Chapter XXVIII: Gods Among Us; A Destroyer God's Trial
The Amity Colosseum - Team NDTSA vs Team BRNZ
The massive holographic displays throughout the arena shifted to show the new match-up as Team NDTSA took their positions on the battlefield. The arena had been reconfigured into a diverse landscape of rocky outcroppings, dense forest sections, and what appeared to be ancient ruins scattered throughout.
High above in the commentary booth, Professor Port's voice boomed across the colosseum: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have an exciting match ahead of us! Team NDTSA of Beacon Academy faces off against Team BRNZ of Shade Academy!"
Dr. Oobleck adjusted his glasses excitedly: "Indeed, Peter! Team NDTSA has shown remarkable coordination in previous rounds, while Team BRNZ brings a unique blend of technical prowess and street-smart tactics to the arena!"
In the VIP section, Beerus had indeed arranged for better seating, casually displacing several dignitaries who found themselves mysteriously compelled to give up their prime viewing spots. Whis floated beside him, staff in hand and looking thoroughly entertained by the mortal concept of organized competition.
"Five unique hybrids, all on one team," Beerus mused, his cat-like eyes focused intently on the arena floor. "This should be... illuminating."
Down in the arena, Team NDTSA took their starting positions with practiced precision. Nova stood at the center, his dark hair catching the arena lights as he surveyed the battlefield. Turuk flanked him to the right, their identical Saiyan heritage evident in their similar stances despite their different fighting styles. Daikon positioned himself on the left, his more experienced eye already calculating angles and tactical opportunities.
Scarlett cracked her knuckles, her red hair flowing as her matching red Saiyan tail swished with anticipation. "Finally," she muttered, loud enough for her teammates to hear. "A chance to really move without holding back."
Aiko's wolf ears twitched as she monitored the sounds around the arena, her enhanced Faunus senses picking up everything from the crowd's heartbeats to the mechanical hum of the arena's systems. Her furry wolf tail, so different from her teammates' smooth Saiyan tails, betrayed her mixed heritage as it bristled slightly with pre-combat tension.
"Remember," Nova said quietly as they waited for the signal, "we need to put on a show, but not too much of one. Impressive enough to keep our cosmic audience interested, controlled enough to avoid questions we can't answer."
Across the arena, Team BRNZ had taken their own positions. Roy Stallion adjusted his weapon's settings, while Nolan Porfirio spun his cattle prod experimentally. May Zedong sighted through her sniper scope, and Brawnz Ni flexed his clawed gauntlets.
The referee raised her hand. "Combatants ready?"
Both teams signaled their readiness.
"Begin!"
The match exploded into action, but for Team NDTSA, their enhanced Saiyan reflexes made everything appear to move in slow motion. The challenge wasn't winning—it was making it look challenging.
Turuk immediately engaged Brawnz, his more aggressive fighting style creating spectacular collisions as claw met energy-enhanced fist. To the crowd, it appeared to be an evenly matched brawl, but Turuk was carefully moderating every strike to avoid accidentally vaporizing his opponent.
Scarlett launched herself at Roy with obvious glee, her red hair streaming behind her as she weaved through his rifle fire with movements that looked fluid and natural to the audience but required incredible precision to appear merely human-level. Her red tail lashed as she delivered a carefully calculated punch that sent Roy skidding backward—impressive, but not suspiciously so.
"Come on!" she taunted, genuinely enjoying herself despite the restraint required. "I thought Shade Academy trained fighters, not target practice!"
Meanwhile, Aiko had engaged May in what appeared to be a sniper duel, her Faunus-enhanced senses allowing her to predict and dodge shots while making her own return fire look like exceptional but believable marksmanship. Her wolf ears tracked every sound, giving her an advantage she had to constantly moderate to avoid appearing superhuman.
Nova found himself facing Nolan, the cattle prod wielder's electrical attacks providing an interesting challenge. Nova had to resist his Saiyan instinct to simply power through the electricity and instead made a show of dodging and weaving, occasionally allowing himself to be tagged to sell the performance.
"Not bad," Nolan called out as his weapon crackled with energy. "But let's see how you handle this!"
He launched a devastating electrical assault that would have incapacitated most opponents. Nova caught it with his bare hands, channeling his Saiyan energy to absorb the attack, then released it in a controlled burst that knocked Nolan backward without seriously injuring him.
In the commentary booth, Port's voice rose with excitement: "Incredible! Nova appears to have some form of electrical resistance! What a display of tactical adaptation!"
Oobleck was practically vibrating with enthusiasm: "Fascinating! The way Team NDTSA moves together suggests extensive coordination training, but each member's individual capabilities are quite remarkable!"
Up in the VIP section, Beerus leaned forward slightly, his interest clearly piqued. "They're holding back," he observed. "Considerably."
"Oh yes," Whis agreed cheerfully, his staff glowing as he analyzed their energy outputs. "I'd estimate they're using perhaps five percent of their actual capabilities. Quite impressive restraint for young Saiyans, really."
