A/N: Genshin is still downloading...this is taking forever!

*cries in slow internet*

Aaaand we're back. Adventreader221 helped me write a MASSIVE part of an up-and-coming chapter, namely a certain confrontation in coming chapters.

Many thanks to him; were it not for his unexpected aid, it would've taken me forever to write it.

Even more Fate Strange Fake vibes in this chapter~!

If this chapter gets a ton of feedback -hopefully it will!- then I'll do my best to ensure an earlier update.

In other news depression's starting to hit real hard these days. Sometimes I wonder why I do anything at all. I can't claim to understand what's going wrong with my head. I don't even know why! One moment I'm fine, then my mood craters for a few hours, then I'm back again for a bit, and the cycle repeats. Its rather annoying; as though I've become a prisoner in my own mind sometimes. Sure, what's one more mental problem on the pile. Not like I don't have enough, what with already being this old. Feels like every day is a battle sometimes. My doctor is of no help at all.

*siiiigh* Don't mind the rambling of this geezer...

With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.

And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.

Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.

So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. They're tributes to legends far greater than I.

I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.

Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.

In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do l et me know~!

"When heaven meets earth, which is superior?"

~An audible manifestation of arrogance.

Bite the Bullet

By week's end, the attack was all over every Atlesian news outlet.

And soon thereafter, it was...swept under the rug.

Almost suspiciously so, really.

Naruto didn't buy it for an instant. Oh, Jacques played the part of a concerned father well enough in public, but privately, was another matter. There was an anger in his eyes whenever he looked at him and Weiss now, an almost unmistakable ire. It made him all the more certain that he had been the intended target rather than his twin. Looking back, he wasn't entirely certain it was the White Fang who had struck at them; it could've been desperate men and women paid and primed to take the fall.

Regardless, Jacques had played his gambit, tried to remove him, and failed.

He would see to it that he didn't get another.

Too bad. So sad. Get mad.

In his first life he would've been naive enough to believe Jacques when he said that wasn't the case. Now? He saw right through him. He didn't care that Weiss had been frightened out of her mind, that she regularly had nightmares now, nor the fact that Winter and Willow were livid. Not him. Why would he? Swine such as he were only ever worried about the lien they could make and the the Dust they could take.

But he'd made one fatal mistake.

In his bumbling, he had harmed Weiss. His sister. His Saber. His other half.

The game was afoot now and he aimed to end it with Jacques broken body at his feet. It was merely a matter of how.

It would be a trifling matter to kill him of course; the problem was, he couldn't openly do so. Well, he could, but that would no longer satisfy him. To simply slaughter him in his sleep would be too boring and not as fun as breaking him, that wouldn't make him happy in the slightest. Such a mongrel needed to be put in place for his transgressions. Such a sudden death would paint him as a martyr. Such an abrupt end would leave the world mourning him. That wouldn't do, not one bit. He must pay. In blood and tears and lien, he would pay. He would learn what it meant to tangle with a king.

Maybe it was time for Jacques to have...an accident?

But not a lethal one.

Not yet.

He needed to humble Jacques before he felled him; put the sniveling pig in his proper place before he executed the mad dog properly.

Yet how to go about it? Perhaps he could use that...no, that wouldn't do. It wouldn't do at all! Unleashing THAT was a surefire way to wipe Atlas off the map, and while the thought did amuse some small morbid part of him, he wasn't to keen on erasing an entire continent from the planet per se, and he certainly he didn't want to to destroy the city in which his family resided. He truly needed to only excise the rot within, remove the cancer at the source, burn it out and cleanse what need not belong.

"Hmm...

Considering the matter further, he tilted his head, turning the thought over in his mind's eye.

He needed to create something more versatile, a surefire weapon guaranteed to find its target with little in the way of collateral damage and...oh. Now there was a thought. He'd heard tell of a rather fascinating spear in the past. A legendary lance once wielded by a God-Slayer and then passed on to a student whom was also the son of a god before she seemingly vanished. And thus an idea was born, a most brilliant scheme indeed. Why stop there. A true king must be versatile; able to evolve and adapt to an ever-changing battlefield, be it politics, warfare or otherwise.

If he couldn't kill Jacques outright...well. There were other ways to break despondent and utter filth like him.

"You've got a scheming look about you today, William."

