One Piece of the Truth Revealed

"Feeling better now?" Sho asked as he handed Cinder a bottle of water to her.

"A little," Cinder replied, accepting the cold drink.

The two of them were sitting on a bench just outside of the stadium. Cinder's headache was subsiding, yet the young woman was still unsure as to why her head was hurting to begin with. Regardless, she had nothing to worry about now that Penny had advanced to the Singles matches.

"Well, that's good," Sho said as he looked at the monitor showing the next match was announced. 'I wonder how Russel is handling his loss,' he mentally wondered.

Back in the arena

Russel and Sky were making their way to the locker room after their defeat. After regaining consciousness, Russel was grateful that he was still in his Zoanoid form, the last thing he needed was to have his naked body on full display for the world to see. As the two of them entered the hallway that led to the lockers, they spotted Weiss and Yang approaching, Russel noticed that Yang had a smug smile on her face.

"Looks like this birdie got grounded," Yang said, still smiling.

Weiss rolled her eyes at how horrible Yang's joke was before looking at the two CRDL boys. Sky looked like he was trying to suppress a groan while Russel glared at the blonde.

"She just can't go for one day without making a crappy joke," Sky muttered in annoyance.

"Unfortunately," Weiss lowered in head in shame, putting up with Yang's sense of humor was a true test of the Schnee heiress's patience.

In a way, Sky couldn't help but feel a great deal of empathy for her as he and Russel proceeded to walk past the girls. Yet just before Weiss and Yang made their way to the arena, Yang felt a pull on her right leg before she fell face first onto the floor, she let out a pain filled groan as she lifted her head off the ground. After slowly getting back up, Yang turned around to see Russel's tail wave around like a snake.

"That jerk!" Yang cried out in anger and was about to charge at Russel, but Weiss held her back.

"Don't even think about it," Weiss told Yang. "We need to focus on our match," she added.

"You're right," Yang agreed. "They're not worth it anyway," she added as she and Weiss exited the hallway.

As for Russel and Sky, the two of them continued their way to the locker room.

"I really don't like that bimbo," Sky said, breaking the silence between them.

"Big surprise," Russel said as the two of them reached the locker room. "If it Sho wasn't friends with them, we never would have bothered playing nice with them," he told his friend as he shifted back into his human form.

"Yeah," Sky agreed as he waited for Russel to put on his spare clothes. "You would think with her looks, guys would be swarming all over her," he pointed out.

"That's if they can get over her terrible jokes and crappy ass puns," Russel brought up Yang's sense of humor. "That's a major turn off," he added. "If I could get away with it, I would just rip her apart just to shut her up," he finished as he put his pants on.

"Please tell me you're joking," Sky said, shocked by what Russel said.

"Forty percent joking, fifty percent serious, ten percent undecided" Russel retorted as he puts his shirt on.

"I think you're spending way too much time in your Zoanoid form," Sky said, feeling a little uncomfortable with Russel's change in behavior. "The next thing you'll tell me is that you have no problem eating people," he added.

"Only if I have no other choice," Russel replied, getting his boots on.

Sky was taken aback by Russel's comment, his mind flashing back to that time, he has tried so hard to forget.

"Russel, that's cannibalism!" Sky shouted in disgust.

"Is it really cannibalism if it's between a human and a Zoanoid?" Russel asked, not really seeing the big deal about the topic. "Or between a Faunus and a Zoanoid?" he added.

"Yes, because you're still human," Sky retorted, somewhat disturbed by how Russel was seeing himself as no longer human.

"Only from a technical standpoint," Russel said, closing the locker he was using. "If it makes you feel better, I'll drop the subject," he told Sky before making his way toward the exit. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a beautiful crossbow wielding lady that I don't want to be late for," he said before leaving Sky alone.

"How is it possible that out of all of us, you're the one with a girlfriend?" Sky wondered before leaving the locker room. That entire conversation worried Sky because he never expected Russel to change so much. 'Maybe it's a Zoanoid thing,' he thought to himself.

Back with Sho and Cinder

"So, do you want to go back to watching the matches?" Sho asked Cinder.

Cinder finished drinking her water before turning to face Sho. She gave him a smile as she shook her head.

"Actually, I would like to return to my dorm to rest," Cinder replied. "I rather not risk making my headache worse," she told Sho.

"Alright then," Sho said as he stood up. "One of the airbuses should be making it rounds by now," he added while offering a hand to help Cinder up.

Cinder graciously accepted his offer of helping her stand up.

"Agreed, though I kind of preferred that we just flew back to my dorm ourselves," Cinder told Sho. "But that might make things worse for me in the end," she admitted.

"Maybe next time," Sho said as he headed towards the landing pads to find an airbus.

"I'll hold you to that Sho," Cinder said as she followed the Guyver she had her eyes on for quite a while now.

Ozpin's office

Ozpin waited at his desk for Qrow and Ironwood to arrive so that he may begin his discussion on what they all should do. Beside him was Goodwitch, who was looking over Sho's profile. While his grades weren't anything special, Goodwitch could not deny that Sho's combat experience far exceeded any of her other students regardless of the year, and the skills he displayed, while lacking in flair, were quick, simple, and deadly efficient.

"Do you really believe that it is wise to consider letting Mr. Fukamachi know?" Goodwitch asked her superior.

Ozpin remained silent as he looked at the monitor screen on his desk, showing footage of Guyver 1 and Guyver 3's sparring match in Goodwitch's class quite some time ago.

"In order to ensure the new Fall Maiden's safety, Mr. Fukamachi needs to be made aware of the situation," Ozpin replied. "And while Ms. Nikos is very skilled, she will need time to get used to the Fall Maiden's powers should she accept our request," he pointed out. "And Mr. Fukamachi's armor and combat experience makes him the ideal guardian," he finished.

"That may be so, but Mr. Fukamachi has barely interacted with Ms. Nikos," Goodwitch pointed out. "We will also have to inform him about our true enemy and hope that he would be willing to help us," she added.

"I am certain that Mr. Fukamachi will agree," Ozpin said before closing the video of the sparring match between the two Guyvers.

"Then I'll go get both Ms. Nikos and Mr. Fukamachi," Goodwitch said as she went to the door.

"Thank you, Glynda," Ozpin said before taking a sip of his coffee. 'The two of them may be our only hope of keeping the rest of the Fall Maiden's powers from falling into her hands,' he thought to himself.

Cinder's team dorm

"Thank you for helping me get back to my dorm," Cinder said as she swiped her scroll over the door lock.

