Chương 83: Chapter 76: The Appraisal of the Divine

"DO YOU HAVE EVEN THE SLIGHTEST CONCEPTION OF THE ABSOLUTE, UNMITIGATED ADMINISTRATIVE APOCALYPSE YOU HAVE CAUSED?!" Headmistress Glynda Goodwitch's voice did not just echo. It detonated within the confines of Haven Academy's Headmaster office. On her massive holographic screen, broadcast directly from Beacon, she leaned so far forward her nose nearly touched the camera lens. The vein throbbing on her forehead looked ready to burst.

"WE HAD AN AGREEMENT, MR. SAITAMA!" General James Ironwood roared from his own screen, broadcasting from his towering office in Atlas. He was leaning so far forward his cybernetic chest practically clipped through the holographic projector.

"You were supposed to stay in Vale! You were supposed to maintain the perimeter! Do you comprehend the sheer geopolitical heart attack you gave my intelligence officers when you randomly appeared on another continent?!" The Headmaster's office of Haven Academy was bathed in the cool, artificial light of three massive holographic screens. What was usually a room reserved for quiet contemplation and academic administration had been transformed into the nerve center of a secret, cross-continental war.

But at this exact moment, the tension in the room wasn't born of apocalyptic dread. It was born of absolute, highly uncomfortable absurdity. Standing dead center in the middle of the office, surrounded by the greatest Huntsmen and military leaders on Remnant, the invincible "Hero of Vale" looked entirely, pathetically defeated. Saitama was folded into a deep, desperate bow, his bald head practically shining with comical, cartoonish sweat drops. His bright yellow jumpsuit sagged around his slumped shoulders.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Saitama whined, his voice cracking into a high-pitched, desperate plea.

"I didn't mean to cross the ocean! The banana guy said the prices were rock bottom, and then I took a nap on some potato sacks, and the boat just started moving! It was a complete accident! Please don't fire me!"

"YOU BLEW UP A MOUNTAIN RANGE!" Glynda shrieked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I have the Vale Council breathing down my neck every single day, and I am currently relying on a janitor wearing a bald cap to convince the world you are still here! Do you know how much Darwin is sweating, Saitama?! Do you?!"

"Y-Yes, Glynda lady! Robot-arm guy! I'm sorry!" Saitama whined, shrinking further into his chair. The atmosphere in the room was a bizarre, jarring collision of apocalyptic shadow-war tension and a mundane parent-teacher conference. Standing around the periphery of the office, the rest of the gathered heroes watched the spectacle in absolute, profound awkwardness. Ozpin (currently in control of Oscar's body) stood by the window, nervously clearing his throat.

Qrow Branwen took a long, desperate swig from his flask, refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Ruby Rose bit her lower lip, desperately trying to stifle a giggle as she hid behind Crescent Rose. Weiss Schnee massaged her temples, completely exhausted by the sheer indignity of it all. She and Blake Belladona exchanged bewildered glances, leaning against a bookshelf.

"Man, look at him," Yang Xiao Long commented while holding her laughter.

"It's like watching a toddler being scolded by strict parents." Team JNPR stood perfectly rigid, though Jaune couldn't help but sweat-drop at the sight of his "master" groveling over a grocery trip. Even the elite Atlesian Ace-Ops: Clover, Marrow, and Harriet, were struggling to maintain their military bearing. Marrow had to clamp a hand over his mouth to physically hold back a laugh, his tail tucking nervously between his legs as Ironwood's booming voice continued to rattle the windows.

On the third holographic screen, broadcasting from the sun-baked sands of Vacuo, Headmaster Theodore and his second-in-command, Xanthe Rumpole, watched the spectacle. Rumpole was furiously cleaning her glasses, unable to reconcile the terrified man on her screen with the apocalyptic reports she had read. Theodore, however, was violently biting his lip, clearly struggling not to burst into hysterical laughter.

"Alright, alright, Glynda, James, I believe he understands the gravity of his actions," Ozpin said gently, stepping forward. He spoke through Oscar Pine's vocal cords, offering an awkward, polite chuckle that momentarily diffused the raging storm. Theodore finally let his laughter loose.