Naruto smiled, but didn't open his eyes, nor did he move from where he knelt on the floor. Mediation was key for a king; the better to keep his thoughts in order at any given time. It also allowed him to maintain the vast array of weapons he'd acquired or otherwise created in his Gate. Even now he was in the process of adding another...

"Ahem."

Weiss burned in his mind's eye like a beacon, and her sword with her.

A snort filled the air shortly followed by his voice, "Why my dear sister, I do not scheme; scheming implies that whatever is planned will most certainly end in utter failure, that any plan I concoct might fail. I do not have need of a scheme. I fully prepare and then execute properly laid out plans. There is a difference."

She shivered a little but rallied.

Good. She wouldn't be Weiss if she let others cow her. He himself had no desire to do so; it was her proud independent spirit he so savored.

He heard her huff. "That still doesn't explain why you're smiling again...

His grin grew. "You'll have to wait and see. Its a surprise."

"Am I going to like this surprise?

"That depends.

"On...?"

(.0.0.0.)

"You're smiling again." Weiss stated as she glanced to her brother.

"Am I, Weiss?" he asked with a confident look.

"William." the younger twin groaned out.

He didn't say a word; of course he didn't; he just kept walking. She didn't even know where he was leading her; he'd burst to his feet a moment ago with a jovial laugh and run off; she'd been following him ever since. It was that or be left alone in their room and after what transpired that night.

Hands gripping, grasping, gagging her in the dark, a sharp blow to the side of her head...

"Take the Schnee!"

She fought down a shudder.

No. She didn't want to be alone right now.

That said, her twin was up to something and she wasn't at all sure she liked it.

"I just needed to have a word with our beloved Winter." he stated simply; there was nothing arrogant or cocky, just honesty...and somehow that worried her all the more. "There are things we need to discuss."

Weiss contemplated saving her sister from the storm that was approaching. Then she recalled what she'd nearly suffered and swiftly thought better of it. William remained implacable as ever, giving no hint of intentions, no matter how much she might wish to know them. Why confront Surely she hadn't had a part in her attempted kidnapping. She couldn't have. Things were good between them, they'd been better. She'd never countenance such a thing...

.

..

...would she?

They found Winter in her quarters, inspecting her kit. Or rather, her disassembled weapon sprawled out over her desk. She'd taken to improving it lately; elongating her blade and replacing its once simple interior with a great many gears and motors to make a rather menacing mechashift. Surely that wasn't dangerous. Clearly she wasn't exactly doing anything suspicious, but that was for the best...hopefully.

"Sister~!" William called out jovially, causing her back to stiffen. "Might we have a moment of your time?"

Winter turned in her chair to regard him warily, which was strange; because she'd never truly seen the two of them fight before, but the way she was acting now it was almost as if they already had and...no. No, no, and no again. Surely William couldn't be that strong. Smarter perhaps but not...

"Little brother." she looked like she'd sucked on a lemon. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

William merely tilted his head and eyed her disassembled weapon. "A good choice. You're skilled with a bow, I trust?"

Winter went whiter than her namesake, tried to cover her disassembled weapon, then slumped in defeat. "How did you...?!"

"A king is many things, but not foolish. Still, I'm not blind to your plight. Here." he conjured a glyph, stabbed a hand into it, then withdrew long spool of silver wire and what looked like a long compressed drill-of some sort besides. "You'll be needing these if you want to make yourself a Caladbolg of your own."

She accepted it from him warily. "Is this going to explode?"

A chuckle. "Only if you try to shoot Jacques with it.

Their elder sister sputtered. "Why would I...?!"

"Because death is a mercy he doesn't deserve." For a moment her brother's ice blue eyes almost seemed to glow. "His punishment must be more severe. After all, he tried to take Weiss away from us. Surely you're not on his side, are you?"

Winter went very still. "I had nothing to do with that fiasco."

"I know you didn't. If you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation...and you'd be dead."

Her face closed down. "William, no. Don't do anything reckless."

"Reckless?" he blinked once, then granted her a lazy smile. "Whatever do you mean? There's no kill quite like overkill."

Winter sent a pleading look Weiss' way. All she received was a shrug. "Do I want to know what you're planning?"

"Probably not. Plausible deniability and all that."

...then I shan't ask."

"Excellent." he patted her knee, drawing a scowl from her. "Best of luck with your ambush next month!"

Winter made angry Winter noises as they walked away.

Weiss looked his way. "What was that about?"

