On the deathbed, what was believed to be a corpse laid sprawled out, broken but presumably recovering after taking Galathyn’s stab to the chest. Nomad’s sacrifice within Summit’s Blight had not been forgotten by any, least of which Zara- member of Team Blazer, who had once befriended the deer faunus to escape his perilous homeland. He opened his eyes.

“You…” He sat up, glaring at her.

“You’re alive! Take it easy!”

“You… Zara Tir. After all this time, our paths are destined to cross yet again.”

“Yep. Many of us were waiting for your reawakening. We were told by Augustus you would return.” She walked to a nearby closet, and retrieved Idol’s Cloak. Upon opening the door, it automatically swept over to his shoulders. Nomad sat up, looking around, lost. “Oh, and actually, you must be mistaken. My name is Zara Haken.”

“That’s… I understand. Where am I?” His voice hadn’t changed, still suave if cold.

“The morgue!” The way Zara spoke made it seem far more innocent. Many gurneys, each holding a story of misery, stretched from wall to wall.

“How long has it been since I was poisoned?”

“No more than a couple days, I think. Maybe more. I wasn’t there, if you can remember.”

“I can. Where is my crossbow?” He tried to stand, struggling before falling back onto his stretcher.

Zara ran up with a plate holding an apple, and a juice carton. “Relax! Herald took your crossbow the night you were impaled. Here, Augustus said you would need food as soon as you came back.”

“I’ll manage without. What is this place, other than the morgue? Where am I, really, Zara ‘Haken’? And how do I leave?”

“We’re at Augustus Correctional Facility, on the edge of Vale. Your way out is right through that door. But wait! Let me get Team Lance! They’ll be excited to see you.”

“No. I have no business in Vale. There is nothing to be gained from waiting here. Team Lance will only assist to delay me again.” Nomad found success in trying to leave a second time, now properly reacquainted with walking.

“What!? But without them, you’d be dead! You’re like one of us now. Our friend.” Zara blocked the exit.

“That’s what I’m dreading. Best I depart now rather than later, before I’m burdened with leaving even more who see me as one of their own. Do not mistaken these actions for a lack of gratefulness, as without Beacon’s help, the Grand Gatekeeper would still plague Summit’s Blight. But I’m afraid someone like me doesn’t have much to fear from death.”

“But… What will I tell the rest?” His words drew Zara to the side.

“Give them my thanks. Our fates have already been tied together twice. I don’t know whether or not I want a third. That sort of uncertainty is my burden alone.”

“Then what is it? Why can’t you tell any of us the truth?”

“There is much about me I would not have you know…” Nomad paced away, lost in thought. He suddenly looked older, and more worried. “After all I tried, why is this so difficult? I did everything possible to make sure Team Lance wouldn’t be pulled into this. And yet, we find ourselves here.”

Zara looked down. “It’s alright. You can go. But can you tell me this? Are you ever going to come back? Is everything going to be okay?”

Nomad turned around, meaning to address her directly before fleeing the prison. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

He left Augustus Correctional Facility without plans to return. But he had little intention to resume his work within Summit’s Blight. First, he had to find someone he had failed to consult since before his encounter with Zara and Selene in Summit’s Blight, all that time ago. His intuition led him past the silver mountains and unending thunderstorms, to a green pasture threatening to fall off Sanus, into the sea.

There was a house, distant on a hill. Prior to it, a bridge- and before that, an idol was buried deep into the ground. Using the trees as cover, Nomad brushed his hand across the monument, upon which the word “Zenith” was stamped.

Night and day’s war collapsed upon the rickety bridge, creating a lovely pink sky. Though nothing but solemn indifference could be detected in Nomad’s walk. He budged the large double doors open, and walked into the mansion to find a familiar entity on the couch. Now, he found himself in the presence of an Oathkeeper, clad in bloody rags.

“Kalthus. I had a feeling I’d find you here. It’s been too long. Why did you lead those two girls to me?” He was purely inquisitive in the manner in which he conversed.

“Why, they lost their friends to the Blight.”

“So it was an act of kinship. Who was guiding the young girl, then? Her Aura is remarkably similar to-”

“Zara Haken, she calls herself. She has ties to our cause, even if she may not know it. She is eligible to be a Lorekeeper, yes, but it’s prudent we leave her out of this, even if we are running on borrowed time.”

Nomad’s lips curled upwards in a smile. “Funny. Zara would be the perfect catalyst for our plans, but you’d not choose her as the sacrifice. There’s more humanity in you than I thought.”

“Hahaha! Only half a human, if that- as human as a faunus could be. There are more choices, though. I caught sight of your new friends as they were stalking the fairgrounds. The Vytal Festival is scheduled to begin soon enough. There were many attractions and food stands. Perhaps sometime we may purchase a bucket of caramel-corn.”

“Impossible. I thought neither of us were to get anywhere near Vale. And those members of Team Lance are not my friends.”

“I’d be ill mannered to dissuade a group that I could certainly hear speak so fondly of you. Good. They will serve as another round of allies to aid you on your quest.”

“No. You’re mistaking a weakness for power. If the family of the Empress find me, our time in Vale will be numbered, and we’ll lose our chance. Lucifer hasn’t put the pieces together yet, otherwise we already would have.”

“A bright young man, he is. If he could ever figure out who you are, it would have been when you first aligned as allies. The same applies to young Selene. We needn’t give credence to their presence as enemies. But neither of them peak my curiosity quite like the Keraseer. To think she still walks the path of a warrior, this is a rare development indeed. One you should capitalize on.”

“Rare as she may be, we must leave her alone. It wouldn’t be right, after all she’s been through.” Nomad looked back, scouring his memory of the knight.

“Do not let your own judgement and fondness for the young lady cloud your purpose. The more eyes searching, the faster the fires will be found. Time is running short. No matter what comes of Lucifer’s ingenuity, Atlas is guaranteed to arrive with the Vytal Festival’s premier. And Aamon has found us.”

“We’ll do just fine without Alecto.”

“Well, there is one other substitute. Although I can see how attached you already are to the Keraseer, so the fourth member of Team Lance seems like a poor substitute.”

“The fourth member?” A wave of intrigue spread across Nomad’s face. “Who is it?”

“I know what they are. Only Team Lance knows who.”

Nomad resumed his rather lonely, and serious attitude with a ruse. “Perhaps I’ll go ask them, then. Good luck, Kalthus.” He left the Zenith, as it had now been known, the darkness of night beginning an intrusion that wouldn’t relent for another several hours. Yet, he wasn’t the only one to resume a journey. The subject of his conversation was gearing up to embark on a new one themselves.

“Do a thumbs up, right?” Nadia demonstrated by following her own commands in hopes that Alecto could parrot them.

“Right.”

“Now, extend your index finger. No, that’s your pinky. The index finger. Perfect! Now, do the same with your other hand. You should be doing ‘finger guns’ with both hands, like this.”

