Chương 111: Chapter 104: The Hidden Pieces

The heavy, reinforced doors of the Headmaster's office hissed shut, the mechanical lock engaging with a definitive, absolute clack. The sprawling, panoramic office, suspended high above the frozen crater of Mantle, fell into a profound, suffocating silence. The bizarre, reality-breaking tension that Saitama brought with him evaporated, leaving behind the crushing, grim reality of the shadow war.

General James Ironwood stood rigidly behind his desk, his cybernetic eye whirring faintly as he looked over the remaining occupants of the room. Winter Schnee remained at attention by his side, her icy blue eyes scanning the faces of the young Huntsmen and Huntresses. Qrow Branwen took a slow, heavy breath, tucking his silver flask away, while Team RWBY, Team JNPR, and Oscar Pine stood in the center of the room, their expressions hardening with battle-born resolve.

"Well," Ozpin, who was in control of Oscar's body, broke the silence with his smooth and authoritative voice.

"Now that Mr. Saitama is safely situated, we can breathe a momentary sigh of relief. With his presence secured within these walls, the safety of Atlas Academy against any external Grimm assault is, for all intents and purposes, absolutely assured." Winter shifted her weight slightly, her pristine white-and-blue uniform rustling.

"Then we must immediately pivot to the primary objectives. Is our focus the Relic of Knowledge? Or perhaps... the Winter Maiden?" A collective gasp echoed through the students. Weiss's pale blue eyes widened in sheer surprise, turning sharply toward her older sister.

"Winter? You know about the Maidens?!" Qrow narrowed his crimson eyes, his gaze locking onto the General.

"Jimmy. You told her?" Ironwood did not flinch under the scrutiny of his peers. He planted his hands firmly on the edge of his steel desk, his jaw tightening.

"I did," Ironwood confirmed, his deep voice unapologetic but laced with a heavy, profound exhaustion. He looked directly at Ozpin, bowing his head slightly.

"Ozpin. I apologize for breaching the protocol of the inner circle without your explicit permission. But you must understand... the situation currently unfolding in Atlas has escalated far beyond anything we anticipated." Ironwood gestured toward the sweeping windows, where the dark, bruised storm clouds raged over Solitas.

"I am fighting a war on three fronts. The Council is turning against me, Mantle is freezing and rioting, and Salem's inner circle is actively assassinating my soldiers in the dark. I needed an operative I could trust with my life. Someone who understood the true stakes. Winter is the most capable, trustworthy specialist in this entire kingdom. I needed all the help I could get." Ozpin stared at the General for a long, heavy moment.

The ancient soul weighed the risks, the broken protocols, and the desperate, isolated position Ironwood had been forced into. Slowly, the tension left Ozpin's shoulders. He let out a soft, understanding sigh, a warm smile touching Oscar's lips.

"I understand, James," Ozpin said gently, resting his hands upon the brass gears of The Long Memory.

"You made a tactical decision in the face of overwhelming adversity. And honestly... I am glad that it is Winter." Ironwood exhaled a massive breath of relief, the rigid tension leaving his broad shoulders.

"Thank you, Ozpin."

"However," Ironwood continued, his expression turning sharp and analytical as he walked around his desk to join the group.

"There is a pressing operational anomaly I have been meaning to ask you about. Based on what I heard from the Grimm Reaper earlier, your group was attacked by a massive Grimm horde on the Argus Limited train, and later experienced a catastrophic breach in the city of Argus itself." The students shifted uncomfortably, memories of the Alpha Sphinx and the towering Leviathan flashing in their minds.

"I am wondering," Ironwood stated, his brow furrowing deeply.

"Why did those attacks occur with such unprecedented ferocity? Was there a localized spike in negativity? Or were Salem's forces actively directing them?" Ruby crossed her arms, her silver eyes reflecting the confusion.

"We wondered that too. Even on the day before we head here, when Oscar and I were walking through Argus district... there was a pack of Sabyrs breaching the city and attacked civillians." Ozpin's expression darkened. He looked down at the canvas satchel slung across Oscar's chest.