"Merely making sure she's chosen the right path." he hid a smile behind hi hand. "I expect she'll try to snipe me with that one of these days."

Weiss whipped around with a yelp , nearly smacking him with her ponytail. "William?!"

"I said try, sister." he winked her way, "Not that she would succeed. Don't worry, Weiss." He patted her head with a wry smile, "I won't die. After all, you're my treasure, my beloved and amazingly beautiful Saber. I'll be sure to grant your every hearts desire."

She dithered for a moment, considering his seemed as good a time to bring that topic up as any.

Even if I wanted to get away from father?" she grumbled, was William always so handsome, surely not-

Even then...

NOPE change of plans! ABORT! ABORT! ABORT! MADAY! MADAY! DEFCON FOUR! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! NAUGHTY THOUGHTS INBOUND!

~Ahem!

Oh! Well, that was encouraging. Might as well push the envelope while she could.

"And if I wanted to leave the manor...?"" she questioned.

"Certainly." he nodded proudly, approving of her choices to forge her own path in life.

She dared to push further. "And, hypothetically, if that meant leaving Atlas someday as well?"

"But of course."

"Even if I wanted to attend Beacon?" she asked him nervously, only to stop when he turned to her.

"Weiss." He took her by the chin and pressed his forehead to hers, "How many times do I have to say yes?" he asked in response.

Urk.

"Can we go somewhere?" she asked him. "

He gave her a bemused look, "What did you have in mind?" he smirked.

Anywhere but here. Not now. She couldn't bear to be in the mansion right now...

Her eyes sparkled, giving her twin the faintest sense of foreboding. "Well, now that you mention it...

(.0.0.0.)

"Killing Grimm in the snow?! This is your idea of fun?!"

"I'm stressed, alright?! I NEED this!"

"Such a needy sister I have...

Naruto heave a bemused sigh, sidestepped a Saby's lunge and casually carved it in half as it tumbled past. It hadn't even begun to dissolve before another took its place; he mowed that one down in a storm of blades and pivoted to catch a third with a glyph before it could bite down on him. There was no time to think or banter here, only fight, only the brutal release of the slaughter.

Truth be told, it was a fine way to vent one's stress.

Weiss danced past him, poetry in motion; a graceful white wraith weaving between shades of black, dealing death wherever she moved.

Sneaking out of Atlas hadn't been hard; if anything it was too easy. He could move quite quickly when he wanted to. Finding a decently-sized Grimm pack that was actually large enough to be a challenge? That had proven another matter entirely. They'd had to range far from the city to find one, and now, they had all they'd bargained for and more.

A giant Goliath lumbered their way, drawn by the commotion; a massive beast dwarfing even her Arma Gigas summon.

Weiss reached for her secondary sword. "I call dibs! EX-

Not a chance in the heavens or hells.

"Allow me." he hummed happily.

Grinning, he reached upward.

And heaven answered.

Let there be light.

(.0.0.0.)

"Aha!"

A continent away, a reborn fox sensed it.

He threw back his head and belted out a laugh.

Kurama opened his eyes and looked toward the skies. "There you are."

Distracted as he was, he didn't see the shadow approaching his flank until it was much too late.

(.0.0.0.)

Weiss balked.

Standing gingerly, she dusted herself down, wiping snow from her skirt.

She, at least was able to do so; nothing remained of that Grimm he'd carved through, only a cackling crimson crater.

William lowered his arm, still holding that awful weapon in his hand...and laughed; threw back his head and cackled to the very heavens.

"Are you not entertained?!"

(.0.0.0.)

"Worthless beast!"

Kurama grunted in annoyance as a blow rocked his head to the side. Weak. Momentum may move him, but he didn't feel pain. It had to be said; Aura truly was a wonderful thing. Put a bit of chakra behind it and you could create some truly marvelous things. He should know. He'd made some marvels of his own during his "tenure" here. He'd been in this camp for so many days now, watching, waiting, observing...and now, he'd had enough.

And today...

He let the facade fall.

"Is that all you've got?"

The Schnee foreman came in swinging. Blue eyes drifted up to the weapon in his hand, if it could even be called such. The letters SDC burned out at him, a bright cherry red.

He caught it.

Physically held the brand in his hand and smiled.

A grin split his face. "I promised I wouldn't cause any trouble until he revealed himself to the world...but I never said I wouldn't defend myself."

