Abomination of Innovation Chapter 8

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[ A little while back… ]

“... Are you saying that you were bluffing that entire time?” Ironwood asked with a grave voice, a stray droplet of sweat falling down the side of his head as Agito stared him down blankly.

“Your ears have not failed you before, have they? Age must be catching up to you…” Agito replied with an unamused face, ignoring the baffled looks his disrespect garnered from the surrounding soldiers and staff. “Is an artifact of that level so easily destroyed by an auraless, adolescent boy?”

“...” Ironwood did not reply, finding truth in Agito’s words as he realized his oversight when it came to that incident. He completely ignored Agito’s provocation as he began thinking.

Are the Relics truly so fragile that the Agito of that time, who had shown neither aura nor any of the advanced technology he now exhibited, could casually break them with his bare hands? Artifacts created by the Brother Gods shattered by a young boy’s measly physical strength?

It was unfeasible.

Summer appeared to have a grasp of Agito’s capabilities at the time, and nothing she saw suggested an exaggerated level of physical ability, save for his acute senses that were later attributed to his ability to sense magic and Grimm.

There was also his extreme talent for mechanics and ‘rune crafting,’ as Ozpin seemed to put it. The latter talent made the usually composed Ozpin almost… erratic. James had never seen Ozpin demand information with such severity before, but the prospect of a boy capable of creating magical artifacts was indeed a cause for such a reaction.

Gods knew that he was barely holding himself back from simply kidnapping the boy and taking him somewhere safe rather than leaving him loose like this.

There was never a guarantee that Salem’s agents wouldn't show up to try and kidnap him first at any moment…

Although, Ironwood highly doubted that even a spy would appear within Atlas under his purview, let alone Salem herself.

This was his impenetrable fortress.

However…

“... Be that as it may, you are still far from safe as you are right now.” Ironwood eventually spoke after several tense seconds of silence as everyone present was left surprised at his disregard for Agito's disrespect.

It hardly mattered at the moment.

“And why is that?” Agito did not sound condescending as he asked curiously, not dismissing Ironwood completely.

Ironwood glanced at the soldiers and staff members standing around them with puzzled faces before turning back to Agito with a frown.

“... I believe it may be beneficial for us to go somewhere more private to discuss this.”

…

“... I believe Mrs. Schnee should not be present for this,” Ironwood commented while side-eyeing the woman as Willow's aura flared in anger.

“That is Lady Schnee now, General. And I will not be leaving Agito's side,” Willow corrected scathingly while frowning and glaring at the unphased man.

“I've told Willow everything.” Agito casually revealed as Ironwood stiffened, mouth slightly parted for just a second before he closed it.

Willow stared at the General with a satisfied smirk, still glaring coldly.

Winter looked positively confused about what was going on, even if her face didn't show it, as Ironwood glanced back at her before slowly turning back to Agito.

“Ah.” Agito caught on to the issue and slowly turned to Willow. “Willow? Go with your daughter for a bit, please.”

“... Are you sure?” Willow glanced at the General warily before turning to Agito worriedly.

“Oh, this was always a clone, don't worry,” Agito reassured as the others froze at that piece of information.

What was the point of all that fighting if Agito was never actually here?

“Alright... Winter? Come with me.” Willow slowly nodded her head before turning to her daughter and ordering her to come with.

Winter blinked and turned to her General, blinking again as the man nodded for her to go.

“Understood.” She spoke as if to address both Willow and Ironwood simultaneously.

She and Willow walked out of the room and left only Agito and the General of Atlas’s Military.

Oh, sorry, I meant Agitonator the First, Surveyor of Shinies, Conqueror of Grimm, He Who Faced The Queen, other titles still pending at the moment.

The pressure that the General exuded now that the two were standing here alone was beyond anything most people ever experienced. It was firm, unyielding, and overwhelming, befitting that of the General of Atlas. It was not even a question of ‘if’ when it came to Agito’s chances of defeating the man. There was no chance whatsoever.

But Agito was anything but intimidated. The authoritative presence Ironwood maintained didn’t hold a candle to the pure malice Salem exuded when Agito stood before her. It was barely even on par with the awakened Summer’s aura, who was weakened at the time.

“Keep glaring at me like that and half the world will be convinced you're a pedophile by next week. This is not a threat, this is a promise.” Agito spoke blankly while returning Ironwood’s glare with a chilling, blank stare. There was no fear, trepidation, or hesitation on his face…

… Only a silent promise to deliver on his threat should Ironwood disregard it.

The General kept his intimidating gaze for only a few seconds more before deciding not to test whether Agito was truly capable of delivering on that promise or not. Either way, having the rabid raccoon boy on the loose attempting to do such a thing was not the ideal scenario.

Agito seemed unphased at being all alone with the General anyway, so intimidation was clearly not the tactic to use in this situation.

“... Salem's power is beyond the paltry tricks you saw in that short time with her,” Ironwood revealed without any fanfare, placing his hands on the table with a grave frown.

“Don't worry, I know you're not actually glaring right now, you just have a resting bitch face,” Agito reassured the glaring General rather than addressing his words, disregarding them completely.

The General froze at Agito’s sudden reassurance and turned to the reflective surface of the glass table to check his expression, finding himself glaring despite not intending to.

What was a resting bitch face? And did he actually have such a thing?

“Enough of your trickery!” Ironwood barked after snapping out of his momentary, thought-provoking reverie.

