Abomination of Innovation Chapter 2 (Patreon)

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…

[ A few days after Agito & Summer first met… ]

[100 CP Acquired!]

“...?” Agito tilted his head as 100 CP randomly entered his balance, confusing him on why as he hadn’t done anything new today other than follow Summer around while she slayed Grimm and he tinkered with random scrap he collected…

Though ‘tinkered’ may be a bit generous, a lot of the stuff he collected just looked neat, and Summer didn’t seem to mind him picking up people's discarded shinies. She even seemed to encourage it, patting his head every time he showed off what he brought.

[Acquiring…]

Youma Books [200 CP - Touhou Project: Forbidden Hermit]

[You have a collection of supernatural books, such as grimoires written by magicians, valuable historical texts about supernatural occurrences, letters soaked in feelings until they begun to take a life of their own, and books written by youkai to record their own existence. Includes the first Japanese translation of the Necronomicon. Be careful of thieves.]

[Lock In / Skip]

[Purchase Unavailable Due to Insufficient Balance.] 

‘O.o’

Agito stared at the offered item with widened eyes glued to the second to last sentence.

Necronomicon.

‘Skip. Bad. Skip. Skip. SKIP!’ Agito decided resolutely, not hesitating in the slightest despite the potential shinies and cool books he could get through this.

Be careful of thieves, it said. The Necronomicon has a chance to fall in someone’s lap in this world.

Bad.

[Skipped. Acquiring…]

Spellbook [50 CP - Hellblazer]

[A book of magical theory and spell craft that you may study. Will improve your magical abilities.]

[Purchase / Skip]

“Awuh!?” Agito gasped slightly, gaining the attention of Summer, who was still doing one last check-up on the building they were clearing out from Grimm.

“Something wrong, Agito?” Summer asked worriedly, but Agito only shook his head.

“It’s nothing.” He lied.

‘Purchase.’ Agito commanded in his mind, not immediately summoning the Spellbook as he was right in front of Summer.

[‘Spellbook’ has been Acquired!]

[50 CP Deducted… 50 CP Remaining]

“Alright… But make sure not to hide anything you hear from me, even if you think it was nothing.” Summer instructed with a stern frown as she patted his head again. “I’m counting on your senses to watch out for anything I might miss.”

“Mm.” Agito nodded obediently as Summer let go of his head, walking out of the large, run-down building while he followed closely behind.

Apparently, his raccoon features gave him superior senses to a normal human. Summer’s senses were sharpened quite well thanks to her experience as an experienced Huntress with Aura, but Agito was able to catch a few things that Summer missed with his keen eyes and expertise…

He dismissed them as his senses after Summer suggested that that may be the case, but this was mostly due to his deductive abilities in reality.

Agito Holmes. Coming to theaters near you on March 7th…

“Alright, we should be done here for today…” Summer sighed in relief as she spoke, stretching slightly and turning around before pausing as she spotted a book in Agito’s hands. “... Huh? What’s that?”

Once Summer walked out, Agito summoned the Spellbook, holding the large compendium in his arms like it was one of his new treasures.

“It’s a spellbook,” Agito spoke truthfully, and Summer blinked before smiling wryly as she saw the obviously fake magical engravings on its cover and the very fantasy-like appearance it held with its leather cover. “It’s mine.”

“Ah, this must be one of those Maidens & Magic books Ruby buys sometimes…” Summer muttered under her breath before patting Agito’s head again, an action she does every chance she gets. “Sure! Feel free to read it to entertain yourself once we’re back at camp.”

Agito nodded silently before turning away as he saw another notification.

[Achievement: Assist Summer Rose in clearing out Grimm (100 CP added)]

[Acquiring…]

Photonic Vision [100 CP - Super Dragon Sword]

[The glimmers of your true power. You are capable of seeing concentrations of magic and an energy known as the “Photon” - the energy that signals Rifts between Worlds. This will often allow you to sniff out strange phenomena, and in turn can allow you to find natural portals in the world to utilize.]

[Purchase / Skip]

‘Woah… Purchase.’ Agito perked up as he received his first sensory ability, which could allow him to understand more of this world…

[‘Photonic Vision’ has been Acquired!]

[100 CP Deducted… 50 CP Remaining.]

Agito blanked for a moment as his entire perspective on the world warped. Sensations and visions he could’ve never dreamed of assaulted his senses as the world around him blinded him with its energy.

Looking to Summer, he sensed what he believed to be ‘Aura’ encapsulating her entire body… It was quite beautiful, matching her body’s natural colors as it swirled around and into every inch of her thoroughly reinforced body.