The large man strained against him, eyes bulging, muscles heaving with all their might, to no avail. He found himself overpowered by a boy not even half his age; a wry scrawny little thing who looked like he hadn't had a good meal in weeks. He drank in their anger and fury and spite...and laughed at them.

"Stings, doesn't it?" he twisted the man's arm, producing a horrific crack that made the entire camp wince. "Having all the power in the world...only to have it taken away." he stated softly, "You think you hold all the power when in truth, you hold none. I once knew a man who shattered planets in boredom just for shits and giggles, this is pathetic even by my standards."

His fingers flicked out and the foreman's arm fell to the ground with a wet splat.

The foreman dropped to his knees, clutching the severed stump of his elbow with a shriek. He snatched up the man's brand before it could strike the floor, whirled, and slammed it into his backside. A shrill scream was his reward, an awful grating sound on his sensitive ears; but it was well worth it to bring the man low. So he branded him again. Right in the forehead.

Because you see, he understood.

He'd been the same once. A mindless mass of hate.

All humans weren't to blame. Painting everyone with a broad brush stroke helped no one; it only made things worse.

It was people like this who muse be punished. Those who delighted in harming others.

There was a fine line between justice and cruelty.

Justice was standing up for others who were incapable of defending themselves and needed to be helped when those who sought to profit off the suffering of those whom they disliked or hated.

Cruelty was enjoying the torment of those whom they decided they wanted to bring low. To make them break under pressure and keep them broken at any cost, regardless of if the person was good or bad.

Kurama straddled that line now, swinging one leg over his victim to pin them down. They whimpered and that whimper became a scream as he pressed the searing brand into their face. Held it there now, humming softly as his victim began to scream. Flesh bubbled and melted like so much fat on the fire, bringing with it an awful stench and leaving the indelible impression of the SDC behind. A quick application of fire chakra to his hand ensured that the brand was soon burning bright again.

"You think you know pain, little man?" he questioned the wailing human, "You have no idea. But that's alright. I'm feeling generous today. I'll teach you what you need to know. Let the lesson begin." he muttered out as he cracked his neck, loud cracking filling the air as he rotated his neck in preparation of what was to come. "Lesson one. Never lower your guard.

He slammed the brand into the man's neck, rendering his words a slobbering whine.

"Lesson two! Don't be a prick!"

The brand scorched the portly man's gut, filling the air with the scent of burnt flesh.

"Lesson three! Less talking and more screaming!"

The man was a gasping mess beneath him now. No. Not yet. Not nearly enough.

He crouched down before them and seized them by what little remained of their greying hair.

"Do you know the definition of insanity?" he drew the words out in soft, sibilant hiss.

The foreman whimpered and begged for mercy, trying to crawl away. "P-P-Please, I-I-I'm so-sorry..."

"I could tell you, I suppose, but you've already proven my point." Kurama snorted in annoyance, "Don't worry. I'm not going to kill you, I expect that would make you a martyr. No, I'm just going teach you a lesson...

He branded them afresh, reveling in the sizzle of flesh that followed.

"Why are you doing this?! I'm human! This will bring all sorts of problems down on the Faunus!" the man blubbered. "You'll see!"

"You're right. It could bring problems to the Faunus" he tutted softly. "However, you are wrong in one assumption. You're not a man. You're a pig. And where to pigs usually go when they have no use in this world...? That's right, the slaughterhouse..Now then..."

He leaned in, teeth gone sharp, eyes blazing red.

Five words followed, making his prey quiver.

"Let me hear you squeal."

Credit where it was due, "pig" didn't pass out for a solid hour. Then again, he was probably afraid to. He moved onto the rest of the guards afterward. It took

Stepping over their unconscious bodies, he strode to the cages at the far end of the encampment. He hadn't been the only one to "misbehave" merely the most recent. There were at least a dozen other Faunus locked within, many of whom reached out to him; but he moved to the weakest first.

One of them was barely alive.

He reached in, grabbed the bars of their cell, and yanked. The door flew free from its hinges with a tortured squeal of metal.

Casting it aside, he stepped into the gloom

Golden eyes gazed up at him from shadows, set within a dirty face framed by dark hair...and two little cat-ears twitching atop her head. She looked a proper mess; clad in little more than rags, knees hunched up under her chin, bruised little shoulders quivering for warmth. A whimper parted her lips as he stepped inside and she scrambled backwards.

