Chương 48: Chapter 45: The Departure to Distant Horizons

The afternoon sky over Beacon Academy had bruised into a deep, sweeping violet, streaked with veins of burnt amber and molten gold. High above the towering stone arches, the immense brass clockwork gears of the Headmaster's tower turned with an agonizingly slow, rhythmic clack-clack-clack, casting stretched, mechanical shadows across the polished flagstones of the eastern airship docks.

Moored along the edge of the cliffside pad, a fleet of high-altitude Atlesian Bullheads hummed with a low, sub-audible vibration, their sleek grey hulls catching the fading sunlight while their vertical thrusters sputtered pale blue Dust condensation into the cooling air. At the center of the staging platform stood Team RWBY and Team JNPR, surrounded by the heavy, metallic tang of fuel exhaust and the rustle of wind through the autumn trees.

The atmosphere was thick with a heavy, quiet tension, the unmistakable, sobering gravity of a prolonged separation. Blake Belladonna stood slightly apart from the group, her long white coat fluttering in the mountain breeze over her black sleeveless top, dark form-fitting pants, and high boots grounding her against the cold stone. She gripped the strap of her single duffel bag tightly, her fingers tracing the worn fabric as if anchoring herself.

"So..." Ruby Rose began, her voice unusually quiet as she clutched the edge of her crimson cloak.

"This is really where we split up, huh?" Blake Belladonna stood slightly apart from her friends, a heavy, leather-bound duffel bag slung over her left shoulder. Her long black hair rustling softly in the breeze. Beneath her signature black ribbon, her cat ears twitched erratically, reacting to the distant, rhythmic crash of ocean waves against the lower piers far below.

"It's only temporary, Ruby," Blake said softly, her amber eyes softening with a mixture of profound gratitude and lingering anxiety. She adjusted the strap of her bag, her fingers tracing the smooth leather.

"My father... my mother... they have no idea what the White Fang command is planning. If I don't get to Kuo Kuana before their regional cells establish a total blockade, my family won't stand a chance."

"And you're absolute sure you have to go by boat?" Weiss Schnee asked, stepping forward with her arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her white ponytail swayed gracefully, and her pale blue eyes were narrowed in a sharp, analytical pucker.

"The academy has plenty of high-speed long-range Bullheads available. We could literally drop you off at the Menagerie shoreline in a fraction of the time." Blake offered a faint, melancholy smile, shaking her head gently.

"It's not that simple, Weiss. Menagerie isn't Vale or Atlas. Most Faunus on the island, especially those living in the outer settlements, view Atlesian military craft and high-tech Bullheads with extreme suspicion. If a foreign aircraft lands near Kuo Kuana, it would draw every eye in the territory. The White Fang's local watchers would spot me before I even stepped off the pad." She looked down toward the distant harbor, where the tall masts of commercial passenger vessels bobbed against the deep blue water.

"A civilian passenger boat from the Vale port is slow, quiet, and completely ordinary. It's the only way I can slip into the island without alerting their surveillance perimeter."

"She's right," Jaune Arc agreed, stepping up beside Weiss. His posture straight and confident behind the silver armor, his broad shoulders reflecting the grueling physical conditioning of the past month. He rested his hand on the pommel of his shield.

"In a stealth operation, the most high-tech option isn't always the smartest one. Going as a simple passenger keeps you off their radar."

"Just... promise us you'll be careful, Blake," Yang Xiao Long said, her voice laced with a thick, protective warmth. She stepped forward, her golden hair catching the bright sunlight, her purple eyes fixed intensely on her friend.

"Menagerie might be your home, but if the White Fang is actively hunting your dad, it's going to be a warzone down there."

"I know," Blake murmured, her voice trembling slightly with emotion as she looked at her team, at the girls who had stood by her through the battle of the academy, who had defended her past without hesitation.

"I'll be careful. All of you... please take care of yourselves in Mistral. The border silence Headmistress Goodwitch mentioned... it doesn't sound right. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

"Pft! Risks?" Nora Valkyrie chimed in, stepping up beside Lie Ren with her hands planted firmly on her hips, a bright, energetic grin spreading across her face.

"Blake, we've spent the last ten days getting chased through the forest by a bald man who breaks mountains by accident! A few shadowy anomalies in Mistral aren't going to know what hit them! We're practically indestructible now!"

"Nora, please do not tempt fate before we even board the transport," Ren remarked calmly, though a faint, fond smile touched his lips as he adjusted his green tunic. Pyrrha Nikos stepped forward, her brilliant green eyes shining with deep, quiet authority. She reached out, resting a gloved hand gently on Blake's shoulder.