What really captured his attention… was the powerful energy around her eyes, overpowering everything else inside Summer. It felt… pure. Complete, even.

Agito remembered the Achievement he had attained for ‘charming’ Summer and how it emphasized ‘Silver-Eyed Warrior’... Suddenly, Summer’s boasts about being able to turn Grimm to dust with a mere glare didn’t seem so farfetched…

“Agito?? You’re suddenly so pale! What’s wrong?” Summer asked with slight panic as she shook the dazed Agito, finally getting Agito out of his daze as his head snapped to a nearby roof a block away.

“Grimm hiding on that roof...” Agito pointed out anxiously as he felt the concentration of dark, vile energy emanating from that roof. It was much larger than the few Grimm he could sense in his vicinity with his new senses, leaving him quite worried.

No sooner did she hear that than Summer launched toward where Agito was pointing, clearing the distance and height with a single jump as a crater indented into the ground where she had been standing. Agito quickly ran after her, but he sensed the energy immediately disperse after Summer swung once with enough force to cleave off a piece of the building.

‘How did it fall so quickly against Summer?’ Agito questioned in confusion as the Grimm fell so easily. He didn’t know if it was weaker than he thought due to his lack of familiarity with his new senses or if Summer was just ridiculously strong.

As Agito swiftly climbed up the building with the ease of an experienced gremlin, he spotted Summer staring off the roof with a pale face as she urgently spoke into an earpiece.

“-emergency! A Seer! Do you know what that means-” She paused as she heard Agito’s slight panting behind her, alerting her of his presence. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before speaking again into the device. “We’ll speak later. He’s here.”

[Achievement: Gain the Attention of “Salem ‘The Immortal’, Queen of Grimm” (200 CP added)]

Agito stopped.

“Wot.”

Wot.

Wot. Wot. Wot.

“Agito is leaving,” Agito declared while turning around and trying to jump off the roof. However, he found Summer’s arms wrapped around his waist before he could escape.

“Were you just about to jump off the roof!?” She angrily exclaimed, pulling him away from the edge with a scowl and furrowed brows. “You know you don’t have aura! Why would you even try to climb up here?? It’s dangerous!”

“I need an adult,” Agito mumbled in terror as Summer stared at him in bafflement before he turned to her with bright, innocent eyes. “... I’d be safer if you unlocked my Aura.”

Summer’s arms tightened around Agito as she saw him staring up at her with pleading eyes, but they loosened after she sighed in exasperation.

“I told you I’d only do it if you behaved. You were just about to jump off a roof recklessly!” Summer scolded with the same scowl as she gently caressed Agito’s head, being quite gentle despite appearing quite angry at his stunt.

Agito couldn’t really find a fault in his actions, though.

Some ‘Immortal’ who was apparently the ‘Queen of Grimm’ has her attention on him or something. She’s clearly the final boss! Agito has only been here for less than a week! He hasn’t even had a beach episode, let alone his first minor antagonist!

… Maybe the real minor antagonist is the friends we made along the way. 

He stared at Summer warily, remembering her words of “He’s here” to whoever she was speaking with on the phone… That was not a ‘the kid I’m taking care of is here,’ that was a ‘the subject has escaped the lab’! 

Agito needed to escape!

Thankfully, Rocket was returning early tomorrow! He could bid Summer farewell before quickly driving into the sunset to live peacefully and collect many shinies.

Agito didn’t want anything to do with Summer’s ‘Greater Good’ boss or the ‘Grimm Queen’ final boss! He just wanted to make funny things and get all the best shinies!

“Sorry… Please don’t kill me for the ‘Greater Good’...?” Agito pleaded after apologizing as Summer recoiled at his sudden plea not to die, letting go of him as she placed a hand on her hips and flicked his head.

“What are you mumbling about now, dummy?” She smiled in amusement and gently patted his lowered head. “The only ‘Greater Good’ that would be affected by your death would be my sanity and mental well-being.”

… Agito didn’t know if she was saying that she wanted him dead or not. Was his death a net negative or positive?? 

“Okay.” Agito quietly nodded as Summer wrapped an arm around his waist again before jumping down the building, easily landing with him in her arms before letting go again with a pat on his back.

“I’m glad you understand. Now, time to head back to camp to pack up so we can finally head back, okay? This place is a bit too dangerous for us to stay any longer…” Summer explained casually, but Agito’s tail immediately stood ramrod straight.

Sketchy! He wanted nothing to do with any of this! He didn’t understand anything!

“... Rocket is coming to take me tomorrow.” Agito quietly reminded her as Summer turned to him with a complicated expression, a pitying smile on her face.