"No!" the word tore out of her in a plaintive wail, rending his heart asunder. "Not me! I'll be good! Please! I promise!

"Its alright." He knelt and offered her his hand. "I'm not going to hurt you, I swear."

The girl hesitated. Those golden orbs flicked to his, then the daylight beyond.

"You're safe," he reassured her. "There's no danger. None will harm you."

Someone already had. He could see her injuries. Someone had branded her neck just shy of her collarbone; he could see the ugly red letters of SDC standing out vividly against her pale skin. It looked fresh. The sight filled him sadness and sorrow, but more than that, rage. He was new to this particular camp; he'd no idea who she was or where she came from. Hopefully she had parents somewhere nearby. Preferably the live sort. He was nobody's babysitter.

Almost on cue, Tears gathered in her eyes. "I want Mommy and Daddy. I wanna go home."

Alright, that was progress. "Where are you from?"

"Menagerie."

His eyes widened. "You're a long way from home."

She sniffled again. "I wanna go home!"

Shit. Crying child. What to do?!

Utterly out of his depth, the reincarnated fox flailed for something-anything!-to do, and seized upon the first solution he found. Laying one hand on her neck, he pushed chakra through his hand and into her scar. The ugly red welt began to fade beneath his touch, slowly scabbing over until the ugly letters of SDC could no longer be seen. She made a curious noise and looked up at him, eyes very wide indeed.

"How did you...?"

"Magic." he lied through his teeth, not knowing that those very words would come back to bite him later. "Do you have any more of...?"

Judging by the way the girl winced, he expected there other brands across her back and shoulders.

More healing followed, the gentle glow of golden light swelling within the cage.

Only once he was finished did he speak. "What's your name?"

"Blake." she hiccuped a little, too weak to stand. "Did you beat the bad people?"

Poor choice of words. A rueful chuckled lifted his lips Beat, branded, and broken. "I certainly did."

"How?" she squinted up at him, emboldened by his deeds, but still nervous. "You're not much bigger than me."

"Magic." he said again, unwilling to explain.

"But...you don't have a weapon."

"Magic."

"But that doesn't-

So full of questions, this one!

"I'm Adam." he offered his hand again, quickly now, before she could pester him again. "Come with me if you want to live."

Little Blake Belladona didn't hesitate for an instant.

Tiny fingers curled around his.

And a bond was formed.

A/N: A wild Little!Blake appears!

We've made it quite obvious who Kurama reincarnated as.

Ironically, this is the 'ol fox being NICE.

He's still sane. Just very driven.

Aaaand scene.

Would you like this bad boy to receive weekly updates? Yay or nay!

As ever, we're sticking with the tried and true "Embers" Rule for this story.

If folks don't like it...well, it won't be continued. So speak up! Make yourself heard! Your voice matters! That's no joke!

I have very little time to write these days, so feedback plays a large part in this. Daily updates ensure that I'm constantly busy working on one project or another. I cannot afford to stop and write something that folks don't like; if only because I feel that would a cold disservice to those of who who have stuck with me for so long.

So in the Immortal Words of Atlas....Review...Would You Kindly?

And enjoy the previews! Potential ones, I suppose.

Granted, some are far off:

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

SPOILERS AWAIT YOU!

YE BE WARNED!

(Previews)

"They're out of control!"

Willow ignored Jacques as he ranted and raved.

But when he tried to turn than anger on her...she would not allow it.

Her eyes met his. "The next time you touch me will be the last time you have hands."

"You dare insult me, woman?!"

How had she ever let this little weasel of a man break her.

"You're nothing, Jacques. Our children could slaughter you in their sleep. Is that why you're so afraid...?"

XxX

"MOM!"

"Who is tha-"BLAKE?!"

Kurama had half a second to brace himself.

Ghira and Kali Belladona hit him like an absolute freight train, swept him up into their arms and squeezed.

XxX

*Note to self: Potential Team Name notes for initiation, keep this for later. Don't forget. Can't forget.

SVRN?* Considering* JWBY? *No, won't work, Coeur did that.* SYBL? *Might work.* CRDA? *Move some letters around. *CARD? What color would that even be?!

Do we even need Jaune this time around...? Can't let the poor boy have a peaceful life?

...thoughts for later.

XxX

Blake followed him like a silent shadow. Well, maybe not so silent.