“I-I think guns might be banned in Augustus Correctional, actually.” Ella whispered, looking around to make sure neither her nor her friends could be spotted while breaking the rules. But Alecto didn’t care, she was excited to see the outcome of Nadia’s trick.

“Now, turn your right hand upside down. No, the right hand. The one you write with.”

“Keraseers are ambidextrous, actually.” Alecto let both her hands drop to Nadia’s panic.

“Stop! Oops, now we have to start all over again.” Nadia’s tone didn’t reflect anger, but patience.

“Well, actually, I can just raise my hands again.”

“No, you’ve got to complete it in one fell swoop. Otherwise, you’ll lose some of the magic. Now, we’ll do it together. Extend your index finger. Do the same with your other hand. Now, turn your right hand upside down.” Nadia rambled the instructions for the fifth time, while Alecto rolled her eyes and performed each command with expert precision. “Next, put one thumb on the edge of your finger, put one finger on the edge of your thumb. You should have a box, now.”

Alecto thought herself successful, but there was one problem. “Well actually, it’s a rectangle.”

“That’s alright. Now, put the rectangle up to your eyes, and look through it.”

They both completed the ritual, each gazing through their makeshift windows for a couple seconds until the silence was broke by Alecto. “…I don’t see anything different.”

“Obviously not, it’s just a rectangle.” Nadia looked over, still holding her hands up to her face. “You’re supposed to use your imagination!”

“Ugh.” Lucifer sighed, bringing two fingers to the side of his head while sitting in a nearby chair. “You’re giving me a headache.”

“Hey, it’s not that dumb! I learned it from a good friend back in Haven academy. He was only a year older than me back then. Well actually, he- he still is.”

“What was his name?” Selene smiled.

“Augustus!” Ella gasped at the Warden, who had floated into the room through an elevator. “Th-they were making ‘finger guns’! I’m sorry, but I had to tell him!”

“Finger guns? What, like this?” Augustus held one bony hand upward and pointed at her, causing her to shudder again.

“Yes!” Nadia walked in between the two. “Now, do the same with your other hand! Next, put your finger on the edge of your thumb, like this.”

Lucifer slammed both hands on the table and hopped up, before demonstrating the expression with his digits. “Enough! Just tell him to do this! Now, you can see ‘fantastic wonders from another world!’ or so I’ve been told… Praise be to Atlas, it actually works! There’s a hideous elf in front of me!” He stopped and looked directly at Alecto. Without a response, she tried to force him to the ground by his neck.

“I think we may have a problem.” Augustus muttered over the racket.

“What kind of problem? Another assignment?” Nadia asked.

“Of a sort, perhaps. The Vytal Festival hangs just on the horizon. With it, you can expect representatives from all over Remnant to take refuge here in Vale, where the tournament fights will be hosted. I’m telling you this because that includes Atlas. Even when acting as a guardian during the Festival, they’re quite excited to expand the long reach of their military. But they aren’t the only Kingdom determined to do so. ”

“Hmm.” Selene tried to deduce what conclusion he was deriving whilst her teammate and captain wrestled with each other on the floor. “There’s Mistral, Vacuo, and us: Vale. None of them seem very equipped to stand against Atlas.”

“Look more to the east. Servus Portum’s extent of influence grows every day. There is another city south of us, right in the line of fire . Look here.” Augustus eased the need to visualize with a holographic map.

“Mellow Crest!” Selene identified the blip.

“Good. You know of it. The Baroness has concerned herself with stifling Servus Portum’s expansion, but she’s quite adverse to direct conflict. That’s why she needs you. From what I gathered, she isn’t willing to leave Mellow Crest, or she isn’t able. A new player has entered the arena though, by the name of Victor. The Administrator hungers for knowledge. The first step to doing away with Victor is learning his secrets, and that’s exactly what I request you get.”

“Why?” Lucifer lifted himself from the dust.

“Three reasons, actually. First, the Administrator demands it. Second, Caligula has become a direct threat to both us, Mellow Crest, and Mistral. Third, there is a General from Atlas who will be overseeing the Vytal Festival, including the tournament. It was his adamant concern that Servus Portum stay out of the event, and nowhere near Vale. In fact, he’s now on the case of distributed weapons. I guess he wasn’t fanatical about a celebration between four unified kingdoms being breached by a fifth, foreign one.”

“I guess if it means preserving the Vytal Festival, it’s a priority. Right?” Alecto said.

“Sure. Maybe even the dance is at stake, too. I believe you’ve seen it with your own eyes. The borders of Servus Portum are forever mobile, constantly moving. There are no limits to such an extreme thirst for power.”

“We can’t let the dance go! We’re one of the one’s planning it!”

Alecto scoffed. “Well actually, we’re cleaning up. Big difference.”

“Grr! But we’re still going, yes? You even spoke to me earlier about who you should go with.”

Lucifer was quick to change subjects. “Wait. A representative from Atlas military is coming to Vale? What’s his name?”

“Uhh…” Augustus rifled through a pile of papers positions on a nearby computer. “He’s one… General Uriel.”

Lucifer and Selene shared a glance. Though nobody could see anything under the soldier’s suit, Selene very obviously held an expression rife with glee, and anxiety.

“What, you know him?”

“I know of him. He’s rather well known back in Atlas, actually.” Lucifer explained. “But… He wouldn’t want us to go to Servus Portum. It’s impossible. He must’ve had someone else in mind. At the very least, you aren’t going. The General wouldn’t allow it.” He pat Selene on the back.

“Hey!” She pouted.

A pair of doors opened down the hall, and a new visitor of the mental ward entered. With his bandage-riddled garments and innate power of electricity, the faunus Terrance couldn’t be missed. Especially not by Ella, who froze at his presence. Suddenly in a panic, she sprinted through the fastest route out of the facility. Nobody knew the halls better than her save for Augustus himself. He regretted allowing that now. When combined with an insatiable willingness to push her own friends out of the way, subduing Ella was out of the question.

“Ella, wait!” Nadia ran across the bridge after her, but she wasn’t agile enough. In this new rush of alien emotions, her friend had gained some form of heightened speed.

“Where is she going?” Lucifer panted. “Towards the red glow in the distance? Oh, outstanding. Now we’re definitely going to Servus Portum.”

Alecto’s laughing was contagious to the point that Selene began smirking. “Alright! Finally, an adversary worthy of my wrath!”

“Unfortunately, you’re staying here.” He turned to Selene.

“Aw, c’mon! Can’t I tag along and help? I’ve never been in Servus Portum, before!”

“And I would keep it that way. This isn’t a game, and I cannot let you walk into destruction. You are not to enter Servus Portum under any circumstances. Caligula has already faced me once before. Since then, he’s had time only to prepare.”

“But I can summon Royal Necrocyst, now! Isn’t that why you had me train for so long?” Selene’s voice rose, but she forgot she was speaking to the headstrong militant who held a short fuse.

