[Ruby Rose POV]
I ran through the Emerald Forest, Crescent Rose in hand, scanning the trees for any sign of Yang. Or anyone, really. Being alone in a forest full of Grimm wasn't exactly my idea of fun.
A flash of white caught my eye through the trees.
I changed direction, pushing through some bushes, and emerged into a small clearing where a girl with distinctive white hair tied in a side ponytail stood examining her weapon—an elegant rapier that practically screamed "expensive."
She looked up at my approach, her blue eyes assessing me quickly.
"Oh! Hi!" I said, waving. "I'm Ruby Rose!"
The white-haired girl seemed to relax slightly, lowering her weapon. "Weiss Schnee," she replied, her tone formal but not unfriendly. She extended her hand.
I shook it enthusiastically. "Looks like we're partners!"
"It would appear so." Weiss looked me up and down, her gaze lingering on Crescent Rose. "That's quite the weapon. Custom built?"
"Yep! I designed and built it myself!" I couldn't help the pride in my voice.
"Impressive." Weiss seemed genuinely interested. "The mechanics must be complex."
"Oh, they are! See, the rotating chamber allows for different Dust types, and the recoil—"
"Perhaps you could explain while we move?" Weiss interrupted, though not unkindly. "We should head to the temple before more Grimm find us."
"Right! Yes! Good idea!"
We started moving north together, and I launched into an explanation of Crescent Rose's design. Weiss actually listened, asking technical questions that showed she understood weapon mechanics better than I'd expected..
——
[Yang Xiao Long POV]
I prowled through the forest, my eyes scanning for any sign of movement. Part of me hoped to find Ruby, make sure my little sister was okay. Another part hoped to find Katsuya to tease my sister.
But a vindictive part of me really wanted to run into that guy Cardin again...after finding a partner I'd be DAMNED to have him as my partner.
That bastard and his friends had tried to ruin my hair on the aircraft. MY HAIR. The thing I spent hours maintaining, the pride of my appearance. They'd tried to dump some disgusting liquid on it just to humiliate me and record it for laughs.
If Katsuya hadn't intervened...
I clenched my fists, feeling Ember Celica's comforting weight. Nobody messed with Yang Xiao Long's hair and got away with it. I owed Cardin a knuckle sandwich. With explosive rounds.
A growl rumbled from my left.
An Ursa burst through the undergrowth, its bone-white armor gleaming. I grinned, cracking my knuckles.
"Perfect. I needed to hit something."
I charged forward, meeting the Grimm head-on. Ember Celica roared as I delivered a devastating right hook to its jaw, the shotgun blast adding explosive force. The Ursa's head snapped to the side, and I followed up with a left uppercut that lifted it off the ground.
The Grimm crashed down and started to dissolve.
"Too easy," I muttered.
Another growl answered me.
A second Ursa emerged from behind a tree, larger than the first. It roared and charged.
I prepared to meet it when a black blur shot past me.
A ribbon-like weapon—some kind of kusarigama or chain-scythe—wrapped around the Ursa's legs. The Grimm tripped and crashed face-first into the dirt. Before it could recover, the black-haired girl who'd thrown the weapon was on it, her blade slashing across its throat.
The Ursa dissolved into smoke.
The girl straightened, retrieving her weapon with a practiced motion. She had black hair with a distinctive black bow on top of her head, amber eyes, and an air of quiet competence.
Our eyes met.
"Blake Belladonna," she said, extending her hand.
I clicked my tongue in slight annoyance.
But partnership rules were partnership rules. Eye contact had been made.
"Yang Xiao Long," I replied, shaking her hand.
Blake didn't seem bothered by my attitude. "We should head to the temple."
"Yeah. Let's go."
We started moving north together. Blake was quiet, which was fine by me. I was still thinking about Cardin and those other jerks.
That reckoning would have to wait. But it would come.
——
[Katsuya Akiya (MC) POV]
Pyrrha and I emerged from the tree line and found ourselves looking at a clearing with ancient stone ruins. Circular platforms held various chess pieces—black and white, different designs.
"The relics," Pyrrha said, her voice filled with relief.
We approached carefully, scanning for threats. Other students had already been here—several pieces were missing from the platforms.
I walked up to one platform and examined the remaining pieces. Knight, rook, bishop...
My hand hovered over a white king piece.
I picked it up, turning it over in my hand, and couldn't help but laugh.
"Something funny?" Pyrrha asked, selecting a matching white king piece from another platform.