"It was not a spike in negativity, Miss Rose," Ozpin confessed, his voice heavy with ancient consequence.

"It was this." He tapped the satchel.

"The Creatures of Grimm are not merely attracted to negative emotion. They are fundamentally, instinctually drawn to the Relics. They can sense their presence. Carrying the Relic of Knowledge across the continent was like carrying a blazing beacon through the dark." The room fell dead silent.

"What?!" Jaune Arc blurted out, his blue eyes widening in sheer disbelief as he stared at the Headmaster.

"You knew the Relic attracted Grimm, and you didn't tell us?!"

"Why wouldn't you warn us back at Haven?!" Yang demanded, her violet eyes flashing with sudden, defensive anger as she stepped forward.

"We could have prepared better! We almost died on that train!" Ozpin gripped his cane tighter, his gaze dropping to the floorboards in profound, lingering guilt.

"I... feared that making you all aware of the constant, looming threat would only add to your anxiety and negativity," Ozpin explained softly, his voice thick with remorse.

"Which, in turn, would have drawn even more Grimm to our location. Given the traumatic aftermath of the Battle of Haven, not telling you seemed like the safer option." Team RWBY and Team JNPR exchanged deeply frustrated, confused glances.

"Professor," Blake Belladonna said slowly, her feline ears pinning back against her hair.

"Withholding critical tactical information because you don't trust us to handle our own emotions... that doesn't make us safer. It just makes us blind."

"We can talk about your questionable leadership choices later, Oz," Qrow grunted, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Right now, we have a glowing, Grimm-attracting target painted on our backs in the middle of a hostile kingdom."

"Indeed," Ozpin nodded, accepting the criticism with a heavy heart. He looked up at Ironwood.

"James. What is the status of the Atlas Vault? Is it secure?"

"It is," Ironwood confirmed instantly.

"Follow me. I will show you."

The descent into the absolute depths of Atlas Academy was a stark departure from the gleaming, sunlit corridors above. The high-speed, military-grade elevator plummeted for several minutes, plunging the Vanguard deep into the subterranean bedrock of the floating city. When the heavy steel doors finally hissed open, Team RWBY and Team JNPR stepped out, their breath catching in their throats. The Atlas Vault was a masterpiece of cold, imposing architecture.

It was a massive, cavernous chamber carved directly out of the ice and stone. Across from the entrance pedestal, suspended over a seemingly bottomless, echoing abyss, was a tall, pale blue, crystalline structure. At the center of the crystal was a small white platform containing the Vault door. The massive, god-forged gateway was etched with complex, rectangular geometric patterns, glowing faintly with a pristine, icy blue light.

It was situated at a higher elevation than the main metal platform, separated by a considerable, perilous gap of open air.

"Wow," Ruby whispered, her voice echoing into the abyss as she peered over the edge.

"This is completely different from Haven. It feels so... cold."

"Haven's Vault was hidden within the roots of a great tree," Ren observed quietly, his dark eyes analyzing the geometric perfection of the chamber.

"This feels like a fortress."

"A fortress for what, exactly?" Jaune asked, looking at Ozpin.

"We know Haven had the Relic of Knowledge. What does Atlas guard?"

"The Relic of Creation," Ozpin explained, his voice echoing softly against the crystalline walls.

"A divine artifact capable of creating anything, provided the user can supply the exact blueprints and understanding of what they wish to build."

"And the door?" Weiss asked, stepping up beside Winter.

"I assume it requires a Maiden to open, just like Haven?"

"It does," Ozpin confirmed.

"The Atlas Vault requires the magic of the Winter Maiden." Pyrrha Nikos stepped forward, her bronze armor clinking softly. She looked down at Oscar's satchel, her brow furrowing in deep tactical thought.

"Professor Ozpin. We know the Relic of Creation is secure. But what about the Relic of Knowledge? We went through absolute hell to keep it out of Cinder's hands. What does it actually do?" Ozpin turned to face the students, his expression grave.