"We will find the safehouse, locate the Headmistress's operative, and secure Haven's perimeter. Take all the time you need to protect your family, Blake. We will wait for you."

"I will catch up to you in Mistral as soon as my family is safe," Blake said, her voice ringing with absolute, unyielding conviction.

"I promise." Blake and her friends are staring to each other for a long, quiet moment. Their eyes burning with a deep, unspoken affection that transcended standard teamwork.

"You know..." Yang started, her voice soft, carrying a playful yet tender edge as she looked at the neat black ribbon bow sitting atop Blake's dark hair.

"You don't really need to wear that thing anymore, Blake." Blake blinked, her hand impulsively reaching up to touch the fabric of her ribbon.

"We mean it," Weiss added, her voice softening into a rare, gentle tone.

"You're standing up for your people. You're going back home to protect your family. You don't need to hide who or what you are from the world anymore. You should be proud of yourself." Ruby nodded vigorously, a bright smile breaking through her worry.

"We aren't forcing you, though! It's completely your choice, always. If you want to wear it, wear it. But... you don't have to hide around us, or anyone else, ever again." A profound, heavy silence fell over Blake. Her amber eyes widened slightly as the weight of their words settled into her chest. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. For years, that black ribbon had been a cage. A constant, suffocating symbol of fear, shame, and survival in a world that hated her kind.

She looked at Ruby's earnest face, Weiss's proud nod, Yang's warm, steady gaze, and the solid support of Team JNPR. A gentle, breathtaking smile slowly broke across Blake's face, washing away years of hidden strain.

"You're right," Blake whispered. With a smooth, deliberate motion, Blake reached to the top of her head. Her slender fingers untied the knot. The black fabric came free, fluttering in her hands like a shed skin. As the ribbon fell away, two sleek, velvet-furred black feline ears twitched, untethering themselves and perking up into the cool afternoon air. They swiveled delicately, adjusting to the ambient sounds of the docks, fully exposed beneath the open sky. Weiss smiled warmly. Ruby let out a happy gasp.

Yang's eyes brightened with undeniable pride.

"There she is," Yang murmured softly, her grin widening.

"Be careful out there, Blake," Ruby said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion as she stepped forward, opening her arms.

"Please."

"You too. All of you," Blake replied, her voice thick.

"Stay safe in Mistral. I'll clear things up in Menagerie and catch up to you as fast as I possibly can. I promise." Without another word, Team RWBY and JNPR surged forward into a tight, warm, collective group hug. Cloaks, armor, jackets, and arms intertwined on the windy landing pad, holding onto the moment before the world pulled them in opposite directions.

"Uh... hey." A completely flat, bored, and thoroughly conversational voice suddenly broke through the emotional silence. The eight teenagers froze, their collective embrace instantly dissolving as they turned their heads in unison. Walking casually down the concrete tarmac was Saitama. He was wearing his bright yellow jumpsuit, his white cape rustling softly in the sea breeze, and his red rubber boots making a dull, squeaky clack-clack sound against the pavement.

In his right hand, he held a plastic convenience store bag containing a single, slightly bruised melon and a box of cheap green tea bags. He was staring at them with his iconic, completely blank, oval-eyed expression.

"Oh! Saitama!" Ruby called out, wiping a stray tear from her eye as she waved.

"What are you doing out here?" Saitama blinked slowly, adjusting the grocery bag beneath his arm.

"Oh. Hey. Miss Goodwitch sent me down to the lower janitor closet to get more floor polish, but then I got lost because all these metallic hallways look the same. Then I saw a bunch of airships." He looked at the mountain of luggage, weapons, and heavy travel gear strapped to their backs.

"Are you guys going on a school field trip or something?" Saitama asked, tilting his bald head slightly.

"Did they finally restock the cafeteria dumplings?" Yang let out a boisterous laugh, shaking her head.

"No, Saitama. We're deploying. We're heading out on active continental security missions."

"I see," Saitama said flatly. He looked at Blake, noticing her newly exposed cat ears twitching in the wind. He stared at her head for a solid three seconds.

"Oh. You have cat ears. I thought those were just high-up hair buns this whole time." Blake let out a dry, amused quiet chuckle, shaking her head.

"No. They're real."

"Huh. Cool," Saitama said, his expression not changing in the slightest. He looked back at the group, raising a single gloved hand in a lazy, half-hearted wave.

"Well... don't die or whatever. Take care."

"We will!" Ruby yelled enthusiastically.