“... Agito. I already told you, but I sincerely doubt that any ‘Rocket’ will be here tomorrow.” Summer tried to convince Agito that Rocket was ‘dead’ again, but Agito remained unphased. “Even if they did, I wouldn’t allow them to take you after they left you here to fend for yourself.”

“Rocket saved me.” Agito defended, getting a sigh from Summer before she smiled softly and began leading Agito back to their temporary camp.

“I’m glad they did, Agito.” Summer whispered warmly.

…

…

Agito closed the spellbook he had been studying for the past few hours, feeling his brain grow lighter despite the strain of all the knowledge he had learned from his new abilities and talents. It was a treasure trove of information, offering him any magical knowledge and perspectives he could’ve dreamed of.

Unfortunately, it could not grant him any magic directly. Should he acquire some, it would certainly help him advance his foundation, but it would not develop some for him directly.

He stared at the makeshift ‘weapon’ he had created with random pieces of scrap he had gathered over the past week. There was also this thing called ‘dust’ that went boom. He had stolen a few crystals from Summer while she wasn’t looking, but he was pretty sure she knew.

She likely was waiting to use that as an excuse not to awaken his Aura in the future. 

Hmph.

The weapon had different languages engraved on its sides, all combined in the hopes of creating an impenetrable ‘It Is Written’ code in this new world. After all, these languages were likely used here just as ‘English’ or ‘Valerian’ was. At least one should not be, though.

Hopefully.

Agito was coping massive hopium.

If it did not explode in his face, which was very likely, it should blast that dust stuff out in an epic explosion while slightly enhancing its reach and effect.

Boom, boom, bakudan.

Agito’s ears twitched as he heard Summer approaching the tent, making him hide his Boom, boom, bakudan in his bag and sit up properly.

“Agito? Are you ready to go?” Summer entered the room carefully so as not to alarm Agito. She gently smiled as she saw him sitting in a corner alone. 

Agito turned to her, his tail wagging innocently behind him as he held his spellbook open like he was reading it.

“... Rocket is coming in a few minutes.” Summer’s smile became a little strained as she sighed and moved to sit next to Agito.

“... Ignoring that for a minute, I’m very surprised you noticed that Grimm earlier!” Summer decided to switch subjects to not upset Agito, praising him for sensing the… strong? Weak? Moderate Grimm she defeated easily. “You may not have seen it because I killed it so quickly, but that Grimm is usually very stealthy and difficult to sense!”

“Oh,” Agito answered simply, incapable of responding properly. Summer remained unaffected by his blank response, though.

She was used to his behavior by now.

“How were you able to sense it? I didn’t even catch a wisp of it until I saw it with my own eyes!” Summer asked next with visible interest, making Agito look down silently…

“I don’t know.”

…

“Huh?” Summer blinked at his response, confusion filling her face.

“I don’t know,” Agito repeated.

“No, I heard you the first time!” Summer smiled wryly before frowning slightly as she processed his response. “What do you mean you don’t know? You didn’t hear or see anything to alert you of its presence?”

“... No. I don’t know what it even looked like.” Agito responded, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. The hair on his fluffy ears stood at its end, and his tail froze in alarm.

Something was wrong…

“Ah, I suppose it was hiding behind the rail…” Summer muttered thoughtfully before her frown deepened. “... It can’t be Aura Sense, though. You don’t have Aura yet…”

“Summer…” Agito’s eyes widened slightly as he stared in a certain direction, surprise coloring his face as he tried to get Summer’s attention.

rumble… rumble… rumble…

“... Do twin-faunus traits grant some type of extrasensory sensing ability? An intrinsic instinct…?” Summer continued mumbling contemplatively, blinking in confusion once Agito shook her shoulder. “What is it, Agito? I’m trying to think!”

“First time?” Agito shook his head after his instinctive response before pointing to the wall without letting Summer complain about his witty retort.

“Grimm!” He alerted, making Summer raise a confused eyebrow.

“Here?” Summer looked at where Agito was pointing behind her, finding nothing inside the tent.

Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.

“No. Everywhere.” Agito retorted blankly and deadpanned as Summer’s eyes widened in horror at the obvious tremors passing through the ground beneath them.

Summer quickly ran outside the tent to investigate what was happening, a despairing gasp leaving her lips at what she saw in the distance.

Despite already knowing what was there, Agito followed, blinking slowly as he gazed at the approaching abyss in the distance.

In the far distance, a brigade of Grimm capable of blocking the sun with their number and size marched. There were undoubtedly hundreds, if not thousands of them, with varying sizes, shapes, and differing strengths and abilities.