The battle continued with carefully choreographed intensity. Daikon had engaged Roy after Scarlett moved to assist Turuk, his experience showing as he made efficient, precise strikes that looked devastatingly effective to the crowd while causing minimal actual harm.
"You're good," Roy admitted, breathing hard as he blocked another attack. "But I've got a few tricks left!"
He activated his weapon's special mode, launching a barrage of energy projectiles. Daikon weaved through them with movements that appeared to be incredible dodging skills rather than the Saiyan-enhanced reflexes they actually were, then closed the distance for what looked like a match-ending strike.
The crowd erupted as Roy's aura level dropped below fifteen percent, eliminating him from the match.
"And that's one down for Team BRNZ!" Port announced. "Roy Stallion is eliminated by aura depletion!"
Aiko had been steadily wearing down May, her mixed heritage giving her advantages she had to constantly suppress. When she finally closed for the elimination, she moved with a fluid grace that combined Saiyan power with Faunus agility, creating a fighting style that was uniquely her own.
"Sorry," she said genuinely as May hit the ground, her aura depleted. "You fought well."
The match was clearly turning in Team NDTSA's favor, but they made sure it looked hard-fought. Nolan managed to land several more hits on Nova, while Brawnz actually got the upper hand on Turuk for a few moments through sheer determination and skill.
But in the end, superior coordination and carefully modulated power told the story. One by one, Team BRNZ fell, each elimination looking like the result of skill and teamwork rather than overwhelming force.
When the final buzzer sounded, Team NDTSA stood victorious, breathing slightly harder than necessary to sell the performance while Team BRNZ lay scattered around the arena, defeated but not seriously injured.
"And that's the match!" Port's voice boomed across the colosseum. "Team NDTSA is victorious!"
The crowd erupted in cheers, and up in the VIP section, Beerus settled back in his seat with what might have been satisfaction.
"Interesting," he mused. "Very controlled. Very... calculated. They fought exactly hard enough to win decisively without revealing their true capabilities."
Whis clapped his hands together delightedly. "Oh, what a wonderful performance! Such restraint from young warriors is truly remarkable. Though I do believe our main event is yet to come."
Down in the arena, Nova looked up toward the VIP section, knowing that their real test was still ahead. The tournament match had been about putting on a show. What came next would determine whether their world continued to exist.
"Well done, everyone," he said to his team as they acknowledged the crowd's cheers. "But now comes the hard part."
The God of Destruction's Evaluation
The festival crowd was still cheering Team NDTSA's victory when Beerus rose from his seat in the VIP section. The casual movement sent ripples of divine energy through the air that only those with enhanced senses could detect, but it was enough to make every person with even a trace of power awareness suddenly feel uneasy.
"Whis," Beerus said, his tone shifting from casual observation to business-like focus. "I believe it's time."
"Of course, my lord," Whis replied cheerfully, tapping his staff against the floor. "Shall we relocate to somewhere more... spacious?"
Down in the arena, Nova felt the change in atmosphere immediately. His enhanced Saiyan senses picked up the shift in cosmic energy, and he knew without looking that his evaluation was about to begin.
"Everyone clear the arena," he called to his teammates, his voice carrying an authority that made them all stop celebrating immediately. "This isn't part of the tournament anymore."
Professor Port's voice crackled over the intercom, though there was confusion in his tone: "Ladies and gentlemen, it appears we have an... unexpected development. Please remain in your seats while we... assess the situation."
The crowd's cheers died down as they sensed something had changed, though they couldn't quite identify what. The festival atmosphere suddenly felt heavier, more charged with potential energy.
Ozpin's voice came through Nova's earpiece, tight with worry: "Nova, Lord Beerus is moving. He's heading down to the arena floor. Are you ready for this?"
Nova took a deep breath, centering himself as he'd been taught. "As ready as anyone can be for a test from a God of Destruction, Professor."
Team RWBY, still in the arena prep areas, felt the shift as well. Ruby's silver eyes widened as she sensed the overwhelming power beginning to descend.
"Yang," she whispered, grabbing her sister's hand. "He's really going to do it."
Yang, still processing her own revelations about her demonic heritage, squeezed back. "Nova's strong, Ruby. Stronger than any of us realized."
Blake's faunus ears flattened against her head as her protective instincts warred with her logical understanding that there was nothing she could do. "He's our little brother," she said quietly. "How did we get to the point where we're watching him face down a god?"
The arena floor began to clear as officials, with expressions of barely controlled panic, ushered Team BRNZ and all non-essential personnel out of the colosseum. Within minutes, the vast space that had been filled with cheering spectators fell into an eerie quiet, with only Nova remaining at the center.
Beerus materialized on the arena floor with a casual step that somehow traversed the distance from the VIP section without any visible movement. Reality seemed to bend around him as he walked, and the very air grew thick with divine energy.