"The Relic of Knowledge possesses a wonderful, yet incredibly dangerous ability," Ozpin revealed, his voice dropping to a hushed, reverent whisper." Its user can ask any question, and the Lamp will provide an answer." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Blake's amber eyes widened in sheer shock.

"Any question? The Lamp knows everything?"

"That's... fascinating," Ren murmured, exchanging a deeply intrigued look with Nora.

"However," Ozpin continued, raising a hand to temper their expectations.

"It is not without strict limitations. The Lamp cannot tell of events that have yet to happen. It cannot predict the future. And, most importantly... it will only ever answer three questions every one hundred years." Yang crossed her arms, tilting her head thoughtfully.

"Well, I guess that's not so bad. Adds a lot of pressure though.."

"Wait!" Nora suddenly gasped, bouncing on the balls of her feet with manic excitement.

"If she gives us three questions... can we use one of our questions to ask the Lamp for more questions?!" Ren let out a long, exhausted sigh, bringing a hand up to facepalm loudly.

"Nora, they are wishes..." Ozpin chuckled softly, a warm, grandfatherly sound that briefly broke the tension of the icy vault.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to ask it anything at the moment. The questions were used before I sealed it away." Nora's excited grin completely vanished. She threw her hands in the air, letting out a loud, highly frustrated grunt.

"Oh, come on! What a ripoff! We carried a useless lamp across the world?!"

"It is not useless," Ironwood stated firmly, stepping forward.

"Salem desires it above all else. If she gathers the Relics, she can bring the world to an end. We must keep it out of her hands." Winter turned to the students, her posture rigid.

"As for the Vault, General Ironwood has already taken extreme precautions. We have the Winter Maiden. She is currently residing within a highly secured, heavily fortified wing of the Atlas Medical Facility, under constant guard, to ensure her power does not fall into Salem's hands." Winter offered a small, deeply appreciative nod toward Ozpin and Qrow.

"And I must thank you for bringing Mr. Saitama to Atlas. I read the reports from Haven Academy. I know that he completely bypassed the Brother Gods' magic and shattered the indestructible Vault door with a single, casual punch." Winter's icy facade cracked slightly, a visible shiver of absolute disbelief running down her spine.

"I admit... hearing that a mortal man possesses the capability to shatter divine magic is profoundly shocking." Qrow let out a raspy chuckle, tapping his flask against his leg.

"You haven't seen anything yet. But, yeah, it makes for a hell of an insurance policy. If something happens to the Winter Maiden, we just point baldy at the door and tell him there's a discount on the other side." Ironwood's expression hardened, his mind returning to the immediate, pressing crisis at hand.

"The Vault is secure. But our kingdom is not," Ironwood declared, turning his back on the crystalline abyss.

"My cyber-security units are currently struggling to find the exact source of the network blockade. The interference is heavily localized in the subterranean cyber-hubs beneath Mantle. But we are also on extremely high alert for Salem's inner circle. The negative emotions radiating from the freezing citizens and the protests have drawn massive packs of Grimm into the underground sectors. It is a warzone."

"Why not deploy the students?" Weiss asked.

"Atlas Academy has dozens of capable teams, including Team FNKI."

"The academy teams are already deployed on secondary perimeter defense and riot de-escalation," Ironwood sighed.

"The military is stretched too thin." Ruby stepped forward, planting Crescent Rose firmly against the metal grating. Her silver eyes burned with absolute, unyielding resolve.

"We can help, General Ironwood," Ruby volunteered without a second of hesitation.

"Team RWBY and Team JNPR are ready to deploy. Tell us what you need us to do." Winter stepped in front of her sister, her blue eyes filled with stern, protective warning.

"These missions are incredibly dangerous. You will be operating in dark, enclosed subterranean spaces against unknown assassins and Grimm."

"With all due respect, Schnee," Qrow interjected, stepping up to place a proud hand on his niece's shoulder.

"These kids aren't the same rookies you saw at the Vytal Festival. They survived the Fall of Beacon. They fought Cinder, Hazel, and an army of Grimm in Mistral, and they held the line." Team RWBY and Team JNPR stood tall, exchanging confident, unified glances.