"Man, I gotta say, you are a funny guy! Nice to finally meet you, big guy." Ozpin rested his hands elegantly upon the brass gears of The Long Memory, his hazel eyes softening with a deep, profound respect as he looked at the sweating hero.

"Mr. Saitama," Ozpin began, his voice carrying the ancient, resonant weight of centuries.

"Despite the... unconventional nature of your travels, it is an absolute honor to finally meet you face-to-face. Words cannot adequately express the depth of our gratitude. You arrived in our world completely by accident, yet you have saved countless lives, protected our students, and held the darkness at bay. Thank you. Truly." Saitama slowly stood up, wiping his forehead with the back of his red glove. He blinked his dotted eyes, his flat expression returning as the panic subsided.

"Uh. Sure. I'm just a hero for fun, anyway. But seriously, I didn't even mean to stand out this much. People just keep putting me on the news." Qrow Branwen snorted, taking a slow swig from his silver flask.

"Yeah, well, you're not exactly subtle, baldy. From now on, you really need to lay low. Stop accidentally blowing up criminal syndicates on your way to the convenience store."

"I'll try," Saitama muttered, scratching his cheek. Ironwood cleared his throat, his expression hardening as he shot a very specific, pointed look at Ozpin.

"Ozpin. The immediate crisis is resolved, but we have a severe, highly classified political discussion that requires our undivided attention. Now." Ozpin caught the signal instantly. The Inner Circle was still strictly maintaining the absolute secrecy of Salem's existence from Saitama, terrified of what he might do if he learned of the true enemy.

"Indeed," Ozpin smiled warmly, turning back to Saitama.

"Mr. Saitama, we must discuss internal academy logistics. You are free to go. I believe Team SSSN is currently patrolling the lower city of Mistral. Take a stroll, enjoy the sights, but please, do not wander far, and stay close to the students." Saitama's eyes lit up with a sudden, brilliant spark of recognition.

"Oh! Right! The monkey kid said he'd show me where the discounted bananas are! Sweet!" Saitama turned on his heel, completely eager to leave the oppressive office behind. But just as his hand touched the brass handle of the door, Glynda's voice snapped like a whip.

"Mr. Saitama." Saitama froze.

"If you cause a public scene, wander off, or engage in any further unsanctioned activities," Glynda warned, her eyes glowing with a terrifying, maternal menace, "I will permanently revoke your premium supermarket coupon booklet. You will never see a discount in Vale again."

"And I will immediately terminate the funding for your free dormitory housing," Ironwood added, crossing his arms with the severe authority of a strict father.

"You will be paying the rent by yourself. Or sleeping on the streets." Saitama let out a high-pitched, comical squeak of absolute terror. He spun around, nodding his bald head so fast it was a literal blur.

"I--I PROMISE! I'LL BE INVISIBLE! I'LL BE STEALTHIER THAN A NINJA! YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW I'M HERE! ALRIGHT THEN, SEE YA!" With a gust of displaced air, Saitama bolted through the door, slamming it shut behind him. The entire office stared at the closed door in a heavy, baffled silence.

"I will never understand him," Rumpole muttered from the Shade screen, adjusting her glasses.

"Never."

As the comedic tension faded, a dark, suffocating gravity settled over the room.

"Moving on," Ozpin said, his expression instantly shifting from gentle amusement to heavy, ancient sorrow. The eyes of Ozpin's group, Team RWBY and Team JNPR, slowly turned toward the corner of the office. Leonardo Lionheart knelt on the floorboards, his wrists securely bound in heavy, Aura-suppressing cuffs. The disgraced Headmaster of Haven was trembling violently, his golden mane matted with sweat and dust, his eyes darting wildly like a cornered animal.

"Leonardo," Ozpin spoke, his voice stripped of all warmth. The ancient sorrow in his hazel eyes was devastating.

"Do you have anything to say?" Lionheart flinched, shrinking away from the boy's gaze.

