
[AGE: 17]
[Semblance: PERSONA SUMMONING]
[Current PERSONA Entities : ]
...
...
...
[END OF REPORT]
He takes a sip from his coffee.
Abruptly, a beep emitted from his Scroll. Lifting it, he turned it on to read the encrypted message.
[???: QUEEN HAS PAWNS]
"... Hmmm."
============================================
[6/22 (Sunday) – Midnight]
[Labyrinth — VESTA ???]
============================================
The room was swallowed in absolute darkness.
There was no light. No sound. No movement.
Only a pair of glowing yellow eyes pierced through the void, fixed unblinking on the sealed entrance to VESTA ???.
They did not shift or waver.
They simply waited—silent and patient—awaiting the First Dawn of a better tomorrow.
============================================
[CHARACTER PROFILE]
Name: Clerval Grayson (LVL: 13)
Team: RWBY (Reserve), JNPR (Reserve)
Age: 17 (23rd October)
Color Scheme: Black, Silver, and Gold
Weapons: Evoker, Unnamed Broadsword
Semblance: Persona Summoning
============================================
Current Persona Stock:
1. Odysseus (LVL: 12)
STR: Slash
WEAK: Electric
Stats (Strength | Magic | Endurance | Agility | Luck): 13 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 10
Skills: Cleave, Single Shot, Swift Strike, Dia, Rakukaja
2. Pixie (LVL: 11)
3. Archangel (LVL: 13)
4. Fortuna (LVL: 13)
5. Neko Shogun (LVL: 10)
6. Apsaras (LVL: 10)
7. Ara Mitama (LVL: 10)
8. Valkyrie (LVL: 11)
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NEXT UPDATE: 29 July, Wednesday
A/N: Volume 1 is officially complete! Thank you very much for the journey; there will be more to come!
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