"It's no problem," Sho said. "Just be sure you get some rest," he told the woman.

"Of course," Cinder replied before leaning toward Sho and gave him a kiss on the cheek, stunning the young man. "I'll see you tomorrow Sho," she told him before closing the door.

Sho stood still for a few more seconds, stunned that he got a kiss from a beautiful woman like Cinder. He shook himself out of his stupor before making his way toward the school's cafeteria to get something to eat, and to collect his thoughts.

Inside her dorm room, Cinder smiled to herself as she made her way to her bed.

"That should speed things up a bit," Cinder said to herself, glad that she was making a little head way in regards to Sho. "A couple of more pushes and he'll be mine," she added.

As for Sho, he continued his way toward the elevator until he heard his scroll buzz. Taking it out of his pocket, Sho saw that the sender was from Professor Goodwitch.

'What does she want?' Sho thought to himself as he opened the message.

Mr. Fukamachi, please come to main entrance of the school immediately.

The message was short, but urgent which meant that Sho had little say in avoiding it.

'There goes my lunch,' Sho thought bitterly as he continued his way out of the Haven Academy temporary dorms, this time his destination was the school.

Roughly ten minutes later

Sho reached the main entrance and spotted Professor Goodwitch, as well as Pyrrha. He noticed that Pyrrha looked a bit nervous as she waved at him. Sho waved back as he approached the two women who were waiting for him.

"You wanted to see me Goodwitch Sensei?" Sho asked.

"Yes, Mr. Fukamachi," Goodwitch replied, used to the title Sho had used, since it was no different from her actual job title in the school. "Professor Ozpin wishes to speak with both you and Ms. Nikos in his office," she told the young Guyver. "Please, follow me," she told the two students as she led them to Ozpin's office.

The two Beacon students followed their teacher without saying a word. Sho glanced at Pyrrha to see that she was still feeling nervous about whatever it was that Ozpin needed to the two of them for. It was strange seeing Pyrrha looking so nervous when she has been so confident in not only her combat skills, but in her academics.

"I'm sure that whatever Ozpin needs us for, it isn't something bad," Sho assured the red head. "You're pretty much a model student, Pyrrha," he told her.

Pyrrha smiled, appreciating Sho's kind words of encouragement. Yet, the Mistral Champion couldn't help but notice how Sho referred to their headmaster simply by name. From what she knew about Sho, he always referred to teachers with the honorific of Sensei when addressing them. She wanted to ask him about it, but was hesitant about talking about it. The silence between the three of them continued even when they entered the elevator.

Once in the elevator, Glynda had taken note of how silent the two students were. She thought back to how these two were at the top of her class for first years. Given Pyrrha's status as the four-time Mistral Champion, it was a given that she was the best, but Sho was in a league of his own thanks to his Guyver armor. She remembered how Sho was pitted against team RWBY, one of the best teams out of all the first years, and was able to not only defeat them, but utterly dominate them during their match. It was especially telling given how Sho was not putting in any amount of effort into his attacks.

Then there was that match Sho had with that other Guyver that was working with James. The two of them were clearly equal in power while their skills were completely different. Sho's skills were in certain regards, crude and transparent while the skills of the one called Olympus was far more refined. Yet, despite the two Guyvers having different skills, Sho Fukamachi was able to hold his own and was the other Guyver's equal.

'If Mr. Fukamachi and Ms. Nikos do agree, then maybe we may have a chance at defeating her,' Glynda thought to herself as the elevator reached the designated floor. "Please follow me," she told the two students.

Sho and Pyrrha silently followed their combat teacher as she made her way to Ozpin's office. Once inside, Sho noticed Ruby and Yang's uncle was here as well while Glynda left the office. With that in mind, Sho turned his attention to Ozpin, who was sitting at his desk. In front of Ozpin's desk were two chairs, the set up didn't look like anything out of the ordinary to the young Guyver.

"Ms. Nikos, Mr. Fukamachi…" Ozpin started. "Please have a seat," he offered the two students.

"Of course, Professor Ozpin," Pyrrha replied as she took the seat on the right.

Sho, on the other hand, didn't say anything as he took the remaining seat.

"Well…" Ozpin started, resting his cane down, "it comes as no surprise that your team has chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament," he stated, well aware of how Pyrrha and Nora dominated their match. "Your performance was exemplary," he complimented his student.

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin," Pyrrha humbly accepted the praise from her headmaster. "But I would have never of made it this far without my teammates," she said, wishing to give the praise to her friends.

"Personally, I think it's the other way around," Qrow said, leaning against a column in the back of the room.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Pyrrha asked the strange man.

"Name's Qrow," Qrow told his name, still holding some hostility to the two students, especially Sho for destroying his sword, Harbinger, as well as choking him when the boy interrupted his little argument with the elder Schnee daughter. "And I stand by what I say," he added.

"He's right," Sho agreed, surprising Qrow. Though he didn't see the match, since he knew that Pyrrha would have won the match on her own, no problem. "Compared to everyone in our class, you are at the top," he pointed out. "Not that it's a good thing," he added.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean Sho?" Pyrrha asked, curious as to what Sho was talking about.

"Aside from the few who would want to challenge you so that they can prove themselves, there are other students who would rather not bother improving their skills because they feel inadequate compared to you," Sho told Pyrrha.

Pyrrha's eyes briefly lost their light as she remembered how back in Mistral, her wins had made a few other competitors she had faced quit participating in tournaments.

"I see…" Pyrrha finally said.

"Now Mr. Fukamachi, I do not believe the other students are actually comparing themselves to Ms. Nikos," Ozpin said, wanting to lift the girl's spirits up.

"But you can't deny that some do compare themselves to her," Sho retorted. "But we're not here to talk about Pyrrha making it to the finals or how she makes others feel inadequate, otherwise I wouldn't be here" he changed the subject. "So why are we here?" he asked.

Ozpin was silent as he took in Sho words, realizing the young Guyver had figured that there was more to this meeting.

"Very well Mr. Fukamachi," Ozpin said, deciding to tell the two students before him. "But first, may the two of you please tell me what are your favorite fairy tales," he requested.

"I'm…sorry?" Pyrrha asked, confused by this topic.

"Is this some sort of a joke?" Sho asked, not amused with how random Ozpin's request was.

