Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. All rights and properties go to their respective owners
Manus P.O.V
I reappeared in my study and walked to my collection of alcohol cabinet. I poured myself a drink.
Goddammit.
I sat in my chair and looked over the surrounding forest.
I saw the now docile Moonlight butterflies. I did everything in my power to revert them to their original forms but nothing worked. But I was able to give them control back. Even if it is not their old life it is still life nonetheless and they seem to have embraced it.
I gulped down my drink and headed down to the crystal caves. Walking on the invisible platforms I walked to where the primordial crystal is.
Along with Seath's corpse.
As I passed by the decaying dragon I spat on him. Fucker.
As I made my way to the crystal I felt it's pull and attempt to seduce me. I sighed. My mental fortitude was more than it could penetrate.
I walked to the crystal and attempted to corrupt it with the abyss. But as usual it was rejected. This had become a routine for me. I periodically came down to see if I could turn the crystal to my will instead of it turning me while increasing the amount of abyss I put in.
I pulled the abyss back out and left. The damn thing is annoying as all hell.
Maybe I should just destroy it.
I nodded. If it won't bow to me it shall die to me.
I prepared a blast and annihilated it along with Seath's corpse.
I moved back to the surface.
I walked through the forest enjoying the beauty of it. I spent the rest of the day in the forest pondering possible solutions.
There is no-one left in Lordran that could help me with this endeavor. No one even near the intellect level that is needed.
I sighed. There was no way for me to get around this. There is no shortcut. There is no help.
This is going to be one long night.
Nearly ten years later
I was in my study like usual and was near the end of my research. I had created a formula that can swap places inside a magic circle to another magic circle.
Today was the first field test.
I had drawn a magic circle around a broken house that was destroyed by a monster. I had made an identical circle about ten miles away.
"PERMUTO!" I said.
The circle glowed and I moved to where the other circle was.
The house was there.
I smiled.
Progress.
Five years later
I was in my study taking a break when I heard a knock on my door. I turned and saw Adam.
"Is it time?" I asked.
"Yes. But I'm not going alone." He said.
"Quelaan?" I asked.
"If it's not to much trouble." He responded.
I got up from where I was sitting. "It's not. But if you bring her you must protect her with your life. And if you die you will stay dead until we move a bonfire to Remnant. Do you accept the risk?"
He nodded. "I do."
"Good. And stay away from the white fang." I said.
"I intend to stay in Vale and tear the White fang down from the inside. The only ones I will kill are zealots and fanatics. I'll cover my tracks and lay low as well." Adam said.
I nodded in approval. "Good. And under no circumstances will you attack humans. Criminal or otherwise."
"Understood. Anything else?" He asked.
"No. That is all." I said. "Let's go." I said as we walked out the door to where Quelaan was waiting. I bought a ticket and tossed it too them. "Picture where you were before you left for Lordran; on the train." I said. "Take care of each other." I said.
Quelaan smiled and curtsied to me. "I'll keep him under control. He seems to like to listen to me more than anyone else."
Adam blushed and bowed then crushed the ticket and they disappeared.
I walked back to the study and returned to my work.
5 years later
I have finished making a magic circle around he archives and had made one on Remnant near the ruins of Oniyuri. This is it.
"PERMUTO!" I chanted and was enveloped in light. I opened my eyes to see that we were on Remnant.
I laughed.
I cast an illusory spell over the archives. Nothing could detect it now. Grimm, satellite or anything. I then returned to Lordran and flew into the throne room.
Faraam and Quelaag jumped in surprise. I didn't care. "I'VE DONE IT!" I yelled.
Faraam developed a look of pondering then one of realization. He laughed heartily. "OH THANK THE FLAME!" He yelled.
"When can I begin to start preparations to move the people?" I asked.
"We can address the people. You get started." Quelaag said.
I nodded and left the room and flew to the wall. And began.
1 year later
I had finished all the circles around the four cities. And I was kneeling to Faraam. Waiting for new orders.
"Go." He said. "Make sure that wherever we are sent to is a good place and that we aren't annihilated the second we appear there now go." He ordered.