"O-Ozpin, please! You don't understand! Salem... she is too powerful! She is a force of nature! There was no other choice! If I didn't cooperate, she would have slaughtered me, and the entire academy!"

"People like you are the exact reason she holds that power, Leo!" Qrow snarled, stepping forward, his hand resting aggressively on the hilt of Harbinger.

"You sold out your own Huntsmen! You handed them over to her to be murdered in the dark!"

"I just wanted to live!" Lionheart sobbed, tears spilling down his face.

"And what about the innocents who died because of your cowardice?" Glynda demanded, her voice shaking with absolute, unadulterated disgust.

"The students who looked up to you? You traded their lives for your own survival." Ozpin stepped directly in front of the kneeling Faunus. He looked at Lionheart eye-to-eye, the sheer weight of his disappointment pressing down on the traitor like a physical anvil.

"You were a guardian of this world, Leonardo. A beacon of hope for Mistral. And you let the shadows consume you," Ozpin said quietly.

"I am deeply, profoundly disappointed in you." Lionheart sobbed, lowering his head to the floor.

"I was afraid..."

"We are all afraid, Leonardo," Ozpin said softly. The sheer disappointment in his golden eyes was heavier than any physical blow.

"But a Huntsman's duty is to stand between that fear and the innocent. You did not just fail me. You failed Mistral. You failed yourself." Team RWBY and Team JNPR watched the exchange in grim silence, their expressions hardened. They had fought and bled for Haven Academy, and seeing the man responsible for the massacre groveling on the floor filled them with a cold, hollow resolve.

"Your tenure as Headmaster is over," Ironwood declared from the screen.

"You are hereby stripped of all rank and authority. The Mistral Council will be provided with the evidence of your treason. You will spend the rest of your natural life rotting in a maximum-security cell."

"Take him away," Ozpin commanded softly.

"Understood," Clover Ebi nodded, then looked to the defeated Lionheart.

"Leonardo Lionheart, you are under arrest. Anything you say will be used against you in the court of law." He, Marrow, and Harriet stepped forward, hoisting the weeping, broken Headmaster to his feet and dragging him out of the office, his pathetic sobs echoing down the corridor until the doors clicked shut.

With Lionheart gone, the attention of the room shifted to the sole remaining prisoner of the night.

"And then there is you, Raven," Ozpin stated to his former student. Raven Branwen didn't flinch. She leaned off the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. Her crimson and black bandit garb torn and singed from her brutal battle in the Vault. She had remained entirely silent during Lionheart's judgment. Her face was like an unreadable, cynical mask.

"You abandoned us. You abandoned your team. You abandoned your family," Glynda stated sharply.

"And you hid the fact that you inherited the Spring Maiden power."

"You allied yourself with Salem's inner circle to save your own skin." Ironwood accused, his cybernetic eye narrowing.

"And look where it got you. Cinder Fall stripped you of that power. Because of your selfishness, our enemy now possesses the magic of two Maidens." Raven scowled, her crimson eyes flashing defensively. She pushed off the bookshelf, stepping into the center of the room. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Go ahead," Raven spat, a bitter, humorless smile twisting her lips.

"Judge me. Sit in your high towers and pretend you hold the moral high ground. But ask yourselves..." Raven gave the group a solemn look.

"Do you really think you can win?" Raven asked, her voice dripping with cynical venom.

"Do you honestly believe that standing together in this little circle gives you even the slightest chance of victory?"

"We have hope," Ruby declared firmly, stepping forward to stand beside Ozpin. Raven looked at her daughter's leader, a sneer curling her lip.

"You are all incredibly naive. You don't know what Salem is actually capable of. Yes, you have your invincible anomaly. But do you honestly think he can deal with her without causing a planetary apocalypse in the process? Salem is a force of nature. I've seen it all before. I saw what happened to Summer--""Enough!" Ozpin cut in instantly, his voice cracking like thunder. The sheer, commanding volume of the ancient Headmaster instantly silenced the room.