"Just thinking," I said, still chuckling. "In chess, the king is the most important piece but also one of the weakest. It can only move one space at a time. Needs everyone else to protect it."
"That's true," Pyrrha said thoughtfully, looking at her own king piece. "But the game isn't over until the king falls. Everything else is expendable, but lose the king and you lose everything."
"Deep." I pocketed the chess piece, still grinning. "Guess that makes us royalty, huh?"
Pyrrha smiled at that, a genuine warm expression. "I suppose it does, partner."
"So, ready to head back and—"
A massive screech cut through the air.
Both of us looked up to see something huge circling above the forest—a giant bird-like Grimm with bone-white armor and red eyes.
The Nevermore.
"That's not good," I muttered.
A rumbling sound came from the forest behind us. Trees shook and crashed as something massive pushed through them.
The Deathstalker emerged into the clearing—an enormous scorpion Grimm with golden armor plating and a stinger the size of a person.
"That's worse," Pyrrha said, readying her spear and shield.
I pulled out my butterfly knives, chains coiling at my sides. My hand brushed against the bracer on my left arm.
This was it. Time to take the training wheels off. I was just about to unlatch it when the bushes violently rustled.
"Heads up!"
I turned to see a flurry of movement bursting into the clearing. Ruby and Weiss came skidding out from one path, followed closely by Yang and Blake from another. A second later, an energetic orange-haired girl and a calm, black-haired boy—Nora and Ren—emerged from the brush.
They all converged near the ruins, immediately sizing up the two massive Grimm.
"Okay, listen up!" Ruby yelled, Crescent Rose unfolding into its massive scythe form. "We have to work together! Don't let them scatter us!"
I braced myself for the inevitable argument, remembering how hostile Weiss had been to Ruby's leadership early on. But to my surprise, Weiss drew her rapier and nodded firmly.
"Agreed," Weiss said, her tone completely devoid of the condescending bite I remembered. "I'll use my glyphs for crowd control and provide platforms. If we funnel the scorpion toward the heavy hitters, we can break its armor."
"Now you're speaking my language!" Yang grinned, slamming her fists together. "Let's wreck this thing!"
"I'll restrict its claws so it can't guard," Blake added, her weapon already in hand.
"Ooh, ooh! Can I break its legs?! Please tell me I can break its legs!" Nora practically vibrated, hefting her massive hammer.
"Focus, Nora," Ren said calmly, his StormFlower pistols drawn. "The stinger is the primary threat. Target the joints."
I watched them coordinate seamlessly. Weiss wasn't being an ass to Ruby at all—she was actually supporting her. This gender-swapped society really did change the social dynamics.
The Deathstalker roared, charging at them. The Nevermore shrieked above, diving straight for the ruins.
I looked down at the bracer on my arm. The others had the scorpion handled. The giant bird was mine.
Fuck it.
I popped the latch.
The heavy metal bracer fell away, clattering against the stone floor. Instantly, an overwhelming rush of power flooded my veins. Terumi's essence—chaotic, violent, and intoxicating—surged through my body. I ripped the fedora off my head, dropping it to the ground, and ran a hand through my hair, slicking the green strands back. My vision tinted with a sharper, more vibrant clarity as my yellow eyes widened.
"Pyrrha!" I shouted, my voice carrying a darker, more resonant edge.
She snapped to attention, her shield raised. "Yes?!"
"Launch me!" I pointed up at the diving Nevermore. "Now!"
Pyrrha didn't question it. She braced herself, angling her shield upward like a ramp. I sprinted forward, my boots hitting the metal surface of her shield. With a grunt of effort, she heaved upward.
I shot into the air, but I felt an extra, unnatural surge of momentum pushing me higher and faster than her physical strength alone could manage. Did she just use her semblance to push my weapons? I wondered briefly.
But the Nevermore was right in front of me, its massive beak opening to snap me out of the sky.
"Get over here!" I roared.
My Ouroboros chains erupted from my sleeves, glowing with a violently bright, sickly green energy. The snake-headed tips clamped viciously onto the Nevermore's neck and wing. The beast shrieked in shock, but I was already using my semblance to manipulate the chains, swinging my body weight violently downward.
I yanked the massive bird out of its dive, completely ruining its trajectory. As we plummeted toward the ground, I channeled every ounce of raw, chaotic power I could muster into the chains.
"Die!"
I charged a devastating Ouroboros strike and slammed it directly into the Nevermore's skull as we crashed into the earth. The impact shattered the stone ruins beneath us, kicking up a massive cloud of dust and debris.