"Impressive restraint during your match," Beerus observed, his cat-like eyes studying Nova with clinical interest. "You fought at perhaps five percent of your actual capabilities. Very disciplined for a young Saiyan."
Nova maintained his composure, though every instinct was screaming at him to either flee or attack. "Thank you, Lord Beerus. We've learned that power without control is worthless."
"Indeed," Beerus agreed, beginning to walk in a slow circle around Nova. "Your parents taught you well. But restraint in competition is one thing. Now I want to see what you're truly capable of when pushed."
Whis floated down to join them, creating another shimmering barrier around the arena floor. "There we are! Now you needn't worry about accidentally damaging the lovely stadium or the spectators."
Up in the stands, the crowd watched in fascination, still believing this was some sort of special exhibition. News crews zoomed in closer, broadcasting what they assumed was an elaborate demonstration to audiences across all four kingdoms.
"Transform," Beerus commanded simply. "Show me your Saiyan nature."
Nova nodded, then began to power up. Golden light erupted around him as his hair lifted and shifted to brilliant gold, his dark eyes blazing with Super Saiyan energy. The transformation was smoother and more controlled than Yang's had been, a testament to his training and natural affinity for power regulation.
The crowd gasped and cheered, assuming they were witnessing incredible special effects.
"Adequate," Beerus noted, though his tone suggested he expected more. "But I can sense greater depths. Show me your limits, young Saiyan."
Nova gritted his teeth and pushed further. His golden aura intensified, electricity beginning to crackle around him as he climbed toward higher levels of Super Saiyan power. The ground beneath his feet started to crack from the sheer energy output.
But Beerus remained unimpressed. "More."
Something in that single word—the casual dismissal of power that had made Nova feel invincible—triggered a response deeper than conscious thought. His Saiyan pride flared, and with it came a surge of power that surprised even him.
His golden aura suddenly blazed brighter, taking on silver-white edges that reminded everyone watching of Ruby's mysterious energy. His power level skyrocketed, and for the first time since arriving on Remnant, Beerus looked genuinely interested.
"Now that," the God of Destruction said with approval, "is more like it. But can you use it?"
Without warning, Beerus moved. One moment he was standing casually several feet away, the next his fist was inches from Nova's face, moving with speed that made light seem sluggish.
Nova's enhanced reflexes kicked in, and he managed to deflect the blow, though the impact sent shockwaves through his entire body. The collision created a boom that rattled the entire colosseum.
"Good," Beerus acknowledged. "You can react at divine speeds. But can you counter?"
The battle that followed was unlike anything Remnant had ever witnessed. To the crowd, it appeared to be an incredible light show with two figures moving so fast they were barely visible, creating explosions of energy with each collision. The news commentators struggled to describe what they were seeing, falling back on terms like "revolutionary holographic technology" and "unprecedented special effects."
But those with enhanced senses understood they were watching something far more real and far more dangerous.
Nova fought with everything he had, his silver-edged golden aura clashing against Beerus's purple destructive energy. He managed to land several hits that would have vaporized mountains, but they barely seemed to register on the God of Destruction.
"Impressive," Beerus said after deflecting a particularly powerful energy blast. "You have considerable raw power and excellent technique for your age. But..."
He suddenly appeared behind Nova, moving faster than even Saiyan reflexes could track.
"You're still thinking like a mortal."
The strike that followed wasn't meant to seriously injure, but it drove Nova to his knees, his transformation flickering as he struggled to maintain consciousness.
"Your power is considerable," Beerus continued, his tone now almost instructional. "Your control is exceptional. Your technique shows promise. But you fight with the limitations of mortal thinking. You see power as finite, combat as a puzzle to solve rather than a natural expression of will."
Nova looked up at the towering figure above him, golden blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Then... how should I fight?"
For the first time since arriving on Remnant, Beerus smiled—not the casual smirk of a superior being, but something approaching genuine approval.
"That," he said, "is the right question. Few mortals ever think to ask it."
He reached down and helped Nova to his feet, a gesture so unexpected that gasps echoed through the crowd.
"Your evaluation is complete," Beerus announced. "You have shown me power, control, humility, and wisdom. Most importantly, you have shown me the capacity for growth. This world has proven... entertaining enough to preserve."
The casual way he mentioned their planet's survival made Nova's legs weak with relief.
"However," Beerus continued, his tone becoming more serious, "I will be watching your development with interest. Do not disappoint me."
As the God of Destruction and his attendant prepared to depart, Whis floated closer to Nova with his characteristic pleasant expression.
"Oh, and young man? That silver energy mixed with your golden transformation? Quite fascinating! I don't believe I've ever seen divine energy manifest in a Saiyan quite that way before. Do keep exploring that particular avenue—I suspect it will lead to very interesting places indeed."
With that, both cosmic beings began to rise into the air, their business on Remnant apparently concluded.
"Thank you," Nova called after them, his voice carrying across the suddenly silent arena. "For the test, and for... everything else."
