The Wizard, The Witch, The Human (1).

Yay! Quick schedule:

Next chapter: November 23rd, at 1 PM Brasília time.Next chapter after that: November 24th, at 1 PM Brasília time.

This final arc consists of:

Next chapter: Part 2 of this one.Next of the next: Part 3.Next of the next of the next: Part 4 and final.Terraria interlude. The last one we'll have.POV: (CHAT)Final chapter of the arc, which is about 30 thousand words, I divided it into 4 parts. On the 24th, Devas will officially be in Terraria!

This RWBY arc took much longer than expected. I'm not out of ideas or improvising, it's just that a LOT of unforeseen events happened this year, as I 'narrated' as they occurred. Everything has normalized, and I'm writing much more now. I already have the drafts for the next 2 arcs, and I know which world I'll send Devas to, so don't worry, creativity and ideas are in plenty!

Well, I won’t drag this on. Good night to all and happy reading!

(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori

[...]---[...]

POV: Ruby Rose.

Two days. That’s how long it took for Salem to reach the outskirts of Vale. It wasn’t even a competition; those were by far the two most tense and anxious days of my life.

Probably Yang’s, Weiss’, Blake’s, Uncle Qrow’s, Ironwood’s, Goodwitch’s, Zwei’s, Dad’s, the caterpillars in the trees of Emerald Forest, the fish in the aquarium I saw while walking to the Vale wall, and even the cockroaches I saw in a sewer along the way...

“Ruby?”

“Ah!”

“Relax, it’s me.” Yang raised the hands that had touched my shoulders. They were trembling. “Are you okay?”

Blake and Weiss’ dry stares were almost like my thoughts coming to life, but I decided to reply with words.

“No. Not at all. I feel like I’m going to throw up any second now.”

“Well, I feel the same…” She glanced around. We were at one of the observation posts on the Vale wall. “Is it just me, or does the whole kingdom feel on edge?”

“All of Atlas’ soldiers started moving to the walls, along with every Huntsman and Huntress, whether they’re retired or still active.” Weiss responded sharply, tapping her foot almost rhythmically, though the trembling didn’t help. “I’d be surprised if no one noticed what’s happening.”

Before any of us could say more, Penny approached. Her face was completely blank, like a statue, a robot. She didn’t look anything like her usual self.

“General Ironwood, Headmaster Ozpin, and The Streamer Devas are expecting you four in the main meeting room.” Even her voice was mechanical, devoid of any fluctuation.

This wasn’t Penny, my friend, this was P.E.N.N.Y.

She didn’t wait for our response and turned, heading back the way she came. We followed in silence, passing row after row of armed, ready soldiers. Not only that, but Huntsmen and Huntresses could be seen here and there, their outfits standing out among Atlas’ white uniforms.

I tilted my head slightly to glance out the window. The sky was pitch black, lightning illuminating the clouds every few seconds. I couldn’t help but shrink a bit at the sight.

I wasn’t afraid of storms or lightning, at least not the natural kind…

We walked for about five minutes until we reached the meeting room. Devas must have sprinkled Purification Powder the moment we stepped inside, because just being there made me feel calmer, my muscles relaxing. I hadn’t even realized how tense I was.

Judging by the way the rest of my team’s shoulders eased, I wasn’t the only one feeling it.

Devas turned to us as we entered the room and frowned, looking at Penny. My friend held his gaze for about three seconds before looking away, her movements becoming much less mechanical than before. Devas nodded to himself and looked at the four of us with a slight smile on his face.

“Take a seat. We’re just finalizing a few last-minute things. Drink some water and relax.” He motioned with his chin to the chairs beside us before turning back to Professor Ozpin and Ironwood. The three of them stood around a round table with a hologram of Vale and its surroundings in the center.

I sat in the leftmost chair where Devas had pointed. Weiss was on my right, followed by Yang and Blake, who sat next to her parents, who were also in the room. The three of them were whispering something to each other. I hadn’t even noticed that before.

Devas or Professor Ozpin must have informed them, since they weren’t freaking out. At least not too much—I could see the fear in their eyes, but pretty much everyone here had that...