I left the cathedral and grabbed one last ticket. And crushed it.
On remnant
I entered the paladin incident. Roman was on the ground and Neo and a hooded individual were guarding him. I saw that the one in the hood had Whitley's weapon. Good, he followed my instructions. And if he is here than Adam can't be to far. I then noticed that Whitley was rather protective of Neo.
Didn't see that coming.
Oh well.
I opened several portals and used my advanced telepathy to locate who I needed: Team JNPR, SSSN, CFVY, and Cinder's group.
As the people arrived obviously confused a ruckus began to come about I yelled "TO ME MY APPRENTICES!" while amplifying my voice.
As my apprentices recognized me and they walked to me and kneeled.
"IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN OUR MASTER!" They said in perfect unison.
"Who do you think you are?!?" I heard an annoying and stuck up voice say.
Oh great.
Weiss Schnee.
"Can I?" Whitley asked.
"Yes you may." I said.
Whitley seemed to disappear and reappeared in front of Weiss and disarmed her.
Weiss was shocked to see who it was. "Wh-whitley?" She stuttered out.
"Hello sister." He said as he punched her in the face. As the rest of team RWBY engaged Whitley I looked at my apprentices and sighed.
"Adam you deal with SSSN, Mercury be sure to leave your assigned group alive, and Jaune you deal with your team." I said.
They nodded and got up to face their new adversaries.
I looked at team CFVY.
"I would rather not fight children." I said.
"We wouldn't want to fight a moron but here we are." Coco snarked.
"Coco can you not aggravate him?" Fox said as he prepped his blades.
"Should we even fight this guy?" Velvet asked.
"He is associated Adam Taurus. He must be dangerous if he can command his respect." Yatsuhashi said as he drew his blade.
"Loyalty and respect are quite different boy." I said as I got in my stance and began to play music.
"Shall we?" I asked as I dashed toward Coco faster than she could react.
Fox intercepted me and blocked my blade and we travelled back.
"Weak. Very weak." I criticized and punched him in the stomach sending him far.
I heard the whirr of two mini-guns and flipped over a incoming barrage of bullets from Coco and Velvet. I saw a shadow pass over me and saw that Yatsuhashi was descending upon me with his greatsword. I used my wings and dodged to the side.
As I charged after Yatsuhashi he was able to deflect a few of my attacks but I eventually broke his guard and slashed him and kicked him into the ground.
I looked at Velvet who was analyzing me. She was trying to copy me. I launched at her and felt my mind go blank so that she wouldn't copy me. The next moment was a blur but I could have sworn I slammed her face into the ground.
As I began to take control of my movements again I saw that Coco was swinging her handbag at me. I caught her arm and twisted it so that she was looking in my eyes.
"Know despair child." I said as I then kicked her to her other teammates.
"Is that all?" I taunted.
"No." I heard Fox say in my head.
"Did you think this would do anything?" I asked Fox.
"Yes. It distracted you." He responded.
Distract? I felt a fist connect with my back.
Oh.
I then felt an immense pain rocket through my body. GODDAMN I FORGOT HE COULD DO THAT!
I fell to the ground in pain.
"HA! YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD WIN?" Coco yelled at me.
"Yes." I said in my darkest tone and got up while popping everything in my body.
The team immediately backed up in instinctual fear.
I looked at them and made my eyes glow. "NO MORE HOLDING BACK." I said as I launched at them in blinding speed.
I dealt with Fox first.
He put his arms up sensing the immediate danger. I didn't care. I slashed his arms so hard his guard went open and hit him so hard his aura was broken immediately and he was thrown away now exhausted.
Velvet was next. Last thing I need is her copying me. I jumped at her and Yatsuhashi attempted to block me.
Foolishness.
I stopped midair and kicked him away with all my might.
I then ducked under Coco's handbag and legsweeped both of them. I knocked Velvet out of the fight first.
As I stood up I got hit in the chest by Coco's handbag. I stepped back. Then shrugged off the pain.
I grabbed her by the neck and looked her in the eyes to try and instill maximum fear.