“It won’t happen. Sorry.” He was surprisingly calm when striking down her ambitions, at least compared to others. She kicked a few stones in anger and stomped back across the bridge. Lucifer watched for a moment, then turned to Alecto in silence.

“…She’ll come around. C’mon.” She corrected his path.

“He doesn’t know anything!” Selene barged into the cafeteria. “Can you believe he wouldn’t let me go with him!?”

“Hold up. Who did what?” Augustus turned at the first sign of danger, but all he found was an aloof princess.

“Lucifer! He wouldn’t let me follow him into Servus Portum. I thought we were supposed to be a team.”

“Don’t fuss over it. I’m sure he has only your best interests in mind- he always does. But let me just confirm, they did go to Servus Portum after all?”

“…Yes. Ella ran in that direction, so we figured it was the best move.” Selene explained.

“Which brings me back to you, birdy. Identify yourself.” Augustus was terrifying when he wanted to be. Perhaps it was the presence of hellish smoke where legs were meant to be, the nightmarish physique, or the prestigious title of Warden. More likely, it was all three.

“I-It’s Terrance, sir. I’m from Team Burnt. She knows me!” He looked to Selene for confirmation. She nodded.

“Then why did Ella run when she saw you? Whatever’s going on here, you were the catalyst. She doesn’t remember anything, but she remembered you.”

Terrance seemed nervous, but his conviction was convincing. “I have no idea who that was. Never seen her before in my life! Why would I have anything to do with it, huh? To think I’m responsible for that ‘Ella’ or her outburst, it’s laughable! If you accuse me of something again, I’ll rip off your glasses and…” He suddenly remembered who was speaking to, and quickly backed up. “Aha! I-I mean, I would never do anything to you! Haha! Sorry about that.”

Zara stepped into the chamber. “Nomad’s gone.”

“What?” Selene’s eyes widened.

“He left. Walked out of here.”

“The Administrator won’t be happy. Correct me if I’m wrong, but…” Augustus rubbed his cheeks, trying to piece together everything that had happened in the last five minutes. “Was it not him who led you and Selene out of Summit’s Blight?” Zara nodded. “Then you two have, with Nomad, gone to dangerous places before. What’s stopping you from trying again with Servus Portum? Just swap the faunus.”

“Huh? You want me to take Zara and Selene to ‘Servus Portum?’ What even is that?”

“You’ll see. Follow the red skies, you’ll get there. Don’t forget, you’re the reason Ella’s missing.”

Zara began warming up to the idea. “So we’re doing this to rescue Ella?”

“Exactly. Although, if you could gather anything about a man named Victor, that’d be much appreciated.”

“Lucifer’s not going to be happy.” Selene murmured.

“He can deal with me, then. And if he does, he’ll answer to the Administrator. But that won’t happen.” Augustus led them back to the entrance. “You couldn’t be in better hands than with Zara and Terrance. Summit’s Blight is proof of that. Go to Servus Portum, challenge Victor, and come back with everyone intact.”

“If you insist. It can’t be that hard, right? I’ve tackled far worse.” Zara lightened the mood. Her allies hadn’t the slightest clue what they were walking into, just as oblivious as she was. But their confidence would be tested nonetheless.

“What do you see?” Nadia inquired.

“Take a look for yourself.” Lucifer handed the binoculars to her. The two, with Alecto, were standing over a nest of briars, watching the walls of Servus Portum. Nadia observed the clones of Aamon guide a shackled Ella through the main gates. “There’s more border security this time than before, I’m guessing because of us. Slipping through the gears won’t work, unless we want a fight on our hands.”

“How about this. The walls are still moving. We can use nightfall to get in close, then hide under something and wait for the walls to literally drive over us. Those minions won’t even know we’re there, and then wham! The ‘wham’ refers to us getting inside.”

“I-I get it. What are we hiding under?”

“We could always use our capes.” Alecto suggested. “…Not it!”

“Not it!” Nadia shouted over her. Lucifer simply stared at the two, either disappointed or impressed. Without another word, they used his cloak to hide, moving up then waiting for the great nation‘s barricade to hover overhead. Of upmost concern was that the colossal wheels missed them. They did.

“Hey! Move over!” Alecto struggled for room under the red cloth.

“Enough! Listen… I think we might be inside.” Lucifer shuffled both of them towards what he believed to be cover.

One of the Supreme Leader’s iconic catchphrases boomed thanks to a blimp high in the sky. “The iron lung never fails!” Joined by it was a bout of cymbals and tubas- a sign of the government’s attempt to boost morale.

“…Definitely inside.” Lucifer already remembered how much he hated the catchphrases and music. But peeking out from their shelter confirmed they now resided within the Realm of Caligula. Everyone stood up under the cover of an alleyway, and Lucifer strapped his cape back on. The first thing he did was advance towards the sound of musical instruments clambering for attention.

Whereas previously, the Choir Battalion substituted multiple immobile androids who would play orchestral pieces across the metropolis, many things had changed since. Now it simply was a battalion, and titled and such. This much became clear once an army of forty or so vocal robots marched through the street, playing perfectly in sync. Their instruments ranged from horns, to violins, to any variant of percussion. Lucifer could see this was hardly uncommon, the same spectacle could be found all over Servus Portum.

Avoiding the Choir Battalion at every turn, along with the Servants made to enforce twisted law, Team Lance made it to an impasse- what they assumed to be some sort of town square. There were a fair few citizens here, all wearing rags and terribly emaciated. One of the few clean areas had been marked with a massive bronze statue of somebody purely unknown, and the final signifier that things had changed were the intolerable holographic screens.

They were everywhere. Strapped to almost every building and above every broken road, they cluttered the view. Each projected The Godwin Program- An eccentric man sharing the name of his show preaching in front of a camera, speaking on the optimal law of acting, talking, and thinking. Coupled with this were reminders of how free the empire really was. But it seemed old habits died hard, as the propaganda everywhere remained unchanged.

“Being a Servant is the highest honor!” The aircrafts proclaimed again.

“Yeah, yeah, I get the point.” Nadia whispered. “Let’s get across, quick. B-But keep an eye out for Ella.”

“Wait! Look.” Lucifer dragged her back behind the decrepit shop being utilized as a shield. He pointed at the statue, which depicted a man with a medal-marred coat and militaristic hat. But to demonstrate his point better, he had her look through the binoculars, which were trained on the effigy’s left eye.

“A camera?” Nadia made sure she was seeing right. Then, to everyone’s shock, the statue moved. Looking left and right, it seemed this sculpture acted as another avenue for surveillance, likely to drop a squad of Purifiers at the slightest hint of treachery.

“What do we do?” Alecto looked to her leader, who seemed far more equipped for bypassing technological diversions. But when it came to stealth, there was an undisputed queen.

