[Katsuya Akiya (MC) POV]
The conversation started off normal enough. Ruby was gushing about weapons and I nodded along politely while Yang occasionally interjected with stories about Ruby's obsession.
It was... surprisingly comfortable. Almost normal, if I ignored the fact that I was in a different world in a different body heading to a school to fight monsters.
Then Yang leaned forward with a mischievous grin. "So, Katsuya. What's your type?"
Before I could even process the question, Ruby's elbow shot out and buried itself in Yang's gut.
"GUHK—" Yang doubled over, gagging and wheezing for air, her face turning red.
"Don't mind Yang!" Ruby said quickly, her face flushed with embarrassment. "She doesn't have a filter sometimes and—"
I stared at them, my brain trying to reconcile what I'd just witnessed.
That... that was not how the sisters acted in the original timeline. Ruby didn't casually gut-punch Yang. Yang didn't wheeze and gasp for air like she'd just taken a hit from a professional fighter.
They were acting like... like two brothers roughhousing instead of sisters.
"I, uh..." I said, trying to gather my thoughts. "I don't really have a specific type, I guess."
Both sisters looked at me curiously—Yang still clutching her stomach but recovering.
"I suppose... someone who's simply a kind person?" I offered. "That's what matters most, isn't it?"
Ruby tilted her head. "That's really sweet actually."
Yang grinned despite still being winded. "A romantic, huh?"
'A woman with a nice big ass,' I thought to myself while maintaining my polite smile on the outside.
But I wasn't about to say that out loud.
The Bullhead shuddered slightly as it began its descent. Through the window, I could see Beacon Academy coming into view—the towers, the grounds, all of it matching the images from my fuzzy memories.
"We're landing!" Ruby announced excitedly, pressing her face against the window.
Yang had slumped over in her seat, still recovering from Ruby's elbow strike. She looked half-dead, sprawled out dramatically.
Ruby, without missing a beat, kicked her.
"OW! Ruby!" Yang wheezed, jerking upright.
"We're here! Get up!"
I watched this exchange with growing bewilderment. They definitely weren't like this in the original timeline. The dynamic was completely different—rougher, more physical, less of the gentle sisterly teasing and more like actual siblings beating on each other.
The Bullhead touched down with a slight bump, and the doors began to open.
"Well," I said, standing up and grabbing my bags. "It was nice talking with you both. I'll see you around."
"Wait—" Ruby started, but I was already moving toward the exit.
I needed some air. And some time to process how different everything was in this world.
——
[Ruby Rose POV]
I grabbed Yang off the floor the moment Katsuya was out of sight, shaking her by the shoulders.
"Why are you flirting with my first friend?!" I hissed.
"I wasn't flirting!" Yang protested, finally standing up properly and rubbing her stomach where I'd hit her. "Ow, by the way. You punch hard."
"You asked him about his type!"
"I was curious!" Yang said defensively. "That's not flirting, that's just... asking questions!"
I stared at her suspiciously. Yang had that look in her eyes—the one she got when she was planning something or being deliberately obtuse.
She stood upright, stretching, and then said with a smirk, "I was just curious about the taste of my little sister's crush."
"HE'S NOT MY—"
Yang deliberately shifted, making her chest bounce.
As her sister i had a job to do... I slapped them.
Hard.
They bounced. A lot.
"OW!" Yang yelped, clutching her chest with both hands. "Ruby! That actually hurt!"
"Stop being weird!" I shouted, my face burning red.
"You're the one who just slapped my boobs!"
"Because you—you were—" I couldn't even finish the sentence, too flustered and angry.
Yang laughed despite still holding her chest. "You're so easy to mess with, little sis."
We grabbed our bags and headed toward the exit, joining the stream of students disembarking from the Bullhead.
I glanced around, trying to spot the green-haired guy in the black suit, but he'd already disappeared into the crowd heading toward the main academy building.
"He's fast," Yang commented.
"Yeah," I muttered.
"Also hot."
"YANG!"
"What? I'm just stating facts! You picked a good first friend, Ruby. Good taste."
I groaned, pulling my hood down over my face.
We made our way through the crowd of students, my eyes scanning for that distinctive green hair and black suit. There were so many people— future Huntsmen and Huntresses from all over Remnant, all heading toward the main building.
"Do you see him?" I asked, standing on my tiptoes to try and get a better view.
"Nope," Yang said, also looking around. "He probably headed straight for the auditorium or something. Guy seems like the type to be punctual."
I deflated slightly. "I wanted to thank him again properly. You know, without you asking weird questions."
"My questions weren't weird!"
"You asked him his type!"
"That's a normal question!"
"Not when you just met someone!"
Yang rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Look, we'll find him in the auditorium. It's not like he can hide with that polite attitude."
That was true.