They weren’t the only ‘unexpected guests’ in the room. Uncle Qrow and Dad stood behind Professor Ozpin, as did the Ace-Ops and Penny, who were behind Ironwood. Weiss’ father was nowhere to be seen, nor were Roman or Neo.

“The professors must be at Beacon, along with Winter, because of Amber,” Weiss murmured beside me.

“They are. Glynda and Dahlia are there too,” Devas replied without even turning toward us, gesturing behind him… toward the festival host? “Because they’re here.”

Lisa Lavender, I remembered her name, and her team shrank at Devas’ unusually calm voice.

“There’s no way to hide what’s about to happen. What’s already happening has leaked to the other kingdoms, and the tension will only attract more Grimm. It’s better to broadcast the battle live than leave everyone in the dark about the outcome.” It was Professor Ozpin who replied. He didn’t seem tense, nor did Devas.

In fact, the only ones who didn’t look tense were him and Devas. Everyone else, except for Penny for obvious reasons, seemed more like stone than flesh. Even Dad and Uncle Qrow looked that way, occasionally glancing between Yang and me.

I hadn’t seen them with such serious expressions since… ever…

“Unnecessary. Their presence here is pointless,” Ironwood said, his face oddly neutral, though there was still emotion there—fear. He was the calmest after Devas and Professor Ozpin.

“Remove them if you want, I have no opinion on the matter,” Devas nodded again. “I’m used to being watched; you decide.”

Ironwood and Professor Ozpin exchanged a glance before the former turned to the reporter.

“The camera is off.” It sounded more like a statement than a question.

“Y-Yes,” Lisa replied, calmer than before. “I didn’t receive permission to go live. I didn’t want to assume…”

“Good. Keep it that way. You two.” He pointed at the soldiers nearest the reporter and camera crew. “Escort them out. When I give the order, bring them back.”

Once they left and the door was locked, Devas spoke again.

“I still think we should’ve collided with Salem far from Vale. At least I should have.” I stared at the back of his head at those words. What did he want?!

“We have the terrain advantage here. The walls are fully armed and protected. We don’t need to risk making the first move,” Ironwood replied.

Devas stared at him for a moment, his honey-brown eyes calm.

“Fair enough. It doesn’t really matter either way. How’s the rear of the kingdom?”

"Beacon is protected. All the students and teachers are on guard, along with some Atlas platoons and the Summer Maiden," Professor Ozpin explained. "We’ve also set numerous traps in the Emerald Forest. If Salem doesn’t come through personally from that side, it won’t be easy to get through."

"Amber hasn’t shown any signs of waking up yet?" It was Uncle Qrow who asked.

"No. She’s out for now," Devas replied. "Dahlia too, at least for the big fight. She’s one of Beacon’s main defenses, and she’ll be there to protect the students if something attacks the academy."

I’d only spoken to Dahlia once. She was nice, kind too, and seemed tough. In a way, she reminded me a bit of Mom.

"Why are they here?" Dad pointed toward us. "They shouldn’t be here. They should be in Vale or Beacon."

"I agree," Blake’s father said in a raspy voice, his ears fully upright, just like Blake’s mother’s and Blake’s own ears.

"I do too," Blake’s mother chimed in right after. Uncle Qrow stayed silent but seemed to agree.

"I wanted to talk to them and give them something before the chaos starts." Devas glanced at Dad and Uncle Qrow before turning to Blake’s parents. His eyes briefly flashed orange for a moment. "But don’t worry, they’re not going to be in the big fight, and they’ll stay within the walls. Only Ozpin and I will go out there."

"What?!"

I’m pretty sure that was me yelling, or maybe it was Yang or Weiss, I wasn’t sure. Probably all four of us at once. I didn’t even need to check the stream chat to know everyone’s reaction.

Ironwood and Professor Ozpin didn’t react—they already knew, probably—but Uncle Qrow frowned while Dad seemed to relax.

"I’m going with you two," Uncle Qrow and Yang said at the same time. The first turned to the second. "You’re not."