“I don’t recognize those Grimm from the ones you taught me about…” Agito spoke softly while staring at the massive army containing many unfamiliar Grimm charging at the city behind them…

Meaning Summer and Agito were directly in their path.

Agito calmly turned to Summer, finding her face appearing quite grave at the incoming horde… 

That meant it wasn’t something common. Maybe it's obvious in hindsight, but you won’t find Agito being the first to panic without making sure first.

“... That’s because I hadn’t anticipated you’d be meeting any of them soon, maybe ever,” Summer admitted bitterly. She took her axe off her back and stepped back, reaching for Agito’s chest once she was close enough without turning away from the Grimm.

“Pervert.” Agito accused her but didn’t push her away during such a tense situation.

“For it is in-” Summer calmly began before suddenly stopping as a complicated expression reached her face, clearly remembering something unpleasant that prevented her from whatever she was doing. “No… That’ll attract them. I can’t do that.”

“Wot.” Agito tilted his head at Summer as she spoke ominously without explaining what she was doing.

“... Agito, listen to me,” Summer suddenly ordered in a tone unlike any he’d ever heard from her, making Agito turn to her while listening intently. “I need you to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction, okay? I’m… gonna be right behind you.”

“I’m not leaving you to fight all those Grimm.” Agito cut through her bullshit and declared directly as Summer smiled weakly at how mercilessly he disregarded her attempt at protecting him. “Rocket is here. We can both leave…”

Agito felt that he could resummon Rocket now as the ‘cooldown’ finished counting, meaning he and Summer could make a quick escape.

While he originally meant to abandon Summer as she was becoming quite suspicious, he could never even think of leaving her when she was in danger. He only ever meant to go, knowing that Summer was still the strongest, just as she always reassured him.

Knowing that she was safe.

“Agito- Okay…” Summer sighed helplessly and smiled weakly as she gently reached out to pet him. “I’m going to say it bluntly, Agito. I can’t leave this area without defeating those Grimm; your presence will only hold me back.”

“Oh.” Agito gained a look of realization and nodded simply, not reacting much to being called a liability… as it was a mere fact. He has not yet acquired anything capable of pulling his weight in a battle of this magnitude. “But… Can you even fight this many Grimm?”

“Heh. Did you forget my title? Silver-Eyed Grimm Slayer of Roses!” Summer chuckled and puffed her chest out proudly as she hugged Agito and patted his head. “If the Grimm all jump out at me at once, they might give me a little trouble…”

“But would you lose?” Agito asked curiously.

“... Nah, I’d win.” Summer grinned with powerful, glowing silver eyes and let go of Agito with one last pat on the head as she began walking opposite of camp and in the direction of the army of the Grimm. “Now, run as fast as you can, Agito. Find ‘Rocket’ if you can, and keep an ear out for any danger.”

Summer didn’t wait for Agito’s response before launching forward, flying into the air at speeds beyond what she had ever shown Agito previously. A sizeable recess indented the ground where she launched forward as the wind intensified from her movement, pushing Agito back a step.

Watching Summer charge forward to face what he believed to be certain death according to his analysis of her character and role in this story, Agito slowly blinked before moving back into the tent to begin shuffling through his bag’s contents…

He was going to do an epic gamer move.

…

…

Summer took a deep breath from atop another fallen Goliath, her glowing silver eyes dimming momentarily before shining blindingly and engulfing hundreds of nearby Grimm.

WOOOOOSH!

The company of Grimm that had her surrounded were all turned into lifeless statues as the light engulfed them, their bodies turning to stone as a terrifying countenance of many menacing monster statues covering the land was left behind.

The brigade of Grimm that previously covered every inch of the land they stood atop was now dispersed, no longer the horrifying abyss that did not spare even the morning sun’s light. Left behind were only the remnants of Summer’s rampage, a sizable hoard of Grimm that would undoubtedly cause a national panic from its size and potency.

It was a testament to the Grimm Army’s previous majesty and power, as well as Summer’s strength and power. After all, while the former stood strong, it was still helpless against The Strongest Huntress on Remnant in the modern era.

Throughout the Cookies and Conditioner, she alone was the Motherly One.

Summer didn’t know why, but a small smile reached her lips as she jumped down from the petrified body of the Goliath and faced the next wave of Grimm that had come to replace the ones turned to stone.

She could feel that one of her children was thinking something funny about her…

Summer laughed while hacking through several Grimm, feeling no strain whatsoever despite her fatigue as they all fell before her without much trouble.