Ruby's silver eyes widened violently at the mention of her mother. Yang stiffened, her fists igniting with tiny sparks of Aura. Ozpin stepped directly into Raven's line of sight, his golden eyes burning with a desperate, silent warning. He could not afford Ruby to learn the truth about Summer right now. More importantly, he could not let anyone in this room, not even Qrow or Ironwood, remember the terrible, unshakeable truth: Salem is immortal.

If they truly grasped that Saitama might not be able to permanently kill her without destroying Remnant in the crossfire, their morale would shatter entirely.

"We are not discussing the past, Raven. The subject of your failure is concluded," Ozpin stated firmly, completely cutting off the bandit leader. Raven stared at Ozpin's eyes for a moment. She could see it, the effort of the reincarnator to hide the crucial fact about his archnemesis. She could have told everyone right at this moment. But somehow, her mind were telling her not to. Raven turned her gaze away from everyone. She didn't know which was the right thing to do anyway. Ozpin sighed.

"James," he pivoted, looking toward the Atlas screen to change the subject.

"What is the current operational status of Atlas?" Ironwood rubbed his temples, letting out a heavy, exhausted sigh.

"Atlas is currently enduring a geopolitical nightmare," Ironwood explained, his voice strained.

"The councils of Vacuo and Vale are bombarding my office with inquiries. They saw the broadcasts from Mistral. The entire world is demanding to know if the Atlesian military secretly developed a colossal, city-sized super robot that fired lasers to destroy the Grimm horde."

"Did you deny it?" Ozpin asked quickly.

"I issued a strict 'no comment,'" Ironwood replied.

"I wanted to confirm the tactical reality with you first. Denying it outright could complicate the situation further and compromise our deterrent strategy." Ozpin sighed in relief.

"Good. Thank you, James. Maintain your silence. Because there was no robot." Glynda frowned on her screen.

"What do you mean?"

"Saitama informed us of the truth earlier," Qrow explained, leaning against the desk.

"The robot was an illusion. A massive, kingdom-wide projection cast by Neopolitan's Semblance. In reality, Saitama was down there punching every single Creatures of Grimm into dust all around the city. She just covered for him."

"Neopolitan?" Ironwood's eyes widened in outrage.

"You mean, that Roman Torchwick's accomplice?! Are you saying Saitama is actively associating with a villain who helped orchestrate the Fall of Beacon?!"

"It was necessary!" Qrow argued back.

"As much as I hate to admit it, the little psycho actually did us a massive favor. Her illusion kept Saitama's presence completely hidden from Salem's Seers and the public. Think about it, a giant Atlesian mech destroying Grimm makes perfect logical sense to the public. An invincible bald guy in pajamas doing it raises questions we can't answer!" Ironwood opened his mouth to shout, but Theodore nodded slowly.

"The drunk is right, Jimmy. It's perfect cover."

"It is... highly unorthodox. But effective." Glynda adjusted her glasses.

"Vale is stable for now. I've managed to keep the public convinced that the 'Hero of Vale' is still patrolling the city, but Darwin's nerves are fraying. I cannot maintain this charade indefinitely."

"It's baffling," Rumpole muttered.

"We have the most powerful being in existence on our side, and our greatest struggle is simply keeping him in a box." Theodore let out a deep, sympathetic laugh.

"I don't envy you, Glynda, James, Qrow. Trying to contain a man who single-handedly throws three kingdoms into utter chaos by accident... it's a miracle Vacuo was spared. Though, half my citizens are practically treating the 'Hero of Vale' news broadcasts like a religion." Team RWBY and JNPR exchanged looks, entirely blown away by the sheer absurdity of the adults' political gymnastics. A criminal illusionist and a clueless hero were completely dictating global politics.

"Which brings us to our most pressing objective," Ozpin declared, his tone shifting into absolute seriousness.

"Securing the remaining Relics."

"What about the Relic of Knowledge?" Glynda asked.