“Nadia. Turn invisible, and get across on your own. As for us, pay attention now. See?” Every several batch of seconds, the humanoid memorial would stop watching, and salute a passing blimp along with every other obedient civilian. That was their chance to cross the passage. Executing the plan perfectly, while also avoiding Purifiers and the Choir Battalion, brought the three heroes to a new structure entitled the Sermon Emporium.

The interior was extravagant, certainly more well cared for than most of the buildings present. Parade lights and immaculate decorations covered every inch of what seemed to be a souvenir shop. But in practice, it was more of a museum. And in the middle, another carved statue that mirrored the same design as the one at the municipality’s center. This gallery wasn’t made in tribute to Caligula, but rather the plaques and decorations serviced one Joseph Victor.

“Joseph Victor?” Nadia identified their target, browsing through a display of flags and posters in honor of him.

“That’s General Victor!” The mannequin in the middle of the shop, which had been idly singing a tune of warfare and glory, turned and shouted at Nadia. She quickly repeated his words, remembering a similar scenario earlier in the semester. The machine went back to its chanting.

If their goal was to gather information about Victor, Lucifer considered reading the main pedestal’s writings a good start. He skimmed it, but blurted out loud the important sections. “So General Victor recently came to power in the last month or so, but since then he’s done ‘great’ work for the country. He’s not as powerful as Caligula, but apparently it was him who ushered in all the video propaganda seen across the city.”

“I guess he’s pretty tech-savvy, then?” Alecto deduced.

“You could say that. According to this, he was the one who made General Aamon in the first place. That is, all the clones you see prowling the streets. Supposedly, there is one original Aamon, built by Victor. But using secrets of dust and Aura, he’s managed to duplicate his fellow comrade to produce an infinite army. Golly. I’d imagine he’s also responsible for the Choir Battalion, and every living statue we’ve seen.”

Nadia shook her head. “Wow. No wonder they gave him his own exhibit.”

“It appears that he’s to thank, or rather blame, for a number of other technological advances. He’s proven invaluable in Servus Portum engineering. Which is bad for us.”

Alecto occupied herself with the merchandise too expensive for anyone to actually purchase. “Look at all this stuff… Flags, toy guns, books, and enough memorabilia to cover an island. ‘The ideal man fears nothing.’” She read off some of the artwork. “It’s sort of cool, even if it is somewhat macabre. So he hasn’t warmed up to the White Fang, has he?”

“Of course not. Nobody here has.” Lucifer growled over that fact that at one point, he stood among them on this issue. “Such arrogance would lead them down a path of destruction, for as much as I hate to admit it, the White Fang has its uses. The fools could never comprehend that.”

“You are a detractor!” The statue of Victor walked off its shrine and approached him. Instinctively, Lucifer began taking aim with his gun, but Nadia stopped him.

“Remember last time? Let’s not repeat that. C’mon, we can probably outrun him!”

He paused, but eventually nodded. All three retreated. But chase was given quickly, and now quite a commotion was in motion. It wasn’t long until Purifiers, Aamon’s spawn, joined the fray. Tearing through assorted walkways brought them face to face with another marching band. The group of musicians didn’t split, they walked with confidence forward only to be thrown aside first by the transgressors, then their own men. And at the back of this havoc-inducing parade, the metal Victor stomped after them, crushing anyone and anything idiotic enough not to move aside.

Lucifer spared himself and Alecto by turning the corner, and entering a warehouse. The Purifiers and their motorized boss darted past the door. The entire time, Nadia decided she didn’t want to be seen. So she wasn’t seen. “What is this place?” She appeared beside her friends inside a corridor. Poor transients who were likely swallowed whole, along with their towns, had a habit of coming to this location first.

The walls were lined with feats of automation- robots similar to Aamon, but serving a different purpose. They would record new locals, who were likely unwillingly kept here. Inside the walls of this custom house, people were object of importation, and documentation of one’s arrival was required.

Lucifer, Nadia, and Alecto paced through the facility towards the exit. But the front door was out of the question thanks to the watchful sentries. Rather, they ascended to the upper levels and left just to find a metal bridge high in the sky, surrounded by the resident pollution. Enduring the orange smoke brought them even higher, straight to a dead end.

“What now, genius?” Alecto tiptoed to the edge, looking down to confirm how high they were.

“If we jump, we can use our landing strategies. What’s yours, Nadia? Don’t think I’ve ever seen it.” Lucifer inquired.

“You wouldn’t have. I use my semblance, and spread my cape to catch wind. It slows me down so I can use gymnastics to finish the job. A friend in Mistral taught me. But to use my aerial technique here, I’ll have to stretch a bit.”

“You do that. I could catch a breath myself, actually.” Alecto tightened her wrist guards and lifted her helm, desperately hoping she could find a pocket of breathable air.

“Seek refuge in servitude to the state!” Caligula’s voice boomed. They were far higher now, so the blimps’ streams of jingles and slogans were loud enough to vibrate their footholds.

“Ugh. Please, shut up. How many times must I endure your relentless babbling?” Lucifer barked. But this time, the loudspeaker’s voice responded. It was at that moment that they realized that this wasn’t the preset speeches from above, but rather the real deal.

“Not much longer, now.” Caligula trudged through his smog and cornered them at the brink of the upraised platform. “Your time in Remnant has expired. But your service to the greatest Kingdom within it, Servus Portum, has just begun. For there will never be peace and order until all succumb to the same fate.”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Lucifer was jumping at the chance to finally share some choice words with the Champion Autocrat. “Engulfing every passing civilization unfortunate to stand in your scorched trail and subject them, as well as your own people, to torture and brainwashing. Very peaceful and orderly, you complete nitwit. God, I wish I was stupid enough to believe the kind of gibberish clouding your head. Must be entertaining.”

“Stupidity? No, in fact, the chance to protect Remnant and turn it into something greater is what keeps me going. Freedom! It is the fire within, the drive that will push me to finally cure the scourge that is Atlas: you! And I will show everyone equal mercy under this reign! Even now, the Infection gains. I have given the Servants the greatest honor: a sacrifice for their Kingdom! Serve us, Serve Many!”

Lucifer interrupted the appeal by blasting Caligula in the head with a shotgun. “How many times do I have to kill you, old man!?”

Much like the last time Lucifer managed to fire upon him, Caligula was blown backwards and his Aura exploded into nothingness. But Caligula crawled to his feet. Unscathed.

“Oh, Lucifer. That’s cute. But it won’t do you any good!”

“How do you know my name?”

“It was you who told me, remember?” Caligula presented a used bullet, which was immediately identified at the round Lucifer shot at him last time. “This little gem is from Atlas, same as you. In fact, everyone knows your name up there. Everyone remembers you. Everyone worships you. It’s almost enviable, quite frankly.”

“Lucifer, what’s he talking about?” Nadia questioned him.

“Are you well known in Atlas?” Alecto added.

“N-No! I’m nobody that matters! I’m from nowhere.” He was expedient in his wording, and it may have been enough if there wasn’t an enemy playing the other angle. The warlord did his homework.