Kurama sighed. "This is my life now, isn't it?"

XxX

"So we meet again!

I admit, I had my doubts."

"Ha! Of course you would. Not me. I never doubted for a moment.

XxX

"You're not going to Beacon. Neither of you."

It began with a snicker.

Weiss knew that noise well; just as she knew what was about to happen. Wisely, she took a step back. And well that she did, for her brother's snicker soon enough it became a chuckle, followed by a wry laugh, then an outright cackle. Her brother palmed his face and threw back his head, covering his eyes with one hand, shoulders shaking as he quivered with mirth.

William was her twin. Her older brother, technically, born nine seconds before her. Her other half, both like her and so unalike her.

He favored Grandfather in many ways; from his mild blue eyes to his crisp white hair, right down to his choice of weaponry and armor. He was in every way a knight; no, to call him such was an insult. Remnant hadn't had a king in centuries, but her brother had the bearing of one. It showed now, as he laughed at the top of his lungs.

Father flushed. "Why are you laughing, William?! Stop that! Stop that at once, I say! Stop laughing at me!"

"I can't help myself! You're no Father of mine! You're even a man-not really. You're just a...MONGREL."

William possessed the Schnee semblance, just as she.

One might think he was slow in all that armor. He wasn't. He was fast.

His hand found father's throat, ripped him off the floor, and flung him across the room.

"I'll have you sued for this...!"

"Of course, father." William tittered merrily, eyes dancing with malice. "Because that's just what you do, isn't it?" His head tilted, gaze half-lidded in thinly veiled scorn, teeth flashing in a sneer. "How has that worked out for you? You stormed in here, thinking you could use your wealth and influence to dictate our destiny. But you can't."

"Why you impudent-

A brilliant white glyph opened behind him as he climbed to his feet. William's head twitched just so. An ancient white blade burst forth from its shimmering confines. Blood spattered the wall. Jacques crumpled to his knees with a scream, clutching the bloody, ruined remnants of his right wrist.

Weiss gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. "What are you doing?!"

Her twin ignored her.

"And let's not forget your deal with Ironwood." William clicked his tongue, cheeks dimpling in a scowl. "Get all your competitors in one place so you can buy them out. Just like you're trying to do with us now." He crossed both arms before his blue-and-silver armored chest and shook his head. "If only someone could have warned you against such a miserable idea. Oh wait!" A finger rose, then jabbed toward his breastplate. "I did! But you pushed ahead and you lost your temper, when all you had to do was keep your word! You think you're entitled to everything just because you have money, but money isn't enough!

Jacques tried to stand.

No, no, no. That wouldn't do. Mongrels belonged in the dirt.

Another sword burst forth from a glyph and cut off his leg at the knee. He crumpled with a squeal. Much better.

"If you raise a hand to Weiss again, the other hand comes off, and your leg besides." He all but spat the word, the turned to face her. "We're leaving, Weiss. Beacon awaits."

He offered his hand and waited for her to make up her mind. Her gaze flitted to his, then back to Jacques.

Father gurgled weakly where he lay. "Don't you dare...!"

Weiss hesitated, if only for a moment. This man had been their father, once, long ago.

William didn't waver, not once. "Never forsake me, and I'll never forsake you."

She took a deep breath to steel herself...and took her twin's palm.

Hand in hand, they walked out the door.

XxX

The world rippled. That was the best way, the only way Weiss felt, to describe what followed. Her brother held a hand toward the sky. A glyph bloomed above his hand, shimmering just above his fingertips. Then another. Another. Yet another still. As she looked on he reached into it.

"Let me show you...just what exactly real power is. in the hands of someone who controls it."

And heaven answered.

XxX

Laughter split the air. "Not so brave now, are you, MONGRELS?!"

Grimm died in droves, fleeing for their lives. Explosions filled the air, steel flashed as it hurtled through the space between.

Weiss palmed her face. "There's no stopping him when he's like this..."

XxX

"Soooo...you can summon weapons?"

Naruto quirked a pale brow. "I can indeed. What of it?"

"And you can basically summon whatever you want? Any kind of weapon? Like, heroic weapons?"

"With time and effort, yes."

"Eeeeeeeee~!"

Ruby jumped him with a squeal. "Can you be my partner?! Please, please, pleaaaaassse?!"