James Ironwood could proudly admit that he had underestimated the raccoon boy in both his overall competence and his ability to distract and trick those he spoke with.

Quite the troublesome rodent, he was…

“Fine, fine… What’s this about Salem now?” Agito didn’t appear apologetic about his actions even as he moved on to the actual topic Ironwood brought him here for.

“... You’re as good as gone if you encounter Salem again.” Ironwood dryly informed while barely holding back a glare, clearly acting with much more self-restraint after his earlier mishap. “Your abilities are beyond anything Remnant has seen for hundreds of years, maybe ever. Salem will stop at nothing to capture you… or remove you.” 

“... Salem couldn’t even get past a weakened Summer to reach me back when I ran away. Even if she couldn’t hurt Summer, thanks to our agreement, that level of strength doesn’t feel as drastic as you’re making it out to be.” Agito pointed out curiously, his words sounding quite arrogant, contrary to his interested expression.

He knew little of what Salem was capable of, and he was not stupid enough to underestimate her while knowing her status and especially after having felt her presence, but he was curious to see what Ironwood knew that made him so fearful of the Grimm Queen.

Ironwood seemed quite conflicted at Agito’s question, hesitating between informing the tricky raccoon or obscuring this important piece of information.

“... That Salem you saw was not the true Grimm Queen.” Ironwood finally decided after a few seconds of contemplation, informing Agito with a grave voice while hiding his hands behind his back like the cliché General idle animation that Generals like him always did for some reason.

Maybe it was an authority thing. Agito didn’t know.

“... The accompanying battle drone that was tailing Summer from behind and recording the battlefield spotted a few Grimm gathering around a Grimm-made pit while Summer was fighting off the first hoard of Grimm.” Ironwood slowly explained while taking his hand out from behind him and raising it with an open palm, revealing a small device that suddenly projected a video hologram.

Inside the video, Agito watched as several of the strong Grimm that were annihilated immediately when Summer first encountered Salem placed a few ominous Dust(?) crystals and materials in the pit before a few of the ones that hadn’t shown later melted into the pit until a thick, gooey black substance formed around the materials made from the bodies of the Grimm.

A different Agito, currently fighting for his life inside an ancient temple dedicated to a weird deity thing, would recognize this action from the Grimm as the one that was done when the Grimm had corrupted the Temple.

The camera panned from the pit to suddenly look at Agito, finding him slowly following in Summer’s footsteps as he navigated through the countless stone statues of Grimm, using them for cover as the monster corpses left in her wake helped keep him hidden from the ongoing conflict.

His face was completely devoid of fear, panic, or anxiety as he moved past so many massive, intimidating Grimm statues. The only expression that appeared on his face was the occasional fascination as he tried to steal a tooth or horn from a petrified Grimm before immediately giving up after feeling how solid it was and remembering his goal, making him advance further into the battlefield.

“... After Summer began approaching the Grimm-pool once she was finished with the smaller Grimm, Ozpin pointed out something of note while observing the footage.” Ironwood continued after a few seconds as the camera panned to the ‘Grimm-pool’ again, showing how the pool slowly became smaller and smaller as it converged around a certain point.

It eventually all coalesced above the crystals and materials the Grimm had placed earlier, hovering weightlessly as the dark, gooey, and liquid-like matter revolved in the air freely.

Beneath it, the materials began glowing a menacing shade of red as they dissolved into motes of light that consolidated themselves into the shape of a voluptuous figure made of scarlet red light before the figure disappeared into the dark matter revolving above it.

A few moments later, the scene Agito remembered quite well from his memories played out as the cocoon hovered higher into the air in front of Summer before revealing Salem beneath.

The tape played for a few seconds after that, but mysteriously stopped just as Agito blasted Salem with his makeshift magic cannon. No more footage could be found, as if the drone somehow stopped working.

The hologram then disappeared as Ironwood closed his open palm and placed his hand back behind him.

“Ozpin eventually concluded that the Grimm used in the creation of the Grimm-pool were what powered that projection of Salem, rather than the true Queen of Grimm herself appearing to defeat Summer.” Ironwood finished while glari- giving a rather intense stare toward Agito. “In the words of Ozpin– If Salem truly targets you herself, you will know immediately… or you’ll never see it coming.”

The graveness in his tone left Agito slightly thoughtful, even if he didn’t show it on his blank face.

The prospect of an ultra-powerful final boss monster lady hunting him was definitely not one Agito could ignore or feel comfortable with. Ironwood did not seem to be lying either, which only made it worse as Agito couldn’t easily dismiss the claim. 

“... And what exactly do you plan to do if she does come after me?” Agito decided to ask with a raised eyebrow, unamused by Ironwood’s fear mongering.

After all, if Salem was as formidable as Ironwood claimed, what was the man supposed to do to protect Agito if she decided to appear?

“Your current anonymity is too conspicuous as it is right now. Anyone could find your location with a simple search on their scroll.” Ironwood pointed out with a disgruntled huff. “We’ve devised a plan to take you away from the public’s eye and move you to Vale for security until further notice.”

Agito stared directly into Ironwood’s eyes.

“The same Vale that would have fallen if not for me?” 

Ironwood closed his mouth, frowning in displeasure at the reminder.

