Silence was the only response Vegeta received for his imposition. After all, what else could Ruby and Weiss say when he was right?
Certainly, having to move in with someone who was virtually a stranger was a bit too much to accept at once, however much Weiss was secretly excited about it, but it was nonetheless a necessity at the moment.
Beacon was important, and that was exactly why they couldn't go back there the way they were now.
This power they had was dangerous and couldn't remain unruly any longer.
The proof of this had begun when they were still recovering in Beacon, with the destruction of everything they touched without even trying. On this day, after being pushed to the limits, a beautiful forest was devastated, and the mountains were destroyed.
In fact, it wouldn't be strange if the maps of the region were modified, and that in itself was absurd to consider.
It didn't matter if a Dust vein had played a part in the destruction caused; the power they had was still the trigger that led to this result, and there was a chance of something similar repeating itself if nothing was done about it.
In short, Vegeta's training wasn't a necessity; it was an obligation to prevent them from becoming monsters instead of Huntresses.
Of course, Weiss could try to reason with Vegeta and postpone the inevitable. It would be enough to say that at the moment they were in no condition to train, that they wouldn't be for a long time, and that was no lie.
Even with Aura, broken bones needed time to heal.
However, it didn't matter.
If it had been before the destruction caused, things would hardly have come to this.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the case, and you could see in Vegeta's eyes that the time for negotiations had passed.
His word was final, and no one in this world could refute him.
Vegeta was the most powerful, capable of shocking the entire planet with his power, and Weiss could only be thankful that he was reasonable...up to a certain point.
The escalation of the war against darkness was still a result of his actions...which were motivated by Yang's thoughtless provocations, which were motivated by Weiss' desire to have an instructor, which was triggered by Blake's assessment of Vegeta's strength, and Ruby's reckless approach...
The entire team had a hand in the events that led to this current scenario.
All blame aside, the fact was that at the moment, Ruby and Weiss had no right to refuse.
All they could do now was try to mitigate the consequences of their choices.
Beacon would surely miss their presence very soon, and Weiss could only hope that Vegeta would at least allow them to clear their exits from the academy... temporarily.
Regardless of her current circumstances, she would still become a Huntress.
Ruby didn't think any differently, just wondering what it would be like from then on and how long it would take her to get a grip on this power before she returned to her normal life.
Months? Maybe years?
Vegeta wasn't old, being only five years older than an academy graduate.
Considering that Ruby had joined the academy two years earlier, she had an advantage and could perhaps resume her studies if her training with Vegeta ended in two years at most.
The problem was her team and friends.
Ruby didn't want to lose everything she had gained during her year at Beacon.
However... it was better to lose it all temporarily than permanently.
With that kind of power, there was no telling what would happen if Ruby lost control... No, that was a lie. She knew exactly what would happen.
The crater formed in the distance was the most extreme result and a possibility that would remain ingrained in her mind forever.
Ruby needed this training, no matter whether she wanted it or not.
Lives literally depended on it.
After she finished, Ruby would think about what to do next.
For now, she would have to concentrate on what mattered most and train.
As for Vegeta, he was slightly surprised, and not in a bad way.
Honestly speaking, he was expecting these two to start arguing with him, that they would throw a tantrum and maybe even cry to try to go against his decision. However, they managed to surprise him by going against his pessimistic expectations.
As soon as he finished speaking and did so in a way that imposed his decision on them, Weiss and Ruby looked even more defeated than they already were, clearly in denial. A few seconds in silence after observing the surroundings, certainly because of the damage caused, and all that apprehension turned into resolution.
It seems that they are aware of the danger of leaving this power undisciplined. Vegeta took some satisfaction in that. Not that I can blame them.
There were many factors at play that influenced this outcome.
Vegeta's negligence was certainly one, but the combination of two different sources of power was also a factor.
Even he, someone capable of erasing galaxies without even trying, had difficulty controlling the extreme reaction that the combination of Ki and Aura provided.
It would be stupid to expect two teenage girls who had never heard of Ki until recently to have the slightest control over this unruly power.
In any case, what was done was done, so Vegeta could only try to make up for his mistakes.
It didn't take long for the reason behind one of those mistakes to show itself.
"You've certainly taken your time getting here," Vegeta said as he looked in the direction of a series of fallen trees, confusing Ruby and Weiss, who were still immersed in thought. Considering how weakened one of them is, it's not surprising.
The reason for this state was what confused him.
It didn't look like the girl was exhausted after fighting, but for another reason. Seeing her in the next second was enough for Vegeta to come to a conclusion.
She's not sleeping or eating properly... he knew this because the same thing happened to him when Bulma and Trunks died. Depression motivated by guilt.
It seems that Vegeta wasn't the only one brooding over the events of the last week.
Understandable, since all this only happened because Yang provoked him, and because Vegeta responded to the provocation in an explosive way.
"Yang?" Ruby had a smile forming at the sight of her sister and teammate. "Blake!"
They were both fine!
Considering that they had gone to fetch Vegeta, it was to be expected that they managed to find him, and he came first, even if he was late to deal with the Nergigante.
