Seth dodged a left jab from Ruby, and then a right hook from Oscar.

"Man, Oz was kidding. Oscar's picking up on this stuff fast." Jaune commented from the sidelines.

Seth leaned out of the way of a high kick from Ruby, making sure to close his eyes since she wore a skirt.

Using this to his advantage, Oscar landed a solid punch on Seth's face with a grunt. He smiled in shock, before seeing that Seth didn't budge in the slightest.

While standing with a fist on his face, another thrown, and Ruby punched him as well, finally making him grunt.

She triumphed as well, before feeling Seth grab her wrist.

"Uh oh." Ruby yelped.

Seth kneed in her in the stomach as light as possible, and flipped her over his shoulder, slamming her behind him. He extended his foot and tripped Oscar, making him fall over his leg, just in time for Seth to land his punch after spinning completely.

The two groaned and whined from the pain, Oscar having forgot to activate his Aura.

Seth stared down at the two and extended his arms to pick the two up.

"Not bad, Mr. Evans," Ozpin began, taking control of Oscar. "Please remember that these two don't have the power you posses." He said with a smile. "I'm trying my hardest to hold back... a lot of people died that night." Seth replied, referring to the souls that fueled him.

"Hm... then don't." Ozpin said rushing at him.

Seth weaved a straight right, and turned just in time to block a right cross from Dawn who joined the fray. Ruby laughed and ran in as well, using her Semblance to kick Seth in the stomach, making him slide back.

"You all better active your Auras..." Seth said in annoyance, his hands growing sharp as they shone brightly.

Throwing his claw forward, he snatched Ruby into his enlarged fist, and threw her into Ozpin, but he ducked and she was tossed to the ground.

Dawn ran around Seth, and swung his other arm out to swat her away, but she dipped into his shadow made by the setting sun.

Ozpin uppercut Seth in his distraction, and dodged Seth's retracting claw, leaving room for Ruby to elbow his jaw.

"This feels like bullying." Seth said now that his arms were crossed between the two. "But not for me." He added.

He yanked his arms back, and swept both of them off their feet. Flipping forward, he threw his hands again and went to slam them down, but both evaded just in time.

Dawn dashed from his shadow and dropkicked his back, but Seth tanked the hit and slid around lashing his claw again.

Dawn flipped over it, but was caught by the next and thrown into ground. Ruby shouted as she ran at Seth again, but he called back his arms and caught her, making her gulp.

"...Can we talk about this?" She asked. "We just did." He said before dodging Ozpin's left cross, but he feigned and kicked him in the jaw.

Ruby slipped out of his grasp using her Semblance, and punched his nose. Dawn ended the combo with and unnecessarily dramatically axe kick to the top of his head, and Seth staggered on his feet.

Seth was about to up the anti but Oscar regained control and collapsed to his knees, panting heavily.

"Guh! How do you guys do this stuff...?" He asked.

The others stopped their attack, but Seth slammed his fists into Dawn and Ruby, both crashing into the dirt with groans.

•

Seth entered the residence the group were staying at through a window on the second floor, paying no mind to whoever's room it was.

Seth heard a scream and saw a less familiar face, but knew who it was. Said individual had just finished changing into more comfortable clothes as the intruder entered the house.

"Hello, Weiss." He said hopping in and walking to the door.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!" She yelled as everyone came running.

"Weiss?! What's wrong?! Is there a rat?!" Ruby asked, kicking the door open, but Seth blocked, which broke the door.

"Guys, what is this thing?!" Weiss asked, cowering against the wall.

"Oh, it's just Seth." Nora said with a chuckle. "Huh?!" Yang shouted in shock as well.

"Hello again." Seth said towards Weiss.

•

After a brief explanation from the recently awaken Dawn, who went right back to sleep, Seth was sitting on the couch, next to Yang, and adjacent to Ruby and Weiss.

"Seth, what happened? You know, up there?" Yang asked.

"Failure... I have no other way to describe it. I loss Pyrrha... I loss Laura... I loss Kaitlyn... I wasn't there for anyone." Seth answered stoically.

"You were there for me..." Ruby retorted, trying to smile, but she couldn't thinking of the losses that day. "Against all odds, you saved me on Ironwood's ship countless times. I wouldn't be here without you." She said with genuine appreciation.