“And I thought myself a master of deception. Go on, Lucifer. Tell them who you really are, and why you’re actually here. You’ve no interest in being a Huntsman, do you?” Caligula contributed greatly to the seed of doubt planting in Alecto’s mind all those nights ago by a masked zealot, the Last Duke.

“What is it? Is there something you know that we don’t?” She stepped towards Lucifer.

“N-No! This idiot is lying! He knows nothing!”

Caligula wouldn’t take that insult without stoking the fires. Were it anyone else, they’d have been executed by now, but he found the struggle exhilarating. “I know plenty, Virtus. Ever since you made an attempt on my life, I’ve learned quite a bit about you, and your friends. Miss Keraseer. Miss Flora.” He bowed, clearly intending to mock them.

“Y-You know our names, too?” Nadia exhaled, suddenly increasingly paranoid.

“Aha! He is smart! What are you hiding, Lucifer!” Alecto didn’t seem to care about Caligula’s infractions towards her yet. Being identified as a Keraseer seemed to be a common occurrence. And this fact was one Lucifer used to deflect her line of questioning.

“How about you, huh? Every king, mastermind, and criminal we’ve come across has identified you by that armor alone! What’s the secret behind it!?”

“Guys, enough!” Nadia warped between them, failing to keep the peace.

“A house divided! How trivial.” Caligula laughed loud enough for them to hear. Behind him, metal footsteps indicated an intervention. The True Aamon joined his Supreme Leader on the bridge, surrounded by the fog of clean industry. “Oh boy, General! I am having a really good day, today. Tell me something to make it even better.”

“I’ve received word from General Victor. He’s found her.”

“Oh, yes!” Caligula moaned, turning back to Team Lance. They stopped bickering and readied their arms at seeing him approach. “Haha, you don’t want to do that! Because if you kill me, you will never find that precious Miss Selene ever again!”

“What!?” Lucifer nearly pushed his allies off the bridge and charged Caligula. “If you lay a finger on her, I will squash your pathetic city like a bug, and there will be nothing left but ashes when I am finished with you!”

Host Aamon retreated, apparently unfit for a battle of this competence. In his place, he sent reproductions of himself. So it fell to Nadia and Alecto to fend them off, while Lucifer attempted to strangle his new nemesis.

Having a full stash of Aura certainly helped but Caligula was far taller, and surprisingly strong considering the age his appearance suggested. Eventually, at the cost of some petulant punches, Caligula was able to shove Lucifer off him and gain access to his personal arsenal.

Under the confines of his coat, Caligula held every explosive and variation of firearm known to man. Nadia could have sworn she peeked a fair few axes and swords as well, in the short survey taken whilst sneaking up from the rear.

“Argh!” Caligula tensed as four needles began pumping into his back. She couldn’t believe he had the wits to still be moving, let alone fighting. Reaching around, he ripped her off and swung her by the neck, eager to drop the covert out of the fight. And at Alecto’s approach, he whipped out a mini-gun and mowed down any potential advance. “Won’t you children ever understand? My blood runs cold as Grimm, and my heart dead as stone! Throw anything you’ve got at me! Stab me, shoot me, crush me, I’ll always return! Give in, now, and I will permit you a quick execution!”

“Then I’ll keep coming back!” Lucifer waited for Nadia to squirm back over solid ground, then sniped Caligula in the hand, completely eviscerating the muscle required to lift anything at all. Nadia was released. Then, Alecto speared him through the chest with her blade.

“What did I just tell you? A monologue is hard when nobody wants to listen.” Caligula pulled the elongated dagger out of himself, bleeding black.

“No!” Alecto stumbled to the edge to see the sheen of her short sword disappear under the red clouds. Her other golden broadsword was back at Beacon, in her locker. She was joined by her teammates, who retreated at the sight of an army. Aamon’s Purifiers arrived to back up a somehow still readily kicking Caligula. “I can’t afford to lose my blade. I’ll meet up with you two later, I promise.” Alecto willingly plunged off the edge, beneath of a hellish haze.

“…No. We’ll meet up with her now.” Lucifer held his hand out to Nadia, and both followed Alecto to a calamitous cascade downward.

Caligula beamed at the withdrawal, but still had an urge to do away with the pests while he still could. “You morons! Shoot them!”

The Purifiers obeyed, but it was too late. No one from Beacon succeeded in executing Caligula, but that was never the real mission. Now, all they longed for was the space to enact their landing strategies. And more than anything, in addition to upholding his own safety, Lucifer wanted to ensure Selene’s. But while the bulk of Team Lance had their hands full with the mad tyrant, from the moment they had left, their friends found themselves tangled in a web crafted by the imperialist’s abettors.

“I already told you, I don’t know who Ella is, was, or why she ran away from me. I’d never seen her before in my life. Maybe she’s confused.” Terrance explained.

“I’m confused. Nothing about this is right.” Zara lead the way, dodging around corners and thin roads less travelled. “If you don’t know why Ella ran when she saw you, then we have to find her, and learn the truth. I just wish you could give me something. At this point, the search might take all night. What we really need to do is find the robot that took her. He must know something.”

“What makes you say that?” Selene wondered.

“Remember how we entered? We were spotted while trying to get in close, right when we saw Ella get escorted through the gates. But the henchmen decided to leave their post as soon as they noticed us.”

“Huh. I assumed they were just set to walk around regardless. In Atlas, the protocol for sentries aren’t much different. Of course, they were early prototypes.

Exactly. There’s no way they missed us. What is it about her that intrigued him, and us that made him disregard his duties? Ah!”

“I will tell you personally.” An accomplice of the type discussed ambushed them from behind. “Wait.” He held a hand forward, genuine in his want for them to halt.

Too surprised to listen, Zara threw one of her hooks forward, slicing his calves clean off.

“Don’t shoot. I represent Aamon ‘AA0001.’ I won’t fight you, Zara Tir.” The apprentice tried again, only to be cut off by another swinging blade. This time, his neck was the point of collision.

“That isn’t my name.” Zara scowled, walking over to the decapitated head.

“Do you think we’re out of the woods?” Terrance began punting the noggin around. He stopped, partly from shock, when it began vocalizing.

“More will come. They will not kill you though. We are fascinated with you. Aamon ‘AA0001’ wants to talk.”

Zara mocked him with her sneering. “Really? You’re a friend? You expect us to believe that?”

“Why else wouldn’t I make any attempt to fight you?”

“He’s got a point.” Selene pointed forward. “He didn’t even try to move out of the way of those hooks!”

Zara bounced the idea in her head for a moment, then asked the Aamon double directly. “Why didn’t you block such a lame attack?”

“That attack, those hooks, simple and familiar as they are, were unknown to me in a combat scenario. But it is known to me now, and we learn from our mistakes. Aamon ‘DE2947’ has fallen, but another will rise again. And he will know such of the tactics that killed his brethren.” He powered down, only able to communicate for so long after being beheaded.