It was likely quite the sore spot how an entire kingdom would have (possibly) fallen had it not been for a single adolescent boy who was in the right (wrong?) place at the right (wrong?) time and had developed enough of an attachment to the agent with him to sacrifice a sacred Relic that meant a lot to him just to save them (and subsequently, the entire Kingdom).

It put things into quite the perspective realizing that, had Agito been less attached to Summer, he may have just left on his Advanced Motorcycle, leaving Remnant without its strongest Huntress and its (arguably) strongest Kingdom.

Summer had reported Agito’s utter disregard for the rest of humanity when questioned by Salem. He truly would not have cared about the deaths of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, if Summer wasn’t at risk of dying as he thought she was. And was correct about too.

This fierce protectiveness of his guardians was the only reason Ironwood had not tried anything… drastic when it came to Willow Schnee. While he may not have outright assassinated her out of respect for his close subordinate, Winter Schnee, Agito’s importance was more than enough for him to resort to harsher methods if it meant acquiring him. 

He couldn’t understand how a child like him could have such apathy towards humanity, but Ironwood has long since understood that Agito was anything but ordinary.

In the first place, Summer reported how Agito knew little to nothing about the world as a whole, not even knowing what faunus, Grimm, or huntsmen were. That level of obliviousness was impossible, yet it was.

“... Circumstances have changed now. There was a reason Salem was attacking Vale before being stopped by you.” Ironwood countered without giving anything away as Agito tilted his head in response.

“The ritual Salem was trying to stop?” Agito remembered without missing how Ironwood didn’t react or respond to his question whatsoever.

That was an answer in of itself for dudes like him.

“... So, will you finally agree to move to Vale?” Ironwood acted like Agito hadn’t said anything and asked again, frowning deeply and lowering his head slightly (a lot) so that he was staring directly into Agito’s eyes

“I’m surprised that the paranoid you doesn’t think that your precious Atlas is the absolute pinnacle of safety.” Agito didn’t answer his question, just as Ironwood didn’t answer him, pointing out the anomaly in Ironwood’s character as the General’s frown deepened. “Are you truly so doubtful of Atlas’s capabilities that you don’t think you’d be able to repel or detect Salem?”

Agito’s words left Ironwood slightly speechless as he rethought his current plans to transport Agito overseas and to Vale like Ozpin decided.

While Vale was undoubtedly the strongest of the four kingdoms in terms of Huntsmen capabilities, thanks to hunters like Summer Rose and Glynda Goodwitch, Atlas was the absolute superpower of technological advancement, surveillance capabilities, martial defense, and much more.

Would Agito truly be safer here in Atlas than in Vale? 

Atlas was constantly viewing and patrolling every inch of its borders with Surveillance Drones and advanced Atlesian Mechs, keeping any criminals and Grimm in check as nothing escaped the military’s eyes.

Was Salem truly capable of bypassing all of Atlas’s ingenuity to reach Agito, as Ozpin claimed?

No… That couldn’t be true. Ironwood could hardly imagine a way in which Salem could escape his sight if she truly tried to breach Atlas’s borders.

Keeping Agito close may truly be the better option.

It’s not like Salem could just appear next to Agito in the middle of Atlas’s most guarded and patrolled district, could she?

Of course not…

Ironwood may have debated it more if Agito’s safety was the only concern, but…

“You’re sketchy as fuck. You’re not just doing this to protect me, you have ulterior motives.” Agito pointed out straightforwardly, not dancing around the subject or playing any games as he called Ironwood out directly. 

Agito did not see Ironwood giving up Agito’s technological and artificing capabilities to Vale in any situation, especially when the man likely held a deep pride in his kingdom’s capabilities.

Something was up. They wanted him to enter Vale for some reason, as if just doing that would give or allow them something.

“... I can make going to Vale worth it for you.” Ironwood neither denied nor confirmed Agito’s accusation as he moved his hands from behind him and placed both on the edge of the table between him and Agito, a serious expression on his face.

“There is no Shiny you can give me that Willow cannot.” Agito stared blankly with lidded eyes, utterly unimpressed with Ironwood’s attempt at buying him.

“... While that may be true, there is one thing that Lady Schnee herself could not attain without me.” Ironwood’s face finally lost its usual frown as the smallest, most imperceptible smirk reached his lips.

“... How would you feel about reuniting a daughter and mother on a… more permanent basis?”

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…

[100 CP Acquired!]

“... And thus, I am now to protect and support Willow Schnee with all my power until further notice.” Winter awkwardly informed her mother while standing at attention, having been suddenly reassigned from the General’s side to her mother’s without warning.

Curiously, her salary hadn’t decreased in the slightest, and she was even given the salary of the highest level, long-term missions that agents usually get when being sent away on the most dangerous missions for an indefinite amount of time.

“... Interesting. Does this mean that the Atlas Military will be supporting the Conservative Faction in the SDC civil conflict?” Willow sat at her desk nonchalantly while taking her reading glasses off and placing them down, a thoughtful expression on her face as she pondered audibly.

“... Yes. The Atlesian Military has chosen to side with the Conservatives to honor the connection they’ve shared for decades.” Winter admitted awkwardly as Willow rolled her eyes at that load of bullshit, remembering that ‘support’ quite well when the Atlesian Military graciously accepted the bribes and ‘support’ of Jacques’s faction.

“Right…” She raised an eyebrow at that as Winter visibly squirmed in discomfort, as if torn between duty and personal obligation.

