The next morning at Beacon Academy, team TNPR and team RWBY were sitting together in the cafeteria, eating breakfast like usual.
Well… almost like usual.
Tsutsumi and Pyrrha both noticed it pretty quickly.
The other four girls kept glancing at Tsutsumi. Not staring. Just quick looks. Then looking away. Then looking back again.
Pyrrha narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Is something wrong?" she asked, her tone polite but clearly guarded.
"Uh, nope. Nothing at all." Yang replied with an easy grin before leaning closer to Tsutsumi and lightly elbowing him. "Hey, Tsu. Cool ride. Mind taking me for a spin downtown sometime?"
Everyone: "..."
Judging from her wording alone, Tsutsumi could already tell that Yang had seen the Agito Tornador. And judging by the way her eyes lit up, she was far more interested in the hover bike than anything else.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Tsutsumi replied calmly, taking another bite of his food.
"Oh, c'mon, pretty boy." Yang leaned closer, resting her chin on her hand. "You let Pyrrha ride that thing. Why not let me hop on too?"
Pyrrha smiled. Then a faint, unmistakable pressure rolled out from her.
Yang stiffened slightly, straightening up. "…Whoa. Okay. Chill."
Weiss, meanwhile, shot Tsutsumi her usual look, half suspicion, half irritation, as if she were trying to determine whether this entire situation was somehow his fault.
Tsutsumi ignored all of that and shifted his gaze to the person sitting beside Yang.
The moment their eyes met, Ruby flinched.
Her expression turned guilty for half a second before she puffed out her cheeks, turned her head away, and focused very intensely on her plate, refusing to look at him again.
He'd already suspected she was upset about the kiss. He just didn't see the point in addressing it.
He didn't know how to prove it either, and honestly, he didn't care enough to try and fix things. If anything, this outcome was preferable.
Way better than Ruby developing feelings for him.
"Oww! Oww!"
A familiar feminine cry rang out, cutting through the noise of the cafeteria.
Several heads turned at once.
Near the far tables, Cardin Winchester and the rest of team CRDL had Velvet cornered, along with another Faunus girl with brown dog ears. One of Cardin's teammates had a firm grip on the dog girl's tail, tugging it just enough to make her yelp again.
"P-Please, stop!" she begged, ears flattening. "Please, just leave us alone!"
Velvet struggled, but Cardin's hand remained tightly clenched around her bunny ears, forcing her to stay still.
A few students nearby slowed down. Some watched openly. Others pretended they didn't see anything.
No one stepped in.
"...This really is annoying," Tsutsumi muttered.
He pushed his chair back and stood, slipping his hands into his coat pockets as he walked straight toward them. His pace wasn't fast, nor was it hesitant. Just direct.
"Hey," Tsutsumi said flatly once he was close enough. "You tired of living or something?"
Cardin turned, scowling. His grip tightened instinctively, making Velvet wince.
"You!" he snarled. "Trying to play hero to these animals again, huh?"
He snorted, clearly enjoying himself. "Don't get cocky. You won't catch me off guard like last time."
Tsutsumi frowned slightly.
Animals.
The word stirred something old and unpleasant. Back when he was younger, kids with flashy, powerful Quirks liked reminding him how useless his was. Not strong. Not special. Might as well be Quirkless.
Different world. Same behavior.
Even in a place meant to train Huntsmen, where Grimm were drawn to negative emotions, people like this still existed. Worse, they did it openly.
"So," Tsutsumi murmured, pulling out his deck and spreading the cards with practiced ease, "you're saying I only beat you because it was a sneak attack?"
Cardin scoffed. "That's exactly what I'm saying."
Tsutsumi picked a card.
"Good," he said calmly. "That makes this easier."
He slid the card into his Driver.
"Henshin."
The device clicked.
Attack Ride: Shark Frenzy!
Light flashed briefly. A large, pale pink-and-white shark tail formed behind him, swaying slowly at his hips.
Gasps rippled through the room.
"What the!?"
"Is that?"
"He is a Faunus?"
His teammates barely reacted. They'd already seen him with fox ears before. This was just another form.
Tsutsumi didn't wait.
Frost spread beneath his feet as he crossed the distance in an instant, ice cracking loudly across the floor.
His hand shot out and clamped around Cardin's wrist.
"AAGH!" Cardin screamed.
Cold surged from Tsutsumi's grip, ice rapidly coating Cardin's arm. The sound of pressure building, sharp, ugly cracks, filled the space between them.