"You don’t have the right to stop me," my sister growled, standing up. Blake tried to stand too but was held down by her parents, their hands on her shoulders.

Weiss grabbed my wrist, and when I turned to her, she shook her head, signaling me to sit down. Before I could respond, Dad and Uncle Qrow both spoke to Yang:

"I’m your uncle; I have every right."

"And I’m your father. You’re not going to kill yourself against that thing!"

Yang’s eyes turned red. Weiss took advantage of the moment to pull me back into my seat.

"And they’re going to fight an army alone?!" She pointed at Devas and Professor Ozpin, her voice rising with each word, while her hair floated like flames. "Why are we even here then? Why is the Atlas army and the Huntsmen and Huntresses of Vale here if they’re going out alone?! Are we just spectators?!"

"I agree with her on that," Uncle Qrow diverted his gaze from Yang and turned to Professor Ozpin. "You didn’t tell me about this. Looks like you didn’t tell anyone besides James and Devas… What the hell kind of plan is this, Oz?"

"We’re going to talk to Salem," Devas replied.

"... What?!"

"Salem won’t attack us right away." Professor Ozpin ignored everyone’s shock and began explaining. "She’ll want a war council first. She’s traditional—I know her. Devas and I will be the ones to speak with her and whoever she brings to that meeting."

"You want to go talk to Salem and her followers, at a war council… possibly in a tent surrounded by an army of Grimm?" Uncle Qrow asked incredulously. Professor Ozpin nodded. Uncle Qrow slammed his hand on the table and growled, spitting saliva as he spoke. "How about, instead, we send the biggest bomb we’ve got right at that tent, huh?! Did you think of that?!"

"Salem is immortal," Professor Ozpin pointed out.

"But the fucking bastards following her aren’t!" Uncle Qrow shouted back. "We kill Cinder and any other idiot following Salem, then we deal with the witch and her Grimm army!"

"If we do that, she’ll rip Vale’s walls from the ground and hurl them at the kingdom," Devas’ words caused the heated atmosphere in the room to cool completely. "Like Ozma said, Salem is traditional, a proud queen. If we attack her subordinates while she’s offering a peaceful discussion, she’ll target Vale in retaliation."

Silence dominated the room for a long ten seconds.

"... What’s stopping her from doing that the moment she arrives, then?" Dad swallowed hard before asking.

"Pride," Professor Ozpin answered. "Arrogance, vanity—call it what you want, but Salem won’t attack civilians, at least not unprovoked. That’s beneath her."

"But sending her minions to kill civilians is fine?" Dad glanced my way. "Sending that monster after my daughter is fine?!"

"To Salem, Tyrian and Ruby are on the same level. Just like the baker on the corner and Qrow are. Everyone’s the same to her," Devas said, staring at Dad before turning to Professor Ozpin. "Except for one. It’s a two-player game after all."

"Salem only cares about Ozpin," Ironwood spoke for the first time in a while. He turned to Devas. "And Devas now, as we presume. Everyone else is insignificant. Even if she retaliates for us bombing her followers, it’ll be because we hurt her pride, not because she cares about them."

"The monster has no heart, she’s arrogant and powerful. Alright, we already knew that," Uncle Qrow rubbed his face, pushing his hair back before taking a swig of his drink. "But why just you two?!"

He looked between Devas and Professor Ozpin.

"I’m no good with history, but in the movies I’ve seen, whenever there’s a war council, both sides are allowed to bring several bodyguards. Why just him? Just you two?" Uncle Qrow tilted his head toward Devas, a bitter look on his face.

"Because two people are enough. Devas and I are enough. Everyone else doesn’t matter." Professor Ozpin’s tone was neutral. Empty, like his expression, before he sighed and looked tired. "Besides, I don’t intend to survive that meeting."

Professor Ozpin’s final words made Uncle Qrow clench his teeth, almost biting his tongue and swallowing whatever not-so-nice words he was about to say.