“... I believe the Atlesian Military is expecting the SDC’s support as thanks for their help should the Conservative Faction emerge victorious in the ongoing conflict.” She eventually decided and revealed her thoughts on the matter, leaving Willow quite surprised as Winter undoubtedly broke protocol.

“That much is obvious, but I can’t help but be surprised that you’d admit it so openly.” Willow pointed out with slightly widened eyes, making Winter squirm a little more before sighing.

“The General instructed me to openly and honestly answer any questions you ask unrelated to confidential operations within the Atlesian Military. In his words, I was to act and speak with you as if I was speaking to him… as a member of the SDC in all but… name.” Ignoring the fact that she was not a member of the SDC in anything but her name.

Willow remained silent as she processed Winter’s words, clearly confused about what would push the General to such lengths. He was practically giving Winter back to her, losing out on one of his most capable agents and a Schnee.

Had it not been for the issues her reinstatement as heiress would’ve brought for the already broken family dynamic, Willow thought he may have allowed her to return as a full-fledged Schnee.

Not that she’d allow such a thing in the first place. As much as she loved her eldest, she was too deep into the Atlesian Military conditioning to be allowed to control the SDC in the future. That was basically putting the SDC into the Military’s palm.

Weiss was a year away from being able to enter a Huntsman Academy, and it wouldn’t be long till she took over as the heiress and future Lady of the SDC. 

“... So… How have you been doing recently, mother?” After a few long minutes of silence, Winter finally decided to try and make some small talk.

“Hmm… How I’ve been doing…”

“HOLY SHIT, I JUST BECAME GOD!?” 

…

…

Agito scrutinized the memories and feedback he was suddenly bombarded with once the time dilation the other Agito experienced finally ceased, processing his adventure with Jinhsi and the knowledge and abilities he attained from it subsequently.

He did not expect himself to leave that little side quest as a Godling (demigod?). At most, he expected to find a Word Wall for Jinhsi and leave with her shouting “Yol!” or something.

Godbound [ Free! - Godbound ]

[You are Godbound. You have inherited the holy fire. Whatever your past life, however meagre a soul you may have been, the light of the Words has found you. Your world is slowly fading and the beasts of its twilight hour are rising up from the dust. Your people cannot hope to stand against them. Will you be their saviour, or will you be their epitaph?

You may connect to 3 Words of Creation and work miracles based on them. Extensive elaboration on your powers may be found in the Notes section, including a list of the known Words-although creation is vast, and if you wish you may choose other Words of a similar scope and make up miracles for them. Such is your supremacy to mortal men that a full day’s rest in a safe, reasonably comfortable place can heal all injuries and with or without rest your divine power replenishes in a day’s time. Pushed to the brink of death you can enter a divine fury that frees you from any binding or constraining magical effect, regain much of your health and some divine power too-though the effort will leave you helpless for a long while. The divine force you represent is such that you can brush off the attacks of many minor enemies and lesser curses when in good health, have a chance to withstand the effects of certain malign Gifts and miracles through sheer resilience, and can mow through so many individual soldiers, ancient constructs, monstrous spawn, undead minions or other petty enemies that it would take hordes or armies of them to present a meaningful damage. Know that as Samson cast down armies with a donkey’s jawbone and Elijah smote his foes with flame from the sky, you too may work many feats out of myth and legend.]

Yes… He was now Agitonator the First, Surveyor of Shinies, Conqueror of Grimm, He Who Faced The Queen, Vanquisher of the Grimmified Timeless, God of Artificing, Deception, and Wealth.

He didn’t know what that really entailed beyond that he felt… a bit weird now. 

But a good weird!

He felt… free.

In fact, the three powerful signatures of the essences coalescing within him and pulsing with an unfamiliar yet eerily natural energy seemed to be slightly perturbed as a fourth tried to converge amidst them, yet was stopped by the three Words of Creation limit.

Freedom.

… Maybe he’d attain that feeling of completion one day.

Agito was not truly pressed, even if something felt wrong within him because of that missing piece. It’s not like he’d let some upstart Free power dictate whether or not he felt free simply because he lacked a divine claim to the very domain.

Agito was a free spirit. Now, a free Divine Spirit. Freedom was never at risk, not for him.

“Wat this do?” Agito asked foolishly as he tried to figure out what his Divinity meant beyond the passive abilities mentioned and the Divine Wrath he’d likely not use anytime soon.

Agito is not an angry person! He has no reason to use such an ability.

Calling upon his Divine Essence, he embraced Divinity as a slight feeling of empowerment flowed through Agito, becoming a catalyst for the domains he now embodied.

His tongue felt silver… His touch golden… and his mind clear as a diamond.

Was Agito a Shiny now?!

Wait, but he collects shinies… So how does he collect himself?

Keeping calm?

Agito wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he was a lot different now… Yet also still the same.

He hasn’t changed. But he has?

Agito didn’t have the intelligence (or, perhaps, the patience) to contemplate such things when he could be spending time doing more important things.

… Such as looking at his new shinies!