Cardin let go of Velvet. That was all Tsutsumi needed.
A punch slammed into Cardin's face, snapping his head back. Tsutsumi yanked him forward and struck him again before he could even hit the floor.
Cardin gritted his teeth and swung with his free hand.
Tsutsumi tilted his head aside, the punch missing by inches.
He opened his mouth.
Rows of sharp shark teeth sank clean through Cardin's armored glove.
"AAAAAH!"
Aura shattered. Blood followed.
Cardin screamed, tears streaming as Tsutsumi bit down hard before releasing him.
Tsutsumi punched him again, then drove a knee into his stomach, denting the armor deeply. He grabbed Cardin by the collar and swung him straight into a nearby dining table.
Wood exploded on impact.
Cardin hit the floor hard.
His arm bent at a wrong angle. His nose was broken. A tooth skidded across the tiles.
Russel, Dove, and Sky stood frozen for half a second.
Then they bolted.
"We're getting a teacher!" one of them yelled as they ran.
Tsutsumi stepped forward and planted his foot on Cardin's face as he tried to cover himself.
"What's wrong?" Tsutsumi asked evenly. "You were laughing earlier."
Cardin could only sob.
Tsutsumi stepped back, spun once, and whipped his shark tail into Cardin's side, sending him sliding across the floor. Students scrambled out of the way as Tsutsumi followed at an unhurried pace.
"P-Please…" Cardin cried. "Please… stop…"
"Having fun yet?" Tsutsumi asked, tone unchanged.
A few students finally found their voices.
"Hey, man, that's enough."
"You already won."
"He learned his lesson."
Tsutsumi turned toward them.
"Really?"
The room quieted immediately.
"You can feel bad for the bully," he said, looking around, "but not for the people he was hurting?"
No one answered.
"You're training to be Huntsmen," Tsutsumi continued. "People who are supposed to protect others from danger."
His gaze swept the cafeteria.
"So why did no one move until now?"
Students looked away. Some stared at the floor. Others pretended they weren't there.
"Please stop!" the dog Faunus girl said suddenly, stepping forward despite shaking. "Y-You're giving Faunus a bad reputation!"
Tsutsumi sighed.
"Tch. Great. A masochist."
She froze.
He met her eyes. "You're afraid they'll blame this on the White Fang, aren't you?"
Several Faunus stiffened.
"Only idiots judge an entire race by a few people," Tsutsumi said flatly.
He paused, then added, "Humans have terrorists. Criminals. Bandits."
His eyes swept across the room.
"So does that make all humans evil?"
Silence answered him.
No one could say yes. And saying no meant admitting they'd been wrong.
The tension in the cafeteria was thick enough that it felt like even breathing wrong might set something off. Then the doors swung open as Glynda Goodwitch stepped inside.
Behind her, the rest of Team CRDL hovered awkwardly near the entrance, clearly the ones who had gone to fetch the vice-headmistress.
Glynda's eyes immediately locked onto Cardin.
He was still on the floor, bleeding, armor cracked and twisted, surrounded by broken furniture and a crowd that didn't quite know where to stand anymore.
Her grip tightened around her riding crop.
With a sharp motion, she swung it forward, telekinesis flaring as she tried to restrain Tsutsumi.
He jumped back instinctively, avoiding the first attempt, but the second was faster. A translucent telekinetic bubble snapped shut around him, lifting him slightly off the ground.
"You shouldn't resist, child," Glynda said firmly. "This will only make things worse."
She didn't know everything that had happened. What she did know was that someone was badly injured, and that this situation was spiraling.
Tsutsumi looked around inside the bubble, unimpressed.
"...How amusing," he said flatly. "Only now you show up."
The bubble tightened.
Attack Ride: Nasty Vent!
A sudden, piercing screech echoed through the cafeteria.
Students clutched their heads instantly. Some dropped to their knees. Trays clattered to the floor as sharp headaches washed over everyone at once.
Glynda staggered, teeth clenched, her concentration slipping. The bubble cracked, then shattered completely. He landed lightly on his feet as if nothing had happened.
He walked toward Glynda at a calm pace.
"Where were you," he asked, voice steady, "when Cardin was harassing other students?"
Glynda tried to steady herself, one hand braced against a nearby table.
"Was it because he didn't do it this openly?" Tsutsumi continued. "So you decided to look the other way?"
The screeching persisted just long enough to keep everyone uneasy, then slowly faded out. The headaches dulled, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence.
Tsutsumi stopped a few steps in front of her.