Beerus paused in his ascent and looked back down. "Do not thank me yet, young Saiyan. Today was merely an introduction. The real tests of your worth are yet to come."
But before they could fully depart, Whis paused in his ascent, his staff glowing as he looked back down at Nova with genuine interest.
"Oh, one more thing, young man," Whis called down cheerfully. "Do continue your training. Should you ever find yourself in a... training rut, as mortals say, Lord Beerus wouldn't be far away. We do so enjoy seeing promising warriors reach their potential."
Beerus, floating beside his attendant, nodded approvingly. "Indeed. But first, master the form you glimpsed during our bout. The green-haired variant—what I call the 'Full Powered Super Saiyan.' It will complement your overall strength considerably and provide a stable foundation for whatever that silver energy develops into."
Nova's eyes widened. During the most intense moments of their fight, he'd felt his transformation wanting to shift, to take on characteristics he didn't understand. "The green-haired form?"
"Trust your instincts," Beerus advised. "Your Saiyan nature knows the path, even if your conscious mind doesn't yet understand it."
But Whis wasn't finished. His gaze shifted to where Team RWBY stood in the arena entrance, and his pleasant expression became even more intrigued.
"Actually," he said, floating closer to the two sisters, "I believe I should extend the same invitation to you both."
Ruby's silver eyes went wide as the angel descended to hover just in front of her and Yang. "To... to us?"
"Oh yes, most certainly!" Whis replied with obvious delight. "Your bloodlines are quite fascinating, you see. Ruby, a human transformed into a Saiyan—such adaptability is remarkably rare. The silver energy you possess suggests divine potential that even Lord Beerus finds intriguing."
He turned to Yang, whose expression had grown complicated at the mention of her bloodline.
"And Yang, my dear, you're perhaps even more unique. A tri-hybrid of human adaptability, Saiyan power, and ancient demonic heritage. The way those three distinct energies have begun to harmonize within you... well, it's simply unprecedented. I haven't seen anything quite like it in several million years of existence."
Yang's hands clenched unconsciously, golden energy flickering around her fingers. "The demonic part... is that something I should be worried about?"
"Quite the contrary!" Whis assured her with his characteristic cheerfulness. "Your human side provides balance, your Saiyan nature channels the power constructively, and your demonic heritage adds depths of strength that most beings never touch. The key is integration, not suppression."
Blake stepped forward, her protective instincts overriding her fear. "What kind of training are you talking about?"
"Oh, nothing too strenuous," Whis replied with a smile that somehow managed to be both reassuring and terrifying. "Simply helping them understand their unique natures and reach their fullest potential. After all, such interesting bloodlines deserve proper guidance."
Beerus floated closer, his cat-like gaze studying both sisters. "The choice is yours, of course. But understand that power like yours, left unguided, can be... problematic. Better to learn control now than face the consequences of unrestrained growth later."
Ruby looked at Yang, then back at the cosmic beings. "We... we'd be honored to learn from you. But we also have responsibilities here. Our teams, our school, our world..."
"Naturally," Whis agreed. "We wouldn't dream of interfering with your mortal obligations. Think of it as... occasional supplementary education. When you're ready to take the next step in your development, we'll know."
"How?" Yang asked, still processing the revelation about her heritage and now this incredible offer.
Beerus's expression became almost amused. "Child, when beings of your potential are ready for the next level of training, the universe itself takes notice. We'll find you."
Nova, still catching his breath from his evaluation, managed to speak up. "Lord Beerus, Lady Whis... thank you. For everything. The test, the guidance, and for giving our world this chance."
"Don't thank us yet," Beerus replied, though there was less menace in his tone than before. "Today was merely an assessment. Whether your world continues to deserve preservation depends on what you all do with the potential you've been given."
Whis clapped his hands together one final time. "Well then, this has been absolutely delightful! Do take care of yourselves, and remember—power is only as valuable as the wisdom to use it properly."
With that, both cosmic beings began their final ascent, rising into the sky with the casual ease of gods returning to their realm.
But just before they disappeared entirely, Beerus's voice echoed down one last time:
"Oh, and Nova? When you do master that Full Powered form, try adding the silver energy to it. I suspect the results will be... most entertaining."
And then they were gone, leaving behind a world that remained blissfully unaware of how close it had come to annihilation, and a small group of young warriors who now carried the weight of cosmic expectations on their shoulders.
Ruby looked at her sister, then at Nova, her silver eyes reflecting a new understanding of just how much their lives had changed.
"Well," she said quietly, "I guess our training just got a lot more interesting."
Yang managed a shaky laugh, her own golden eyes still flickering with traces of that ancient demonic energy. "Interesting is one word for it. Terrifying might be more accurate."
Nova, steadying himself as his transformation finally faded completely, looked up at the sky where the two beings had disappeared.
"No," he said thoughtfully. "I think the word is... responsibility."