Apartha: The Living Crystal [400 CP - Worm CYOA v17]

[Born from crystalized potential, unable to be broken, a forever constant of existence. Arpatha bonds itself to the first person to pour their energy into it. Once bound, the binder will find themselves with the capacity to know where Arpatha is in space at all times. No one can wield Arpatha in any form without the binder's permission. Arpatha has an unlimited capacity for energy, which can be retrieved at any time without loss in efficiency. It will forever be the best catalyst for you, replacing any wand, staff, or athame you could hope for. As Arpatha is used more and more, you will find that the crystal’s shape, size, and density grows increasingly malleable. In one instant it could be as light as a feather, the next, as dense as a star. As the bond solidifies, the user will discover the even after Arpatha leaves their grasp it still remains controllable. With time Arpatha will begin to develop itself in ways that will only benefit you. Constantly improving itself through comparison to other weapons, never settling to be less than anything than the best option for you. Bear it with pride.]

SHINYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

“Beautiful…” Agito stared in a daze as the Crystal appeared before him, soon siphoning his energy away upon making contact with his fingertips as his newly acquired Divine Power flowed into the Crystal before swirling back into him.

Agito was immediately on the case as he grabbed several important items he had acquired and split into several copies of himself as he and several other Agitos began working simultaneously.

“... Did you call for someone, Sir Agitonator?” One of the Agitos had called for a servant while the others worked, so Agito wasn’t surprised as a familiar balding servant knocked and entered the room, watching as the Agitos all worked in sync.

“50 Military Grade Dust.” One of the Agitos spoke bluntly without looking up from what they were working on as the others did not respond to the servant.

“... Err… I’m not quite sure if I am allowed to bring you that much Dust without the Lady’s permission, Sir.” The servant sweatdropped at the sheer amount of Dust Agito was casually asking for, stating his concerns worriedly.

Simultaneously, every single Agito stopped whatever they were doing to slowly turn in the direction of the servant, staring blankly at the servant as their tails were ramrod straight and ears unmoving.

“...” The servant was forced to maintain eye contact with the eerily silent and unmoving raccoons for a few seconds before he sighed, his self-preservation winning over the slightest bit of reluctance he felt at giving the raccoon terroris- boy that much dust.

“... You make a compelling point. Please wait a moment, Sir Agitonator The First.” 

As if on queue, the Agitos all returned to what they were dabbling and working with as the servant left the room to get what Agito was asking for.

“Oh yeah, other shiny!” The true Agito suddenly remembered as all the other Agitos paused and turned with sparkling eyes, blinking a moment later as they remembered that they were Agito and could see through the main Agito. “Wat this?”

Agito tilted his head as he summoned the newest Shiny of his.

A Doll: Refitted Sword [600 CP - Avesta of Black and White]

[An android, almost indistinguishable from a regular human besides some of her interior parts. Similar to Quinn, this is another creation of the Forge of Ruin made in the image of Ahura Mazda, the Divine Blade. But while Quinn didn't know of her original capabilities, this android is fully aware of her true nature, and this one seems to have been prepared more for combat than for connecting with others.

She is capable of freely switching between her existence as an android that doesn't really require any of the attentions of a human, and a replica of the Divine Blade, a holy weapon that carries the trait of immutability, making it basically indestructible. Not only that, but she also increases her wilder’s power and their skill with the blade immensely.

This blade is however special from its other versions. It seems that she has been designed specially with you in mind. Not only she herself seems to be completely devoted to you, albeit her personality is still being developed, but her prayer collecting capabilities have been switched to gathering strength from the number of your followers. The more people that follow and believe in you, regardless of their alignment or intentions, the stronger you become while wielding the blade, increasing even further the previous boost in power.

Even if the blade or her human avatar was somehow destroyed, you could always get a new vessel for it by just grabbing another sword of high craftsmanship. At that point, it would gain all the capabilities of the Divine Blade, for her true essence rests inside you. As such, she doesn’t count as a companion even in her human form and can be taken with you as a follower, albeit if you wish you may import her as a companion, changing that.]

A blade unlike any other he had ever seen slowly appeared before him, glowing a luminous light that enveloped the room and momentarily distracted the other Agitos as they all turned to look at the brilliant spectacle happening right in the middle of the room.

It was large. Larger than Agito himself, with it floating several inches in the air. Yet it was so unbelievably stunning that Agito wouldn’t have dared to comment on how impractical it may have been to use it. The hilt was as big as his head, and completely golden save for the crimson tips and engravings decorating it. The blade was an ethereal violet tipped with a pale silver promising death upon any creature that dared cross its path. The less said about the crimson and golden engravings at the center of the blade’s flat edge, the better…

As Agito was lost in admiring the gorgeous sword, the blade began glowing blindingly as it lost its sword-like shape in favor of something more… humanoid.

With a quiet exhale, a captivating young woman appeared in the middle of the room. Golden hair, falling just short of her shoulders, framed a face with blank, crimson-red, unfocused eyes. Her garbs were not dissimilar to those of a noble, with perfect tailoring and material covering her body. Her unfocused eyes remained motionless for only a moment before moving to Agito. Upon catching sight of him, they sharpened drastically, and her pupils dilated and followed every twitch of his raccoon features.

“...”

The sword (doll?) did not say anything after appearing before the Agitos, standing silently at the center of the room without making any movements as her lack of reaction or motion seemed… unnatural.

The Agito in front of her stared back at her with matching stoicism for a few seconds before carefully stepping forward with a slightly tilted head.

“... You’re my Shiny now,” Agito informed her, a hint of warmth in his tone as he spoke to his new Shiny. He reached up to gently pat her head, calmly touching her soft hair as a small, almost imperceptible smile entered his usually empty expression.