If she kept up this pace… she might wipe them all out before any reinforcements could arrive. Maybe she’d even catch Agito in his search for ‘Rocket’ and take him back to Vale…

Or should she take him back to Patch? She felt that her children would get along quite well with her new stray… 

Something to think over once she finished here.

As Summer cleaved through another large Grimm and entered a clearing free of petrified statues, her eyes widened slightly in horror as she immediately sensed something was amiss.

Around her were several extremely powerful Grimm, all staring at her hungrily… but without making a single movement despite their instincts. Between them was a dreadful pit in the ground, full to the brim with a revolting black substance that had her silver eyes instinctively shining a little brighter.

“W-What…” Summer mumbled in horror as she saw the black substance rise from the pit, forming a cocoon several meters in the air. As she tried to move forward to intercept the cocoon’s formation, the powerful Grimm standing around it stopped her and growled menacingly.

Summer prepared to fight them off and stop the cocoon either way, but it seemed she didn’t have as much time as she expected, as the cocoon absorbed all the black liquid in the pit and solidified…

Crack. Crack. CRACK!

The hardened cocoon in the shape of an egg cracked all over, shattering quickly and revealing a figure that Summer wished she never had to face again… not by her lonesome.

Emerging from the terrifying cocoon made of dark, revolting energy was an otherworldly figure of surprisingly human shape, with long, silky white legs barely covered by her slitted, black dress and a generous amount of curves practically overflowing from her sultry clothes. Her eyes were crimson, with black sclera rather than white, giving a mystical and almost monstrous presence enhanced by her bleached white hair shaped like a spider’s body.

“Summer Rose… You are here.” The emerging figure spoke, her words cold, calm, and with an undeniable aura of power that imposed dread into all who could hear it. 

“Salem…” Summer murmured in horror, gripping her axe until her knuckles turned white. Her silver eyes glowed dangerously at the mere presence of Salem, growing brighter and brighter despite their fatigue. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

Summer’s demanding question had Salem chuckling softly as she raised her hand slightly, making all the Grimm that were previously protecting the vile pit quickly move to surround Summer.

“Do you presume I’m not aware, Summer Rose?” Salem replied in amusement as Summer’s eyes widened in horror at what Salem’s words suggested. “... Normally, I do not directly intervene when that fool attempts another futile scheme to try and defend against me, but what he is attempting this time is too huge for me to overlook.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to stop it when your forces have waned so much already?” Summer challenged while swinging her axe to the side as if pointing at the eviscerated remains of the Grimm army that Salem had brought to destroy Vale.

“Oh, no. Those weren’t the Grimm I prepared to thwart that fool’s scheme.” Salem casually revealed with a chuckle as Summer’s eyes widened in horror. “Those are the Grimm I brought to remove you, Summer Rose.”

Summer stumbled back as she stared at all the powerful Grimm surrounding her. All the Grimm that Salem brought here for the sole reason of killing her.

“... That’s why you chose the most difficult path to reach Vale. You’d get to kill me, even if it meant facing all the reinforcements behind me…” Summer muttered helplessly as Salem’s amusement faded, her face returning to its usual scowl.

“Not quite. It did not matter which path I took; Vale would fall by the end of the week either way.” Salem arrogantly declared without a doubt in her tone as Summer glared harder at the Immortal, her silver eyes glowing brighter the more she spoke. “I simply chose the most direct path… It just so happened that doing so allowed me to remove the biggest thorn in my side.”

Summer almost thought she heard a familiar chuckle at the Grimm Queen’s accidental(?) pun, but she dismissed it as a hallucination as she furrowed her brows at Salem.

“I refuse to allow that to happen…” Summer quietly whispered with her head lowered before she raised it, activating her furiously glowing silver eyes as a blinding light immediately shot out in all directions. “I’ll stop you here, Salem!”

Salem could barely command several Grimm to step in front of her before the blinding light enveloped them, covering a large distance of the land around them in all directions.

WOOOOOOOSH

…

Summer fell to her knees with a gasp as the glow in her eyes dimmed completely, nowhere near its previous powerful glow a mere minute ago. Her axe dug into the ground as she used it to steady herself, even as her body screamed for her to collapse.

Her eyes were glued to the petrified Grimm standing before her in front of where Salem had stood. She couldn’t see the Grimm Queen anymore and definitely couldn’t see her petrified form, if it existed.

Crack… Crack, crack, crack!

Summer’s eyes widened as fractures began spreading across the petrified Grimm, cracks filling their stonified bodies and permeating around all their bodies.

SHATTER!