It only took Yang a second to register amidst her dizziness that her little sister was right in front of her, soon feeling a wave of energy fill her with pure adrenaline and move to hold the most precious person in this world in her arms.
"Ruby!" she cried, her heart bursting with emotion. "I was so worried!"
So much had been happening and so fast that it was impossible not to feel as if the world was crumbling beneath her feet.
"Yang... it hurts..." Ruby was experiencing a strange combination of happiness and fear as she was crushed by her emotional sister's tight embrace. Just the same as always...
Strangely, this was a side of her sister that she didn't hate, because it was her way of showing that she cared.
"Weiss, are you all right?" Blake left Ruby suffering in Yang's affectionate hands and focused on the girl who had seen better days. "Given your condition, I think that was a stupid question."
Not only Weiss, but Ruby also seemed to have been to hell and back.
Considering the monster they had faced, being alive in itself was amazing.
"I've been better," Weiss showed a genuine smile as she spoke quietly so as not to aggravate her pain. "And honestly, it could have been a lot worse."
In fact, they were only alive because of details, but the others didn't need to know that to worry even more.
Unfortunately, what had been said was enough to reach that conclusion.
"That's why I told you to take Weiss and run!" Yang changed from a loving sister to a mother figure in the blink of an eye, frustration getting the best of her. "Why are you so stubborn and refuse to listen to me?!"
Especially when it came to dangerous things!
In that regard, this girl was even worse than Yang had ever been!
"Maybe it's because I'm your sister?" Ruby joked a little, but no one was laughing, and for good reason. "I couldn't run away...if I did, Nergigante could have attacked Beacon or Vale and caused a lot of destruction until someone," she looked at Vegeta, who was listening to everything in silence, "showed up to destroy that thing."
Which wasn't exactly true or untrue.
If Weiss and Ruby hadn't wasted so much power on the lesser Grimm while allowing themselves to be consumed by arrogance and had fought the Nergigante together, things wouldn't have come to this.
As for the possibility of that monster attacking Vale or Beacon, there was no telling if that would have actually happened.
Nergigante was after Vegeta's power, which is why he attacked Weiss and Ruby. If they had retreated to the kingdom or the academy, he would have given chase.
In that case, there was no option but to fight.
"Well, at least everything turned out all right." Blake rested a hand on her partner's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "Right, Yang?"
Reluctantly, the girl let go of her sister, the adrenaline finally leaving her body so that she fell into a sitting position.
"I...think so," Yang had no energy left to fight, her mind wanting to wander off into the land of dreams...and nightmares. "Just..." she looked her little sister in the eye, almost pleading, "Please don't do anything like that again."
Her heart might be young, but that didn't mean she could take blows like this all the time.
Just like it had been ever since she met Vegeta.
"No promises." Ruby wouldn't lie about that, but she would at least try to appease her sister's concerns. "But for now, I doubt I'm going to do much, especially with a broken leg."
Like it or not, she'd be hopping around on one leg for the next month, and there was no way she could cause trouble in that state... probably.
"You what?!" Yang almost shouted, just receiving another unnecessary kick to her already defeated heart. "Are you okay? Does it hurt? Do you want a cookie?!"
At this point, she was talking nonsense and panicking.
"I'm fine, Yang!" Ruby smiled in spite of everything, finding her sister's reaction funny. "It hurts like a broken leg, I guess. And I'd love a hundred cookies, thank you very much."
At the moment, it was only through the prism of humor that she could deal with the pain that seemed to get worse with every passing second as her body cooled down.
"I know what it's like," Weiss added, having trouble breathing, but not as much as before. "Except that I broke my ribs instead of my leg."
It was hard to say which was worse, but she believed she'd take the prize.
"That bad, huh?" Blake hadn't been paying attention, but it was obvious that their injuries were much more severe than the eye could see. "It's a good thing Vegeta showed up just in time to help you."
Otherwise, it could have ended very badly.
Or so she believed.
"I didn't help them," Vegeta finally broke his silence, correcting this misunderstanding. "When I got here, they had already killed the Grimm."
Which was the least of what was expected from someone who intended to study under his tutelage.
This revelation, however, meant much more in the eyes of someone from this world.
"You two..." Yang began, her voice sounding full of disbelief, "Killed the Nergigante all by yourselves!?"
How was that possible?!
While Yang knew that these two had become so strong that Vegeta was probably the only person in the world above them, Nergigante was a living nightmare!
A legendary creature used to scare children into behaving.
But now, that legend had been destroyed by two girls who were still far from being real Huntresses...
No one in the world would believe that!
However, not only did the confirmation come directly from the most powerful person in the world, who had no reason to lie - unless he didn't want to attract attention and was using his future students as sacrifices - but there was proof of this feat in the distance.
Where once there had been mountains to decorate the horizon, only an abysmal crater remained.
The result of a flash of red light that caused debris to rain down around the Kingdom of Vale.
"That explosion from before..." The tone in Yang's voice changed completely to one of fear now. "Was it really you, Ruby?"
It could only be her, explaining that sensation reminiscent of her little sister's presence permeating the air around her.