Behind the two students, Qrow was not pleased with the level of disrespect Sho was giving Ozpin. If it weren't for the fact that Ozpin wanted Sho on their side, Qrow would try to teach the young Guyver a lesson in respect. Sadly, Qrow doesn't have to abilities to make good on that lesson. Ozpin, on the other hand was far more patient with Sho's behavior. In order to have Sho on their side, the headmaster of Beacon Academy was willing to put up with Sho's attitude. After all, Ozpin was well aware that Sho's skepticism of him was understandable due to past events.

"Please indulge my curiosity," Ozpin requested, more so to Sho than Pyrrha.

"I don't have a favorite fairytale," Sho answered. "But the most common one I know is the story of Momotaro," he continued.

"I'm afraid I am not familiar with that tale," Ozpin said.

"No surprise there," Sho replied. "It's basically a children's story about a boy born of a giant peach, who fought a band of Oni with a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant as his only companions," he summarized.

"I see…" Ozpin said. "I wish I had heard of the full story," he admitted, it sounded like an interesting tale. "What about you, Ms. Nikos?" he asked Pyrrha. "Surely you remember some stories from your childhood," he said.

"Well…" Pyrrha started, feeling a wave of nostalgia enter her being. "…there's the Tale of The Two Brothers, The Shallow Sea, The Girl in the Tower…" she listed.

"What about the Story of the Seasons?" Ozpin asked.

'Why would he ask for that story in particular?' Sho wondered as Pyrrha recounted the story while adding how it was her mother's favorite.

"Would the two of you believe me if I told you that story has been around since I was a boy?" Ozpin asked his students.

"You're not that old Professor," Pyrrha said, giggling at what she believed was a joke.

"Given the oldest man I dealt with was from European colonial times, I wouldn't be surprised," Sho muttered under his breath, bitterly remembering Dr. Barcus.

Ozpin ignored what Sho was muttering, his expression changed to a more serious one as he observed his students.

"Would the two of you believe me if I told you that it was true?" Ozpin asked.

"I beg your pardon?" Pyrrha replied, not sure what Ozpin was talking about, while Sho didn't say anything.

'Either Makashima didn't tell him the true origin of humanity or Ozpin completely believes in whatever bullshit he's been told,' Sho thought to himself.

"What if I told the two of you that there were four maidens existing in the world, that could wield tremendous power, without Dust?" Ozpin told the two students.

"You mean, like a…Semblance?" Pyrrha asked, trying to make sense of what Ozpin was saying.

"Do they have crystals on their foreheads and can take on a combat form?" Sho shot back with his own question. "I'm sure Zeus mentioned Zoalords to you," he added, using Agito's alias.

Behind Sho, Qrow narrowed his eyes at the mention of Ironwood's own Guyver, remembering how he able to sway the public's opinion to Atlas's favor.

"Like magic," Ozpin answered Pyrrha's question before turning his attention to Sho. "And no, the four Maidens do not have crystals on their foreheads, nor do they change forms," he told Sho.

Pyrrha was having a tough time contemplating what Ozpin had told her.

"First time hearing, it's pretty crazy," Qrow said, taking pity on the girl whose world has just been rocked.

Rather than respond to Qrow's words, Pyrrha turned her attention to Sho, remembering him mentioning the Zoalords.

"Are the Zoalords from your world capable of such power?" Pyrrha asked Sho, catching Ozpin and Qrow off guard by her deferring to Sho.

"I've fought against quite a few Zoalords and the power they wield is probably greater than these Maidens he's talking about," Sho answered.

"Oh, come off it, kid," Qrow said as he approached Sho. "It was cute when your friend told us that garbage…" he continued.

"And how is what Zeus told you garbage?" Sho replied as he stood up. "From where I stand, this story about an old man giving four sisters magical powers is complete garbage," he retorted, his eyes focused on Qrow.

"That is enough Qrow," Ozpin cut in, wanting to keep a fight from breaking out. "Mr. Fukamachi will understand," he told Qrow before turning his attention back to Pyrrha. "As for you, Pyrrha Nikos, we are telling you all of this because we believe you are next in line to receive the Fall Maiden's powers," he explained.

"We?" Pyrrha asked, not understanding what her headmaster meant.

It was at that moment, the elevator doors opened revealing Professor Goodwitch and General Ironwood entering the room.

"Sorry we're late," Ironwood apologized to everyone.

"Wait…what is this?" Pyrrha asked, overwhelmed by everything that was happening around her before turning to Ozpin. "Who are you?" she narrowed her eyes at the headmaster.

However, it wasn't Ozpin who answered Pyrrha, instead it was Professor Goodwitch as she stepped forward. Ironwood and Qrow stood next to her while Goodwitch spread her hands out to her students.

"You know who we are…" Goodwitch told Pyrrha calmly, trying her best to sound reassuring to the confused girl. "We're still the same teachers and headmasters you met when you arrived at Beacon," she said.

Sho sat silently next Pyrrha, his eyes focusing on Ozpin in particular. The way the Beacon headmaster remained silent while Goodwitch tried to reassure Pyrrha and him didn't sit right with Sho. He shifted his vision to the Atlas General, who stood tall and confident. While he knew next to nothing about the General, Sho knew that Agito was willingly working with the man, which meant one thing to Sho. The General of Atlas's army was a valuable asset to the Dark Guyver and his goals. When his eyes landed on Qrow, Sho dismissed the man as a fool who believed he was important, but had no idea just how deep he was in.

'This is not going to end well for any of us,' Sho thought to himself. 'I can feel it,' he mentally added.

Amity Arena

During that time Sho and Pyrrha were brought to Ozpin's office, Lisker was in the stadium watching the match between Weiss and Yang against two Atleasian students that went by the names of Flynt Coal and Neon Katt. The match itself was too flashy for Lisker's taste, yet he understood that the matches were more for show rather than a true test of skill. He watched as Neon continued taunting the blonde brawler, who couldn't land a hit on the roller blading cat-girl. His attention was briefly caught when he saw how the boy, Flynt, was able to create sound waves from his trumpet to blow Weiss back.

'I wonder what's the highest frequency his little instrument can reach?' Lisker thought to himself before chuckling to himself. 'Not that it would matter, every weapon these kids have pales in comparison to the arsenal the Guyver has,' he concluded, knowing that he had the superior weapon and skills to use it.