Seth stared down at his lap in silence, making Ruby do the same.

"None of us would be here without your tenacity. You're the one who slayed the Wyvern, and made Cinder flee. You stopped the Atlesian Knights from attacking civilians, and lead everyone in their time of need. I speak for everyone, when I say we're thankful for everything you've done for us." Weiss continued.

Seth didn't budge, and his silence grew ominous.

Yang went to say a few choice words of encouragement, but soon noticed that his natural blue glow was starting to dim.

"Uh... is he dying?" Yang asked with concern.

"No, no. He's just sleeping..." Ruby said with a sigh of relief. "He's never been the same... he holds so much guilt and regret inside. He blames himself." Ruby continued.

Yang watched the glowing blue stop completely as it turned grey, and Seth began to lean forward unconscious. She stopped him, and laid him across the couch, legs across her own.

"It must've hurt... going through what he did." Weiss commented. "I wish I could've convinced Maia to come. She's certainly taking it better on the outside, but I know she would've wanted to see him." Weiss said with a groan.

"Did you text her?" Ruby asked, earning a nod. "As bland as it may be, she expressed her relief. She even sent him one." Weiss laughed.

Yang recalled her and Laura's fight to protect Blake, and rubbed her mechanical arm, sighing with a rigid breath. She rubbed Seth's knee soothingly, and looked at the pitch black face of the boy who faced the world head on...

"You two go on ahead... I'll stay with him for the night." Yang said, leaning her head back against the cushions.

Ruby Weiss nodded, and left to their own devices.

~•~

Seth's color began to return, and the motion of his hair and energy flowed like usual. Seth felt the elevation of his legs, and looked down to see Yang in her pajamas, head back and drooling as she slept.

On the other couch, Qrow, and via the way he held himself, presumably Ozpin.

"Awake, I see." Ozpin smiled.

Seth's motion was silent as it was swift. The flutter of his wings was the only evidence of said motion as he appeared standing before the two.

"...Lionheart wants us to meet tomorrow, with a few Huntsmen he managed to scrape together." Qrow informed the Soul Sage.

"Lies. My entire day yesterday was spent  seeing what forces Mistral had left... the approval this mission would've been denied the second the idea left his lips." Seth informed, staring into space.

"I assumed so... so let's surprise him." Ozpin said with a smirk.

~•~

The entire group was battle-ready after being informed of the suspected scheme Lionheart was getting at. They all walked across Haven's courtyard, scowls of anger or stoic frowns on their faces after being told.

Seth walked in the back, with Dawn in his shadow, since he, Yang, and Weiss were new variables.

Everyone was less than happy hearing of a potential ambush, but did their best to look as calm as possible.

As they entered the main hall of the Headmaster's Quarters, Lionheart stood over them atop a balcony with two sets of stairs leading up to it.

"Why, hello." He greeted, his brow lifting up upon sighting more than he recalled. "Thank you for coming... there seems to be more of you than last time." He couldn't quite catch Seth's appearance since Yang and Qrow covered him.

"You know what they say. The more the merrier. So, what's going on with the council?" Qrow asked with his usual unbothered tone.

"Why...," he placed his arms behind his back. "Did you bring your weapons?" Lionheart asked.

"...We're Huntsmen, Leo..." Qrow said giving him an unamused look.

"Found it." Seth said making Qrow shake his head.

Seth suddenly threw an extend claw at a raven sitting on the second floor railing, and it just barely dodged by the quill of its feathers.

The bird swooped down behind Lionheart and transformed into a woman in a black dress and red plated armor, long, wild black hair going down her back, with a Grimm mask over her face.

Raven took off her mask, and stared at Seth with intrigue.

"Just what the hell is that thing?" Raven whispered to herself.

"Damnit... so you've really gone and done it." Qrow sighed. "Don't ac—" Raven went to retort, but Seth was never one for a chat.

Seth slammed his fist into Raven's blade, and she slid back with a grunt.

"Come to terms, Qrow. If she's here... so are the others." Seth said brandishing his sheath. Raven analyzed the force behind attack, and sliced a portal open for her reinforcements.

