Another World Again

Before Ruby knew it, her and her teammates had been directed into the one-way viewing area that Ozpin had told them to wait in.

Prior, they had shown up in the headmaster's office asking various things about what just happened.

Not that the headmaster had seemed very caught off guard by it all, as it turned out it was him who had caught the young man's arrival rather early, even going as far as to send Glynda to 'collect him'.

Regardless...

"I'll just be having a simple chat with our guest. Ah, but if you four want to join in, I'll allow it."

After hearing those words spoken with a whimsical tilt to their headmaster's head, here they were, in a room a bit of a trip from the main campus.

Still, the place was quaint and well furnished, with chairs, tables, and couches. It wasn't at all uncomfortable or creepy like the outside renditions made it look.

However, there was something curious about it, something that made it largely differ from what one might consider your typical waiting room.

Attached to one wall was a large glass panel, and looking through the glass, they could already see the gray-haired professor waiting alone, sipping some coffee.

And they already had a feeling they knew who he was waiting for.

"Why do you think Ozpin wanted us to be a part of the conversation with the intruder?"

Weiss's question was something they had all been wondering, but had been hesitant to voice out because of the strange amount of seriousness behind it.

"Don't call him an intruder Weiss... you make it sound as if he's some criminal…" Ruby scolded with a slightly disheartened tone, to which Weiss raised her hands in the air marking her guilt.

"Okay, fine. But you have to admit it's a little weird—someone who lied about being a student appearing on campus."

"Technically, he didn't lie... he just didn't correct Yang's assumption." Blake murmured from the side, face thoughtful.

"Ahh, who cares about any of that?" Yang suddenly let out with an impatient noise, throwing her hands up in the air.

It seemed that she didn't really care for the fact that the boy in question hadn't been entirely honest with them.

Yang had other things on her mind.

"Aren't you all the least bit curious about Mr. Tall, White, and Handsome? I want to find out how he got all his skills. I mean, look at Weiss. He just breathed in her general direction, and boom, instantly charmed."

A scoff.

"Surely, you're joking. As if I would be inclined to feel enamored with someone who might have dubious intentions…" Weiss replied, face deadpan.

"You say that, but that blush on your face said otherwise."

"I-I didn't blush. And I'm not blushing now!"

Yang's swift retort caused Weiss to lose any semblance of credibility, as it was exactly how the blonde girl had pointed out, she was in fact blushing.

Ruby and Blake shared a glance, before sighing. Then the latter raised a hand to get the squabbling duo's attention.

"All that aside, I am a little curious myself. A strange, albeit polite boy suddenly appears out of nowhere—"

"He flew~! SO COOL!"

Blake just twitched at Ruby's interruption.

"...And sees no problem surrendering himself without complaint to one of the strongest Huntresses in Vale."

Yang blinked.

"Well when you put it like that it is kinda suspicious, huh. Way to go Blake. Now you're making me think he intentionally caused Weiss to fall for him."

"NO ONE. FELL FOR. ANYBODY."

Weiss' pants were ragged as she made that declaration. And the tell-tale throbbing in her head said she was seconds away from a migraine.

Luckily, movement on the other side of the glass panel caught her eye before that could happen. 

Through the glass, a door had suddenly been opened, revealing the existence of two people.

It was a woman, Ms. Glynda Goodwitch, as serious and non-plussed as always, guiding around a boy by the shoulder, who was smiling gently, if a bit strained—perhaps by the seemingly excessive contact he was receiving.

It was as if the professor thought he would run off without supervision.

Also, notably, he was now missing his sword.

"Oh, there he is."

Ruby, as if she would feel awkward if she didn't, lightly waved at the boy.

However, he didn't so much as twitch in response, much less make a sign he noticed Ruby or her movements.

"Um…?"

At Ruby's confused expression, Weiss could only sigh. However, Yang saved her from having to explain. "Um, pretty sure this is a one-way viewing thing Rubes. You know, like in those detective shows?"

As crude of an explanation as it was, Ruby's face brightened immediately. It seemed like that was more enough for her to understand.

"Ah, I get it. This is so cool…!"