"We were trained by Professor Ozpin," Jaune stated firmly, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.

"And," Yang grinned fiercely, cracking her golden gauntlets, "we spent months surviving Saitama's hellish combat evaluations. Trust me. We're ready for anything Mantle can throw at us." Ironwood looked at the determined faces of the young Huntsmen and Huntresses. The rigid, paranoid wall he had built around his heart softened just a fraction, touched by their absolute bravery.

"Very well," Ironwood conceded, offering a firm, respectful nod.

"I accept your help. Team JNPR, you and Oscar will deploy to the streets of Mantle to assist the local guards. Protect the civilians, clear out any encroaching Grimm, and try to de-escalate the riots." Ironwood turned to Ruby's team.

"Team RWBY, and Qrow. You will execute a joint-mission with the Ace-Ops. You will descend directly into the subterranean cyber-hubs of Mantle to manually locate the network blockade, purge the system, and restart our connection to the outside world."

"Understood, General," Ruby nodded fiercely.

"Before you deploy, however," Winter spoke up, her voice softening slightly.

"You must rest. We have prepared dormitories in Atlas Academy for you for the night."

"Gather in Mantle tomorrow morning to wait for the Ace-Ops," Ironwood instructed, crossing his arms.

"In the meantime, I will inform Dr. Pietro Polendina. He will upgrade your weapons and gear to meet the environmental and tactical demands of Solitas." The tension in the room instantly vanished.

"UPGRADES?!" Ruby shrieked, her silver eyes transforming into massive, sparkling stars. She practically levitated off the ground, vibrating with sheer, unadulterated weapon-geek joy.

"New gear?! Does that mean I get better recoil dampeners?! Oh my gosh, thank you, General!"

"Finally," Weiss sighed, looking down at her combat skirt with relief.

"I was beginning to think I would have to endure this freezing climate without proper Atlesian thermal weaving."

"New threads!" Yang grinned, punching her gauntlets together.

"I can't wait to see what they whip up for us." Blake smiled softly, her ears twitching with anticipation. Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren exchanged equally excited glances, eager to shed their battle-worn attire for gear that matched the monumental growth they had achieved over the past few months. Ozpin stepped forward, unhooking the canvas satchel from Oscar's shoulder. He held the wrapped Relic of Knowledge in his hands, his expression turning deeply troubled.

"There is one final, glaring vulnerability," Ozpin noted, his ancient voice echoing in the cold vault.

"How do we protect the Lamp? We cannot place it inside the Vault without the Winter Maiden, and as you stated, she is incapacitated."

"We can't leave it at the academy," Pyrrha reasoned.

"If Salem's agents know every structure of Atlas, the military base is too obvious of a target."

"And considering they already hacked the heating grid and the network, they likely have eyes on our troop movements," Ren added grimly.

"Carrying it into the field is a massive liability." The group stood in silence, racking their brains for a secure, entirely unexpected location to hide a divine artifact that actively attracted monsters. Suddenly, Nora gasped loudly. She threw her hands in the air, her teal eyes sparkling with a massive, brilliant, and utterly chaotic epiphany.

"Wait! I have an idea!" Nora cheered, bouncing on the balls of her feet. The entire group turned to look at her, a mixture of curiosity and deep apprehension on their faces.

Far below the gleaming, floating utopia of Atlas, the freezing, soot-stained streets of Mantle were drowning in misery. The freezing, sleet-filled rain pelted the cracked cobblestones, washing away the grime but doing nothing to ease the bitter, bone-chilling cold that gripped the lower city. The central heating grid had been failing for days, and the citizens huddled in alleyways, wrapping themselves in whatever meager blankets they could find.

Despite the suffering, the massive, holographic billboards scattered across the dreary cityscape continued to loop their pre-recorded, high-definition propaganda. The towering projection of General Ironwood, looking immaculate and confident, flickered through the rain.

"The Kingdom of Atlas will remain strong," Ironwood's recorded voice boomed over the miserable streets.