Seth didn't give a damn, but blocked a fireball shot through it.

Cinder grinned seeing him, and wasted no time dashing towards him as Emerald, Mercury, and Vernal exited as well. Hazel closed the humongous doors behind the group, and informed of the demolition team prepping outside; The White Fang.

Seth slammed his foot into Cinder's jaw, and she clawed at his chest with flames.

Raven lunged at the two and slashed at his chest, but he flipped back and dodged, kicking her back as Cinder leapt up with a molten blade.

The others watched as Seth flew towards them with Cinder locking blades with him, Raven flying after the two in her bird form.

Emerald ran at Ruby and the two began firing on sight. Jaune and Qrow ran after Seth seeing Cinder and Raven. Mercury and Yang were quick to engage, and that left Ren and Nora to handle Hazel, while Oscar confronted Lionheart.

Qrow chased after Raven in his own feathered form, and Jaune charged at Cinder with all his bottled rage.

Seth flipped away from Raven's swift slash at his torso, giving way for Dawn to leave his shadow and kick her back. Cinder rushed past and thrust her blade at the landing Seth, but Jaune blocked, parrying the sword.

Seth and Qrow reeled their swords back, cleaving through the air towards Cinder.

Raven parried one blade and Cinder dodged the other, but Jaune tackled her anyway. Seth and Qrow began dueling with Raven, dashing and dancing around her with slashes and slices with the intent to kill.

Jaune was holding his own without Cinder's use of the Maiden's powers, but Cinder's attention wasn't on him.

Dawn knees Cinder's face through Jaune's shadow, and she recognized just where the other half of her powers went.

Stomping towards Dawn, who drew a molten bow, and Cinder opened her mouth to snap at her.

But unfortunately for her, Seth wasn't having that.

Seth extended his arm and grabbed Cinder's face reeling towards her and kicking her stomach.

Jaune lunged at her hurler figure and slashed down at her, throwing her to the ground. She rolled and turned on her feel, right eye set ablaze simultaneously with Dawn's.

The two threw arrays of fire at each other, and Jaune and Seth ran over to Qrow to take down Raven.

Taking Jaune's arm in his grasp, Seth used his superior strength to throw him over.

Jaune soared through the air as Seth predicted the two's clash movement, and Jaune slammed his sword down into Raven's just as Qrow would connect, causing her to slide back from the extra force.

Seth flew in next, uppercutting her jaw, before spinning upside down and dropkicking her into the statue of some deity.

A whistle caught Seth's attention, and he watched a spear of fire fly towards a dazed Weiss.

Within the blink of an eye, Seth stood over Weiss and was impaled himself. She slowly turned and felt the heat of the blade, staring up in disbelief.

As he stood over her protectively, Raven and Cinder made sure he was the priority.

The two dashed away from their current fights, flying towards him with malice. Seth's fists began to ball, and his power began to fluctuate, souls leaking out of him as they approached.

With a swift tug of the spear, Seth spun it around and blocked Raven's blade, using Burden to parry Cinder's slash.

Vernal threw a haymaker with her axe-gauntlet, and Seth flipped back, picking up Weiss as he did.

He hopped over a stab from Raven, enlarging his arm to block a blast of fire from Cinder, sending them crashing to the ground.

"I've got you." Seth whispered as he flew around his assailants, Raven and Cinder giving chase.

Seth noticed Emerald's Semblance giving Ruby trouble and tossed Weiss into the air.

With a boom, Seth slammed his fist into Emerald's side, but Cinder was already on his ass.

He vaulted over her upward slash, sliding back, before dashing out of Raven's violent horizontal one.

Ruby blasted Raven back with a sniper round, leaving Seth room to catch Weiss, but he was kicked in his back by what felt like a truck.

"This thing proves to be too much trouble... whatever it is." Hazel said with disdain.

Seth held Weiss close as he crashed through the main doors and outside, in view of the White Fang's demolition team.

They all focused fire on him, and with a groan, he fluttered his wings and blew every bullet away, walking back to the building.

"How are you?" Seth asked. "My Aura's broken, and I think my ankle is well..." She admit.

"Find cover." Seth said with a huff, entering the building and setting her down.