"Ozma’s going to kill himself fighting Salem’s followers, taking down as many as he can and wounding the rest. I’ll kick the witch as far away from Vale as possible and start a bonfire." Devas spoke, drumming his fingers rhythmically on the table. "That’s why it’s just the two of us. Everyone else will fight her army."

"That’s fucked up, Oz… Even if you can come back, that’s fucked up..." Uncle Qrow muttered. "Damn! I feel useless!"

Devas ignored the reaction and turned to us, his gaze landing on me before he pulled something from his waist and tossed it toward me. A familiar lamp. I caught the Relic of Knowledge effortlessly in my arms.

"Jinn can’t help, at least not directly. Even with her restrictions loosened, she can’t interfere in a fight between Ozpin and Salem... But she does have some freedom to interfere indirectly." Devas glanced at my waist, where Lucy was.

"And she can definitely protect an otherworldly axe being attacked by Grimms."

"A loophole," Weiss said beside me.

"More than that, we’re exploiting as many loopholes as possible here. I’ll leave the game board running so Jinn has even more freedom. As long as she doesn’t directly attack Salem or Ozpin, she should be able to protect you and Vale."

"You never intended for us to help with the fight…" I whispered, in a voice as quiet as a falling leaf, squeezing the relic in my hands until my knuckles turned white.

Devas heard me, even so.

"Against Salem? No. That’s not your role, it’s Ozma’s and mine." He quickly glanced to the left, probably reading the (CHAT), as he responded.

"Then what is our role?..." Yang growled beside me, without yelling. Her anger was palpable. "Explain." She spat the word. Devas didn’t seem intimidated at all.

In fact, he didn’t seem anything. His face was deceptively blank, his honey-brown eyes staring into Yang’s without blinking. I don’t know what Yang saw in them, but her rage and courage seemed to dwindle with every second she held that gaze.

"Why did you choose this line of work?"

‘Why did you choose this line of work?’ The question Doctor Oobleck had asked Yang, Weiss, and Blake in Mountain Glenn. He hadn’t asked me for some reason.

I remember the conversation we had that night, around the campfire. None of my teammates had a definitive answer to that question...

"To protect people." When Devas looked at me, I didn’t blink.

... But I did.

“Huntsmen and Huntresses fight against the Grimm to protect people. That’s what we do. We protect those who can’t protect themselves.” I could see my reflection in his eyes. My eyes reflected in his. They glowed silver. “If not us… who else would do it?”

Silence filled the room after my words. I kept staring at Devas, who stared back with a blank face before a slight smile appeared on his lips. Uncle Qrow was the one who broke the silence.

“A damn clone of Summer…” He snorted before laughing, breaking the tension, and slapped Dad on the shoulder. “Are you sure you had anything to do with that one’s birth, or was it just Summer reproducing asexually?”

Dad swatted Uncle Qrow’s hand away. “I’m not discussing my sex life in front of my daughters.” Even as he said that, he looked amused. Devas spoke again, turning to Yang.

“Your role is to protect Vale and everyone in it from Salem’s army. The walls will be assaulted in waves, and you, the Atlas military, and the other Huntsmen and Huntresses will be responsible for keeping them standing, stopping the Grimm from getting through.” He hummed for a second. “That, and something else, but that’s not relevant here.”

Before Yang could respond, a sense of dread engulfed the entire room. My breath hitched, the hairs on the back of my neck—and all over my body—stood on end. My throat went dry, and I felt that if I moved, I’d die.

Evil. Whatever this was, it was malevolent. It was a crushing weight, like a massive sea of black mud hanging over us, ready to drown us at any second. I stumbled back, colliding with Yang, and we both fell into the empty chair behind her.

I couldn’t speak or move. The only thing I was able to do was move my eyes, probably due to the silver glow they emitted. Instinctively, they turned toward one person: him.

Devas scoffed. His eyes, for the first time since this meeting had started, turned orange. It was a deeper shade of orange than I’d ever seen before. His Aura flickered for a moment, covered in dozens of markings, symbols, and blood-red veins.

My eyes burned as I tried to comprehend what those symbols and marks meant, forcing them shut. I didn’t see what he did, but I heard it.

