Total Power: 8-A (Power far beyond even a normal superhuman. Capable of affecting an area of several city blocks or equivalent areas of space)
I read my stats a couple of minutes before the time to decide whether or not to take the mission was up. Daily training in new powers, alchemy, embodying items through drawings, and creating potions allowed assimilation to increase at a fairly high rate.
Albedo (B) (90%)
But even so it wasn't enough for assimilation to end, apparently more battles and experience in battle is needed for assimilation to continue. Or keep using alchemy as an option. During this week of continuous assimilation I became much stronger, literally feeling the changes in my body, as Cortana confirmed when I lay down in the analyser. My muscles had become several times denser, but that was true for the rest of my body as well, because even my skin, while still ordinary looking, could withstand bullets without a problem. If I use Senjutsu, even large-calibre rifles can't do me any harm.
When the assimilation percentage reached fifty I felt as if I had reached some kind of threshold, as if... the process of accepting something. And my thoughts were right, for at that moment a beautiful looking sword appeared before me, the Cinnabar Spindle.
It was as if it was just waiting for me to become stronger so that it could be placed in my hands... not that it was true, but that's how I felt at that moment. This sword was truly a powerful weapon for me, for with my current knowledge I had to do a little checking and I had come to the conclusion that the Metal of the Gods, the Eighth, had been used in its creation. Even with the help of alchemy, it would be hard for me to change it, as if its density was too great for me at the moment... which could very well be true. No matter how strong I am, I clearly haven't reached the power of a god yet.
But I am making efforts to do so. Especially since I've found a way of how to increase my alchemy output - seals from the world of DxD. The books Rias sent me gave me the idea to create seals for myself. After all, they simplify control and increase power, if you create a proper and working seal, of course. With them, I don't necessarily need to touch objects to use alchemy, though I should, because even with the seals without touching, alchemy performance is somewhat reduced.
Decision time: 2 minutes
Checking that I had two not particularly large suitcases in my hands I sighed and looked around the room.
«Cortana, are you taking notes?
«Yes, as you ordered. - I heard a confirmation from the AI. - I won't be able to keep in touch with this place if we do go to another world, but a couple of hours won't spoil anything.
«Good. - I nodded. The mission note said that the RWBY world was far enough away that time would be distorted. A day there is an hour here, so my absence shouldn't be noticed by anyone, the same goes for the other participants. Soon the time was up and a mission confirmation sign appeared, so I chose to accept it and after that I was swallowed by darkness for a moment.
***
The Kingdom of Vale is one of the four kingdoms of Remnant, which is located in the eastern part of the continent of Sanus. It is where the Beacon Academy is located, where hundreds of hunters are trained to protect humans and fauns from Grimm creatures. And today there were many visitors from all over Remnant, for today was the fortieth Vytel Festival.
Five figures appeared on the roof of one of the capital's buildings. Four of them could be easily identified as female with different body proportions, but the fifth was clearly male.
«It felt strange, not like our usual teleportation. - The first to speak was a red-haired beauty with blue eyes and eye-pleasing shapes.
«In real life they are even bigger... - another girl spoke, smaller than the red-haired one and with... less prominent shapes, but with a pretty enough face and purple hair. She looked directly at the first one's breasts, and then looked down at her 'mounds'. The girl herself was dressed in dark clothing resembling a military uniform and in one of her hands was something resembling a black key.
«Um, hi? - The blonde girl in the school uniform mumbled, clearly still reeling from the shock of teleportation. She was still blinking and started wiping her eyes with her hands.
«Really moved... clearly better than the apparatus. - said a brown haired girl with somewhat unruly hair and in her hand she held a wand.
The only member of the opposite sex had already come to his senses and... covered his face with the palm of his hand.
***
«Erina... why are you in your school uniform? - I asked the girl, who immediately turned to me and then looked around at everyone, clearly embarrassed. - Okay Rias, she's already lost, but where are you going?
«Hey!" said Rias with her arms crossed under her chest, looking at the guy with a clearly interested look and a small smile. - Why am I lost?
«Because you're an exhibitionist with huge... eyes, yeah. - Shinoa uttered with her expression unchanged.
«You're just like Koneko... only more perverted. - Gremory said, and as if mocking her, emphasised her massive breasts even more.
«I was just nervous. - Erina said, trying not to look anyone in the eye.
«What a flower garden. Administrator-kun, don't look at such an innocent virgin like that, otherwise I might cum prematurely. - The girl grinned slightly and lifted her skirt, clearly enjoying the reaction of those gathered here.
«Pervert! - Hermione shouted and yelped when Shinoa was right in front of her face. She wasn't using any magic, she was just moving fast.
«In my world, that's normal.
«...Don't blame your behaviour on the world. - replied Hermione, who realised that she didn't stand any chance against this fragile looking girl.
«Cortana, are you hooked? - I asked aloud.
«Yes, I'm picking up the signal. Playing the strongest one. - For a moment the watch on my arm flashed with light and above it appeared a hologram of some stadium in the centre of which was a red-haired girl with green eyes, who was looking with shock and horror at... a dismembered orange-haired robot girl.