The android girl stared at Agito for a few seconds after his declaration before nodding slowly and bowing slightly to allow Agito to pat her head better, getting a nod of approval from the rest of the Agitos as they all returned to what they were doing. 

“... Durandal?” Agito mused as he thought of what to name the android girl/sword. He couldn’t just name her “Jessica” or something, as she was also a sword on top of being a girl.

She was no Excalibur, there was no way he’d call that. She wasn’t Balmung or Gram either, since she had nothing to do with dragons (or so Agito thought). She was not Japanese enough to be Kusanagi either…

“Durandal!” He decided, getting an approving nod and murmur from the other Agitos before the now-named Durandal nodded as well.

Agito pulled the new Shiny to the bed to allow the other Agitos to work unimpeded before turning to the last ability he hadn’t looked at yet.

An Age of Gods [ Free! - Fate/Legends - Oasis of Fantasy]

[The Age of Gods is certainly a time to be alive. Humanity is far from as weak as it will become in the modern era, so you will require a suitable body to these early times. Should you be born later in this world’s life, after the Age of Gods has ended, you will be quite the anomaly. A human with a body from the Age of Gods yet born in the latter ages.

You have the physical and mental capabilities that any modern human would believe you are superhuman. You can tear through the stone or metal of the modern day without much exertion, perhaps even lift a tonne of weight over your head, and certainly outrun any horse. You have magical power unlike what appears to those who use magecraft, as you do not have magic circuits. Instead, through your body runs pure magical energy, allowing you to much more easily manipulate your own energy and that of the world around you. Of course, such a thing requires training to utilise to any real effect but once you have that training, there is no modern mage not considered a freakish prodigy that could level with you.

As befits a time of myths and heroes, you will be assured to be at least somewhat attractive and it is possible for your body to grow to somewhat inhuman degrees, though whether that manifests as being eight feet tall and bulging with muscles or the sort of beauty normally seen only in the depictions of fertility goddesses in the temples of Babylon…that’s still to be decided.]

Agito now had the supernatural strength that others in this world seemed to exhibit and he hadn’t yet, likely due to a lack of training more than anything else.

Neat.

“Am I somewhat attractive?” Agito turned to look at Durandal to ask as he read the last part of his new ability, his raccoon ears twitching on every body of his as the Agitos all listened expectantly to what Durandal’s answer would be.

The girl stared silently at Agito for a few seconds, her eyes focusing a little more on his visage as she inspected him for a few moments before finally opening her mouth for the first time since appearing.

“You’re… adorable.”

“...” All the Agitos simultaneously frowned, pouting slightly as they returned to their work once again. The main Agito pursed his lips and crossed his arms in displeasure, dissatisfied with her answer.

“... You don’t have much experience in the world, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t understand…” Agito mumbled while looking at the ground sullenly, freezing as an unfamiliar warmth touched his head.

Looking up, Agito saw the ‘unfeeling’ doll caressing his fuzzy ears and patting his head tentatively, her hand stiff and inexperienced, yet determined nonetheless.

Her hand held a hint of warmth, her skin soft and smooth, all contrary to her true nature as a blade. Despite how demeaning it may have been to allow someone to treat him like this (as if he hadn’t allowed Summer, Kali, and Willow to all do the same), Agito did not object to her touch despite its inability to match Summer’s strong and safe touch, Kali’s experienced hands, or Willow’s indulgent spoiling.

Because he knew that this was the first step to letting his Shiny truly shine as more than just a blade– but as a person too.

Agito let out a soft purr as Durandal began slowly caressing his head while the other Agitos worked all around them, letting the girl develop her headpatting skills as she slowly improved over the course of the next few minutes.

The fifth and final pull he had yet to tackle was completely forgotten in favor of this quiet moment with his new Shiny. 

“Sir Agitonator? I have acquired the… Dust…” The servant Agito had ‘persuaded’ into bringing him the Dust soon returned to find a rather peculiar scene as he saw the Agitos continuing their work just as they had been, only now with an Agito sitting on the bed with an unfamiliar blonde woman caressing his head. “... Should I inform Lady Willow about this?”

“I hold no secrets,” Agito stated firmly.

He was lying.

“Understood. I’ve seen nothing today.” The servant bowed his head and left the suitcase in the waiting hands of one Agito before closing the door and walking off, not overthinking the scene he had just seen.

That was likely the right choice, according to his self-preservation instincts.

“Breakthrough!” x7

Seven Agitos all simultaneously stood up as they finished what they had all been working on, raising all of the materials needed in the air as the main Agito stood up from Durandal’s embrace to finally commence what he’s been waiting for.

A familiar Spellbook he had acquired long ago while still with Summer now glowed with familiar runes and inscriptions added by Agito, a vacant cavity carved at the middle of its spine. A few dust crystals were perfectly embedded into the front and back of the book cover, all perfectly centered around the hole.

Slowly, the Crystal Catalyst he had acquired hovered toward the opened Spellbook, glowing a curious, pure white as it encroached upon the book…

… directly into the gap Agito carved out for it.

The Crystal and the Dust surrounding it began glowing brightly as it connected with the Spellbook, the Crystal’s pure white coloring morphing into a kaleidoscope of different hues resembling that of the Dust Crystals before eventually glowing with a singular, powerful color.