No longer curious about the weapon Flynt used, Lisker continued watching as the two members of team FNKI pressed on their advantages against the two members of team RWBY. He remembered how those two girls were a part of that group of kids that had interfered with that White Fang rally Roman was aiding in. While the blonde was someone he barely noticed, Lisker remembered the white haired one as the girl that flung Sho away when he was about to fire his Mega Smasher at the younger Guyver. Lisker also remembered how the girl collapsed after seeing the powerful charge particle blast incinerated everything and everyone that was in its path, making it easy for him to grab her by the neck and take her with him to rescue Roman from Sho.

'Well it seems that they have improved, if only slightly,' Lisker thought as he watched Weiss and Yang turn the tide of the fight with Weiss tackling Flynt down, face first into the path of an erupting geyser and bringing down the boy's duplicates in the process. 'Though it seems that she hasn't improved in the tactics department,' he amended his slightly growing opinion on the Schnee girl.

"Quite a match huh?" a male voice said from Lisker right side, causing the man to shift his attention to the person talking to him.

Judging from the weapon the man had in front of him, Lisker could tell this man was a Huntsman.

"A little too flashy for my taste," Lisker said, deciding to humor the Huntsman.

"I hear ya…" the man agreed. "Kids these days are too focused on looking cool," he continued.

"Well, it's only natural for kids to show off," Lisker said as he watched Yang turn the match around and landed the final blow after Neon slipped up at the last moment. "Give them time and I'm sure that some of them will understand that this job isn't as glamourous as some Huntsmen and Huntresses make it look," he added.

"I guess you have a point," the Huntsman conceded as he looked Lisker over. "What about you?" he asked. "You don't look like a Huntsman," he pointed out.

"I'm not, but I've had my fair share of fights," Lisker replied, remembering the training he went through in preparation of becoming a Hyper Zoanoid before he bonded with the Guyver unit, as well as his fights against Sho Fukamachi and Guyver 3.

"Really now?" the Huntsman wondered. "Well, just because you've been in a few brawls doesn't mean your huntsman material," he added in a bit of a condescending tone.

"Oh, I'm well aware that I'm not," Lisker said, not fazed by the man's attitude. 'A huntsman is mere child's play compared to a Guyver,' he mentally added.

Back with Sho and Pyrrha

Once again Sho and Pyrrha stood in the elevator as it descended. This time was different though, as the two of them were surrounded by their headmaster, combat instructor, the Atlesian General, and a drunk. Sho remained calm as he listened to the elevator beeped every time if passed a floor while Pyrrha looked nervous and uncertain as her eyes glanced at the two adults, she thought she could trust.

"Where are we going?" Pyrrha apprehensively asked Ozpin.

"The Vault," Ozpin answered, not bothering to look at his students. "Under the school," he added.

'I swear if it's another Creator ship, I might actually consider activating it and leaving this planet,' Sho bitterly thought to himself as he found himself remembering the "Relic" that was located underneath Mt. Minakami back on Earth before he turned the remains into the Gigantic Chrysalis.

Sho was taken out of his musing when he felt the elevator come to a halt. He watched as the doors open and waited as Ozpin and Goodwitch stepped out. He and Pyrrha waited as General Ironwood and Qrow stepped out next. Once the adults were out, the two students followed close behind. The two of them noted how large and sparsely lit the hallway was. There was an ominous air to the hallway as the two students continued following the four in front of them. Glynda noticed how far behind her students were, causing her to stop for a moment to wait for them.

"I'm sure the two of you have questions," Glynda said as her student caught up to her.

"Maybe one…or two…" Pyrrha admitted.

"Why did Ozpin pick under his own school as the location of whatever he's hiding?" Sho asked, slightly annoyed with secret underground facilities, his mind racing back to Chronos Japan HQ.

"You said that I was next in line to receive the Maiden's powers," Pyrrha brought up, causing Glynda to forget about Sho's question. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"The Maidens have existed for thousands of years…" Glynda started to explain. "But much like in nature, the seasons change. No two summers are alike," she told her students.

"Okay," Sho said as he listened to this explanation.

"When a Maiden dies, her power leaves her body and seeks out a new host, ensuring that the seasons are never lost, and that no individual can hold on to that power forever," Glynda continued her explanation.

'I doubt that,' Sho thought to himself, remembering how many members of Chronos' Council of Twelve had lived insanely long lives.

"How does the power choose?" Pyrrha asked, trying her hardest to come to terms with all of this.

"Through a series of stupid and convoluted rules," Qrow answered, over his shoulder. 'Can't believe we have to explain all of this to a couple of kids,' he thought bitterly.

"Qrow," Glynda scolded the veteran huntsman.

"Don't get mad just 'cause I'm right," Qrow retorted, not caring if Glynda agreed with him or not.

Shaking her head at Qrow's callous tone, Glynda turned her attention back to Sho and Pyrrha.

"At first, the only thing we can be certain about was that the powers were specifically passed onto young women. But as time went on, we discovered that the selection process was far more…intimate," Glynda explained.

"Intimate?" Pyrrha repeated, concerned by the implications involving that word.

"Are you saying the current Maiden needs to see Pyrrha as a lover or something?" Sho asked, causing Pyrrha to blush very quickly while trying to shake off any perverse thoughts.

Sho's question caused the assembled adults to halt in their walk as they turned to face Sho.

"No, it is not that kind of intimacy," Ozpin said, wanting to defuse that misunderstanding right away.

"Well then," Sho started. "Maybe next time you all will choose your words carefully," he added. 'I've been hanging around Dove too much,' he thought to himself, remembering how the swordsman of team CRDL had a bit of a perverted side to him.

"No, Mr. Fukamachi, when a Maiden dies, the one who is in her final thoughts is the first candidate to inherit the power," Glynda explained to Sho.

"Well, that's just stupid," Sho replied. "Basically, when a Maiden dies, there's a good chance of her power going to her killer if it was a woman," he added.

"And if the person was a dude or an old hag, then the powers go to someone random," Qrow interjected. "And then our job gets a lot harder," he added.

"Why?" Pyrrha asked. "Why are you tell us this now? Why not wait until we graduate?" she continued her questioning.

"Because something happened to this Maiden," Sho said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "That's why all of you are telling us this," he continued speaking. "This Maiden you're protecting is not only in danger, but is either severely injured or dying, so you want Pyrrha to gain this power to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands," he concluded.

Ozpin's group was silent, Sho's conclusion wasn't far off from what they were about to tell the two students.

"You're sharper than I thought kid," Qrow said, impressed with Sho's deductive skills.

"It's not that hard to figure out if you've gone through that kind of shit before," Sho remarked as everyone continued walking.