"..."

Blake, as opposed to the others, chose silence as she stared beyond the glass. Although, her expression was inquisitive, mulling over something for the umpteenth time, something that had struck her as odd. 

When he saw me, he looked slightly startled, or even shocked... why?

As she pondered this, Blake subtly traced the outline of her bow.

There's no way he noticed, right?

Ozpin relieved her of her thoughts.

"Mr. Rio, you said? Please, if you don't mind, take a seat."

Ah. 

The eyes of the girls in the other room widened slightly, if only because they were reminded of one simple fact. This whole time, they hadn't even thought to ask for the name of the white haired boy...

Regardless, they watched as Rio acquiesced to Ozpin's words and sat down. 

"Oh, and if you don't mind, Glynda?"

The woman did not need to be told what to do, as she reached into her pocket and began working on releasing the boy from the restraints around his hands. Of course, this was made slightly easier when Rio raised them a bit. 

"I didn't mean to alarm you with the serious treatment; however, as the headmaster of this school, you must understand this is just a precautionary measure."

"No, I completely understand," the boy replied almost instantly, smiling. "You run a school, and the safety of your students should be your first priority. You can't afford to let an irregular such as myself go wandering around without taking the necessary steps."

Ozpin blinked.

"I'm... glad you are so understanding."

Glynda had finished opening up the handcuffs, relinquishing Rio's wrists. While rubbing them unconsciously, he made eye contact with her. "Thank you, Miss."

Glynda raised an eyebrow at him quizzically for a moment before nodding and then excusing herself.

"I'll leave it to you, Ozpin."

"Yes, thank you for your hard work." Ozpin replied ceremoniously.

With that, Glynda left the room.

Immediately however, where the girls were located, Yang could suddenly be heard muttering, "Woah, did you hear that? He called Professor Goodwitch Miss? What the heck's with that treatment? Isn't she like two times older than—"

"Surely you weren't thinking of finishing that sentence, Miss Xiao Long."

A familiar sounding stern voice coming from behind Yang caused her to stiffen unnaturally.

"H-How did you get behind me so quickly...!?" Yang yelped.

"…Through the door," the woman replied dryly, and just as she said, there was a slightly ajar door behind them.

The teacher sighed quietly, before wordlessly turned to the glass panel, where the two males were beginning their conversation.

This, of course, prompted Team RWBY to do the same.

With the boy, however, he was looking where Glynda had just left, seemingly deep in thought.

"Is there something wrong, young man? Could it be that our resident Miss Goodwitch charmed you?" Ozpin smiled jovially.

Blinking, all four girls noticed Glynda's brows twitch in annoyance.

"...Charm?" Rio looked at Ozpin in surprise for a moment, before shaking his head with a laugh. "Haha, um, no. While even I have to admit she's beautiful, that's not it. She just reminds me of someone I know," the boy explained, face relaxed..

"I see, I see," Yang murmured in mock seriousness, stroking her chin. "Not even our teacher is off the table. If he's on that level, I might have to hide Ruby from him..."

Then Yang gave Glynda a thumbs up.

The woman just rubbed at her temple in irritation.

Though she didn't know who to get mad at.

Honestly, Glynda hated men who were massive flirts, but that implied the boy had directed any kind of intent her way. Rather, it seemed she just reminded him of someone, which was hardly something she could find fault in.

Still, she had to admit it was surprising to hear such bold words from someone so young, in a conversational tone no less. 

It was... odd.

Glynda's brows furrowed slightly.

Not to mention, he speaks like an adult...

Though meanwhile, Ruby blinked in confusion.

"...Wait, why would you need to hide me?"

Yang just sighed with a wry smile. "Oh Ruby, you'll understand when you're older."

"B-But I'm old enough… I drink milk…"

"Oh? Someone you know is like Ms. Glynda? Color me curious, what's she like?" Ozpin asked, taking a sip from his mug.

"Oh. Um." Amber eyes rose, and the white haired boy seemed to be thinking. "The woman I'm thinking of is very by the book, strict on herself and others..."

"Ooh…"

Team RWBY looked at Glynda with wide eyes, remarking at the similarity, one that Rio could have made up, but was true regardless.