The statues shattered simultaneously, their remains falling helplessly to the ground as stones and shards filled the tainted floor beneath them. 

Behind all the shattered Grimm… stood a perfectly pristine Salem.

“... Silver Eyed Warriors. The biggest thorns in my side since that fool’s prime.” Salem muttered in annoyance as she raised her right hand to look at its petrified state, looking disturbingly nonplussed as she extended the hand away from her body.

FWOOOM

A powerful beam of energy shot out from behind Salem, blasting her entire arm to smithereens as nothing remained of her right arm after the blast. As Salem looked down at her unarmed stump, she huffed and narrowed her eyes. Her arm slowly grew back until it was no different than before; it was completely untouched.

Summer weakly smiled as she saw the only damage she inflicted on Salem fade away, destroyed by an attack stronger than hers, only to be healed immediately after and leave no sign of battle on the spotless Salem.

“... You won’t get away with this.” Summer spoke despite her fatigue and fear as she saw Salem turn away from her healed arm and to her. “There are others who will stand up against you…”

“There’s always more, Summer Rose…” Salem didn’t dispute Summer’s words, agreeing with a short nod as she slowly moved toward Summer’s kneeling form. “Humanity is so terribly stubborn… Persistence and tenacity are their biggest traits, no doubt.”

Summer’s eyes clouded as Salem drew near. Her life flashed before her eyes as she remembered all the happy moments with her team and family, from Taiyang and Qrow to Raven and their children…

“... You’ve proven yourself as the most tenacious of this forlorn era, Summer Rose.” Summer blinked as she heard Salem’s words, her tone sounding much less… cold, as crazy as that sounded. “There have been many who have caught my eyes over the centuries, but few could warrant my direct intervention in their timely demise like you…”

Summer knew she was going crazy once she heard Salem comforting her, laughter slipping from her lips as she stared at the Grimm Queen.

… White hair.

Salem’s white hair reminded her of a certain boy who had kept her company barely a few hours ago, a sudden feeling of regret and anxiety filling her chest as his impassive yet adorable face resurfaced in her mind.

She had many regrets at her sudden death… and not learning of his current status, whether with ‘Rocket’ or not, was undoubtedly one of her biggest ones.

“Stand Proud, Summer Rose…” Salem calmly began while pausing her walk a few meters away from Summer, her hand rising in Summer’s direction in the same way it had when she eviscerated her own arm.

“... You’re Strong-” “THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE!”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Salem’s farewell was interrupted by a familiar voice to Summer as the beam of energy she expected from Salem never appeared, replaced by a different one coming from the side and enveloping Salem completely… only barely missing Summer.

“... What’s this?” Salem muttered in confusion as she emerged from the blast, looking no worse for wear despite the destroyed state of the land beneath her. “This feeling…”

“Agito!? What the hell are you doing here?!” Summer exclaimed in panic as she stared at the familiar raccoon boy standing in the distance with an unfamiliar contraption pointing toward Salem and the trash can’s lid strapped to his side.

The contraption promptly fell to pieces a second later, unable to keep itself together after a single use.

“... Is this how far that fool has fallen? Sending a child without aura to face me, wielding a faulty magical weapon?” Salem questioned with visible distaste and hatred in her tone as her eyes moved to the fallen pieces of the weapon before moving back to the frozen Agito.

“M-Magical!?” Summer exclaimed in shock, catching Salem’s attention as she turned to her with a raised eyebrow.

“Is this boy not one of… ‘Ozpin’s’?” She questioned curiously, making Agito unfreeze immediately at the mention of ‘Ozpin.’

“Bad guy.” He declared unhesitantly, making Summer facepalm despite the mere action making her body scream from exhaustion. Salem’s eyes widened at his declaration, though, her crimson eyes glowing slightly.

“Oh? You believe ‘Ozpin’ to be a bad guy, do you, child?” Salem asked with interest as Agito nodded confidently.

“Old man, too many secrets, training children to fight against monsters, and a connection to you since you keep calling him a ‘fool’ so personally… Definitely a bad guy!” He explained with a serious expression as Summer and Salem blinked, each for different reasons.

“Agito, what are you talking about right now!?? Run away!” Summer cut whatever Agito was saying short and ordered him to run away, making Salem turn to her with a raised eyebrow before turning back to Agito.

“And why would a connection to me suggest that the fool is a ‘bad guy’?” Salem asked curiously as Agito placed a hand in his satchel and deadpanned.

“You’re definitely the big bad evil guy. And the way you’re calling him ‘fool’ isn’t ‘Eternal enemy born to fight each other to the death’... It’s more ‘Bitter ex-wife spitting on her ex-husband.’” Agito confidently declared as Summer looked at him as if he was insane, while Salem…

Salem looked at him with widened eyes.