"Well whatever shit you went through probably is nothing compared to what is coming," Qrow retorted. "Tensions are high, the Grimm are getting stronger…" he continued while trying to ignore Sho snorting when he mentioned the Grimm. "And it won't be long before the peace we've been enjoying for so long goes out the window," he added.

"You're not…talking about a war, are you?" Pyrrha asked, horrified by the notion that a war may be emerging.

"Not a war between nations," Ironwood assured Pyrrha.

"We can only tell you two the details once we know that your both with us," Qrow told Pyrrha. "Right now, all we know is that one of the Maidens was attacked, and for the first time in history, half of her power was stolen," he explained.

Pyrrha had a look of shock on her face when Qrow said those words. Sho on the other hand, maintained a neutral look, a feat he had gained after working with the likes of Agito and Aptom.

Once the group reached their destination, the two students could hear the humming of electricity as they looked forward to see a large machine with lit screens hooked up to two rectangular pods. One of the pods was in the upright position with a glass window. Looking through the window, Pyrrha and Sho could make out the figure of a young woman with a burn scar over her left eye and across her face. Pyrrha slowly walked toward the pod, her heart going out to this woman.

"Is that…?" Pyrrha asked, hesitant to truly know.

"The current Fall Maiden…Amber," Ozpin answered, sighing heavily.

"Is…she still…alive," Pyrrha asked, trying to steel her nerves.

"For now," Ironwood answered. "We're using state of the art Atlas technology to keep her stable," he explained. "However, there is a lot about this situation that is…unprecedented," he said.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

Ironwood sighed in response, his eyes closed as he did not want to answer the question, but knew that someone had to.

"When she dies, the one who took half of her power will get the other half," Sho figured what was the problem Ozpin's group was facing.

"Well, looks who's been paying attention," Qrow sarcastically congratulated Sho. "This kid is smart," he whispered to Ozpin.

Sho ignored Qrow's quips and approached the pod that was empty. He looked at it for a moment before shifting his attention to the machine that was currently keeping this Amber woman alive. He turned around to face Ozpin, having an idea of what's going on.

"I think I have a good idea of what you're doing," Sho said as he looked at only Ozpin. "I also have a good idea as to why this is supposed to be a big secret," he continued. "What I don't understand is why us," he reached the topic that he believed to be important. "Why did you pick Pyrrha and me?" he asked.

While Sho asked that question, Pyrrha walked up to the pod that contained Amber. She touched the glass as she slowly pieced together what was going on as well. However, she was a couple of conclusions behind Sho.

"Ms. Nikos is the ideal candidate to become the next Fall Maiden," Ozpin started to answer. "She is quite skilled, strong, has a righteous heart, and is compassionate," he listed Pyrrha's qualifications. "And you, Mr. Fukamachi, you possess a power that can rival the Maiden's power, and you have more combat experience," he told Sho. "Making you the perfect guardian for Ms. Nikos," he concluded.

Sho looked at Ozpin, finding his headmaster's reasoning ridiculous. It was so ridiculous that he couldn't help but start to laugh, surprising everyone that was conscious. The laugh started out low but increased in volume very quickly.

"Rival the Maiden's power," Sho said, finding the comparison hilarious as well as insulting. "You give these Maiden's too much credit," he told Ozpin as he remembered facing off against the Council of Twelve. "But now that you've answered my main question, I have another," he decided to change the subject.

"Of course, you do," Qrow retorted, extremely annoyed with Sho asking questions. "Look kid, all we need from the two of you is an answer to whether you want to help us keep the Fall Maiden's power safe," he told Sho.

"I'll do it/No," Pyrrha and Sho answered at the same time.

Sho and Pyrrha looked at each other, shocked by the answer they gave to Ozpin's group. Ozpin was also surprised by the response that was given. While he knew that Pyrrha would agree due to her desire to help others being within her nature, he did not expect Sho to refuse. Even though Sho's attitude toward him was quite negative, Ozpin thought that Sho would side with him when he found out what was at stake.

"Sho, how can you just refuse?" Pyrrha asked, just as shocked as Ozpin was over Sho's refusal.

"How can you just so willingly accept?" Sho shot back. "We don't even know if you'll be able to receive this power after she dies," he pointed toward the pod containing Amber. "Are you thinking of waiting for her to wake up just in time to see you plunge your spear right into her skull and this power will just magically go to you?" he asked.

"W-what NO, I would never…" Pyrrha stuttered, horrified that Sho would just suggest such a thing.

"Then why would you agree before finding out how you're supposed to receive her power?" Sho told Pyrrha. "That is one the dumbest things anyone could do," he pointed out.

"But if it means helping everyone, then shouldn't I do everything in my power to do so?" Pyrrha shot back, hoping that Sho would understand.

"Not if it means throwing your life away for something you know nothing about!" Sho shouted.

"Mr. Fukamachi is correct," Ozpin interjected, surprising Pyrrha with how he agreed with Sho. "While you agreeing is what we want, this situation we are in makes it more difficult," he said.

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"Given Amber's condition, you won't be able to inherit her power naturally," Ozpin answered. "However, General Ironwood believes he has a solution," he added.

"For the past few years, Atlas has been studying Aura from a scientific standpoint. How it works, what's it made of, how it can be used," Ironwood stepped in, explaining to the two students what his Kingdom has been up to. "We've made…significant strides, and we believe we've found a way to capture it," he added.

"Capture it and cram it into something else," Qrow joined in as he looked at Pyrrha. "Or in your case…" he left that sentence hanging as he watched Pyrrha realize what she was getting herself into.

"That's…" Pyrrha trailed off.

"Classified," Ironwood stated firmly.

"Wrong!" Pyrrha shouted.

"The feeling is mutual," Glynda agreed with Pyrrha while glaring at Ironwood.

"Well, do you have any better ideas?" Sho retorted, glaring at his so-called combat instructor. "You're treating the General's suggestion as if it's the most inhumane thing imaginable when none of you have bothered with coming up with an alternate way of giving this power to someone else," he pointed out, annoyed with how Goodwitch's attitude toward General Ironwood over a situation that they found themselves in, despite being allies. "So, don't act like you have the moral high ground when the rest of you are desperate enough to agree to it just to keep this woman's power safe," he scolded his teacher.

Glynda couldn't believe that one of her students would talk to her like that. She considered disciplining Sho right there, but Glynda had to stop herself because she knew that Ozpin needed Sho on their side. There was also the part of her that said that Sho was right about them being desperate to even agree to this method that General Ironwood proposed.