I landed squarely on the Grimm's back. A wild, unfiltered euphoria washed over me. The raw power felt too good. It wasn't enough to just hit it once.
I lifted my boot and brought it down on the back of the Nevermore's skull. Then again. And again.
CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.
"Hah! Hahaha!" I was laughing, my heel stomping repeatedly into the beast's armor, splintering the bone-white plating. I wanted to tear it apart. I wanted to keep going until there was nothing left.
Suddenly, the world spun. A sharp, nauseating wave of dizziness hit me, my vision blurring at the edges. The chaotic power was becoming too much; the madness was starting to drown out my own thoughts.
I stumbled off the bird, clutching my head. "Pyrrha!" I yelled, my voice straining.
She was already moving. Seeing me stagger, she grabbed my bracer from the ground and hurled it toward me. I snatched it out of the air and immediately clamped it back onto my left forearm.
*Click.*
The moment the lock engaged, the maddening whispers and the overwhelming euphoria vanished, sealed away. My breathing slowed. The dizziness faded.
I stood up straight, running a hand through my hair to fix it back to its usual style. I walked over to where my fedora lay in the dirt, picked it up, dusted it off meticulously, and set it back on my head, adjusting the brim.
Turning my attention back to the clearing, I watched the others. Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Blake, Nora, and Ren were putting on an absolute clinic against the Deathstalker, chaining their attacks together to dismantle its armor piece by piece.
I was so focused on their teamwork that I completely missed the movement behind me.
The Nevermore—somehow, despite having its skull caved in—was still alive. It weakly raised its head, its beak opening to lunge at my exposed back.
Before I could even turn around, a silver blur shot past my shoulder.
Pyrrha's spear impaled the Nevermore straight through the eye, sinking deep into its brain. The giant bird let out a pathetic, gurgling screech before it finally went limp, its body rapidly dissolving into black ash.
Pyrrha held out her hand, and her spear ripped itself free, flying magnetically back into her grasp.
I turned to her, blinking in mild surprise. I walked over, gave her a solid pat on the shoulder, and flashed her a thumbs up. "Nice save, partner."
Pyrrha's face flushed slightly, and she smiled warmly. "Thank you for the compliment. But you did most of the work."
I glanced over my shoulder. The other six were just finishing off the Deathstalker, yelling in triumph as Yang shattered its stinger.
"We need to get out of here," I said, turning back to Pyrrha and gesturing to our pockets where the white king pieces rested. "While they're busy celebrating, someone could easily snatch our relics."
Pyrrha's eyes widened in realization. "You're right. We have what we came for."
Without looking back at the others, Pyrrha and I turned on our heels and sprinted into the dense treeline of the Emerald Forest, leaving the chaotic battlefield behind us.
——
[Later...]
The auditorium hummed with anticipation as we gathered for the team announcements. I adjusted my fedora, keeping my gaze forward while Professor Ozpin stepped up to the microphone.
"We will now announce the final teams."
He listed a few groups before his eyes settled on us.
"Katsuya Akiya, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, and Nora Valkyrie. Please step forward."
We moved onto the stage. Ozpin's gaze lingered on me with a hint of knowing approval.
"You four retrieved the white king pieces. It was a remarkable display. Mr. Akiya, your sheer, overwhelming power was matched only by Miss Nikos's quick thinking and flawless support. A truly exceptional showing."
I tipped my fedora. "Thank you, Headmaster."
"From this day forward, you will work together as Team HRPN. Led by Katsuya Akiya."
(Author: its pronounced Harpoon as a heads up, i was originally planning on adding some blazblue characters into the mix of rwby to spell HERO but i opted out would have been too much aura.)
I allowed myself a small, satisfied smile. Harpoon. Sharp, direct, and hard to shake off.
We descended from the stage. Pyrrha fell into step beside me, green eyes shining. "Congratulations on being named leader, Katsuya."
I turned to her with a warm smile. "I couldn't have done it without you, partner. Your timing was absolutely perfect out there. You're amazing."
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
Pyrrha's heart hammered so loudly I could almost hear it. Her cheeks flushed a deep, vibrant crimson. She clapped both hands over her chest as if physically restraining her heart from bursting out.
"Hnnngh—" A choked, strangled sound escaped her throat, halfway between a gasp and a squeak. Then a strained, breathless wheeeeeze whistled past her lips as she swayed.
"Pyrrha?" I blinked, genuinely confused. "You okay?"
She frantically waved a hand at me, eyes wide, silently begging me to stop talking. "Just... g-give me... a second...!"