“... To manage to gather so much while knowing so little, you’re quite a smart child.” Salem praised before walking towards Agito, stopping only because Summer dashed before her to block her way. “... Annoying vermin.”

Salem raised her hand to blast Summer away as she tried to stop her from reaching Agito, making Summer tense up and raise her axe to defend herself…

“Wait.” However, before Salem could do so, Agito quickly interjected, stepping forward and grabbing a certain blue instrument in his bag. “Queen of Grimm, Salem, ‘The Immortal’… I’ve come to bargain!”

“Oh?” Salem paused what she was about to do, tilting her head curiously at what Agito had planned.

“... Agito, how do you know those terms?” On the other hand, Summer is more concerned about how Agito knows Salem’s titles and immortal status despite having nothing to do with Salem or Ozpin.

“... I don’t know.” 

“Huh?” Summer flinched, feeling a sense of deja vu as Agito tilted his head and said he didn’t know how he knew. “Like how you didn’t know how you knew the Seer was there?”

“Oh… No, I was lying back then. I can sense magic, so I sensed it.” Agito’s ears straightened as Summer brought that up again, appearing completely unapologetic at his confession. 

“You can sense magic!?” Summer exclaimed in shock and even a bit of horror as she turned to look at Salem, finding the Grimm Queen staring at Agito with slightly widened eyes that held an almost predatory look.

“... And judging by the poor quality of the runes on that destroyed weapon, you are the one who created that as well, yes?” Salem asked with a slight smirk as Summer’s expression became more grave.

Agito…

“Poor quality! Poor quality!? I made it out of scrap and a little Dust I stole from Summer’s bag. What do you expect?? Do you think I could’ve made something better in those conditions!?” Agito’s usually impassive face turned angered as Salem insulted his ruined treasure, his blank voice now filled with indignant fury. “I had to use so many shinies to make that! I’m not gonna let a ‘My Chemical Romance’ looking, abstract art hair having, ‘You don’t want to see me when I’m angry, kitten…’ old lady insult my treasure!”

Summer and Salem turned speechless as the raccoon boy fiercely defended the destroyed weapon, fearlessly throwing shade at Salem and her appearance as he glared ferociously. It… was not the least bit intimidating, looking like an aggrieved kitten lashing out, but it definitely took them by surprise.

“... Merely being able to use magical runes as you are makes you one of the most valuable mortals currently alive.” Salem explained lightly, ignoring the ‘insults’ that she failed to properly grasp in favor of appeasing Agito’s anger. “Your… treasure, while of ‘poor quality,’ is a masterpiece, considering the materials you used in its creation.”

“Mm.” Agito crossed his arms with an imperceptible smirk, feeling quite smug and proud at the praise he received, even if it was from… the enemy of humanity.

“... Just a second, why was my hair mentioned in that… speech?” Salem suddenly asked in confusion as she moved a hand up to caress her soft, white hair, her palm moving over one of the spider legs she had styled.

“... Is that your current priority?” Summer blinked and gazed exasperatedly at the Grimm Queen. She never thought there would come a day when she’d see Salem fussing over her hair being insulted.

“You look like a clown,” Agito answered bluntly, making Salem recoil indignantly and with a quiet gasp. “It’s a sin to be so beautiful as the big bad guy, but then make yourself look ridiculous by styling your hair like a spider.”

“Why would I desire to make myself look beautiful conventionally? My hair strikes fear into those who gaze at it!” Salem defended while explaining why she didn’t choose a normal hairstyle, turning to look at Summer after she spoke. “Is that not true? Does my hair not strike fear into your heart?”

…

Summer looked away.

“No…” Salem’s eyes widened. “It can’t be…”

“Beauty garners fear without the need for such… additions. Being killed by someone naturally beautiful is much more scary than by someone that I’d probably die laughing at before dying to.” Agito boldly lectured while nodding his head confidently and crossing his arms, making Salem listen intently to his fashion advice. “Your hair seems quite long, so just letting it fall free behind you would do wonders… Like Esdeath!”

“Fall freely, huh…?” Salem muttered thoughtfully, moving her hands up to her head and tugging at a few pins before her hair fell to the ground, no longer the ridiculous-looking hairstyle it was previously. “I do not know who this ‘Esdeath’ is, but her intimidating name suggests you speak the truth.”