In the stands above, the crowd was still cheering what they believed had been the most incredible special effects demonstration in festival history, completely unaware that they had just witnessed their world's salvation and the beginning of a new chapter in the lives of some very extraordinary young people.
The festival would continue, the tournament would proceed, and life on Remnant would go on. But for those who knew the truth, everything had changed. They now had cosmic mentors, incredible potential, and the knowledge that their world's continued existence might very well depend on how well they could master the powers they were only beginning to understand.
RWBY: The Saiyan Chronicles
Chapter 28: Gods Among Us (Continued)
The Weight of Revelation - Team RWBY Regroups
The arena fell into an almost surreal quiet after the cosmic beings' departure. What had been a thunderous colosseum filled with cheering spectators now felt hollow, despite the thousands of people still present. The crowd was slowly dispersing, chattering excitedly about the "incredible special effects" and "revolutionary holographic technology" they believed they had witnessed.
Ruby stood at the arena entrance, her silver eyes still fixed on the spot in the sky where Beerus and Whis had disappeared. The weight of their words—and the implications of what had just transpired—pressed down on her like a physical force.
"Divine potential," she murmured, repeating Whis's words. "What does that even mean?"
Yang moved beside her sister, her own golden eyes troubled. The revelation about her demonic heritage had shaken something fundamental in her understanding of herself, and now the offer of cosmic training added another layer of complexity she wasn't sure she was ready to handle.
"I don't know, Ruby," Yang admitted, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. "A few hours ago, I thought I knew who I was. Now I'm apparently part demon, and angels are offering to train me." She ran a hand through her blonde hair, which still seemed to shimmer with traces of that otherworldly energy. "How do we even process this?"
Blake approached cautiously, her faunus ears still flattened against her head from the overwhelming divine presence she'd sensed. "We take it one step at a time," she said, though her voice carried its own uncertainty. "We've faced impossible situations before."
"This is different, Blake," Weiss interjected as she joined the group. Her usual composure was intact, but there was a tremor in her voice that betrayed her inner turmoil. "We're talking about gods. Actual gods who can destroy planets on a whim, and they're... interested in us."
Nova approached from the arena floor, still recovering from his evaluation. His transformation had fully faded, but there was something different about him now—a deeper awareness in his dark eyes, as if the brief contact with divine power had awakened something previously dormant.
"They're not just interested," he said quietly. "They're invested. Beerus doesn't offer second chances lightly, and Whis doesn't extend training invitations to beings he considers insignificant."
Ruby turned to look at him, noting the way he carried himself differently now. "Nova, what was it like? Fighting him, I mean?"
Nova considered the question carefully. "Like trying to hold back an ocean with your bare hands," he replied. "Every technique I used, every strategy I employed—he saw through it instantly. But that wasn't the point of the test."
"What was the point?" Yang asked, genuine curiosity overriding her emotional turmoil.
"To see if I could grow," Nova explained. "Not just in power, but in understanding. He wasn't trying to defeat me—he was trying to see if I could evolve beyond mortal limitations during combat."
Turuk jointed them, having heard the last part of the conversation. "And did you?"
Nova's expression grew thoughtful. "I think I started to. That silver energy mixed with my Super Saiyan form—I've never felt anything like it. It was like touching something infinitely vast and ancient."
"The same energy Ruby manifests," Blake observed, looking between the two of them. "That can't be coincidence."
Professor Ozpin's voice cut through their conversation as he approached with measured steps. "No, it certainly isn't." His usual calm demeanor was intact, but the stress of the recent events showed in the tight lines around his eyes. "Perhaps we should continue this discussion somewhere more private."
Beacon Academy - Emergency Faculty Meeting
The headmaster's office had been hastily reconfigured to accommodate not only the usual faculty but also the adult Saiyans and the students directly involved in the cosmic encounter. Professor Goodwitch stood by the window, her scroll containing readings that defied conventional understanding. General Ironwood, connected via secure video link, looked pale despite his usual military composure.
"Let me ensure I understand the situation correctly," Ironwood began, his voice tight with controlled stress. "Two cosmic beings, one of whom could have destroyed our entire planet without effort, arrived unannounced, evaluated our students, and departed with what amounts to... approval?"
"That's a simplified but accurate assessment," Ozpin replied, his coffee cup untouched as it had been for hours. "Lord Beerus found our world 'entertaining enough to preserve,' which, according to Rhubar and Sala, is the equivalent of a glowing recommendation from a God of Destruction."
Sala, still processing her own emotions from watching her adopted sons face cosmic evaluation, spoke with carefully controlled tension. "What concerns me more is the training offer. Gods don't extend invitations lightly."
"Training," Rhubar added, his tail twitching with nervous energy, "that could fundamentally change not just Ruby and Yang, but potentially the balance of power in this entire universe."
Dr. Oobleck, who had been furiously taking notes throughout the briefing, looked up from his scroll. "The energy readings we recorded during Nova's evaluation are... unprecedented. The silver component mixed with standard Super Saiyan energy created signatures we don't have any frame of reference for."