“So… The next clone won’t be beat so easily? How does that work?”

“If that was number ‘D-Whatever,’ does that make Aamon ‘AA0001’ the leader? I think he mentioned that before you mutilated him.” Terrance threw around some theories. “Maybe the first Aamon can communicate between them, like a hive-mind. But without cracking this guy open and finding an expert, there’s no use guessing. I’d have to get Boreas to look into it. I wonder if he knows anything about computers.”

“Lucifer knows all about them! I bet if he and Boreas work together, we can solve Caligula’s secrets!” Selene added. As the two discussed the hypotheticals behind Aamon’s strange behavior, Zara decided to take a glance into the city to find Ella. But what she saw brought immense hardship to her, and soon to her cohorts.

Near the outskirts of Servus Portum, a herd of faunus were being led with chains by another Purifier. It could be assumed they once stood against the regime as ideologues of the White Fang. In order to better complete the labor forced upon them, each had two barbed sickles bound onto their bodies with dust. The tools held an unmistakable resemblance to Zara’s own set of hooks.

“What is it? Have you found anything?” Selene followed Zara’s eyes to the obscene sight. It took her slightly longer to put together the pieces after looking back and forth a few times. “Z-Zara, wait!”

Without even offering the dignity of a response, Zara turned around and ran. Once again, Selene was the least agile of anyone from Beacon Academy, and was unable to even begin running after her. Terrance probably could have done something about it, if he hadn’t taken the chance to disappear himself. “Zara, stop! Wait!” Selene tried again, before realizing she was completely alone.

“Zara!... Aha, guys? This isn’t funny! Terrance! Where are you?” She called out. Realizing the amount of noise she was producing, both hands covered her mouth. She could do nothing but shakily control her breathing as first a band of Purifiers passed by, then an actual band courtesy of the Choir Battalion.

In somewhat a panic, she remembered her last line of defense was still available, and it would remain that way until her Aura depleted. Royal Necrocyst was now a frontrunner in keeping her safe, rather than the intended last resort she trained it as.

“You can do this… It’s why you went to Beacon.” She breathed in and out, then began prowling the puddle-ridden avenues littered with broken streetlamps, hoping to find anyone. The clamber of Servus Portum’s orchestral team kept her away from the busy mainland. Enemies were never far, though, as even here the prestigious and eminent Victor was within earshot.

“Prime Solomon.” His voice was far more terrifying than Caligula’s. Following it, Selene managed to peek from behind a dumpster down a tunnel, to see the distinguished man speak to this Prime Solomon person. “I thought it prudent to inform you, a round of detractors have arisen in the confines of our city, and from what I’ve gathered this is the second time they’ve trespassed on the Land of Servants.”

“Ah, yes, I do recall.” Prime shook his head. The man was wearing what Selene interpreted as religious robes, implying a strong sense of esteem. “Don’t forget that the first time they wronged Supreme Leader Caligula, you were not even yet in power. You know not what you’re up against this time, General Victor. Lucifer waged a war with Caligula in these walls, and he managed to walk away.”

“He did?” Selene carefully processed each word.

“Better yet,” Victor continued. “There is word of a faunus prowling our midst, with horns and the mark of the inferior. Fortunately, tonight is going to be a good night for a hunt. She is bonded with the shackles of servitude. Keep one eye out at all times.” He leaned forward and pointed at his left eye.

“I-If it is Caligula’s will, then I must abide. Serve us, serve many.” Prime agreed, and began fiddling his way further into the tunnel. Seeing that Victor was approaching, Selene turned to quietly scamper out of his chosen trail. But contrary to reality, she ran directly into him before one step could be made.

“Who are you?” He locked his hand around her wrist.

“I-I’m just a citizen! Servus us, serve many! See?”

Victor paused, the pupil of his eye turning blindingly bright. Ardent mist faded away from his evil peeper, and with that, he could somehow detect truths and lies. It would have been a wonderful gift in the hands of another.

“Deception of a Servus Official in punishable by death! Who are you really? A dress of this sort is outlawed here- you look ridiculous! What business could a... Princess? Ahahaha! Oh!” He bowed, still holding her arm. “My mistake! I didn’t realize I was in the presence of the one and only Atlesian Empress. Please, ‘haveth’ mercy upon ‘thee!’ Haha! Always a pleasure, but we’re not in Atlas anymore, little damsel.”

“I-I don’t know what you mean! I’m serious! Let me go, now!” Selene’s had her own tricks. Her eyes turned glossy black in preparation for her semblance.

Victor payed no attention, tapping an earpiece. “Aamon. Tell Supreme Leader Caligula I’ve just got ahold of the North’s finest treasure… We’re going to go see him now, okay? You will be an invaluable resource in purifying the horizons up north.”

Out of nowhere, he was jumped and thrown away. But it wasn’t Selene responsible nor Royal Necrocyst. Rather, it was Zara and her natural repurpose of hooks as a weapon.

“Who in the- You!? ” Victor stood up to see his aggressor. “It’s brave of you to come back, even if you are a child of the Impure Menace. Not once has a faunus who has slithered out of my infinite and unending sight so willingly returned. I’m touched, but it’s time. The cage awaits.”

“Selene, get up!” Zara ignored him, holding her hand out. “We need to get out of here. It’s not safe.”

“Of course. But, where did you go? Why did you run?”

“I’ll explain everything once we’re out of this, okay?”

Victor tried to help out. “The little lamb had lost her way. She tried to forget all about the past, and where she came from. As it turns out, she may have succeeded. But she was foolish enough to come back, and remember who she is. Who she really is. Am I right?”

Zara refuted his diagnoses, but with another abuse of the Evil Eye, he knew its legitimacy. “Aha! The truth is the truth. You can run from it. You can hide it. But like the truth, you can’t evade me.”

“I’ve had a really bad day.” She clenched her teeth, her lashes flaring flames, illuminating the streets. “So if you don’t let us go, I won’t evade you. I’ll kill you.”

A smile crept across Victor’s lips, and he was off. To become Caligula’s trusted right hand man was a task that required fighting experience. And as evident from Victor’s staggering expertise in hand-to-hand combat, there wasn’t much to improve upon. Even more concerning was his teleportation. The students had already deemed his ability to see through falsehoods his semblance. But if that was true, then there was no explanation for how he zipped around, flashing from one spot to the next in the time it took for Zara to blink.

“Two fighters? Why that’s no good!” He somehow got in between the two, pushing them apart. “Have to try it the old way, like me! You have no allies here!”

“For anyone else, that might be true.” Zara remembered the words of Nomad, and used them for a confidence boost necessary to clip her assailant several times with swings sharp in both calculation and the literal sense.

Victor had seen the hooks before, on his own victims. Transgressions were rare, but he was experienced enough to know what to do. He let one swoop by him, wrapping the cords around his arm to tether her in place. With effortless pulls, Zara was within his reach. He throttled her by the neck, gloating.