"Come on," Yang said, tugging me toward the main building. "Let's not be late for orientation. Dad would kill us if we made a bad first impression."
We joined the flow of students heading inside. The main hall of Beacon was even more impressive in person—high ceilings, polished floors, banners hanging from the walls. Everything looked so official and important.
It made me feel small. Out of place.
I was two years younger than everyone else here. I'd gotten in early because of... well, because I'd stopped a robbery and impressed Professor Ozpin. But standing here, surrounded by people who actually belonged, I felt like a kid playing dress-up.
"Hey." Yang's hand landed on my shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah," I said quietly. "Just... nervous."
"You'll be fine. You're Ruby Rose. You took down Roman Torchwick. These people should be nervous about competing with YOU."
I managed a small smile. Yang always knew what to say to make me feel better.
We followed the crowd toward the auditorium, the massive doors already open and students filing inside. The space was huge—easily big enough to fit several hundred people—with a stage at the front where presumably the headmaster would give his welcome speech.
"Let's find a good spot," Yang said, already scanning the room.
I looked around too, searching for green hair in the sea of students.
But there were too many people, too much movement. If Katsuya was already here, he'd blended into the crowd.
"Come on, Ruby," Yang said, pulling me toward a spot near the middle. "We can find him after the ceremony. He's not going anywhere."
"Yeah," I agreed, following her. "You're right."
Still, I kept looking. Kept hoping to spot him.
My first friend at Beacon. I didn't want to lose track of him already.
——
[Katsuya Akiya (MC) POV]
'One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish...Woah chills'
I'd made it to the auditorium early—partly to avoid the crowd, partly because I had no idea what else to do. The massive space was still mostly empty, with only a handful of students scattered around.
I found a spot along the side wall where I could lean and have a good view of the stage. The bags were at my feet, and I'd pulled out my scroll to pass the time.
Nothing interesting. Some news about Grimm activity in the outer territories. An article about upcoming tournament matches. Standard stuff.
I scrolled idly, not really paying attention. My mind was elsewhere.
The encounter with Yang and those guys kept replaying in my head. The casual misogyny. The attempt to humiliate her. The way Cardin had sneered.
Terumi's power. Hazama's abilities.
I needed to test them properly, figure out what I could actually do. The initiation tomorrow would probably give me that chance—whatever it was, it would involve combat. That much I remembered from the original timeline.
I put the scroll away as more students began filing into the auditorium, their voices filling the space with noise and energy.
The auditorium continued to fill with students, the noise level rising steadily. I leaned against the wall, watching them filter in—some excited, some nervous, some trying to look cool and confident.
I had time before anything started, so I decided to check the system again.
Closing my eyes, I focused inward and felt that familiar presence. The interface appeared in my vision.
I opened it and scanned the list.
[Scathach - Online]
[Koneko - Offline]
[Esdeath - Offline]
Only Scathach was available. Fair enough.
[Katsuya: Hey. You there?]
The response came almost immediately.
[Scathach: I am. Good to hear from you. How are you settling into your new world?]
[Katsuya: It's... complicated. Gender-swapped society. Everything's backwards from what I expected.]
[Scathach: Ah. That would be disorienting. I imagine the social dynamics are quite different.]
[Katsuya: That's putting it mildly. What about you? What timeline are you in?]
[Scathach: Early. Very early. Artoria should be around twelve years old right now, still training with Merlin.]
I blinked at that. Twelve?
[Katsuya: Wow. That's really early. So you're just... waiting around in the Land of Shadows?]
[Scathach: More or less. It's tedious. I've been considering taking a more active role in events, but that would require leaving this place, and I'm bound here by my nature as its gatekeeper.]
[Katsuya: That sounds lonely.]
[Scathach: It is. Which is why I'm glad we can communicate like this. Speaking of which...]
I felt a sense of dread at where this was going.
[Scathach: My offer still stands. If you want this body, it's yours. We're the same person, after all. I miss what we used to be.]
[Katsuya: Scathach, we talked about this—]
[Scathach: I know what you're going to say. But you don't understand what it's like. You're still male. You still have what we were. I don't. Every day I'm reminded that I'm in the wrong body. That I used to be different.]
There was a weight to her words that made me pause. She was right—I was still male. I hadn't lost that. But she had. Koneko had. Esdeath had. They were all versions of me trapped in female bodies, remembering what it used to be like.
[Katsuya: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dismiss what you're going through.]
[Scathach: I know. You're not cruel. Just... lucky, in a way. But let's move past this. The offer remains open whenever you're ready to consider it.]
I tried to think of how to shift the conversation away from this increasingly uncomfortable topic.
[Katsuya: Let's talk about something else. Anything else.]
[Scathach: Fine. But the offer remains open.]
There was a pause, then:
[Scathach: Actually, I have a different proposition.]
[Katsuya: I'm listening...]