I honestly had no idea that a straightforward, sincere compliment from a guy could land like a sledgehammer to her heart. She looked like she'd just run a marathon.
Before I could ask if she needed medical attention, the other half of our team bounded over.
"Hi! Even though Ozpin just said it, I'm Nora! Nora Valkyrie!" The orange-haired force of nature was practically bouncing on her heels.
"And I am Lie Ren," the calmer boy beside her added with a polite nod.
"Katsuya Akiya." I offered a handshake. "Great to meet you both. Nora, that explosive hammer work of yours was incredible. And Ren, your precision under pressure is exactly what a team needs."
Nora swelled with pride. Ren gave a modest, appreciative smile.
We turned back to the stage as Ozpin continued.
"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. You retrieved the white knight pieces. You will form Team RWBY, led by Ruby Rose."
I exhaled quietly. Ruby as leader—that much was still intact. I was mildly concerned how they'd interact with the flipped dynamics, but at least the core remained.
A low, conspiratorial giggle snapped my attention away.
Nora was rubbing her hands together, grinning like a cat that'd cornered a canary. "Two hot boys on our team. I hit the absolute jackpot!"
Beside me, Pyrrha—having just recovered—let out a soft, dangerous little giggle of her own. Her eyes narrowed with terrifying calm.
"You know," she said, her voice dripping with honeyed menace, "I think I need a little team-bonding chat with my new teammate."
Before Nora could react, Pyrrha seized her collar and began dragging her backward into the crowd.
"W-Wait! What did I do?!" Nora wailed, heels scraping against the floor. She stretched her arms out dramatically toward us. "Ren! Sexy leader! Save meeeee!"
She dissolved into the sea of students.
I stood there, sweatdropping at the sheer chaos.
Ren sighed quietly, closing his eyes. "I apologize for Nora's attitude. She is... quite desperate for a boyfriend."
"It's fine." I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. "And I should probably apologize for Pyrrha. She doesn't usually act like that... I think."
Ren offered a faint, understanding smile. He studied my suit, then my face. "So... where are you from?"
I considered Ren's question for a moment. "I'm from a small settlement outside the main kingdoms," I said, keeping it vague.
"Spent most of my life with my father in vale."
Ren nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful.
I adjusted my fedora. "What about you? You and Nora seem close."
Something flickered in Ren's calm eyes—a deep, old bond. "We grew up together. Our village was destroyed by Grimm when we were children. We've been looking out for each other ever since."
'I see...so thats still the same'
"Sounds like you've been through a lot. She's lucky to have someone steady like you."
Ren's lips curved into a faint smile. "And I'm lucky to have someone energetic like her... She's like my own little sister"
'Oh you poor child nora' I thought internally...'To be friend zoned by your childhood friend... Oh the tragedy'
Before I could respond, the crowd parted and Pyrrha returned, one arm draped around Nora's shoulders like they were the best of friends. She was smiling serenely.
Nora, however, looked absolutely petrified. Her eyes were wide, her grin frozen in place, and she walked stiffly as if Pyrrha's arm was a steel clamp.
"Everything sorted out?" I asked mildly.
"Of course," Pyrrha said sweetly. "We just had a little... heart-to-heart."
"Y-Yeah," Nora squeaked. "Heart-to-heart."
(Author: Peak song btw ^)
Ren and I exchanged a glance. Neither of us commented.
The four of us made our way to the dormitory. Pyrrha opened the door to our assigned room and stepped inside, still dragging Nora along. The room was spacious enough—two bunk beds on opposite sides, a window in the middle, some basic furnishings.
Pyrrha surveyed the room with an authoritative nod. "Girls on one side, boys on the other. That seems appropriate."
"Fine by me," I said.
"Agreed," Ren added.
Nora let out a long, dramatic groan. "But I wanted to be closer to the hot—"
Pyrrha's head swiveled toward her, green eyes glinting with silent, terrifying warning.
"—I mean, yes! Absolutely! Girls side! Love it!" Nora corrected herself instantly, voice cracking.
Pyrrha's smile returned. "Excellent. Now let's choose bunks."
Ren turned to me. "Which one would you like?"
"You can choose first," I said.
Ren walked over to the boys' bunk bed and tapped the top bunk. He turned back to me and gave a subtle wink. "I'll take the top."
I caught his meaning immediately. He didn't actually want the top. He was being considerate—offering me the easier, more accessible bottom bunk without making a show of it. Classic Ren.