As for General Ironwood, he was quite surprised that Sho would, in a manner, defend him.

'It looks like Olympus was right about him,' Ironwood thought to himself. 'He isn't like the other students. He's far more cautious, asking questions before making his decisions, and with his Guyver armor and that Gigantic armor he showed not too long ago, he could be either our greatest ally or our worst enemy,' he somberly thought.

"Yes, these are desperate times," Glynda's voice broke Ironwood out of his thoughts.

"Yes, they are," Ironwood joined in. "We can't transfer Amber's power to you, but we can give you what it is connected to," he added.

"…her Aura," Pyrrha realized.

"Her life…" Ozpin started. "…would become intertwined with your," he finished.

"And what would that do to Pyrrha?" Sho asked, not liking this situation any more than he already did.

"That's the big question," Qrow joined in. "And we won't know until we do this," he added, driving how uncertain everyone is about this solution.

"You have a very important decision to before you Ms. Nikos. We cannot guarantee that the transfer will work, nor can we tell if you will be the same person you are now if it does work," Ozpin warned Pyrrha as the she finally realized the dangers, she would put herself in. "You should take your time before deciding, but please understand that we need your answer before the Vytal Festival is over," he told her before turning his attention to Sho. "The same applies to you as well Mr. Fukamachi, I hope that given time you will reconsid…" he tried to continue but Sho cut him off.

"I said no," Sho told Ozpin. "This is your mess, clean it up yourself," he added as he walked past Ozpin. "And if you try to use any of my friends just to get me to agree to this madness, I will kill you," he gave his headmaster one final warning.

Qrow and Glynda wanted to stop Sho, but were halted by Ozpin's voice.

"Let him go," Ozpin ordered the two. "He has made his decision," he added, the tone of his voice was filled with sorrow over how he lost the trust of one promising student.

Pyrrha on the other hand, found herself torn between staying with Ozpin and his inner circle and following after Sho out of this ominous room. Eventually, she made her choice as she followed after Sho.

Ozpin watched in silence as he mentally went over what had gone wrong when he tried to convince Sho to side with him and his group.

"I cannot believe that after everything we told him, Mr. Fukamachi would refuse to help us," Glynda said, disappointed that such a promising student would choose not to aid them in protecting their world.

"I can," Qrow remarked as he opened his flask. "Kid asked too many questions, that should have been our first clue," he added before taking a swig.

"Even so, after everything we have shown him, Mr. Fukamachi should realize what's at stake here," Glynda argued.

"Well, I'm sure we can make do without him," Qrow said. "Besides, the kid never struck me as someone we can rely on," he added.

'You're wrong Qrow,' James thought to himself. 'That boy is exactly the kind of person we need in saving our world,' he mentally added.

"Regardless, Mr. Fukamachi has made his choice," Ozpin said as he turned around to look at Amber. "All we can do is hope that he will not tell anyone about what he has seen here," he told everyone.

That last sentence worried the rest of Ozpin's group, because they were uncertain if Sho would keep Amber's location a secret in case her attacker was within close proximity of him.

The elevator

Sho reached the elevator door and pressed the button to open it. As the doors slid open, Sho could hear Pyrrha's voice coming from behind him.

"Sho, wait!" the redhead called out to the Guyver.

"What is it Pyrrha?" Sho asked, his tone slightly calmer now that he was away from Ozpin.

"Why?" Pyrrha asked.

"Why, what?" Sho retorted.

"Why did you refuse to help Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha clarified. "You saw what I saw back there, didn't you?" she continued asking.

"I did," Sho answered.

"Then why would you just refuse?" Pyrrha repeated her question. "As a Huntsman, isn't it your duty to help protect everyone?" she pointed out.

"Don't I have a right to know what I would be getting myself into?" Sho asked in turn, causing Pyrrha to stop asking questions. "Why were you so ready to throw yourself into this without a second thought?" he asked another question. "Was it because it's the right thing to do? Was it something you wanted to do, or that you had to do?" he continued asking. "Did you even stopped to think about what this could do to you, or to your team, who aren't even told about any of this?" he pressed on.

Pyrrha was stunned by Sho's questions, making her rethink her quick decision a while back.

"You were so willing to help Ozpin and his group that you didn't even realize that you were going to throw your own life away," Sho told Pyrrha as he walked into the elevator. "Do you really want to become someone's pawn?" he asked her.

"I…" Pyrrha tried to say something but couldn't think of anything, as she entered the elevator.

The two of them rode the elevator in silence, it was an uncomfortable silence that hung over them as they waited for them to reach the ground floor.

"I refused Ozpin because I'm tired of people using me for their own ends," Sho finally told Pyrrha, breaking the silence between them.

"What?" Pyrrha replied, surprised by Sho's answer.

"You might find it hard to believe, but ever since I became the Guyver, I have been a pawn in another's fight," Sho told Pyrrha. "At first, I thought he was an ally who wanted to stop Chronos from turning every human on Earth into Zoanoids in order to rule the entire planet. It was only after I created the Gigantic Guyver did that ally betray me and stole the Gigantic from me when I needed it the most," he explained.

"That golden armor you used back in Vale," Pyrrha remembered. "It was stolen from you?" she was shocked that such a thing was possible.

"Yes," Sho answered. "My former ally wasn't some double agent of Chronos or anything, but he wanted to get rid of Chronos simply because they were in the way of his own ambition," he added.

"What?" Pyrrha was once again shocked by what Sho told her.

"That's why I refuse to help Ozpin," Sho said. "Even if his goal was to ensure the safety of that woman and her powers, I will not because I have no reason to trust him," he added as the elevator doors open.

"But wasn't him showing up Amber's condition proof that he is trustworthy?" Pyrrha asked.

"Do you remember that report about the people who died on the highway in Vale a couple of months ago?" Sho asked Pyrrha.

"Yes, the report said that there was a bad reaction from a supply truck carrying unstable Dust Crystals, that resulted in an explosion," Pyrrha answered.

"That was a lie," Sho told her. "The truth was those people were killed by Guyver 2 when team RWBY, Sun, and Neptune tried to figure out what the White Fang were doing in Vale and working with that criminal Roman Torchwick," he explained.

"What do you mean the White Fang?" Pyrrha asked. "How could they be here in Vale?" she continued asking.