"With Raven having lost the Spring Maiden's power, the Haven Vault is permanently sealed." Qrow let out a long, slow breath. He reached into his coat and placed a gleaming, ornate gold and blue lamp directly onto the Headmaster's desk. A collective gasp echoed across the holographic screens.

"The Relic?!" Ironwood shouted, slamming his hands on his desk.

"How?! How did you access the Vault without the Maiden?!" Qrow rubbed his temples.

"Saitama punched the door." Silence.

"He... he what?" Glynda asked, her professional demeanor completely evaporating.

"He punched it," Qrow repeated, sounding incredibly tired.

"The indestructible, god-forged magical gateway. He asked if that was the door we needed open, and then he just punched it. It shattered into a million pieces. The magic of the Brother Gods was completely bypassed." On her screen, Glynda Goodwitch's riding crop slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly against her floor. Ironwood's cybernetic eye twitched violently as his brain tried to compute the death of physics. Xanthe Rumpole's jaw literally dropped, her mouth hanging open in pure shock.

Theodore threw his head back and roared with booming, hysterical laughter, slamming his fist on his desk.

"I love this guy! I absolutely love him!"

"He is a formidable ally," Ozpin said, a small, grateful smile touching his lips despite the terrifying implications of Saitama's strength.

"Which is why Qrow, Oscar, and I will be traveling to Atlas immediately. We will place the Relic of Knowledge inside the Atlas Vault alongside the Relic of Creation."

"And Saitama?" Ironwood asked.

"He is coming with us," Ozpin confirmed.

"He is our insurance. If Salem's forces compromise the Winter Maiden, Saitama can simply open the Atlas Vault for us."

"But what about Vale?!" Glynda protested, her maternal panic flaring.

"We agreed to contain him here to keep Salem at bay!"

"Atlas is currently a highly volatile target," Ironwood warned, his expression darkening considerably.

"Mantle's heating grid is completely offline. The citizens are freezing, and protests are breaking out in the streets. Furthermore, we are in the middle of a highly contentious Council election. Jacques Schnee is running for the vacant seat." Weiss gasped, her eyes widening in absolute horror.

"My father is running for Council?!"

"Yes, Miss Schnee. And he is winning," Ironwood nodded grimly.

"The political division is tearing the kingdom apart."

"All the more reason we must move quickly," Ozpin pressed.

"Salem thrives on division. If Mantle is in chaos, her inner circle will undoubtedly strike Atlas next to claim the Relic of Creation. As long as Glynda maintains the illusion in Vale, Salem will not look there. She is terrified of Saitama after their... brief encounter. She will not risk sending a Seer to Vale."

"How do you intend to smuggle him into Atlas without the public noticing?" Rumpole asked skeptically. Ozpin smiled softly. He looked around the room, reminding everyone of the very conversation they had just finished.

"Who masked his appearance during the battle in Mistral?" Everyone turned their gaze toward the empty corner where the illusionist had theoretically been aiding Saitama. Ironwood scowled, his prosthetic hand clenching.

"You cannot be serious, Ozpin. You want to bring a wanted criminal along on a highly classified, cosmic security operation?"

"It is a massive liability," Rumpole agreed firmly from the Shade feed. Team RWBY and Team JNPR murmured among themselves, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of traveling alongside the woman who had helped bring Beacon to its knees. Qrow dragged a hand down his face, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

"Great. So now we need a clueless god and an illusionist villain to fight the big bad." Theodore, on the other hand, let out a booming laugh.

"You have to admit, Oz, it makes for an incredibly interesting vanguard."

"It is the perfect solution," Ozpin assured them, his voice calm and unyielding.

"Her illusions are remarkable. She is capable of masking an entire airship if necessary."

"Are you absolutely sure she will cooperate?" Ironwood pressed, his blue eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"What is to stop her from betraying us the moment we touch down in Solitas?"

"As long as Saitama is with us, we will be fine," Ozpin stated confidently.

"I can see that those two currently... need each other. For her own survival and comfort, she will cooperate." The group remained doubtful, but they couldn't deny that functionally, it sounded like the perfect, airtight solution.