Professor Koizumi pulled up holographic displays showing the energy analysis. "The readings suggest that when Nova accessed that silver-edged transformation, he briefly touched something that registers as divine energy. Not similar to divine energy—actual divine energy."
"Which brings us to Ruby," Professor Port said, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "If both she and Nova can manifest this silver energy..."
"Then we have two students with apparent divine potential," Ozpin finished. "And now cosmic mentors interested in developing that potential."
The weight of that statement settled over the room like a heavy blanket.
Meanwhile - Salem's Growing Unease
Hundreds of miles away, in her fortress surrounded by Grimm, Salem paced through her throne room with uncharacteristic agitation. The overwhelming presence she had sensed earlier continued to gnaw at her consciousness, even hours after the cosmic beings' departure.
"Impossible," she muttered again, the word becoming a mantra she repeated to try to make sense of what she had experienced. "Power like that shouldn't exist. The Brothers were gods, but this... this was something else entirely."
Her lieutenant, Hazel, stood nearby, confused by his mistress's obvious distress. He had felt nothing during the cosmic visitors' presence, his human senses unable to detect what Salem's immortal consciousness had perceived so clearly.
"My lady," he ventured carefully, "perhaps you should rest. You've been agitated since this afternoon—"
"Rest?" Salem's red eyes blazed as she whirled to face him. "Hazel, something arrived on this world today that makes my immortality feel like a temporary inconvenience. Something that could unmake everything I've worked toward for millennia, and you suggest I rest?"
She moved to the large window overlooking her domain, where Grimm of all varieties roamed freely. Even now, hours later, many of them remained cowering, their connection to negative emotions making them hypersensitive to the cosmic dread that had touched the world.
"The energy came from Vale," she continued, more to herself than to Hazel. "From Beacon Academy. Ozpin's fortress of light." Her voice dripped with contempt, but underneath was something else—genuine concern. "If he has allied himself with beings of such power..."
The thought hung in the air, unfinished but heavy with implication.
Team RWBY's Dormitory - Processing the Impossible
Later that evening, Team RWBY sat in their dormitory room, the festival sounds from outside seeming distant and surreal after the day's events. Ruby sat on her bed, knees drawn up to her chest, staring out the window at the stars.
"Do you think they're still out there?" she asked quietly. "Watching us somehow?"
Yang, who had been uncharacteristically quiet since their return, looked up from where she sat cross-legged on her own bed. "Whis said they'd know when we were ready for the next level of training. That suggests some kind of... monitoring."
"The question is whether we want to be ready," Blake said from her position against the wall, her cat-like eyes reflecting the moonlight. "Training with cosmic beings sounds incredible in theory, but..."
"But it also sounds terrifying," Weiss finished, her usual precision with words failing her somewhat. "We're talking about power scales we can't even comprehend. What if we're not strong enough mentally to handle what they want to teach us?"
Ruby stood and moved to the window, pressing her palm against the cool glass. "What if we're not strong enough to handle what we might become without their guidance?" she countered. "You heard what Beerus said—power like ours, left unguided, can be problematic."
Yang joined her sister at the window. "The demonic heritage thing," she said, her voice carrying a mixture of fear and curiosity. "I felt it activate when I thought I was about to die. It was... intense. Powerful, but also hungry for something I don't understand."
"That's exactly why proper training might be important," Blake observed. "Unknown power can be dangerous power."
Weiss stood and began pacing, a habit she'd developed when working through complex problems. "But consider the implications. If we accept this training, we're essentially committing to becoming something beyond human. Beyond what anyone on Remnant has ever been."
"We already crossed that line when we transformed into Saiyans," Ruby pointed out. "The question is whether we try to figure out what we're becoming on our own, or accept help from beings who actually understand cosmic-level power."
Yang turned from the window, her expression growing more determined. "There's something else to consider. If beings like Beerus exist, if there are threats out there that require divine-level power to handle... maybe we need to be ready for that."
The room fell silent as they contemplated the weight of that possibility.
Nova and Turuk - Brothers in Cosmic Confusion
In their own dormitory, Nova sat at his desk reviewing footage from his evaluation bout, analyzing his movements and energy outputs with the meticulous attention to detail that had always characterized his approach to training.
Turuk lay on his bed, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling. "Brother," he said finally, "what does it feel like to have a God of Destruction tell you that you're 'promising'?"
Nova paused the video and turned to face his adopted brother. "Honestly? Terrifying and exhilarating in equal measure. Like being told you have the potential to touch something infinite, but also like having a target painted on your back by the universe itself."
"The Full Powered Super Saiyan form he mentioned," Turuk continued. "Do you think we all have access to it?"
"Probably," Nova replied, returning his attention to the footage. "But access and mastery are different things. Did you feel anything during the evaluation? Any resonance with the energies I was manifesting?"
Turuk considered this. "Some. When your aura went silver-edged, I felt something respond in my own power. Like an echo or a harmony."