He immediately saw Jaune and Ren lurched over Yang and Nora tending to an unconscious Ruby. Dawn was getting ready to jump down after who Seth assumed was Raven and Cinder, alongside Vernal, but he appeared behind her, hand on her shoulder.

"Take care of the big guy... he looks unstable." Seth said seeing the dust crystals literally stabbed into his biceps.

Seth hopped up and flew down after Cinder and Raven, his eyes growing restless and twitching.

With growing rage at how slippery they were being despite attempting at his life, he was sick of the chase.

Seth landed, crashing through the lift with a boom, breaking the normal means of entering and exiting. Raven and Cinder looked back, Vernal at the base of the massive tree that harbored a door for the relic. Orange petals fell with a orange luminescent pulse, and the damned began swirling around Seth.

"I am going to enjoy murdering every last one of you... slowly... painfully..." Seth said taking swift steps towards the three.

Cinder didn't bother mentioning his dead friends. She knew damn well that's what was on his mind.

"You're not that same boy who grew up at Beacon... you're different... you finally realize how hard it is to be the hero. Yet here you are, still trying." Cinder scoffed, but she looked more than amused.

"...What does that have to do with killing you?" Seth asked, before appearing behind Vernal, decapitating her with a swift slash of Burden.

The blood flew onto Cinder and Raven's clothes, shocking the two to see his resolve was unwavering.

He truly wanted them dead.

Raven and Cinder's eyes gleamed with power and fire began escaping their sclera. The two became enveloped in a orange and cyan energy, brimming with power.

Seth was unbothered as he began to consume countless souls in hopes of meeting the power of such magic feats, his body returning to him.

Seth flew at the two, allowing Burden to return to its former state in his bracelet.

Cinder and Raven flew at him as well, blades reeled back with fire and electricity respectively.

Seth slid at the two, kicking in Raven's shin, spinning his legs around and slamming his right foot down into Cinder's head. Twisting back the other way, he dodged a blast of plasma, flying on his back to avoid Raven's thrusting blade.

He flipped back over and punched down at her sword, shattering her origins weapon with ease. Cinder appeared at his side cleaving a molten sword through his torso.

Seth ignored it and kneed her chest, taking the blade out of his body and blocking another slash from Raven.

Twisting his body, he clapped his wings, throwing the two away.

Running after Cinder, her uppercut her rib cage, before kneeing her back and grabbing her head, spinning around and disappearing.

He suddenly slammed her head into ground, just as Raven slashed at him, lighting crashing into where he was.

Seth flipped behind her and kicked her away, spinning forward to slam Burden into Cinder's flaming sword. She combust the blade, and Seth went barreling back, right into Raven, who kneed his back, before punching him upward.

Seth crashed into the ceiling, and without any time to heal, the two fired a beam of lighting and fire at him, making the entire school grounds quake at the impact of two magic forces.

Raven and Cinder stood beside each other awaiting the smoke to settle. As it did, they noticed Seth limp, engraved in the ginormous ceiling with his hand barely gripping the outside of his crater.

Seth took a deep breathe as he finally consumed the last soul needed to reach his desired state.

"This should do... it wasn't even 5% of the souls I can feel. Are there really that many deaths on my hands?" Seth asked rhetorically. He stood up side down against all odds, making the two click their tongues in annoyance.

"I'm taking you both out here and now." Seth said with a sigh.

•

Outside, Adam Taurus and the small demolition team were being overwhelmed by Blake's reinforcements, the people of Menagerie. Inside the building, Dawn was still holding off Hazel, who had now stabbed Fire dust into his arms alongside the previous Electric dust.

Ren, Oscar and Qrow were helping as best they could, but after already having taken their beatings, it wasn't much.

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang were reuniting with Blake, and she asked the question that everyone was wondering.

"Where's Seth?" She asked with concern.

Just as she asked, the entire premise shook violently, sending many to their feet. The tremors didn't stop, but after two seconds... it was quiet.

Not for long.

With the loudest explosion you'd ever hear, the entire building beyond the hall they fought in exploded, sending the debris into orbit.

«•«

Seth roared as he flew at the two, his face returning to him, letting the two get a good look at who was after their heads.