«Hmm, so one of my assumptions is correct. - I nodded, remembering that moment in the story. I was counting on either a trainload of ashes or this moment.
«What's that? - Rias asked interestedly, stepping closer to me.
«The Coliseum. - I said and pointed upwards. There was a large building in the sky, where the festival was taking place, and now Cortana could pick up a strong signal from the live broadcast.
«I wish we could talk to you more in real life, but we don't have time right now. - I placed the second suitcase I was holding in my left hand on the ground. - Hermione, come to me please. - I beckoned to the girl, who, after a moment's hesitation, came over. - Do you see the hollow for your hands? Put yours there so the armour will identify you and you can use it. - I told her.
«Um, is this kind of technology really in the future? I've heard of fingerprints, but this is clearly something more technologically advanced... oh. - As she obediently placed her hands in the recess, nanorobots began to crawl up her arms and envelope her body. Soon it wasn't wizard-Hermione standing before us, but a rather menacing iron sorceress.
«This is for your protection, Cortana will explain it to you. Erina. - I looked at the blonde who was still looking around with interest.
«I... yes. - She did the same as Hermione and was soon standing fully clad in armour as well.
«It looks pretty good. - Shinoa commented and tapped Hermione's armour with her fist. - And how strong is this armour?
«A tank shell at point-blank range will hold up without a problem. - I said and some of the armour's distinctive parts started to show from under my clothes. It didn't envelope me completely, just parts of my chest, arms and legs for flying. - Cortana, what's going on with the broadcast?
«Accessing audio. It's a lot different from the encryption methods I'm used to, but nothing major. But for full access to the local network, I need to connect to it directly. - said the AI and soon we heard a rather beautiful female voice.
«... ordinary people. The heads of our academies wield more power than most armies and one of them wants to get everything under their control. They cling to that power in the name of peace, and what do we have in the end? To demand Atlas from a soldier disguised as a cute little girl. I don't think Grimm will find a difference and what, I want to ask you, does Ozpin teach his students....
«Campaign speeches? - Gremory whispered, tilting her head slightly to the side.
«She is, as I recall, our enemy. She's one of those who wants to create hype and get people to give in to negative emotions in order to attract Grimm. - I muttered checking to see if there was anything I could do to affect the broadcast... no I can't. You need to get access to the network, which as far as I know you can get either through Beacon itself or... somewhere else.
«...our kingdom is on the brink of war, and we humans are left in the dark. And so I ask you, when the first shots are fired, who do you think can be trusted?
«That doesn't sound very reassuring. - Hermione spoke up whose voice was clearly audible as Cortana immediately opened her face. The girl was clearly nervous, it was clearly visible and audible. Her wand was inside her costume, but if she asked, Cortana could hand it to her.
«What's that? - Erina asked stammeringly. Sirens sounded and a female voice said threat level nine and immediately there was a loud sound from the sky... there was something huge and black with wings.
«Cortana, follow Hot Fest protocol. We need to protect Beacon and the humans. Girls. - I glanced at the frozen Hermione and Erina who just didn't know how to act, everything was happening too fast. - I recommend you go to Beacon, you can see it from here. - I pointed to a rather large building something resembling a palace in the distance. - It'll be less dangerous there than near the Coliseum, which is where I'm going.
«Why do you want to go there? - Rias asked, who, for lack of knowledge, had decided to listen to me... maybe not just because of that.
«The people there haven't all evacuated yet and there will be more of these Grimm-birds. - I took off using the repulsors in my legs and arms. - Take your pick, where are you going to go?
«I'll go with you, Administrator-kun. - Shinoa literally jumped on top of me and grabbed my back, hindering my flight a bit, but it didn't take a second for me to stabilise in the air.
«Our main goal is to protect Beacon and the city. - Gremory said.
«Exactly. Catch. - I tossed her the communicator. - Put it to your ear so you can hear us. Once I get access to the local network, I'll be able to guide you better. - A small drone detached from my back and flew upwards. - As soon as Shinoa and I can help out there, we'll head straight to you. And Rias, don't worry about your wings and magic, there are other people here. - I looked at the red-haired girl who nodded at me and in a moment she had two black wings. - When we're done, we can talk properly, good luck. - I gave them a thumbs up and took off sharply.
«Oooooh. - Shinoa screamed with widened eyes holding onto me. A normal person wouldn't have been able to hold on like that, they would have hurt their arms. There were also different aircrafts flying in the sky, more precisely near the Colosseum itself, and they were probably needed to evacuate people.
We arrived just in time, as a giant black bird with a skull mask broke the Colosseum's energy shields, which were replacing the ceiling, and dove down. With his landing, Grimm created a gust of wind that knocked the red-haired girl, who was still reeling from the shock of having recently dismembered another girl... albeit a robot girl.
«Looks like a Horseman. - Shinoa, who was watching this Grimm intently, said, and as we started to descend, she jumped away from me and a huge scythe transformed in her hands, which she used to pierce Grimm's head as she landed.
***
The whole story is already available at:
patreon.com/posts/124888009