“You’re not a hero, so stop acting like one! You’re a lost rebel with a fake uprising! Get back in line!”

“Let her go!” Selene shouted from behind. Victor was tugged away by Royal Necrocyst, losing his iron grasp on Zara. The skeleton hand surpassed him in height, contributing greatly to its fear-factor. Suddenly, Victor found himself battling an undead arm conjured from a mystic gateway, all the while Selene ran over to check Zara’s health.

“Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“N-No. I’m fine.” Zara coughed out.

“Perfect. Quick, let’s run for it, while he’s occupied!” She pulled the faunus up but let her take the lead. Zara was naturally faster, and didn’t have to deal with formal clothes. “Keep him busy.” Selene whispered. It was an omen that guaranteed Royal Necrocyst would engage with Victor for as long as possible, before departing back into the horrific dimension.

“Here, let me carry you. We’ll cover more ground that way.” Zara scooped Selene into her arms. “I’m sorry for leaving. This is all my fault.”

“I get it, okay? I’m not mad at you. I’d probably do the same if I realized that I was… you know?”

“A slave?”

“…Th-That’s not what I meant-”

“It’s alright. That was many, many years ago. I wish it had stayed forgotten, frankly.”

“So like that big meanie said, you didn’t remember Servus Portum?”

Zara shook her head. “No. I have a confession to make. All this time, I’d never truly remembered where I’d come from. My early years were always a blur. And before you ask, no, I don’t know why. But when it’s just a fact for most of your life that you have no idea where the first couple years of your childhood went, you don’t question it. You just move on. Guess that’s not an option anymore, is it?” She switched topics, suddenly feeling sick at the thought of the conundrum. “Is Royal still fighting?”

“…” Selene focused hard to gather the details of her semblance summon. “Yes! But he can’t last much longer. That Victor guy must be really powerful.”

“Then let’s move. We need every second we can get.” They both acknowledged how late it was. Hopefully Lucifer, Alecto, and Nadia had already succeeded in locating Ella. Everyone had escaped their pursuer, but were still being hunted. There was one exception though- Terrance. All this time, he’d used Zara’s breakdown to isolate himself, and prey upon Ella without any meddling spectators.

“Where are you?” Terrance rumbled. Beating himself up over his inability to find her didn’t help, but it at least made him feel as though his efforts weren’t completely in vain. “How did you get away from me again?”

Wandering past machines ravenous for a drop of blood, and taking cover with every march of a chorus, slow progress was a given. He was a faunus, looking for another faunus in Servus Portum. There couldn’t be a more undesirable sport to participate in. But in spite of his constant insistence otherwise, Terrance knew what he was doing. He was determined to recover Ella, and for him it was well worth the risk.

Nevertheless, Ella was gone. Not a soul in Remnant could locate her. Though Terrance did discover something far rarer, not to mention for him, horrid. Entering an empty dome which served a purpose at one point in time regarding combat, he came across an Oathkeeper clad in bloody rags.

“Sirius? The Warsworn Prisoner still walks the path of Remnant. This is an interesting surprise. You seem to be grappling with the past. Is there something you would like to tell me?”

Terrance recognized the voice, and twisted around to see its origin within the coliseum. “Kalthus! Shut up, you coward! I’ll end you for what you’ve done!”

“Your friend Ella could do with such unyielding bitterness, yet you keep it all to yourself. Her heart, time and time again, walks through trauma undeterred. She’s obviously far too pure for you to endure, and myself to exercise. What I need is a traveler who can brave the Sacred Embers, and succumb their very being to its host.”

“It’ll never happen! You’re to blame for me and her! That’s why I’m going to put a stop to this for good, and destroy your greatest creation!”

“Hahaha! I can’t have you go and do that. You and Ella border the line between dark and light, respectively. There will never be one without the other. Although the reverse cannot be said, if you erase her, you’ll lose yourself.”

Terrance paused, absorbing the sentiment. “That’s why after I do away with her, I’ll gladly accept death. Even after all the two of us have been through, I can’t let you succeed! You will never reach the Sacred Embers!”

“Not with that attitude, I won’t.”

“Shut up!” Terrance, in a childish tantrum considering he had an electricity- based semblance, scooped up a nearby rock and chucked it forward. Before it could meet its intended victim, the shard of rubble vanished from existence.

“My sincerest of apologies. I am to blame for your being. Hahaha! And concerning you, if you’re a result of my work, then that makes me untouchable, at the very least. But you’ll be happy to know that your friends are due to reunite with the aid of ‘rabid footsteps.’ Consider it my gift to you. Don’t forget, if they bear witness to your knowledge of Ella, you will fail. Keep your façade going for my gain, and for the benefit of yourself.”

“Who cares if they figure out what I’m trying to do, huh? For all we know, they’ll side with me once I tell them the truth!” He contested.

“…Perhaps. But why take a chance?”

Terrance watched his converser retreat into a portal, waves of blue energy whisking the curator of his immeasurable hatred away. And as this fantastical channel faded into nothingness, Ella emerged in its wake.

“Y-You?” She sputtered, backing away.

“He had you in Idol’s Twilight? Wait! Don’t run!” Terrance slowly advanced. “Don’t you remember me? Anything? You can’t tell me he ruined that, too?”

“A-All I remember is how much of a monster you were!”

“He really did it…” Terrance’s expression dropped, sadness seeping into every thought, every fabric of his being. Without warning, the heartache morphed into a sinister dose of fury- and Terrance would have acted on these raw emotions if the spoken premonitions in regards to bystanders hadn’t come to pass.

“Ella!?” Lucifer descended upon the two from one of the rotten abattoirs substituting for entrances. “Praise be to Atlas, we’ve finally found you.” Before he could lay a hand on her back to usher the young faunus with a mechanized tint away, Nadia beat him to it.

“Oh! Thank the gods you’re alright!” She was identified first by her voice, then her physical form arising from empty space. The two Descendants clung onto each other. “You’re safe. Where have you been all this time? Have you any idea what we’ve been through to find you?”

Alecto rolled her eyes. “Sounds like it wasn’t very fun to be led around Remnant without a clue to find an Amaryllis who went rogue for no reason. Sure sucks, doesn’t it?”

“Hey! Not funny!” Nadia huffed out, crossing her arms. “But seriously, Ella? Why did you run?”

Ella stammered to say anything, looking at Terrance. He was also told to keep the last few minutes a secret. Nadia was perceptive enough to spot the exchange. “You ran because of him, didn’t you? I knew it! What did you do to her?”

“N-No! Like I said, I have no idea who she is! I just found her wandering around this cage by herself! You’re welcome, by the way. It was just the two of us. Nobody else, I swear.”

“Shhh! Listen!” Lucifer hissed, everyone freezing. Across the sandy battle ring, through the main entrance, the silhouettes of two approaching contenders could be seen. Everyone hid, with the ringleader Lucifer waiting to subdue the meddlers.