"Or is it because he's human," he added, "and his targets were Faunus?"
The noise finally stopped.
Glynda lifted her head, meeting his gaze. His expression wasn't furious. It wasn't smug either.
Just cold disappointment.
"Don't pretend you didn't know," Tsutsumi said. "Put yourself in their place. Tell me honestly, was that bullying, or was it just 'kids being kids'?"
Glynda clenched her teeth.
She didn't answer.
Not because she couldn't, but because she knew.
Cardin's actions skirted the line. They were subtle enough. Just enough to avoid paperwork. Enough that teachers could plausibly dismiss it as rough behavior or teasing.
And many had.
Not because they agreed with it. But because it was easier.
"...Even now," Tsutsumi said quietly, "you're not denying it."
Glynda said nothing, still kneeling.
"If this is how Beacon plans to protect the world from Grimm," Tsutsumi continued, turning away, "then you've already failed."
With that, he walked past her and out of the cafeteria, not sparing anyone else another glance.
No one stopped him.
Later that day, the incident spread across Beacon faster than anyone expected.
Some students agreed with Tsutsumi. Some do it quietly, while others openly.
Some teachers did too, though they were more careful about saying it out loud.
Others criticized him heavily.
But almost every argument against him came back to the same point:
That no matter what Cardin did, Tsutsumi went too far.
And for many, that was easier to accept than admitting why Cardin had been allowed to do it in the first place.
This naturally caused a massive divide in many groups, and that also includes team RWBY.
While Blake agrees with him completely, Weiss wanted to refuse his claim, but she couldn't find a solid point to argue back. Ruby, however, was unhappy that her team was fighting because of Tsutsumi, and Yang was simply annoyed seeing her little sister stressing out over Tsutsumi, again!
...
"Are you sure about this, Ren?" Tsutsumi asked, holding the mission tablet in one hand.
The screen displayed the details clearly.
Objective: Exterminate the Nuckelavee and eliminate Grimm activity surrounding the ruins of Shion Village.
Ren didn't look up right away. He continued packing supplies with steady movements, tightening straps and checking ammunition.
"Yes," he answered simply.
Tsutsumi watched him for a few seconds, then spoke again. "That thing has been active for years."
"I know." Ren placed a pouch into his pack and finally looked up. His expression was calm, but there was something firm behind it. "That's why I chose it."
There was a short silence.
"Please," Ren continued, voice lower, more personal. "Let me do this… with my own hands."
Tsutsumi exhaled slowly through his nose, then nodded.
"Fine," he said. "Just remember one thing. Missions can be abandoned. Lives can't."
Ren paused.
"If you fail and walk away alive, that just means you get another chance later." Tsutsumi met his eyes. "Dying just means you don't."
Ren absorbed that, then gave a small nod. "…I know."
He hesitated, then added, quieter this time, "Thanks."
Across the room, Nora was leaning against a crate, pretending not to listen while very obviously listening. When Ren finished speaking, she straightened up.
"So," she said, forcing a grin, "we're really doing this, huh?"
Tsutsumi glanced at her. "You were the first one yelling about wanting to smash Grimm."
"Yeah, but this one's personal," Nora replied, arms crossed. Her usual energy was still there, but toned down. "Doesn't feel right if you were the one who ended it."
When Ren's eyes shifted toward her, she looked away quickly.
"Don't get weird about it," she said confidently. "Our leader is more than capable of handling that thing by himself."
Ren smiled faintly.
Originally, Nora had wanted to take a simple extermination mission near Vale. Something loud and fast.
But the moment Ren's gaze landed on the Shion Village listing, she stopped talking altogether.
They hadn't needed to say much after that.
Both of them agreed almost immediately.
The mission location raised eyebrows.
Instead of something close to Beacon or Vale, they had chosen a job all the way on the continent of Anima, at Mistral.
Some of the teachers questioned it.
Most of them didn't understand why these first-year students were so insistent on a mission that far away, especially one involving a rare and dangerous Grimm.
But Ren and Nora didn't budge.
So, in the end, the teachers approved it.
Pyrrha had been surprised when she heard the details, but she didn't press them. She only asked about the mission itself.
"What kind of Grimm is it?" she asked. "And what should we expect?"
Tsutsumi answered the technical parts and left the rest unsaid.
Because he already knew.
This mission wasn't just about clearing Grimm.
Shion Village wasn't just a name on a report.
It was where Ren and Nora came from.
And this wasn't a job they picked because it was difficult.
They picked it because it was unfinished.