"...you've brave, I'll give you that." he regarded his dirty armor with a glower. "I've killed people for less."

Guileless silver eyes blinked up at him. "But you wouldn't kill a teammate, right?

"I never said I was going to be your-"

"Please, please, please!"

Hrrngh. Too cute...

XxX

"Well, you certainly don't lack for confidence."

XxX

Cardin gulped. "What the hell are you?"

...the solution. Now, what was that you said behind my back? I believe you laughed at me.

He spread his arms. The Emerald Forest went still.

"But you're not laughing now.

XxX

She frowned at him for a long moment. "What are you...?"

"Many things." he sipped at the flute of wine languidly. "A dead man. A brother. A leader. And also..."

He raised his gaze. Blue eyes shimmered red.

"...an executioner."

XxX

"You can't just be strong! You have to be smart! You can't just be deserving, you have be WORTHY! And you aren't! None of you are!"

He whirled and thrust a finger behind him.

"Only she is."

XxX

EDIT: WARNING! This preview is deliberately condensed to prevent spoiling a MAJOR event down the line. Sorry about that.

Also verbatim from Gilgamesh vs Enkidu.

Read at your own risk~!

With a grin, William raised the strange weapon overhead, and seconds after the weapon; let out a roar. Wind's screech in terror as the air is cut apart from the blade's activation before the very skies erupt as electricity roars out from the weapon, crashing across the land as clouds begin to rapidly begin to whip up around him, a menacing red glow filling the air in which he stood and looked down upon the world.

"This fight now has the full of my attention." William grinned manically as he clenched his hand upon his weapon and called out, "Ea!" the already rapidly rotating cylinder-like sections glowing red/white from the sheer amount of power coursing through the weapon. Powerful storm-cloud's quickly building up from the sheer potency of his energy, "Sing praise as you like!" he declares, aiming the godly weapon down towards the earth, a grin of excitement upon his face, the explosion of energy rippled through the aor as lightning sparked from the increased output of speed. Chakra and aura fed into the blade churning the cyclonic weapon further.

Across the land, past the sea, and through the lands beyond, the snarling energy had not gone unnoticed, for everyone had been brought to a halt in whichever activities they were conducting. Man, woman, child, pet, monster and beast alike all stopped as the power of the deistic weapon was unveiled.

This was William's most prized weapon, The Star that Split Heaven and Earth, his Sword of Rupture: Ea. It doesn't matter if there is one opponent or even an entire army facing it, so long as they are a part of this world they will be ripped apart regardless of their power. That is what it means to take a full powered blow from the nigh almighty Sword of Rupture. And as of right now, there is but one person who was willingly standing against that very blow. This very blow was to be his greatest and most heartfelt gift to his oldest and only true friend who remained, the long awaited gift to grant upon their long awaited reuinion. A bolt of red lightning shoots across the sky as it arcs through the clouds with a rumble, the storm increasing in power as he fully grasps his strength now within the blade he held.

The Sword of Rupture snarled hungrily as sparks of crimson electricity spark around its length, the air thrummed as lightning sparked and the thunder would crash through the sky as it turns to grow even further. The earth beneath is being pulled apart, cracking to pieces as the strength of the cyclone grows as the speed of the winds above increase vastly with each passing second. Rain had begun to pour down from the heavens, flooding the forest beneath as it continued falling with unrelenting force as the two begin to ready themselves for the inevitable clash with one another.

Crimson lightning roared as it exploded across the skies, contained for the moment within the clouds overhead as the storm continued to grow. This would not be an ordinary thunderstorm. This would not be a hurricane... this was the clash of two men exhalted as gods in a very different life, made legendary by the will of the very planet itself so as to protect or destroy it upon call.

The forces of both heaven and earth clash against each other. The heaven's shook, the earth rippled as chakra and aura spread through the air amd across the land.

The reunion was an unexpected one.

Neither had really planned for it.

Neither had truly even expected it.

And yet it happened.

"I am happy..." the red haired faunus smiled at him, "To compare my abilities..." he said as the wind grew in ferocity, he raised both arms, widely spread as he fully immersed himself where he was free to embrace his power, his chakra and aura pulsating as he accepted the challenge from his one amd only friend, "To be able to challenge you like this once again." he stated as rain began to fall from the high heavens. He lowered his arms as he spoke in a more firm tone, "In modern terms... I'm gonna go all out...Naruto..." he said, declaring his friend's true name seriously, droplets of rains hovering in the air as his unfathomable power flexed itself.