"And it will remain safe. That is my promise." Walking casually along the rain-slicked sidewalk, entirely unfazed by the cold, was Arthur Watts. The disgraced scientist carried an elegant black umbrella over his shoulder and a sleek leather briefcase in his hand. He had recently treated himself to a new set of customized hardware. Adorning his fingers were eight sleek, yellow rings. Each ring featured a black center that glowed with a faint, pulsing cyan light whenever he touched them.

The rings on his left hand were highly advanced, localized hacking conduits, capable of instantly infiltrating any cybersecurity network in his immediate vicinity, provided he had updated them with the proper code. The rings on his right hand were compact, high-tier Hard-Light shield generators. Watts tapped his earpiece, speaking into his remote communicator with a tone of aristocratic, exhausted annoyance.

"For the last time, Tyrian," Watts sighed, rolling his eyes.

"A singular hideout makes us susceptible to discovery. General Ironwood has half his military turning Mantle upside down looking for us." As he approached a busy, rain-slicked intersection, Watts didn't break his stride. He casually brushed his thumb against the cyan ring on his left index finger. The traffic post across the street instantly sparked. The lights shifted from a hard red to a welcoming pedestrian green, perfectly synchronizing with his leisurely pace as he strolled across the asphalt.

"But what if we're seen?" Tyrian Callows's manic, high-pitched voice giggled through the earpiece.

"What if we're recognized by the little sheep?"

"We stay mobile," Watts replied smoothly, stepping onto the opposite curb. Through the earpiece, the wet, sickening sound of tearing flesh and multiple, rapid stabbings echoed clearly, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the floor.

"We're walking around a city with a thousand eyes, Arthur!" Tyrian laughed hysterically, the sound of his metallic stinger retracting audible over the comms. Watts approached another busy thoroughfare. He didn't even look up as he tapped his ring again. The traffic signals instantly glitched, flipping to a chaotic sequence of greens and yellows. A heavy cargo truck slammed on its brakes, its tires screeching wildly as it skidded to a halt inches from Watts's immaculate coat.

Watts simply walked around the hood without breaking his stride.

"While cybersecurity has been heavily stepped up in Atlas, as usual, none of the foundational code was ever updated in Mantle," Watts mused, a cruel, mocking smile playing on his lips.

"It is child's play." He approached a narrow, restricted access road. He tapped his ring once more. A heavy, reinforced steel blockade post instantly shot up from the asphalt. A speeding hover-car swerved violently to avoid him, crashing spectacularly into the raised post with a crunching thud of metal and glass.

"Oh no! Gosh!" a woman screamed from the sidewalk, dropping her groceries and running toward the smoking wreck.

"Are you okay?!"

"That certainly sounds useful," Tyrian chuckled darkly through the earpiece.

"It should be," Watts replied, stepping into a dark, deserted alleyway. He paused near the entrance of a dilapidated, rusted apartment building. He looked up at the high-definition Atlesian security camera mounted above the door, its red light blinking steadily as it recorded the street. Watts pressed his thumb against his glowing cyan ring. The security camera instantly sparked, the red light dying as the lens drooped lifelessly toward the ground.

"I helped write that code, after all," Watts smiled proudly, stepping back into the shadows. From inside the apartment building, a muffled, agonizing scream echoed into the rain, abruptly cut short by a sickening crunch. The heavy metal door slowly creaked open. Tyrian Callows stepped out into the freezing rain, his yellow eyes wide and feverish, a sick, euphoric smile stretching across his face. He let out a long, happy sigh, tilting his head back to let the rain wash over him.

"Well," Tyrian giggled, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

"I suppose we all have our talents." Tyrian turned and swaggered down the dark alleyway, disappearing into the shadows of Mantle to find his next victim. Slowly, from underneath the crack of the apartment door, a thick, dark pool of crimson blood flowed out onto the concrete step. The blood slowly crept across the damp pavement, creeping silently until it perfectly entered the blind, unseeing view of the hacked security camera above.