[“Rude.”]

One word, just a single word, was enough to make all the pressure suffocating the room vanish. I gasped, taking long gulps of air. From the way the others did the same, this hadn’t been my imagination.

“Was that all over Vale?” Professor Ozpin asked Devas. He didn’t seem too affected by what had happened.

“It was just here,” Devas replied, looking out the window. “She threw her mana and Grimm’s miasma only over this room.”

“A declaration of arrival. Some things never change, I suppose.” Professor Ozpin seemed a bit amused. “Shall we go, then? I don’t think it’s wise to keep Salem waiting, much less smart.”

“I agree. I’m not too keen on finding out whether or not I can counter whatever she throws here. That storm is massive.” He looked up at the ceiling, his eyes still orange and the veins around them turning black. — His nightmare energy. I remembered before realizing. — Massive?

…The storm wasn’t that big.

It was. I was wrong. The moment Devas opened the door, the sound of rain, thunder, and wind completely engulfed the room.

I was still a bit dazed from Salem’s mana and Grimm miasma, so it took me a moment to get up and follow the two, with Yang, Weiss, and Blake behind me, the latter followed by her own parents.

Uncle Qrow, Dad, and Ironwood were ahead of us, the first to follow Devas and Professor Ozpin, with the Ace-Ops and Penny being the last to leave, closing the room behind us. The hallway was loud, and when I looked out the window, it was almost impossible to see anything due to the rain.

“If you want to start recording, now’s the time,” Ironwood said to Lisa as he passed her and her crew. “Do your introduction, and you’re allowed one question. That’s all I’ll answer.”

She wasted no time, starting to follow us as we walked, along with her cameraman and assistants.

“This is Lisa Lavander from the Vale News Network. I’m here with General Ironwood.” She made a quick introduction for the camera before turning and pointing the microphone at Ironwood’s face. “General, I’m not the only one wanting to know what’s currently happening in Vale. What can you tell us about it?”

Ironwood didn’t stop walking as he responded, only glancing at the camera for a moment. He didn’t mince words.

“War. Vale is under attack. Atlas will assist to the best of its ability, that I can promise. Seek shelter. No more questions.” With that final word, he fell silent again.

The cameraman almost tripped over Ironwood’s words, and Lisa barely did better, her eyes widening in shock. I’ll give her credit here: she didn’t ask anything else. I would have.

After about a minute of walking toward Vale’s wall, we reached the terrace. The sound of the rain was even louder. Devas and Professor Ozpin were already at the edge of the wall, looking out into the distance. They were completely dry, the rain unable to touch them, stopping meters above, as if an invisible glass dome was holding it back.

“His mana…” I muttered, before moving closer to the two. Dad tried to grab my shoulder, but only caught rose petals. As I got closer, I could hear their conversation. The noise around us was much quieter.

“James could have been subtler; the negative emotions coming from Vale are immense,” Devas commented, not taking his eyes off the horizon.

“Subtlety has never been his strong suit,” Professor Ozpin replied, also staring out at the horizon. “But I don’t think informing the population minutes before it all starts will change much.”

I understood why when I approached the edge, standing next to Devas…Grimm…

An immense, countless wave of Grimm dominated the horizon. I couldn’t even think of a number; ten thousand seemed too low, as did fifty or a hundred thousand. It was as if, after a certain point, it was just Grimm, a giant black wave advancing toward Vale.

…Toward us.

Devas’s hand on my shoulder kept me from falling back. My body was trembling, and I had to grip Jinn’s lamp tightly to keep from dropping it. I took a step back, leaning into his body.

“She has more than I do. Impressive.” Devas whistled, watching as the black tide abruptly stopped. All of them, as one. “Salem has set the table and sat down. Cinder, Hazel, Emerald, and Mercury are with her. No sign of Watts.”

“As far as we know, he’s not a fighter. Watts is probably somewhere safe, trying to hack our systems.”

“He’s going to fail miserably.”

“I have full faith in that.”