"Because Ozpin never bothered to think about sending any Huntsmen to look into it, even when there were hints about the White Fang setting up a base of operation in the kingdom he was supposed to be protecting," Sho said as he exited the elevator. "Everyone knows that the Vale Police don't do anything because they expect Huntsmen to deal with large threats while they can deal with people running red lights and other minor crimes," he added. "And because of Blake getting her team wrapped up in something they weren't prepared for, innocent people died because they didn't think to lead dangerous criminals away from heavily populated areas," he pointed out.

"But it wasn't like they were responsible for those deaths, it was that Guyver 2 you mentioned," Pyrrha pointed out.

"Guyver 2 did the deed, but it was team RWBY's negligence and reckless actions that led to it happening," Sho said. "Either way, it no longer matters. Those people are dead, and their love ones have to continue living and mourning their deaths," he added.

"But isn't that more than enough of a reason to help Professor Ozpin?" Pyrrha brought up. "He chose us because he believes in us," she pointed out.

"No, he chose us because he believed that we could give him the results he wants with the least amount of effort," Sho countered. "And to be honest, he's putting too much faith in your skills simply based on your wins in the Mistral Tournaments and how you are able to beat our classmates," he added.

"So, you're saying he picked us because we're strong?" Pyrrha asked, not liking the way Sho brought up her feats.

"No, we are not strong," Sho replied. "I get by because of an alien creature that became living armor, and your combat skills are above average at best," he told Pyrrha.

Pyrrha couldn't believe what she had heard from Sho. While she didn't like how her skills had put her on a pedestal, she didn't like how Sho dismissed her skills in such a manner.

"It's not your fault though, it's actually Ozpin and Goodwitch's faults," Sho continued talking. "If they had actually cared about preparing you for this, they would have had you face off against more skilled opponents such as the top ranking second-years, third-years, fourth-years, or even Goodwitch herself," he pointed out. "Instead they had to go up against nearly everyone in our class, many of which could never even come close to touching you in any of your matches," he brought up.

"What are you saying?" Pyrrha asked, wondering where Sho was going with all this.

"I'm saying, they are squandering your skills instead of helping you improve them," Sho told Pyrrha. "And if the woman who attacked Amber and left her critically injured and steal half of her power, then it's obvious that she would make short work out of you," he added.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Pyrrha replied. "I might actually be able to defeat her," she argued.

"Might isn't good enough," Sho retorted. "Don't forget this mystery woman has half of this so-called magical power, power that we know next to nothing about," he added. "Then there's also how Aptom was able to take you down twice with one attack during your group training session with him with little effort," he reminded Pyrrha.

The memory of Aptom kneeing her in her stomach and how he evaded all of her attacks before snatching Milo away from her and kicking her away just to unleash a barrage of bio-missile at her. She was lucky to have survived that attack with Akouo to block most of them, and her Aura to mitigate most of the damage.

"Then what should I do then?" Pyrrha asked. "Should I just refuse like you?" she was still disappointed with Sho's decision. "I…I can't do that," she stuttered for a moment. "I can't ignore all of this," she added.

"You can do what you like," Sho told her. "Help Ozpin, risk your life on a procedure that you have no guarantee that you'll survive, or that you'll even be Pyrrha Nikos anymore," he continued. "But if you do, the least you can do is tell your teammates," he advised. "They deserved to know, more than anyone else," he added as he made his way to the exit.

"Wait," Pyrrha called out to Sho one more time. "Can you at least do this one thing for me?" she asked.

"What is it?" Sho asked.

"Fight me," Pyrrha requested.

Sho turned around, surprised by this request that Pyrrha had just made.

"You're right about one thing," Pyrrha said. "During our combat classes, I have faced off against nearly everyone in our class, even the exchange students from the other academies," she pointed out. "But I never went up against you," she added. "To be honest, I was always curious as to how well I would fare against you," she admitted.

"Pyrrha…" Sho started. "Even at my worst, you wouldn't stand a chance against me," he told the Mistral champion in flat tone.

At first, Pyrrha would have taken offense to Sho saying such a thing, but his tone told her that her classmate wasn't bragging. Rather, he said it in such a way that it was simply a fact of life, and she couldn't tell if she liked that any better.

"Please Sho," Pyrrha pleaded in a way that felt more like begging to her.

Sho was silent as he looked into Pyrrha's eyes, seeing the determination in them. If the situation was different, Sho would have called Pyrrha a brave person, but this situation they found themselves in was not an ideal one. Rather, the two of them were being placed in a situation where they truly had no control over their lives. It was as if they were nothing more than pawns, and Ozpin was using them as he saw fit.

'The white knight, the white rook, the black bishop, and I picked the black pawn,' Sho thought to himself as he started to see the meaning behind the chess pieces that his friends had to pick back in the beginning. 'Ozpin, you bastard,' he thought bitterly before finally deciding to take Pyrrha's request. "Fine, we'll fight," he told Pyrrha.

"Thank you Sho," Pyrrha said, yet the tone in her voice was not filled with any real enthusiasm.

"Don't thank me before we start," Sho told Pyrrha as the two of them headed toward the combat classroom.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Sho and Pyrrha had made it inside the classroom. Given how nearly everyone was more interested in the Vytal Festival's tournament, the two students were able to enter without anyone noticing them. Pyrrha headed toward the locker room to gather her weapons while Sho waited for her to return. As he waited, Sho's scroll started ringing, causing him to look at the caller ID showing that it was Ruby.

"Sorry Ruby, but I don't want to talk to anyone right now," Sho apologized before declining Ruby's call.

"I'm ready Sho," Pyrrha called out to Sho as she stepped onto the classroom arena.

Sho slowly turned around to look at Pyrrha while putting his scroll into his pocket.

"No, you're not," Sho said as he closed his eyes. "GUYVER!" he shouted, summoning his armor.

Despite seeing it enough times, Pyrrha couldn't help but look at the organic armor attach itself to Sho's body in awe. Even though Sho had told everyone that was close to him that his armor was actually a living creature, just looking at it, Pyrrha would have never believed him. Regardless, the Guyver's origins didn't change the simple fact that she never once faced off against Sho and now was her chance to find out just where she stood against Sho. She took her stance, shield front and spear held firmly.

"I'll tell you this once Pyrrha," Sho said as he stood his ground. "You better come at me like you want to kill me," he told her before getting into a fighting stance.

Pyrrha's eyes widened in shock at what Sho told her. While she would always give her opponents her all, mainly as a way of showing respect, she never once thought about fighting someone with the intent of killing them, the creatures of Grimm being the sole exception.

"PYRRHA!" Sho shouted, snapping Pyrrha out of her thoughts as he rushed her, left hand drawn back into a fist.