[Scathach: I'll give you a weapon of your choice. Anything I can create or provide. Something that would help you in your world.]
I sat up straighter, suddenly very interested.
[Katsuya: Anything?]
[Scathach: Within reason. I'm quite skilled at crafting weapons and items. What did you have in mind?]
I thought about it. What did I need? I already had Hazama's weapons—the chains, the knives. But there was something else, something that had been bothering me since I'd discovered the nature of my semblance.
[Katsuya: I want an item that can greatly reduce or even remove the effects of Madness Enhancement.]
There was a longer pause this time.
[Scathach: That's... an unusual request. Why would you need something like that?]
[Katsuya: My semblance. It's basically Terumi's power— I have a bracer that regulates it, but I want a backup. Something that can keep me stable if the bracer breaks or if I need to go all out without losing myself.]
[Scathach: I see. That is concerning. Having access to any power without control is dangerous.]
[Katsuya: Exactly. So can you help?]
[Scathach: I can.]
Relief flooded through me.
[Katsuya: Thank you. Really. That would be incredibly helpful.]
[Scathach: However...]
Oh no.
[Scathach: There is a condition.]
[Katsuya: What condition?]
[Scathach: We fuck.]
I stared at the message.
[Katsuya: WHAT.]
[Scathach: You heard me. Or read me, rather. That's my price. I'll craft the item you need, but in exchange, we have sex.]
[Katsuya: Scathach, you're literally ME. That's—]
[Scathach: I'm you in a female body with thousands of years of experience and loneliness. I'm offering a fair trade. You get something you need, I get something I want. We both benefit. I get to experience being with someone who has what I lost. You get your item and an experience with someone who knows exactly what you like...me.]
[Katsuya: This is insane!]
[Scathach: Is it? We're the same person. There's no moral ambiguity here. No one else is involved. Just you and another version of yourself. Think of it as... mutual satisfaction between alternate selves.]
[Katsuya: That's not how this works!]
[Scathach: The offer stands. Take your time to think about it. I'm not going anywhere—literally, I'm bound to this realm. But when you decide, let me know. I'll have your item ready.]
[Katsuya: Let me think about it, Scathach!]
[Scathach: Of course. I'm patient. I've waited centuries already. A bit more time won't hurt. But do consider it seriously. This could benefit both of us greatly.]
I closed the chat interface, feeling a headache coming on.
"—and so, I welcome you all to Beacon Academy," a voice echoed through the auditorium.
I snapped back to attention, realizing I'd completely zoned out during what must have been Ozpin's entire welcome speech. The headmaster stood on stage with Professor Glynda Goodwitch beside him, and students were already starting to move.
"You will all gather in the ballroom tonight," Glynda's voice cut through the chatter. "Tomorrow your initiation begins. I suggest you all get a good night's rest."
The crowd began shuffling toward the exits, heading presumably toward this ballroom.
I grabbed my bags and followed, my mind still reeling from that conversation with Scathach.
I followed the flow of students through Beacon's corridors, the chatter and excitement around me a constant buzz. Everyone seemed eager, nervous, or some combination of both. Tomorrow was initiation—the test that would determine our teams and our futures as Huntsmen.
The ballroom was exactly as I vaguely remembered from the show—a massive space with high ceilings and polished floors. Students were already spreading out, claiming spots and setting up sleeping bags. The whole thing felt oddly informal for such a prestigious academy, but I supposed it was meant to be some kind of bonding experience.
I scanned the room, looking for a quiet corner where I could settle in and—
"Katsuya! Over here!"
I turned to see Ruby waving enthusiastically from a spot near the wall. Yang was beside her, already sprawled out on a sleeping bag with her arms behind her head, looking relaxed.
Well, so much for finding a quiet corner.
I made my way over, weaving through the scattered students and their belongings. Ruby's face lit up as I approached, and even Yang gave me a lazy grin.
"Hey," I said, setting my bags down. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not at all!" Ruby said, patting the floor next to her. "We saved you a spot!"
"We did?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We did," Ruby said firmly, shooting her sister a look.
I sat down, leaning back against the wall. The spot was actually pretty good—decent view of the room, close to the wall for support, not too crowded.
"So," Yang said, propping herself up on one elbow. "You ready for tomorrow?"
"As ready as I can be," I said. "You?"
"Born ready," Yang said with a confident grin. "I've been training for this my whole life."
"Yang's really strong," Ruby chimed in. "She can punch through concrete!"
"Ruby," Yang said, her cheeks slightly pink. "You don't have to hype me up."
"But it's true!"
I smiled at their dynamic. Despite the personality differences from the original timeline—the rougher edges, the more physical sibling rivalry—they still clearly cared about each other.
"What about you, Ruby?" I asked. "What's your weapon?"