"Keep Vale safe while we're gone, Okay? Don't let any giant monsters destroy the supermarket!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Saitama mumbled, turning around and trudging lazily back toward the main academy elevators, his white cape dragging slightly on the stone floor. He waved at them once again without turning around while walking.

"Don't make problems wherever you are."

"You too, Saitama!" Nora shouted, she and the others waved him back. With the brief comedic distraction fading, the harsh reality of departure returned. The engines of the Atlesian Bullheads roared into a high-pitched whine, the landing lights flashing red and amber.

"That's our cue," Jaune called out over the rising deafening roar of the turbines, gesturing toward the open side ramps of the transports.

"Go," Yang said to Blake, giving her a gentle, encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"Get down to the Vale docks before the evening tide leaves." Blake gave one last, deep look at her team, her family, and nodded firmly. She turned on her heel, her coat snapping in the wind, and began her long walk down the winding stone path toward the lower city transportation lines. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren boarded the lead Bullhead.

The heavy steel doors hissed shut, sealing them inside the pressurized cabin as the ship lifted off the pad, nose-diving gracefully into the clouds before banking hard east toward the continent of Anima. Inside the dimly lit cabin of the Bullhead, the hum of the Dust engines vibrated through the floorboards. Ruby sat near the reinforced glass window, watching Blake's tiny, dark silhouette fade into the vast cityscape of Vale below. Her silver eyes were clouded with deep anxiety.

"I really hope she's going to be okay," Ruby murmured, her fingers nervously twisting the trim of her crimson cloak.

"Going all the way to Menagerie completely alone... no backup, no team... if the White Fang spots her--""She's not going to be alone, Ruby," Yang interrupted, her voice cool and completely relaxed. The entire cabin turned to look at her. Weiss raised an eyebrow in sharp confusion, while Jaune and Pyrrha exchanged a puzzled glance. Yang was lounging comfortably on the metal bench, her legs stretched out, leaning back against the steel wall.

She was holding her scroll in her right hand, a smug, satisfied grin stretching across her face.

"What are you talking about, Yang?" Weiss asked, crossing her arms suspiciously.

"You heard her. She explicitly chose to take a civilian sea vessel by herself to avoid drawing attention. She didn't request a guard." Yang tapped her scroll screen shut, sliding it smoothly into her pocket, her violet eyes glinting with a mischievous, absolute certainty.

"Trust me," Yang chuckled, resting her hands behind her head.

"I know someone who definitely can, and will, look out for her. He's probably already on his way." Ruby, Weiss, and Team JNPR exchanged bewildered glances.

Meanwhile, on the paved concrete walkways near the lower courtyard of Beacon, Saitama was trudging along at a sluggish pace, carrying his paper bag of groceries and cleaning supplies. Saitama was deeply immersed in his own thoughts. Mistral... He chewed on the plastic straw of his finished juice box, his mind lazily processing the word Weiss had just spoken. Mistral... why does that sound so familiar? Did I see it on a cereal box? No... wait. Saitama stopped dead in the middle of the empty path.

His dot-eyes widened by a fraction of a millimeter as a sudden, vague memory resurfaced from the back of his brain. He reached into the deep, prime storage pocket of his yellow jumpsuit, the one right next to his wallet and house keys, and pulled out a crumpled, slightly yellowed piece of paper that had been tucked away for almost two months. He smoothed the paper out with his red gloves, staring down at it. It was a crude, hand-drawn picture of a banana, rendered in shaky, uneven black marker.

Scrawled across the bottom in wild, aggressive handwriting were the words: MISTRAL FRUIT DISCOUNTS - ASK FOR SUN Saitama stared at the drawing for three full, unbroken seconds. His standard, vacant face slowly shifted into an expression of absolute, intense realization.

"Oh yeah..." Saitama whispered, his voice rising in rare, genuine shock.

"The monkey kid with the tail! He gave me this before he and his team left!" He looked back over his shoulder toward the empty eastern sky where the Bullheads had just flown away, then down at the crude banana drawing in his hand.

"Wait a minute..." Saitama realized, his brows drawing together in profound, physical irritation.

"The monkey kid said Mistral has whole bunches of bananas for three Lien! And those kids just took a flying boat straight there without telling me?!" He let out a long, heavy sigh that made his white cape flutter violently, crumpling the paper carefully back into his six-pocket jumpsuit.

"Ah..." Saitama grumbled, slouching his shoulders as he resumed his slow walk toward the dorms.

"I should've asked the red girl to bring me back a bag. Grocery prices in this town are a complete rip-off."