Sho threw a strong punch at Pyrrha's head, but the red head blocked the punch with her shield. However, the power behind Sho's punch was more than enough to knock Pyrrha off balance as she wasn't able to brace herself due to Sho's punch.

Sho, on the other hand pressed on his attack by flanking Pyrrha's left and threw a roundhouse kick to her back. Pyrrha let out a cry of pain as it felt like she was hit by a falling airbus. She had no idea that Sho had that much physical power.

'He hits harder than Yang,' Pyrrha thought as she regained her footing and retaliated by striking at Sho with Milo.

Sho deflected the attack with his left arm before grabbing Pyrrha's forearm with his right. He turned his body to his left and pulled Pyrrha toward him. As she stumbled forward, Sho released his hold on Pyrrha's arm and drove his elbow into her ribs.

Despite using her Aura to soften the blow, Pyrrha could have sworn she heard her ribs cracking.

"If I wanted to, I would have been using my full strength and your organs would have ruptured just by that hit," Sho told Pyrrha. "Right now, I'm fighting you with at least ten percent of my strength," he added.

"T-ten percent," Pyrrha stuttered as she backed away from Sho, terrified that he wasn't even going all out on her.

"I could have also used my vibration blade to pierce your body, bypassing your Aura and destroy not only your ribs, but also the organs they protect," Sho pointed out. "If I had hit your lungs or any other vital organ, you would most likely die from internal bleeding if I decided to just stab you," he told her.

Pyrrha looked at Sho in horror at how calmly he told her this. However, she wasn't able to say anything as Sho continued his attack by firing a head beam shot right past her head. He deliberately missed just so he could get the Mistral champion to focus on the fight. Realizing that Sho wasn't going to give her anymore information she shifted Milo from spear to rifle mode and fired three shots at the Guyver.

Sho blocked the three shots with just his right hand. Pyrrha couldn't believe how the bullets were not only stopped when they came in contact with Sho's hand, but how they had no effect on Sho's hand. Sho lowered his hand before slowly making his way to Pyrrha, causing said girl to fire another three rounds at Sho. This time Sho fired three shots from his head beam, destroying the bullets while they were flying toward him.

"Are you done playing around now?" Sho asked Pyrrha before rushing her, not even bothering to wait for an answer.

Pyrrha tried to meet Sho's attack by charging forward as well while changing Milo back into its xiphos mode. Once she was within swinging range, Sho stopped himself to block the swinging xiphos with his left arm and countering with a quick backhand strike with his right hand. The quick blow caused Pyrrha to step back as she shook her head before finding herself on the defensive as Sho started to do a roundhouse kick with his right leg, causing Pyrrha to move her shield to block the attack. However, the right leg was a feint as Sho jumped and did the roundhouse kick with his left leg, catching Pyrrha off guard as Sho's left foot hit the right side of her face. She was lucky that Sho wasn't fighting her at full strength, otherwise her head would have either shattered or flew off from her body from that kick.

"You're doubting yourself," Sho told Pyrrha before throwing a punch with his right hand, while leaving himself completely open for Pyrrha to intercept his attack and counter.

Yet, Pyrrha didn't seize the chance. The dawning realization that Sho wasn't taking her seriously was such a disheartening thing. It was also that realization that led to Pyrrha feeling Sho's fist come in contact with her stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs.

"If Amber's attacker were to fight you right now, you would have been dead fifteen seconds after this fight started," Sho told Pyrrha as the girl dropped to her knees. "And if it was Guyver 2, you would have been dead after the first attack," he added as he looked down at Pyrrha. "In normal fights, a moment of doubt is all your opponent needs to bring you down if they were serious," he pointed out.

"Then why are you not taking this seriously?" Pyrrha asked as she regained her breath.

"That's the question I've been asking myself about all of you ever since this stupid tournament started," Sho retorted as he looked at Pyrrha. "You all treat it as a game, even during class. Wasting your time making your movements look impressive, as if all of you are trying to show off to everyone. Outside this school, each of you will at one-point fight someone who is more experienced and more skilled than you and they won't be flipping around and using overly complicated attacks. Every attack of theirs will be a killing blow," he told Pyrrha while said girl remained silent. "If I really wanted to, I would have killed you with just using my vibration globes, destroying every molecule in your body until there was literally nothing left of you," he dropped that one piece of information.

Pyrrha looked up at Sho in horror, she remembered how during his first fight with Yang, Sho was able to destroy all of her shotgun rounds with a soundwave attack. If what he said was true then he could have killed Yang without even touching the blonde fighter, which meant that she could have been killed just as easily. That meant that she didn't challenge someone who was just as skilled as her, she had challenged someone who could overpower her with built in weapons designed solely for killing.

'Power,' Pyrrha thought to herself. 'That's what it's all about isn't it?' she bitterly thought.

"Do you still want to continue fighting?" Sho asked.

Pyrrha looked up to Sho before shaking her head, as much as she hated to admit it, this was a fight that she couldn't win.

"No, I understand now," Pyrrha said as she got back onto her feet. "There is no way I can win against you as I am now," she added.

"You're still thinking about doing it aren't you?" Sho asked.

"I-I don't know," Pyrrha replied, her eyes looking down on the floor. "If I can help protect everyone by keeping that power safe, then shouldn't I accept the responsibility?" she found herself asking.

"Even if that means leaving your friends behind?" Sho asked her. "If you take it, you'll most likely have to leave Jaune, Ren, and Nora," he told her, causing Pyrrha's eyes to widen. "These four Maidens were kept out of the public's eye because of how dangerous it would be if they were discovered. Which means that the less people that know, the better," he pointed out. "Are you willing to keep this a secret from them for the rest of our time in this school until we all graduate and be pulled away from them?" he asked.

Pyrrha didn't say anything, she honestly had no idea if she would be able to keep this a secret from her team, or if she would be able to leave them behind once they graduate. While it wasn't uncommon for teams to split after graduating, Pyrrha would prefer that she remained with her team, especially Jaune, once they all graduated. Yet she knew that Sho had a point that if she accepted becoming the new Fall Maiden, it would mean that she had to leave her team in order to keep them safe from the upcoming danger.

"I…I…." Pyrrha stuttered as she tried to find an answer.

But she had no answer.

Author's note: Honestly, I would've had this chapter completed a week ago, but I came down with a nasty stomach flu and spent three of those days in the bathroom, even when I was at work. So I ended up pushing the story back for another week until I was feeling better.