"We're coming too," Ruby suddenly declared, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Jaune. Team RWBY and Team JNPR formed a united, unbreakable front behind her.

"We'll guard the Relic along the way."

"Absolutely not!" Glynda snapped immediately. Her maternal instincts violently rejected the idea.

"You are to return to Beacon. Vale is vulnerable, despite the public illusion of safety."

"With respect, Headmistress," Jaune spoke up, his voice steady and far deeper than the nervous boy he once was.

"We aren't kids anymore. We fought the White Fang. We fought Cinder's faction. We killed the Nuckelavee."

"Team RWBY, Team JNPR..." Glynda's voice softened, laced with deep, protective worry.

"You have done more than enough. The mission in Haven is over. I will not allow you to be dragged any further into this secret war."

"You trained us, Professor," Pyrrha added gently, her green eyes shining with conviction.

"And Saitama trained us. We know the risks."

"This is our path now," Blake stated, her amber eyes burning with conviction.

"This is our responsibility as Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"We can win this," Yang said, her fists clenched.

"Together." Ozpin offered a gentle, supportive nod.

"Salem and her inner circle already know that Team RWBY and Team JNPR are involved, Glynda. If they suddenly disappear back to Vale, Salem will become suspicious and probe the kingdom's defenses. We need them on the board."

"And don't worry about Vale, Glynda," Theodore chimed in, offering a reassuring grin.

"If anything weird pops up that your students can't handle, I'll send Shade Academy teams to back you up. We've got plenty of manpower, especially since Team SSSN and Team ABRN have officially transferred to Shade following the fallout in Haven." Glynda looked at the determined, battle-hardened faces of the teenagers she had once taught in simple sparring rings. They had stared down the apocalypse, and they had not broken.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, followed by a warm, incredibly caring smile that softened her strict features completely.

"You truly have grown up," Glynda whispered, her eyes shining with quiet pride.

"Be safe. And please... always take care of each other."

"We will," Ruby smiled back, the entire group sharing a warm, unified nod. With the deployment settled, the final, lingering problem remained standing in the center of the room.

"What do we do with Raven?" Ironwood asked coldly, glaring at the bandit leader.

"Should my operatives secure her too? We can transport her to the same classified black-site facility where we are taking Leonardo. Complete solitary confinement. She won't be able to speak a word of this to anyone."

"You can't, Jimmy," Qrow sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Not that I'm trying to protect her, no. It's just... It won't work. You can't lock her in a cell."

"Why not? She is a traitor. She aided Salem's forces." Ironwood demanded, his voice hardening.

"My maximum-security containment cells are designed to hold the most dangerous criminals on Remnant, Qrow. Aura-suppressing cuffs will render her powerless."

"Aura suppressors aren't foolproof, and you know it," Qrow countered, stepping forward.

"The moment she recovers even a fraction of her Aura, she's gone. You're forgetting what Ozpin gave us. She can turn into a bird and fly right through the ventilation shafts. Or worse, she just uses her Semblance to open a portal to one of her bandits and walks right out of your impenetrable fortress." Raven smirked, a cruel, mocking glint in her eye. Her hand rested casually near the hilt of her crimson blade, Omen, and a faint, swirling red portal energy was already sparking near her boots. Qrow was right.

She was fully prepared to slash a portal and vanish the second the Ace-Ops made a move toward her. Ozpin stared at Raven for a long time. The Spring Maiden magic was gone. Her tribe was scattered. Her pride was broken. But she was still a lethal combatant who could not be caged.

"Let her go," Ozpin commanded quietly.

"She is a liability if we bring her, and trying to capture her is a waste of resources we no longer possess. Go back to your tribe, Raven." Raven's smirk vanished, replaced by a deep, defensive annoyance that Ozpin had so easily dismissed her as an irrelevant annoyance rather than a threat. Ironwood sighed in frustration. His metal fist clenching.

"Fine," Ironwood conceded, "But hear me now, Raven Branwen. If you do something stupid, if you ever cross our path again... I will personally send Saitama directly to your camp." Raven let out a dry, mocking chuckle.