“Good! Now that you don’t look ridiculous…” Agito nodded in approval as Salem freed her hair, allowing it to fall and making her look vastly better than before. “Queen of Grimm, Salem! I’ve come to bargain…”

Summer silently watched as Agito frowned seriously, feeling quite out of her element after he gave Salem fashion advice before casually continuing his earlier offer to bargain.

“Oh? Do you perhaps wish to bargain with your life in exchange for Summer Rose?” Salem narrowed her eyes with a smirk as she asked, acting as if her earlier hairstyle had never existed and nothing happened prior to Agito’s second request to bargain.

“Oh. No.” Agito blinked and quickly shook his head. “I still have many shinies to collect in this life. I can’t die yet.”

Summer sweatdropped at Agito’s current priorities, but she kept her mouth shut as she watched him slowly pull out the unique instrument he always played with and kept close to him, her eyes widening as she remembered how important it was to him.

“I can sense that you have more magic than anything I have ever sensed before,” Agito explained with a tilted head. “That means you can use magic, I think. So… You can probably sense magic as well, right?”

“If you had any other magical items, I would’ve already sensed them, child… It’s futile to try and fool me with something without-” Salem closed her eyes after she saw Agito reaching inside a bag that didn’t seem to contain anything unnatural, freezing once she reopened her eyes and saw the instrument. “-magic…”

Before Salem’s eyes was an Ocarina with a magical presence no less than one of the relics. The intense magical energy around it should have been a beacon of its presence, even if Salem was on the other side of the continent. Yet, a firm temporal seal of sorts kept Salem from sensing even a whiff of it until it was directly before her eyes…

“I offer you the Ocarina of Time, an instrument capable of opening the Door of Time and accessing the ‘Sacred Realm’, and a precious ancient relic of the Hyrulian Royal Family.” Agito introduced with a calm tone even as he held the precious artifact, ignoring the intense gazes he could feel on himself. “... Magical music played on this Ocarina is enhanced, with legends saying that it was capable of turning Day to Night with a song meant to summon light of the Sun for a brief moment.”

Agito was plagiarizing the item’s description word for word as he spoke, not having enough of a brain to make things up on the fly during such a tense moment… However, it didn’t seem necessary, as Salem and Summer were gazing at the relic with shock.

“Ozpin never mentioned a fifth relic…” Summer whispered in horror before snapping her head to Salem as the Grimm Queen chuckled quietly.

“I doubt that fool even knew of a fifth…” She muttered with a pleased smile before moving her eyes from the ‘relic’ to Agito. “And what exactly stops me from simply taking this relic for myself without taking this bargain of yours, child?”

Summer felt her heart drop as Salem asked this, knowing very well that she could do nothing if Salem truly decided to attack Agito and simply take the fifth relic for herself. She could only look at Agito helplessly, hoping he had some type of backup plan.

Squeeze.

Salem’s eyes widened as she saw Agito squeeze the instrument in his hands harder, making the temporal fluctuations around it dance wildly. She extended her hand at him but quickly stopped as he squeezed harder once she did.

“... You could try, but… what stops me from destroying the Ocarina in my hand right now?” Agito’s face remained completely blank as he spoke, a horrifying image considering what Salem knew would happen. “... You can sense its nature like I can, right?”

“... Stay your hand, child. You do not understand the consequences of doing such.” Salem warned while stepping closer, making Agito step back and narrow her eyes at her warningly.

“You’re wrong. I know.” Agito shook his head, showing that he knew the consequences very well. “... An item with this level of time magic would erupt when destroyed… taking all of us with it.”

“What!?” Summer exclaimed in shock, staring at the relic intently before gritting her teeth.

She could kill Salem with this… but Agito was there with her. She was fine with sacrificing herself to take Salem down with her, but she could never sacrifice Agito with her, even if it meant dooming the world.

“Do not act foolishly, child!” Salem snapped as Agito showed his awareness of the consequences of destroying the ‘relic’. “Did you not say that you still wished to collect many ‘shinies’? You will die!” 

“That’s true.” Agito nodded with a tilted head, his frown lessening as he stared impassively at Salem. “As the Ocarina of Time shatters, a Rapture of Time will envelop everyone here, bringing us into an eternal prison of temporal energy and relentless pain.”

The previous illusion of a harmless kitten lashing out no longer existed, replaced by the chilling image of the expressionless raccoon boy wielding death in his hands… and preaching demise.

Agito stepped forward this time as if closing the distance between him and Salem…

“I will die if I were to destroy this Ocarina right now, yes….” Agito agreed, nodding and tilting his head further. “But will you, Salem, The Immortal?”

Squeeze…

“Do you dare… to gamble such a possibility with me?”

…

…