"Weak. You came to this fight expecting an easy victory. That was a mistake. You thought of me as just another Grimm. But here is the thing about me. I adapt. I change accordingly. Grimm don't. You were trained for Grimm but fought a man instead." I said as I dropped her too the ground. I drew my blade across her face and cut her by the eye. I then did the same to the rest of her team. "Take this scar and know that I was better than you. That there will always be someone better than you. That you must never stop improving. Because if you don't you will die."
As I looked around I saw that Whitley was standing over his sister with his foot on her chest. He seemed to have summoned Kalameet, Nito, and Havel to deal with the rest of team RWBY.
Smart.
I looked and saw that Jaune had dealt with his team smartly. He seemed to talk them all down down and Pyrrha was hugging him arms. I bet he confessed to her.
Smooth.
I saw that Mercury had dealt with Emerald first. He, then moved to Neo, Cinder and finally Torchwick.
Speedy.
I looked and saw that Adam had disarmed the members of team SSSN and made sure they could only fight with melee weapons. He also scared them with an X on their chest. Similar to what I did with CFVY.
Skilled.
As I dragged CFVY to the middle and threw them on the ground.
"What did you learn?" I asked Coco.
"That you are one crazy sonuva bitch." She said.
"No." I said. "Did you already forget what I told you?" I asked.
"We went in with confidence and payed for it." Fox said.
"Good. You get a prize Fox." I said as I walked to him and gave him sight. He opened his eyes in shock.
"What do you say?" I asked.
"Th-thank you." He said as he began to cry.
"You're welcome." I said as I walked away. "Now we did not fight you with the intent to kill. If we did you would be dead. This had two purposes. 1. A show of strength. We are not to be fucked with. 2. That you are nowhere near the strength needed to accomplish your goals. We trained non-stop for only two years. And I've been researching for over a decade so I'm a little rusty."
All of them recoiled at that revelation.
"Now for the true purpose you were all brought here." I said as I shared the truth with them all.
After explaining Ozma and Salem's past and my purpose from the dark souls world
"Any questions?" I asked. "And that was the truth by the way."
"I doubt it. I want the truth!" Weiss yelled at me.
"YOU CAN'T SEEM TO HANDLE THE TRUTH! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall. You need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a person who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it! I would rather you just said 'Thank you' and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to!" I yelled at Weiss.
"Anyone else?"
"Why are the gods mean?" Ruby asked.
"Kid; Salem literally led all of humanity against their creators that had provided everything they ever wanted and needed. How would you feel if the very people you had cared for decided to try and kill you?" I asked.
"Bad...But I wouldn't kill them!" She said.
I sighed. "You are gonna be a pain aren't ya kid? You are never gonna except the reality of your situation will you?" I said as I stood up. "Listen with all that has been presented to you will you still stand against me? Or will you help me?" I asked.
Fox stood. "I will help you."
The rest of team CFVY stood. "So will we."
"Good."
I looked at Cinder. "Your master more than likely intends to betray you. Do you still wish to serve her?" I asked. She was in tears because her whole worldview just got shattered. I slapped my head. "Mercury get them out of here and hide. I will find you." I ordered. Mercury nodded and beckoned for the others to follow him.
I looked at JNPR. "What of you?" I asked.
"We will listen to Jaune." Pyrrha said.
"Whatever you want kid." I said as I walked to team SSSN.
"What say you?" I asked.
"If they're going we're going." Sun said and the rest of his team agreed.
"Ok." I then looked at team RWBY.
"Well?" I asked.
"We're huntresses. We need to do our job don't we?" Weiss asked.
"Yeah!" The rest of RWBY agreed.
"So when do we expose Ozpin?" Yang asked.
"We don't. Not yet. He still has purpose." I said. "But be mindful of this. If you make a move against him I will kill you." I threatened. "Now return to Beacon. You have been gone too long. He will begin to suspect something now go."
As they left I looked at Whitley. "Is something the matter apprentice?"
"I want to go with Neo." He said.
I opened a portal for him. "Go."
He nodded and went through it.
I then opened a portal to the past about 5 years back for myself.
Let's save some people.