As the two talked, the rest of the group caught up to us. Everyone’s reactions were similar to mine: some fell back, others just cursed, looking utterly terrified. Dad and Uncle Qrow were scared, and I’d never seen them like that before...

“It… It was true?…” I heard Blake’s mother murmur.

“You didn’t believe us when we told you about Salem.” Devas said without turning around. “What about now?”

“…How do we stop this?” Blake’s father’s voice trembled. It was strange to hear a man of his size speaking like that. “Is this even stoppable? We should have been evacuating Vale days ago!”

“The Grimm aren’t even the real problem, their master is.” Devas responded and turned to Ironwood. “Is everything ready?”

"Hours ago. We’ve been ready for hours. We have enough ammunition to defend Vale for days, and the walls won’t fall." The general didn’t turn as he spoke, his gaze fixed on the Grimm. "And you?... Are you ready?"

"To deal with an immortal witch thousands of years old?..." Devas hummed lightly. I could feel his body—unlike mine, it wasn’t trembling. "I’ll figure something out, don’t worry."

"How can you be so sure?" My voice escaped before I could think. I looked up into his eyes. They were orange. "How?..."

Devas stared back at me for a moment, his face calm—deceptively calm, I could tell. Then he moved his hand, pulling his status screen in front of the two of us. I wasn’t the only one who could read what was being shown; the entire stream could see it too.

-//-

[Echo Humanitatis - Rank: A+++]

Description:

Humanity has always had an enemy, ever since its earliest existence: a race that hunted and killed it for countless reasons, be it territory, food, or something more trivial. It didn’t matter. It never mattered, and it never will.

Humanity sought to understand it, to learn how it moved, its patterns, instincts, emotions... its fears.

Humanity discovered how this enemy worked, how its body was made, its strengths and weaknesses... everything.

Then, humanity specialized in hunting—killing—this enemy in ways no other species on the planet could ever dream of, and so it did, as it always would until the end of time.

After all...

... No one is better at killing humans than humans themselves.

[...]

Function:

Greatly enhances the learning of human techniques.

Greatly increases damage against beings with the “human” attribute.

Greatly increases hostility from beings with the “human” attribute. (Self-nullified)

Greatly enhances learning when fighting against beings with the “human” attribute.

Greatly reduces damage taken from beings with the “human” attribute.

Greatly reduces hostility from beings with the “human” attribute. (Self-nullified)

When fully manifested, your presence can affect all humans within a radius of up to 2,616 km.

Much weaker humans than you are likely to die from your presence alone.

[...]

~ The question asked was: Is it human? ~~ The answer given was: Yes. ~~ “Then I can kill it.” ~

~ You are the apex predator that hunts humanity. ~

-//-

"You know Salem?... The immortal witch?..." Devas pointed forward, likely in the direction where Salem was. "She’s small, it might not seem like it, but part of her... part of her is human..."

He smiled right after, something that could probably terrify a Grimm. I sighed in relief.

"... But that’s enough."

[…]

POV: Devas Asura.

After showing my second racial trait, the [Echo Humanitatis], to Ruby and the other girls, including (CHAT), everyone except Ozma and me left to prepare for the impending battle to defend the kingdom's walls.

Before they left, I warned them about two things, which were actually quite important. First, I tossed my phone to Penny. “Connect to it.” She simply nodded, asking no questions.

Then, I told everyone else: “Those wearing deer masks, don’t worry about them; they are allies.”

Before anyone could ask what the hell I was talking about, I placed my hand on Ozma's shoulder and stepped forward. The sensation of free fall lasted only a moment before I twisted the turbulent winds around us with the strength of my mana, slowing us down.

"So, Salem’s little group was well-dressed, and she’s in a stunning gown. Should we have picked better outfits or something?" I asked, the two of us walking calmly toward the black table Salem had formed in the distance.

I used my mana to keep the rain and winds away from us, which was more complicated than it normally would’ve been, given that Salem’s mana was infesting the entire environment.

The storm was partially magical, despite how colossal it was. I could feel that if the witch wanted, the lightning crackling in the clouds could rain down on us, along with the water. That would be a problem...