Nova nodded slowly. "That confirms what I suspected. We're all connected somehow—not just by our Saiyan transformations, but by something deeper. Something that lets us access energies that normal Saiyans can't touch."
"Divine potential," Turuk said, echoing Whis's words.
"Which brings us back to the training offer," Nova said, minimizing the video display. "Do we accept it? Do we risk becoming something beyond human understanding for the sake of power that might be necessary to protect our world?"
Turuk sat up, his expression serious. "The way I see it, the risk isn't in accepting the training. The risk is in remaining ignorant of what we're becoming while these powers continue to grow inside us."
Through their window, they could see the lights of Vale in the distance, peaceful and unaware of how close they had come to annihilation. In a few hours, the festival would resume, the tournament would continue, and life would go on as if nothing had happened.
But for the young warriors touched by cosmic power, everything had changed. They now carried responsibilities that extended far beyond their original dreams of becoming huntsmen and huntresses.
The question was no longer whether they were ready for such responsibility, but whether they could become ready fast enough to meet whatever challenges lay ahead.
The Next Morning - A New Understanding
Dawn broke over Beacon Academy with the same gentle beauty it always had, but for those who had been touched by cosmic awareness, the sunrise carried new significance. Ruby stood on the dormitory balcony, watching the light creep across the landscape, when she felt a familiar presence approach.
Nova joined her at the railing, his own expression thoughtful as he watched the world wake up.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Ruby asked softly.
"Every time I closed my eyes, I could feel it," Nova replied. "That silver energy, waiting just beneath the surface. It's like having a song stuck in your head, except the song is made of power you don't understand."
Ruby nodded in understanding. "I dreamt about it. The silver light. But in my dreams, it wasn't just energy—it was... aware. Like it was trying to tell me something I wasn't ready to hear yet."
"Maybe that's what divine potential means," Nova suggested. "Not just having power, but having power that comes with its own intelligence, its own purpose."
They stood in comfortable silence for a moment, watching Vale come to life in the distance.
"Nova," Ruby said finally, "whatever we decide about the training, whatever we become... we're going to face it together, right? All of us?"
Nova smiled, the first genuine smile he'd managed since the evaluation. "Team RWBY plus Team NDTSA against the universe? I like those odds."
Ruby returned the smile, feeling some of the weight on her shoulders lift. They had cosmic mentors, divine potential, and responsibilities that spanned solar systems. But they also had each other, and that made even the impossible seem manageable.
The festival would continue, their training would evolve, and their understanding of their place in the universe would deepen. But whatever came next, they would face it as they had faced everything else—together.
In the distance, the tournament grounds began to stir with activity as another day of competition prepared to begin, blissfully unaware that some of the competitors now carried the expectations of gods and the potential to reshape the cosmos itself.
The real adventure was just beginning.
Festival Grounds - That Afternoon
The fairgrounds buzzed with afternoon energy as students and visitors enjoyed the brief respite between morning matches and the upcoming doubles round. Colorful banners fluttered in the gentle breeze, and the aroma of various food vendors created an almost intoxicating blend that drew crowds from tent to tent.
Team RWBY had claimed a spot near the main food court, their earlier cosmic encounter seeming almost surreal in the mundane festival atmosphere. Ruby sat cross-legged on a picnic blanket, absently picking at a bag of festival popcorn while her silver eyes tracked the movement of people around them.
"I keep expecting someone to notice," she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the ambient noise. "Like there should be some visible sign that we're... different now."
Yang stretched out beside her, arms behind her head as she watched clouds drift across the afternoon sky. "Different how? We were already part-Saiyan before yesterday. Now we just know more about what that means."
"That's not exactly comforting," Weiss interjected from her position at a nearby vendor cart, where she was still dealing with her mysteriously declined credit card. "Excuse me, could you try running it again? There must be some mistake—"
The vendor shook his head apologetically before moving on to the next customer.
Blake looked up from her book—a romance novel she'd been trying to read for days but couldn't concentrate on since their transformation. "Yang, you discovered you have demonic heritage yesterday. That's not exactly a minor detail."
"Right," Yang said, though her tone suggested she was still processing that revelation herself. "Ancient demonic bloodline, cosmic training offers, divine potential... just another Tuesday at Beacon Academy."
Nova approached their group, looking somewhat better than he had that morning but still carrying himself with that new awareness that his evaluation had awakened. "Mind if we join you?"
Ruby gestured to their makeshift gathering area. "Please. How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit by a God of Destruction," Nova replied with a dry smile as he settled onto the grass. "Which, technically, I did."
Turuk, Daikon, Scarlett, and Aiko followed, creating an impromptu meeting of the cosmic encounter survivors. The contrast between their serious expressions and the festive atmosphere around them was almost comical.
"So," Scarlett said, her red hair catching the afternoon sunlight, "anyone else having weird dreams? Because last night I dreamed I was fighting something that looked like a mountain with teeth."