Her eyes immediately lit up. "Oh! It's a High-Caliber Sniper-Scythe called Crescent Rose! I built it myself and it has a rotating chamber for different Dust types and—"
She launched into an enthusiastic explanation of her weapon's mechanics, complete with hand gestures. Yang rolled her eyes fondly while Ruby talked, clearly used to these kinds of passionate rambles.
I listened, nodding along. It was... nice. Normal, in a way. Just three teenagers...well two. Talking about weapons and combat school like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Which, in this world, it was.
"—and the recoil can actually be used for momentum in combat!" Ruby finished, her eyes shining. "What about you? What's your weapon?"
"Chains and knives," I said simply. "Nothing as impressive as a sniper-scythe."
"Chains?" Yang perked up. "Like kusarigama chains?"
"Something like that. They're... versatile."
I didn't want to explain the full extent of Ouroboros or how the chains worked. That seemed like the kind of thing that would raise too many questions.
"Cool," Yang said. "I use Ember Celica—gauntlets with shotgun shells built in. Lets me add explosive force to my punches."
"Sounds painful," I commented.
"For whoever I'm hitting, yeah."
We fell into comfortable conversation after that—weapons, combat styles, favorite Huntsmen from history. Ruby dominated most of the discussion with her encyclopedic knowledge of weapons and tactics, while Yang occasionally interjected with more practical observations.
It was surprisingly easy to talk to them. Despite the strangeness of this. they were still fundamentally good people.
Eventually, other students started settling in for the night. The lights dimmed slightly, and the noise level dropped as people prepared to sleep.
I looked around the ballroom, at all the sleeping bags and makeshift beds scattered across the floor.
Where was I supposed to sleep?
I had my bags, but no sleeping bag. No pillow. Nothing prepared for actually sleeping on a hard floor.
Great.
I glanced at Ruby and Yang. Ruby was already curled up in her sleeping bag, her red cloak draped over her like an extra blanket. Yang was stretched out on hers, taking up way more space than necessary.
I looked down at the floor where I was sitting.
This was going to be uncomfortable.
I shifted on the hard floor, trying to find a position that didn't make my back ache. No sleeping bag, no pillow, just me and the polished ballroom floor. I'd folded my coat into a makeshift pillow, but it wasn't doing much.
Around me, the sounds of sleeping students filled the space—quiet breathing, the occasional snore, someone mumbling in their sleep. The lights had been dimmed to a soft glow, just enough to see by but dark enough to encourage rest.
I closed my eyes, willing myself to fall asleep despite the discomfort.
Tomorrow was initiation. I needed to be rested, focused, ready for whatever Beacon threw at us.
I took a slow breath, trying to relax.
The floor was really uncomfortable.
I shifted again, adjusting my position. My coat-pillow had already flattened into uselessness.
This was going to be a long night.
Eventually, exhaustion won out over discomfort, and I drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
——
I woke up to something soft pressed against my face.
Very soft.
And warm.
My brain, still foggy with sleep, took a moment to process this. Something was definitely on my face. Two somethings, actually. Soft, yielding, pressing down on my forehead and upper face.
I opened my eyes slowly.
Flesh. Two mountains of flesh, barely contained in a yellow top, pressing down on the upper part of my head.
Yang's breasts.
Yang had somehow rolled over in her sleep and was now using my head as a pillow, her chest pressed firmly against my face.
My brain short-circuited for a moment.
Then I became aware of another sensation—pressure against my chin. Something soft and round pressing against the lower part of my face.
I very carefully shifted my eyes downward without moving my head.
Ruby's ass. Ruby had apparently rolled backward in her sleep and her rear was now pressed against my chin, her red and black pajama shorts doing absolutely nothing to diminish the sensation.
I was trapped between Yang's chest and Ruby's ass.
This was not happening.
This could NOT be happening.
I lay there, completely frozen, my mind racing through options.
Option 1: Wake them up. Immediately rejected. The awkwardness of explaining this situation would be unbearable. Plus, Yang might actually kill me thinking I'd done this on purpose.
Option 2: Try to carefully extract myself without waking them. Risky. Any movement might wake one or both of them, leading back to Option 1's problem.
Option 3: Play dead. Or rather, play asleep.
I closed my eyes and went completely still, forcing my breathing to remain slow and even like I was still sleeping.
This was fine.
This was totally fine.
I was just sleeping. Innocently sleeping. I had no control over where other people rolled in their sleep. This was not my fault.
Yang shifted slightly above me, her chest pressing more firmly against my face for a moment before settling again.
I maintained my "sleeping" facade, not moving a muscle.
Ruby mumbled something in her sleep and adjusted her position, somehow managing to press even more firmly against my chin.
This was a nightmare.
A soft, warm, utterly mortifying nightmare.
I kept my eyes closed and my breathing steady, praying to whatever gods existed in this world that morning would come soon and they would roll away before waking up.