"I'm sure you feel the same excitement as I." the faunus grinned in excitement, "The moment we died, the second we split...this very world turned hollow..." he grinned ferally. White light built in his hands. Dark chakra built up as it coalesced amd formed a new energy in his palm where it swelled in the Faunus' palms, "You better show me you haven't gone soft without me, because I've had hardships of my own, and now I need to see what you can really do... in order to show you my own growth... and then we will see, just who between us has grown more. Now come at me with all that you have...!" He growled before he roared, "Yes...come at me bro!" as he unleashed everything he was holding back. The heavens roared as the earth quivered, the land rumbling as the two accepted one anothers challenge happily.

White lightning flashed through the sky as the chakra and aura of the Faunus was unleashed. Crimson electricity holding the power of annihilation slammed through the clouds and crashed down as the energy of both creation and destruction filled the air. Red Lightning fell from the heavens as golden lightning crashed through the air and fell out of the clouds to meet it in challenge. The world waged war with itself, a massive surge of power unlike anything witnessed in 10,000 years. The storm glowing a multitude of colors, red-yellow-white-blue-green and even purple as the energies within clashed time and again with one another, a massive funnel of winds whirling down to the earth to birth a massive Typhoon between the two combatants. The clouds rotated with immense speeds, churning the superstorm between with no limits, the world heeded the power and granted it all it had.

BOOM~ CRASH~ BOOM~ ZAP~ KA-BOOM~ BOOM~ CRASH~

Strike after strike, bolt after bolt, crash upon crash, one explosion after the other; the heavens reigned ultimately supreme as they unleashed their wroth down upon the mortal realm. Atoms amd protons collided before lightning crashed through the air with explosive force, lighting up the dark sky with frightening strength. Under the brunt of all this power, the heavens growled, the earth quaked, and the whole of Remnant shook to her core as red and gold lightning flashing through the air. The clouds continued to gather, growing darker and darker each second and expanding to become one massive hurricane of raw unconstrained power. Category-3 Tornadoes swirled down from the storm cloud's and struck the earth, ripping the land apart. The Class-4 Supercell Hurricane was growing far to fast for weather reporters to calculate the strength, just knowing it was to be the most unforeseen and undoubtedly the most powerful in all of history.

As this unfathomable power escalated further a voice filled the air, a voice demanding that each and every person heed it, and all listened as commanded, William-Naruto-had began speaking in the tongue native to that of the Elemental Nations from which none on Remnant-save one other-could ever hope to comprehend, "Gensho o kataru, (I will tell you of the beginning,)" while he spoke, his once beautiful blue eyes now glowed red as blood as Ea currently did in his hand. The ground began shaking under his might as the unfathomable power once again peaked higher and higher, "Tenchi wa wakare mu wa kaibyaku to kotohogu. Sekai o saku wa waga kairi-ken. (Heaven and earth split, nothingness congratulated creation, and my sword cleaved the world.)" he declared, a flash of red electricity shooting past him, his grin filled with excitement for the inevitable clash with his best and only friend.

A grin split the Faunus' face, uncaring as the wind tore his words away, his own voice changing to match his friends growing power, "Horobi o fumikoeru, horobi o motarasu monodakara. Yueni~! (I will stride through the destruction, for I am the bringer of annihilation... Therefore I invoke~!)"

"Hoshi no o mawasu, tenjō no jigoku to wa, sōsei zen'ya no shūchaku yo~! (Mortar of the star's, heaven's hell, is the eve of creation's Celebration!)" William-Naruto-declared loudly, his voice echoing through the storm as the clashing of two primordial forces begin ripping the fabric of reality apart as cracks appeared around the epicenter of their growing strength, bolts of crimson lightning crashing around him as the eye of the storm swelled with power.

As they finished gathering the last vestiges of their power, the sun peaked over the horizon, illuminating the super-storm that had been conjured from the energy being released.

They grinned at one another, words echoing through the destruction.

"ENUMA~/BIJUU~!"

"DAMA~/ELISH~!"

The world cried out.

And their forces clashed...

All that remained was light....

EDIT: Hey, you made it! Thanks for reading!

As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well it will remain, but...I won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.

Holidays are her, and my free time is limited to the extreme now. As such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact.

Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work!

R&R~!