There, the newly created Grimoire hovered before Agito, its catalyst shining a brilliant Gold no different from Agito’s own glowing eyes of Gold. 

The Grimoire’s body was adorned in countless glowing runes and inscriptions, all periodically dimming and shining with power every few seconds as they worked to maintain the connection between the Catalyst and the rest of the Grimoire. The Dust Crystals, previously filled with different elements like fire, ice, and even gravity, all now glowed a single shade of blinding white, showing no sign of the elements they previously possessed.

But that wasn’t all that Agito was left in awe of… The fact that he could feel the smugness and pride radiating from the newly created Grimoire was certainly something to consider.

It was called “The Living Crystal”, so he shouldn’t be too surprised…

“... I have expended my naming capabilities for today on Durandal. You get your name tomorrow.” Agito declared firmly while reaching out to gently pat the Grimoire as if it was a person or pet, getting a pleased response from the Grimoire even if it did a harrumph at not receiving its name immediately. “You’re my Shiny now.”

The Grimoire happily accepted the claim as the Grimoire’s pages fluttered, closing shut as Durandal approached it from next to Agito.

“... Sibling?” Durandal asked.

“I mean… yeah, I guess,” Agito mused thoughtfully, thinking if they were siblings or more like distant cousins. In a video game, the two would be the signature weapon of two different classes, likely Warrior and Wizard.

Huh, they were kinda like siblings…

“Agito is a sibling too!” Agito declared, not wanting to be left out from the family reunion. “I’m the weapon of a Class too…”

Durandal and… well, the unnamed Grimoire couldn’t really do so but gave the energy of looking at Agito in confusion as he declared himself as one of them.

“I’m the weapon of um… um…” Agito contemplated what class could have him as a weapon before suddenly achieving enlightenment. “A summoner! Agito is a summon.”

Neither one of the two weapons responded to Agito’s declaration, but not for a lack of trying on the catalyst’s part. After all, a summoner usually had a catalyst, like a Grimoire, to summon their summons.

Maybe something like a Dragon Tamer would fit more, actually. An Agito Tamer!

Pfft… Only, there was no one out there that could actually tame Agito!

Still, that meant he counted. Agito took that as a victory!

Huhuhu…

Well, that’s enough work for today. Time for Agito to go Shiny hunting!

Nothing could ruin this day!

…

…

Agito could be seen lounging on the ground in a rather desolate park, a rather odd lack of people around if not for the fact that it was past midnight. He was lazily rolling around on the soft grass, finding no issue in dirtying the rather expensive clothes Willow got him as he enjoyed the loving touch of nature on his body. His Relic of Treasures was nearby, sitting atop its rightful throne, Agito’s specially commissioned trashcan acquired by the SDC’s best (it was a trashcan from Vale that was made to fit the lid since trashcans in Atlas were too big).

Surprisingly, the agents that Ironwood instructed to tail him whenever he left Schnee Grounds left him for the first time since his debut, something Agito attributed to his agreement with Ironwood even if he had never explicitly asked for such a clause.

That meant that, for the first time since arriving in Atlas, Agito was finally completely alone and without anyone possibly watching or listening in on him!

The only exception was the shady person sitting on a bench some distance away, facing away from where Agito was. What sort of weirdo visited a park this late in the night while wearing a cloak of all things???

Agito had no interest in finding out. For all he knew, that was some diddler waiting to find his next target…

Although he was awfully skinny for a guy, but maybe that was a bit rude of Agito to say.

Sorry, shady, cloaked guy! 

Agito dismissed his needless thoughts as he contemplated more important things, still rolling lazily on the ground while enjoying the calming brush of grass against his skin.

Like… what was he planning to do when reaching Vale? He never explicitly promised to step foot into the city, only the country, but he doubted Ironwood would be very happy with Agito and Willow if he double-crossed him like that.

He could act like the plane flying him was attacked while exploding it himself, but there was a chance that Willow and Winter might choose to tag along with him on the journey.

There was also a chance that Summer would learn of his arrival and await him, only to hear that he was ‘attacked’ and stopped from reaching Vale.

Agito couldn’t bear to let her experience that type of pain. He only chose to do this entire thing to help Willow recover, he wouldn’t be achieving anything if it made Summer suffer.

There were still other things for Agito to contemplate as well. Needless to say, he still needed to grow a lot stronger.

Sure, he was vastly stronger than anyone his age, but he doubted that meant much in the grand scheme of things. He was already on such an elevated platform in the real world, known by what he assumed to be the biggest players in the ‘game’.

Fucking hell… wasn’t this like chapter 3? This world better not have cultivation nonsense where he’d beat the strongest person in the world, only to discover that this was actually “The Lower Realm” and that the higher realms above believed that nuclear-level attacks were actually just joke techniques or party tricks. Then, the realm above that didn’t realize that nuclear attacks existed because they only battled with concepts or some bullshit… and the pattern continued until you reached the “Great King of the Omniverse”...

… Only to find that there’s still the “Supreme Omni-Sovereign of the Omniverses” or some shit…

Agito let out a half-groan, half-whimper as he shot himself up from the ground, falling on his back from the force before freezing as the light from the streetlights was blocked by someone behind him.