"I'll sleep on the lower bunk," Pyrrha announced for the girls' side. She looked at Nora. "And you can take the top, Nora."
"I love heights!" Nora declared, her enthusiasm partially returning.
I decided to test my hunch. "Hey Ren, are you sure you're okay with the top bunk? I don't mind switching if you'd prefer the bottom."
Ren met my eyes, a glimmer of gratitude passing between us. "I am perfectly fine with the top. Thank you for asking, though."
Pyrrha looked mildly surprised but said nothing. She'd already claimed her spot.
"Alright then." I climbed up to the top bunk, settling onto the mattress.
I then decided to open up the system and noticed only one was online...and it was Koneko
Curious, I opened the message thread. Her latest message sat there, short and concerning.
[Koneko: I'm in a pickle.]
I stared at the message for a moment.
[Katsuya: What happened?]
[Koneko: Buchou won't stop teasing me about boys. She keeps saying I'd look cute with some of them at school. Wants to set me up.]
I could practically see it. Rias Gremory, all motherly concern and romantic delusions, trying to play matchmaker with her stoic little rook who had absolutely zero interest in teenage kids.
[Katsuya: Did you tell her they're not your type?]
[Koneko: I told her. She doesn't believe me. Thinks I'm being shy or repressed.]
Of course she did. She had no idea Koneko was actually a reincarnated guy from another world who genuinely didn't find teenage devil boys appealing.
[Koneko: So I need a favor.]
I already had a sinking feeling about where this was going.
[Katsuya: What kind of favor?]
[Koneko: I want to invite you to my world. Just for a bit. You act as my boyfriend, Buchou backs off, problem solved.]
I sat up slightly, nearly hitting my head on the ceiling. My first instinct was to refuse immediately.
[Katsuya: Absolutely not.]
[Koneko: I'll give you Rias's panties.]
I paused, then shook my head and typed again.
[Katsuya: How low do you think I am?]
[Koneko: I'm throwing in a pair of Grayfia's too.]
My mind froze immediately.
[Katsuya: ...You're serious.]
[Koneko: Dead serious.]
[Katsuya: How did you even get Grayfia's panties?]
[Koneko: Laundry mishap. She was visiting the Gremory estate. I kept them.]
[Katsuya: You absolute degenerate.]
[Koneko: I'm you. So you're calling yourself a degenerate.]
She had a point. A frustrating, undeniable point.
[Katsuya: ...Fine. But I want proof first. Picture of the actual panties. Not some random black lace you found online.]
[Koneko: Give me a second.]
A minute passed. Then an image loaded into the chat.
Black lace. Delicate, intricate patterns that screamed expensive and refined. The kind of lingerie that belonged in a high-end boutique, elegant and sophisticated. This wasn't something a maid would wear.
I stared at the image for a long moment, my brain trying and failing to reconcile the mental image of stoic, ice-cold Grayfia with these.
[Katsuya: ...The quiet ones really are always the most dangerous.]
[Koneko: So we have a deal?]
I dragged a hand down my face. This was insane. Traveling to another dimension to pretend to date myself.
But also... Grayfia's panties.
[Katsuya: Deal. How does this even work?]
[Koneko: I send you an invite through the system. You accept. Time in your world freezes while you're in mine. No limit on how long you stay. When you leave, there's a 24-hour cooldown before you can come back.]
[Katsuya: And my identity? I can't just show up as some guy from Remnant.]
[Koneko: The system auto-generates a background. You'll be inserted as a transfer student or distant relative of some minor magical family. The details fill in automatically. Magic users won't detect anything wrong because the system integrates you into the world's causality.]
That was... surprisingly well thought out.
[Katsuya: Alright. Send the invite.]
[Koneko: One thing first.]
[Katsuya: What?]
[Koneko: When you get here, you're my boyfriend who I recently started dating. Act like it. Be affectionate. Believable. If Buchou suspects we're faking, this whole thing falls apart.]
[Katsuya: ...Just send it.]
A notification window appeared on my scroll, overlaying the chat.
> World Invitation Received
> From: Koneko Toujou — High School DxD World
> Time Differential: Paused (Origin World)
> Cooldown on Return: 24 Hours (Local Time)
> Background Integration: Auto-Generated
> Accept? Y / N
I looked at the image of Grayfia's panties one more time. Elegant black lace. Refined. Sophisticated. Absolutely worth whatever embarrassment I was about to endure.
'A man has priority...not to mention if i cam get back...maybe hayata watched DxD. I could brag about it with proof!'
I tapped Y.