"That's... oddly specific," Blake observed.
Aiko's wolf ears twitched as she monitored the conversations around them. "My enhanced hearing keeps picking up fragments of discussions about yesterday's 'special effects demonstration.' People are calling it the most realistic holographic display they've ever seen."
"Good," Daikon said, his stocky frame relaxed but his eyes alert. "The last thing we need is people asking questions we can't answer."
Weiss finally gave up on her credit card situation and joined the group, frustration evident in her posture. "Has anyone considered the practical implications of what we've gotten ourselves into? Cosmic training, divine potential—these aren't things that fit neatly into a huntsman curriculum."
"Nothing about our lives has been neat since we got to Beacon," Yang pointed out. "Remember when our biggest worry was passing Professor Port's exams?"
Ruby's scroll buzzed with an incoming message. She glanced at it, then looked up with surprise. "It's from Professor Ozpin. He wants to see all of us in his office after the doubles matches tonight."
"All of us?" Nova asked.
"Team RWBY and Team NDTSA," Ruby confirmed, reading the message again. "He says there are 'matters to discuss regarding recent developments.'"
The group exchanged glances, understanding the euphemistic language.
"Joy," Turuk muttered. "More cosmic debriefing."
Before anyone could respond, a familiar voice cut through their conversation.
"Well, well! If it isn't Beacon's rising stars!"
They turned to see Team JNPR approaching, though Jaune still looked slightly green around the gills from his pre-match meal, and Nora was bouncing with what appeared to be post-victory energy.
"Hey guys!" Ruby called out, genuinely pleased for the distraction. "Congratulations on advancing!"
Pyrrha smiled graciously as they joined the expanding group. "Thank you. Though I have to admit, that terrain selection didn't favor us as much as we'd hoped."
"Are you kidding?" Nora exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. "Did you see the way Ren moved through those trees? Like a shadow! And Jaune's strategy with the rock formations was brilliant!"
Jaune managed a weak smile. "I'm just glad I didn't throw up on anyone."
"The day is young," Ren observed mildly, settling into his characteristic calm posture.
As the two teams mingled, the cosmic encounter survivors found themselves grateful for the normalcy that JNPR brought to their gathering. For a few minutes, they could almost pretend they were just students enjoying a festival rather than beings touched by divine power.
"So," Pyrrha said, settling onto the blanket beside Ruby, "have you given any thought to your doubles strategy? Yang and Weiss make a formidable combination."
Weiss straightened slightly, her earlier frustration with financial matters forgotten. "We've been practicing our coordination. Yang's direct approach complements my tactical precision quite well."
"Plus, I get to punch things while Weiss makes them look pretty with her glyphs," Yang added with a grin.
"That's... one way to describe advanced combat coordination," Weiss replied dryly.
Nova glanced around the group, noting how the conversation had naturally shifted back to tournament matters. Part of him was relieved—it felt good to focus on something concrete and immediate rather than cosmic implications. But another part of him remained acutely aware that they were now operating on multiple levels of existence simultaneously.
"What about you guys?" Blake asked Team JNPR. "Any particular opponents you're hoping to face or avoid?"
"Honestly?" Jaune said, some color returning to his face. "After everything we've been through, regular tournament matches feel almost... manageable."
The irony of that statement wasn't lost on the Saiyan-enhanced students, who understood exactly what he meant, albeit for very different reasons.
"Speaking of opponents," Aiko said, her enhanced hearing picking up something from the crowd, "aren't those the students from Haven who advanced this morning?"
She nodded toward a group making their way through the festival grounds—Team SSSN, led by Sun Wukong, who was gesticulating wildly while telling what appeared to be an elaborate story to his teammates.
"Sun!" Yang called out, waving them over. "How'd your match go?"
Sun bounded over with his characteristic energy, his monkey faunus tail swishing behind him. "Yang! Ruby! Everyone! Man, what a day, right? Our match was crazy—Neptune here almost got taken out by a dust explosion, but Sage pulled this amazing maneuver—"
As Sun launched into an animated recap of their morning bout, the assembled students settled in to listen. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the festival grounds, and for a brief moment, the weight of cosmic responsibility felt distant.
But Ruby noticed that Nova's attention kept drifting skyward, as if he was still half-expecting divine visitors to materialize. Yang's hands occasionally flickered with barely-contained energy that showed traces of that dark aura from the day before. And her own silver eyes seemed to catch and reflect light differently than they had just days ago.
They were still students, still friends enjoying a festival afternoon. But they were also something more now—something that would require careful navigation between their human connections and their cosmic potential.
The doubles matches would begin soon, and after that, Professor Ozpin's inevitable debriefing. But for now, surrounded by laughter and festival food and the comfortable chaos of teenage social dynamics, they could almost pretend that their biggest challenge was simply advancing to the next tournament round.
Almost.
To be continued in Chapter 29: New Challengers, Training, & Shifting Shadows