“... Oh? Did I startle you?” The cloaked figure that was sitting on the bench, some distance away, a few minutes ago, spoke with a silky smooth voice as Agito could now see that the ‘man’ was man’nt, the cloak failing to hide the rather impressive curvature of the woman’s body now that she was standing up. “My apologies… It wasn’t my intention to catch you off-guard… or was it?~”

Looking up from this angle, the cloaked stranger could not hide their face from Agito’s view as the terrifyingly familiar, pale face of a certain Queen stared down at him with a smirk gracing her cherry lips, a pair of similarly crimson eyes surrounded by black sclera staring deeply into his eyes with a glimpse of twisted pleasure and amusement. Her beautiful, long white hair graced her shoulders, slightly curled in a way that made it look even more luscious and beautiful…

It looks like she listened to his advice…

SLIINK!

As soon as Agito stood up to try and make a break for it, magical chains immediately coiled around his entire body, courtesy of Salem, as the woman herself only giggled at Agito’s attempt at escape.

“Agito is not the real Agito, this is just a clone-” “Oh, but you are… Do you truly believe that I could not differentiate between the true body and a mere clone? Child, I created these spells.”

Agito’s attempt at deceiving Salem was quickly silenced as he cursed at himself for forgetting something so obvious. She was a G-G-G-G-G-GILF! Of course, she could distinguish between clones and true bodies, she’s likely as old as magic!

She really pulled a ‘Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch, I was there when it was written’ on the Agito! He was in real trouble now– that was some Aizen-level interruption!

Agito’s body began glowing with intense light and power as he activated his Ixalli’s Keeper and Aura in full force, attempting to overpower the chains binding him to no avail.

“Oh?~ Well, that is quite the interesting piece of magic there…” Salem murmured with interest as she watched Agito helplessly try to break free from her chains, bringing a finger up to her plump, blood-red lips currently smirking. “Let’s see…”

Salem’s body gained a slight hue as Agito’s eyes widened in shock, watching the technique he was trying to escape with be stolen by the woman he was trying to escape from. 

However, Salem herself was just as astonished.

The slight hue she gained was so much weaker than Agito despite her vastly superior magic and control, something that would’ve puzzled her had she not scryed the intricacies of the technique.

Ixalli’s Keeper  [200 CP - MTG - Ixalan]

[Fostering the growth of the creatures of the land is considered a righteous action in the Sun Empire, and you are among those who can - you have learnt how to use mana drawn from the land to spur on growth in creatures and enhance their physical capabilities to beyond what would be considered their potential. This is moderately effective on sapient beings and domesticated creatures, but where this shines is in undomesticated “Wild” beasts such as the dinosaurs of the jungles - the same amount of mana causing much greater growth with them.]

‘… where this shines is in undomesticated “Wild” beasts-’

Salem gained a look of understanding as she slowly turned to look at the struggling raccoon boy, remembering his unnatural yet accurate reactions and deductions towards things he knew little about except through instinct, his many displayed abilities which surpassed anything any human of this age could attain… 

… His baffling desire to sacrifice himself for the sake of a woman he had only met a week ago, defying the greed, cowardice, and selfishness of mortals that always existed within the mind of any mortal, even if heroes that denied and defied them always existed… They still suffered from them. All of them.

Yet… not him.

There was never regret, hesitance, or reluctance inside him when the boy first faced her. When the boy sacrificed what she knew to be one of his greatest treasures for the pest he had bonded with– No, imprinted to.

Salem’s trembling hand slowly moved atop Agito’s head, directly between the twitching raccoon ears of the boy.

Divinity.

“... I suppose it should’ve come as no surprise after everything you’ve displayed,” Salem muttered with a hint of excitement as she finally sensed what was previously unseen to her sharp senses. The true nature of the boy she’s been set on acquiring. “It’s no wonder that you cared so little for humanity back then… After all, why would a beast care for humankind?”

“... The Agito is confused.” Agito murmured in confusion even as he closed his eyes with a soft hum, suddenly realizing that Salem’s caress was actually not as unpleasant and ‘bad touch (wo)man’ as one would expect…

“From that unpleasant thorn… to the withering winter flower you’re with now… The one who keeps you closest to them becomes the one you follow obediently…” Salem exclaimed with increasing delight, crimson eyes glowing with intensity. “You’re no human, little Agito… And no faunus either…”

“... Agito is not?” Having been told by everyone around him that he was a minority since entering this world, the Grimm Queen’s words obviously shook Agito as he did not know better. Especially when the words came from the one who knew this world’s secrets better than anyone else around, save for the ‘Ozpin’ person possibly…

“No… Your body glows like no mortal does...” Salem remarked, running her fingers through his blinding, white hair and staring into his glowing, golden eyes. “... Your soul burns with energy and intensity beyond what any child ever should…” His aura flared as her finger pressed down on his head just a little, showing the intense energy within. “... and your instincts guide you rather than the twisted and sick emotions and desires of humanity…”

“You are no mortal, little Agito…” Salem repeated in a whisper as she gazed deeply into his eyes, her lips split into a massive, ravenous grin. Her hands held his head a little tighter, a hint of possessiveness in her grip. “... but a wild, untamed Beast.”

Salem let the words sink in for a few more seconds before her massive grin faded into a small, soft smile. Her grip softened once again, as if trying to soothe the unsettled Agito.

“... At ease, child… Soon, you’ll be delighted at being mine.~ Your instincts demand it– It’s only a matter of time… Fufu…~”

…

…

Chappy. Say nice things... It's Ramadan in like 5 hours! Ramadan Kareem!