"You think you can control him? He won't obey you, James. He doesn't even know what you're doing."

"I control his rent, Raven." Ironwood offered a dark, terrifyingly confident smirk.

"Besides, I don't need him to obey military orders. My operatives reported his movements through Anima. He completely dismantled a raiding party of your bandits in Shion Village without breaking a sweat, along with half the criminal syndicates in the lower city. As long as your tribe is branded as criminals, his inherent hero nature guarantees he will compel himself to catch you. I just have to point him in the right direction."

"I'll listen to him if I were you, Branwen," Theodore added while grinning at her too. Raven's chuckle died in her throat. The sheer, absurd reality of Ironwood's threat was entirely plausible. She scoffed, turning her back on the council.

"Whatever. I don't care about any of this anymore," Raven muttered, walking toward the shattered doorway.

"Good luck with your chess game." Without looking at Qrow, and pointedly ignoring her daughter, the former Spring Maiden turned and walked out of the office. Yang watched her mother leave. Her violet eyes swirling with a heavy, complicated mix of lingering anger and profound pity.

As the heavy doors clicked shut, a quiet tension lingered among the students. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren stood together, their expressions conflicted. The adrenaline of the battle had faded, replaced by a gnawing, deeply uncomfortable ethical dilemma.

"Professor Ozpin," Ruby started, her voice quiet but firm, breaking the silence.

"Is it... is it really okay that we're lying to Saitama?" Ozpin turned his gaze toward the young leader, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Miss Rose?"

"I mean, we are actively hiding the existence of Salem from him," Ren added, stepping up beside Ruby, his blue eyes filled with genuine guilt.

"He saved all of our lives. He trained us. And we're just... using him as a shield while lying to his face."

"And it's not just about feeling bad," Weiss pointed out, her analytical mind processing the long-term risk.

"He is incredibly oblivious, yes. But he isn't entirely stupid. He found the Seer Grimm on his own. There is a very high probability that he will find out about Salem eventually. If he discovers that we have been deceiving him this entire time... the fallout could be catastrophic." A heavy, absolute silence fell over the adult leaders. Qrow looked down at his flask. Ironwood stared at his metallic hands. Ozpin simply closed his eyes, leaning heavily against The Long Memory.

They knew the students were absolutely right. The moral weight of their deception was staggering.

"Your concerns are entirely justified," Ozpin finally spoke, his voice laced with a profound, ancient exhaustion.

"It is a terrible burden to deceive an ally. But we must stick to the plan."

"Why?" Nora demanded, crossing her arms.

"If he's strong enough to shatter the Vault magic, why not just point him at her and end this?!"

"Because the risk is too immense," Ozpin stated, his voice dropping into a grim, terrifying reality.

"You saw him bypass Remnant's magic, yes. But Salem commands forces and dark magic on a scale that defies comprehension. She is the absolute master of the Grimm." Ozpin looked directly at the students, conveying the apocalyptic threat without revealing his darkest secret.

"If Mr. Saitama marches into her territory and corners her, she will not simply fight him fairly. If she realizes she is facing an insurmountable physical threat, she will trigger a global, suicidal rampage of every Grimm on Remnant. The tectonic plates might shatter from their clash, but worse, millions of innocent civilians would be slaughtered in the crossfire before Mr. Saitama could stop the swarms. He is a blunt instrument. We are fighting a delicate shadow war.

We must keep her unaware of his true proximity, and him unaware of her existence." The students looked at each other, the horrifying reality of Ozpin's calculus settling heavily over their shoulders. It wasn't just a matter of honesty. It was a matter of global survival. Ruby looked down at her boots, her silver eyes shadowed with guilt, before she finally gave a slow, reluctant nod.

"We understand, Professor," Ruby whispered. Team RWBY and Team JNPR exchanged heavy, resigned glances. They hated the lie, but they understood the terrifying necessity of the shadow war. They reluctantly agreed, sealing the deception, as the board was officially set for the freezing, volatile kingdom of Atlas.