Except that it wasn't a good thing.
Merely imagining that her little sister had the capability of blowing up mountains, even when she wasn't fully recovered, was frightening.
How would the world react to finding out about it?
Would Ruby be worshipped as a goddess or feared as a demon?
Regardless, the result would have a similar effect of destroying all of Ruby's chances of a normal life.
"It was a Dust vein that caused that explosion!" Weiss ignored the pain and was quick to try to appease the absurdity of the situation. "Don't think for a second that we have the power to level mountains at will!"
That was the version she would stick to and wanted everyone to ingrain in their minds.
The only problem was that someone didn't think the same way or care about the repercussions.
"That's true." Vegeta made Weiss sigh with relief for a second with his words before he finished speaking. "You two are capable of destroying much more than mere mountains."
All eyes went wide at this, each of the girls trying to find traces of a joke being told and finding nothing.
Vegeta was serious, just like he always was.
"That... isn't possible," Weiss whispered, unable to believe it. "We can't have that much power!"
No one should!
Obviously, this was just Weiss living in denial, as the man in front of her had proved it was possible by throwing the whole world into chaos with his golden light.
Hmph. Vegeta couldn't help but find these reactions amusing. If only they knew.
Inevitably, he couldn't help but imagine the reaction they would have when they found out what he was really capable of, and the prospect of it excited him a little.
Ever since he was a child, for better or worse, Vegeta had always loved to see the surprised looks on the faces of those around him at his level of power, and that remained true even now.
Except that would have to be left for another time.
This was neither the time nor the place for revelations or explanations.
"Your delusions aside, I think it's time to leave." Vegeta had more to do, even more so now that he had decided to train these girls. "Considering that most of you can't walk... Yes, this will do."
Extending his hand towards the girls, Yang visibly winced, showing the size of the mark he had left on her heart.
The others didn't react in the same way, showing only confusion, and for good reason.
"W-what's happening?!" Weiss felt something wrap around her body, and the ground beneath her began to move away. "That...!"
It even felt like gravity had disappeared!
Right, that's Telekinesis! Weiss now remembered the demonstration Vegeta had given the day they met. One of the many applications of ki!
Something that would be taught to them during training.
"We're floating!" Ruby forgot about her pain for a second, excitement surging through her to make her silver eyes sparkle. "Wow!"
This was so cool!
Suddenly, Ruby was no longer hating the idea of controlling this power, even more so if she were to become able to replicate this and fly around the world!
Truth be told, even Yang couldn't help but reflect some of the excitement her little sister was showing.
It seemed that her fear had proved to be an unnecessary worry.
After all, this man could very well have extended a helping hand and taken only his students, Weiss and Ruby, but he chose to help Blake and Yang as well.
Even so, Yang couldn't forget that while Vegeta wasn't necessarily a bad guy, that didn't mean he didn't hold a grudge about what had happened.
Yang had to apologize as soon as the opportunity arose.
As for Blake, her feelings about this unexpected development were vastly different from those of her teammates.
In fact, Blake felt like a fish out of water, all her sense of balance disappearing to make her uncomfortable, almost nauseous.
She hated losing control of her own body like this.
However, all this feeling of repulsion didn't last long, soon being replaced by something else.
The same was true for each of the girls.
Vegeta was flying in a deliberately slow manner, taking into account that his students were injured and his home was only a few minutes away.
There was no reason to rush, and that was part of what made the girls' hearts tremble.
At any other time, a unique outing like this would easily have become a treasured memory. Given the current scenario, however, it was nothing more than a reminder of the mistakes made, the destruction caused, and the lives lost.
A glimpse of reality that they couldn't forget even if they wanted to.
Looking at it from a bird's eye view, the true extent of the collateral damage from the fight against the Nergigante was much clearer. Not only how much of the Emerald Forest had been destroyed, where a trench stretched for miles all the way to where there was now a gigantic crater in place of mountains that was slowly filling with water to become a lake, but there was also the kingdom of Vale and Beacon.
Weiss and Ruby didn't know that the debris from the explosion had gotten this far, let alone the damage it had caused.
Vehicles and roads, houses and buildings... humans and faunus.
Almost everything, living or not, within Vale and Beacon, had been affected in one way or another by the explosion.
If there was any doubt that Ruby had killed someone alongside the Nergigante, this basically confirmed her worst fears, and it didn't take long for tears to start streaming down her saddened face like a waterfall, soon falling into the town below, where the sound of her victims' wailing echoed.
Looking over his shoulder, Vegeta came across a display of affection and despair almost unknown to him.
Weiss, Blake, and Yang managed to reach Ruby and pull her into a tight embrace in mid-air to try and comfort her.
Vegeta could have said something about this, explaining that everything could be undone in a few months, but he chose not to.
On the contrary, he would make use of this opportunity and force these girls to swallow their tears and help clean up all this mess.
Just as Vegeta had done by eliminating most of those Grimm.
This would teach these girls a valuable lesson that they would never forget and make them dedicate themselves to their training as if their lives depended on it.
Vegeta would make sure of it.