Ozma pointed at himself. "I’m wearing a tailored suit, branded shoes. My glasses are stylish, my cane is classy, and my hair is groomed. I’m well-dressed, Devas." He looked at me.

I was wearing my usual casual clothes: a loose black T-shirt, wide gray pants, and some random comfortable shoes I pulled from the VoidBag. My hair was the same as always, a short, messy mop I never bothered to fix.

"But I’m not."

"I didn’t say that." He pointed out.

"If you had to say it, I’d be an idiot." I sighed before throwing my ‘sight’ into the VoidBag. I still hadn’t visited that suit store Roman recommended... Damn it! How did I have half of Japan in my inventory but not a decent outfit?!

Sure, I had elegant suits, but none really fit me. The best I could wear was an oversized one, but that would look ridiculous.

"Not a single outfit?" Ozma must have read my face. "You could just wear your armor. I’ll tell Salem you’re my right hand, and we’ll leave it at that."

"Right hand?"

"The king’s right hand. It’s an old title." He explained briefly. "What do you think?"

"Eh, it’ll do, I guess." With a thought, the Remnant of the Deerclops covered my entire body. The armor almost seemed to pulse with happiness at the cold rain and the negative emotions radiating from the Grimm.

"That title sounds pretty important. Wouldn’t there usually be a ceremony or something like that?"

"Normally, yes. A few vows of loyalty and some other things I didn’t bother to remember." Ozma shrugged. "It’s an important title, after all."

"How important? The name makes it sound pretty relevant."

"It’s a lifelong title, lasting either the king’s life or the right hand’s. In this case, one day." He glanced at his wristwatch. "Maybe less."

"You’ll come back. Only your body will die." I pointed out.

"Maybe not... Not if you kill Salem. Then my journey ends." His voice was strange, as were his emotions. Despite the Grimm suffocating everything around us, I could still feel the melancholy radiating from him.

"One last battle, then?" I hummed, burning away the bitter feelings with Shadowflame.

It may not have been for long, but Ozma could be considered a friend. Knowing that I’d let him die—truly die—left a bad taste in my mouth.

"The first and last." He stopped, placing a hand on my shoulder. I did the same. "Did I ever apologize to you?"

"There’s no reason to." I shook my head.

"I still feel like I should..." He glanced to the side, toward the army and Salem. "I still feel like I failed... I’m leaving you to carry a burden that doesn’t belong to you."

"Would you help a friend in need?"

"I’d like to think so."

"Then you didn’t fail." I replied, starting to walk again. "Because that’s all I’m doing. I’m just helping a friend carry something too heavy for one person."

He followed after a second, his steps echoing on the wet ground alongside mine. His response was just one word: "Thanks."

We didn’t exchange another word until we reached the place where Salem waited.

[...]---[...]

Yo!

Well, about the chapter: I wanted to start the war council here, but I didn’t think it would work well—too much information—so I decided to end with The Human and The Wizard heading towards The Witch.

Finally, the [Echo Humanitatis] has been revealed. Some had already guessed what it was, even if not completely. Humanity has been killing and killing itself since the beginning of its written and lived history; this racial trait reflects that.

Regarding the meeting: I think I juggled the characters and their reactions well. More words would have been said if Salem hadn’t sent a: "I’ve arrived, damn it!" in the form of a giant wave of mana and Grimm miasma.

Lastly, Ozma and Devas. I will delve deeper into Devas's thoughts about Ozma in the last chapters of this arc. Devas, thanks to being able to feel emotions and the affinity that the [Echo Humanitatis] gives him, managed to understand Ozma better than probably anyone else.

Oh, yes, this answers the question that some people asked: "Why did Devas trust Ozma so quickly?" The [Echo Humanitatis] is the answer. In what sense? I’ll let you figure that out.

Well, I think that’s it. Good night to everyone, and happy reading!

PS: The Stream doesn’t like Devas appearing on a TV show that isn’t its own. Maybe the Vale broadcast will go down before being replaced by something else…

PPS: [Echo Humanitatis] is Latin, not Portuguese. Just to clear up that confusion.