Seth slid down a chunk of stone, dodging streams of fire and a lash of lightning, feeling the Auras of several fallen souls in his palm, welling with anger and pain.

Seth weaved around another blast of lighting, spinning around and clawing through fire, his wings flapping to dispel the flames on his clothes. Raven and Cinder yelled with vigor as they brought forth the entire arsenal of magic they could muster: pure energy in its radiant form.

Seth conjured the same element and brought forth the Auras of thousands, breaking down the ability to its basic structure of energy, their souls defense, and making it his most powerful offense.

Seth appeared just in front of them, fist thrown forward as they released their attack.

"FUCKING BURN!"

The expelled force of Aura's forcefields sent the two crashing and completely blew up the ceiling and floor, the cracking of the unstable footing making both wince and panic since they were out of energy and Aura themselves.

Seth landed in between the two, lifting them both up by their necks.

His glare towards Cinder was so condescending she grit her teeth and but at his hand.

"I need the Spring Maiden... not Fall." He said with a smile, making her panic as she kicked weakly at his body.

He walked over to the edge of the already crumbling bridge, looking her dead in the eye.

"Don't let this kill you. I this won't be slow nor painful enough for me to be satisfied." Seth said with a grin, releasing her over the abyss below.

Cinder gasped as she fell only able to look back up at him with eyes of fury and fear.

The bridge finally collapsed, and Seth began flying, still grabbing the exhausted Raven by her throat.

He flew over to the large golden door, still intact via its roots placed into the stone walls alone.

Seth slammed her face into the door, making her groan as white floral print began to trail up the golden door. As soon as they all connected, they brimmed with blue energy, before the layered door began to unfold and the relic was visible to the two.

"...You're luckily I know Yang. Get the hell out of here." Seth said with spite. Raven turned into her bird form and escaped as fast as she could, leaving Seth to gaze into the barren desert, where a golden ornamented lamp with a pure blue glass sat in a podium.

Seth wasted no time and snatched it, flying out as soon as he did in.

•

Everyone was frozen in shock, unable to peer into the massive chasm below the school, only seeing smoke and dust rise from the scene.

Suddenly, Seth landed, face having retreated after dispelling of his power, back to his usual ghoulish look.

He stood with Burden in one hand, and the relic in the other.

Emerald, Mercury, and Hazel looked in disbelief at his triumph, shocked at his victory over two Maidens.

Everyone else beamed with joy and cheered seeing Seth, and he chuckled under his breath.

He looked down at the last three assailants and slowly rose his right hand, reeling Burden back to impale his next target.

"You're next." Seth said looking at Emerald. She paled in fear, and the surrounding area suddenly grew dark, leaving everyone inside blinded.

Seth wanted to throw his sword anyway, but wasn't completely sure who's soul was who.

When the illusion disappeared, the three were gone, and Seth lowered his arm.

"That was exhausting." He whispered, letting Burden retreat to his bracelet.

Team RWBY and JNR were reuniting, and Seth walked by stoic eyes, hurting that such a reunion would never happen for him. He could only avenge his friends... and hope he'd meet them in the afterlife.

But that wasn't so bad.

Seth pulled out his scroll... looking at the text from Maia he still had open, left in read with a lack of words to say.

He sighed and sent his reply, falling to his knee with a groan.

Dawn walked up behind him, falling on his back with her own groan. She quickly slumped into his shadow, and he sighed, standing up thinking to himself.

'There's more to do...' Seth thought within a daze of exhaustion.

Unbeknownst to him, RWBY were staring at him guilt, albeit unwilling, feeling like they were rubbing it in in a sense. They walked up behind him, and again enveloped him in a hug. Nora ran over and joined, followed by the more docile Jaune and Ren.

Seth glanced back at everyone's closed eyes, seeing that they were genuinely worried about him.

He turned around and returned the gesture, unable to cry in his state, but he was squeezing them tightly.

____________________________

Maia ...
____________________________

[You left your hat in the room again. As well as your homework.]

[Damnit. Can you bring them for me?]

[Sure. I keep telling you to put it on your dresser.]

_______________________
8:13PM

[I'm so glad you're okay. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you. Please call when you can. I miss you.]

[I miss you too]

________________________________
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