“We should’ve left when we had the chance. That quadrant we just passed was free of baddies!” Selene contested. “More than likely, the rest already escaped! If we don’t leave quickly, Lucifer’s going to find out I snuck in here!”

Zara used an orange lantern, which at one point was attached to a rickety post, to illuminate the way. “Don’t be dramatic. Even though Royal needs some rest, I think Victor’s long gone. He has no idea where we are. I thought you wanted to come here anyway, silly. Believe me, I really wish we hadn’t. No use complaining now.”

“Hya!” Lucifer locked Zara in a chokehold, ready to crush her if need be.

“Gah! What are you doing? Get off me!” Zara’s shouts were too muffled to hear. It wasn’t needed. Lucifer identified his mistake, not at all expecting the goat faunus to be snooping around in a place like this. More concerning, however, was Selene’s involvement in the situation.

“Ah! Lucifer?” She nearly fell back, receiving his tight embrace. It wasn’t rare for Lucifer to show such vulnerability whenever he assumed she stood on the brink of peril.

“Why did you come here? Why did you disobey my orders?” He retracted his metal goggles to further his own conviction. Though he now lost the sinister shock complementary to the computerized mask, there was a special sting in his real voice.

“It’s fine! We’re oh-kay! I told you I was prepared, see? We fought some robots, and then I used Royal Necrocyst to get away from Victor!”

“Ugh. I go through hell and back, and somehow you fight Victor, and walk away without consequence. How? Do you think it’s a girl thing?” He looked at Alecto. She tried back-handing him.

“That’s Lucifer, Alecto, Nadia, Selene, Terrance, Ella, and myself…” Zara confirmed that everyone was at long last together again. “Guys? Guys! We’re all safe, and the mission’s complete. We’ve learned a lot about Servus Portum. In my case, far too much. None of that matters now! I know how to get out of here!”

Selene backed her up. “Oh, that’s right! There was a door nearby, that led outside. I think it’s reserved for ‘faculty,’ but it was unlocked.”

“You found an open door, and you didn’t leave!?” Lucifer was unsure whether or not he should act proud or furious. “Then why are we waiting around here! Move! It’s time to ditch this cesspool excuse for a city!”

“I second that!” Alecto raised her first in the air.

“Yes! I third that!” Terrance boomed. He stared to the side sheepishly, noticing that Ella was hiding behind Nadia, doing everything in her power to stay away from him. Indeed, their knowledge of each other and how they had just met up remained classified. This fact did not change even as everyone first pinpointed the abandoned wall, then slipped past one by one. Certainly, his obfuscation of the truth was persistent.

For the second time, Host Aamon watched his fascinating marauders race away, back to Vale. With him were several goons, all of which understood that they were not to shoot.

“Save the ammo for the real threats, my Purifiers. What you’ve just seen was a valuable ally without question. The last of Claudius’s reign… Come, now. Supreme Leader Caligula wants us.”

Aamon held both hands behind his back and paced over to a station easily seen by its three iron chimneys, which were made to frequently spew fumes into the atmosphere. Most citizens, upon spotting him, were too scared to run or hide. They simply saluted, stating “Serve us, serve many.” Aamon didn’t reply.

Within only a few brisk minutes, the prevailed had entered a superior blimp made to hold all Servus Officials. Deep inside, a briefing of the day’s events took place.

“With all due respect, Supreme Leader, I really think you should see a doctor! No man can sustain life with injuries this severe!” Prime Solomon pled.

“What befalls me is none of your concern.”

“Quite the contrary, I regret to inform you. Don’t forget, I serve you without question. Your wellbeing is of upmost importance to me, as tradition dictates. The same applied to your grandfather, and your father: Claudius.”

“You are forbidden to state his name! Don’t speak!” Caligula commanded, then paused before another screech. “I am the Supreme Leader, now! The infection has evolved me! You are beneath me! Know your place, Prime! Speak not of this, again.” Caligula ordered. A loud bang drew their gaze, as Aamon slammed the atrium’s doors open. The impact brought a groan from both the doors, and Caligula.

“Supreme Leader. I would very much like you to explain something. On that scaffolding, after Team Lance evaded you again, how did several of my men end up out of commission?” Aamon’s body-language appeared inquisitive. Of course, that was the norm.

“I executed them for failing the mission. Your purifiers were useless- a waste of resources. And they are not men. Not anymore than you. Don’t forget that.”

Victor felt it necessary to involve himself. If each of Servus Portum’s greatest minds were joining, it was only appropriate he’d make an entrance. “He’s mine, actually. Without me, he wouldn’t even be here, and you would be lost without an army.”

“An army controlled by me.” Aamon still had a small if substantial claim to fame. “If you die, Victor, nothing happens. If I die, everyone in this room is finished. So you tell me who’s more pivotal to the conquest of Remnant, Master.”

Caligula yawned, still dripping with his own blood. “He’s right, you know? I never would have expected you to fail so beautifully. Mind telling me how you were beaten by a princess and her slave?”

“I was bested, it’s true. I caught that little girl, she slipped away due to a surprise semblance. You teetered on the edge of death against three first years from Vale, mere teenagers that you studied for weeks!”

“Silence!” Caligula roared. Fuming with anger, he opened his mouth to shout again. Nothing came out, as a concerning fifth entity floated into the assembly. This wasn’t the first time the Seer Grimm let itself into Caligula’s territory. Whatever had happened in the past, it convinced everyone to hush this time.

“Caligula?” The messenger mirrored a picture of the speaker.

“The Moth. Yes, it is I. And that’s Supreme Leader Caligula.”

“Stop talking. Last time I was here, we discussed my plans. Have you come to a decision?”

“…” Caligula looked back, unsure of what to say. Aamon normally wouldn’t put himself in harm’s way, believing his children the better choice for a sacrifice, but this time he didn’t think a terrible fate would ensnare him for coming to Caligula’s defense.

“As it turns out, much has transpired since your last visit. I don’t have the resources to launch an attack of the austerity you speak of. We need more time.”

“There is no more time.” The Seer clenched one of its appendages around Aamon’s neck, tossing him aside. “I have waited patiently for you to deliver on your promise. For your sake, don’t disappoint me.”

“That’s enough.” Victor commanded. This being the first time he’d come face to face with the Moth, he knew not of her power. “Threatening a Servus Official is punishable by-”

Caligula, to the distress of Prime, fell to the floor, suddenly sputtering for oxygen. From his pearly eyes and mouth, a sickly black coloration began stretching across his face. “Supreme Leader!” Victor grabbed both his arms and hoisted him back up. “What sort of witchery is this!?”

“The Infection!” Prime cried out.

“I-It’s her!” Caligula gasped, signaling towards the Seer.

“So I ask you again. Will you join us?”

“Y-Yes. I’ll help you invade Beacon Academy…”

Entry No. 2 complete.

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