"She was also very devoted to her position, and extremely reliable when dire straits occurred."

"Ohh!"

The exclamations grew louder, causing Glynda's mouth to twitch.

"But all that aside, she is very soft-hearted on the inside. Despite her tough exterior, she cared deeply for those she was tasked to protect."

Of course, unbeknownst to those present, the boy was thinking of a certain knight of the Beltram Kingdom, the same one who was tasked with Princess Flora's and Christina's protection ever since they were small.

Vanessa Emral.

Back with the spectators...

"Uh, professor, are you sure you don't know him? Or maybe you have a twin sister somewhere…?" Yang brought up with a smile, as that last one fit the teacher to a tee.

"...I do not know him and I don't have a twin sister. Though, I have to admit that does sound a lot like me…" Glynda replied evenly, her expression shifting to both slight confusion on being read so well even if indirectly, as well as exhaustion, being tired of this whole conversation.

In any case, Ozpin's eyes marveled.

"Well now, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Ms. Goodwitch was lying to me when she said she didn't have a sister." Ozpin had come to the same conclusion. "But, amusing as that was, let's proceed with what I brought you here for."

In that instant, those grandfatherly orbs disappeared, taking on a more serious gleam, so much so that even Team RWBY grew nervous all of a sudden.

Yet, the boy's face was unbothered. 

After all, Rio had already figured to some degree this wouldn't be some casual conversation. Not when Ozpin, in his capacity, was trying to determine if he was a threat to his school.

Though, this sudden shrewd side… considering what type of school this is, only men like him can manage it successfully.

It was just intuition, but Rio was already expecting there to be more to the man named Ozpin, the kind and casual headmaster. After all, it was just a guess, but this likely wasn't a normal school. 

It taught combat. 

Why else would students be allowed to carry weapons, and why else would it be so far away from other settlements?

In that way, it was similar to Beltram Academy.

However, what Rio did not yet know was what exactly they were fighting.

Waking up a short time ago, he naturally barely had any idea as to the political situation of this world.

But Rio wanted to make one certainty at the very least.

Was it people this man was training his students to kill, or something else?

Ozpin pulled out something from his breast pocket.

It was a strap of some kind, one that illuminated a light blue in color.

To Rio, it looked like some sort of device.

"What is that?" Weiss asked, glancing at it from the other room, having never seen something like it before.

"Looks like it's some kind of technology…" Yang muttered.

Glynda nodded. "That's right, Miss Xiao Long. It is a device that discerns truth from falsities."

That was clearly the wrong thing to say, as Ruby's eyes suddenly sparkled with tremendous excitement. "A-Are you saying it's a lie detector!? Like in the movies!?"

Based on Glynda's face, it looked like she really wanted to say no. 

"...That's righ—"

"SOOOOO COOOL!"

Anyway, Ozpin had finished explaining the exact the same thing.

"All I want you to do, is put this on your wrist and answer the bare minimum of questions. Simply put, I wish to ensure someone of your ability is not someone we need to be hostile with," Ozpin said evenly.

"My ability?" Rio feigned confusion.

"I do not know what your semblance is, Mr. Rio, however I have a feeling it is not just simple flight."

Semblance… is that how they refer to supernatural abilities?

So, rather than the two classifications of mana disbursement in his world, sorcery and spirit arts, there was only one here.

Or maybe, Rio was still missing information.

After all, had he not met the Spirit Folk or even Aisha, he would have never realized the identity of his own power.

Of course, Rio had no way of knowing Ozpin's basis for inquiring in the first place. That is, because of the premise that most skills and abilities in this world were just through various applications of their base semblance.

Like Glynda Goodwitch for example; her power allowed her to levitate herself if only slightly, yet her semblance was simple telekinesis.

That being said, as Ozpin didn't know the full extent of Rio's power, he wanted to make sure he exercised due caution.

"Although, you do have the option to refuse, and I'll have you dropped off anywhere of your choosing. While it may be regrettable that I can't learn more of such an interesting character, if you're not willing, there is no point to any of this."

Of course, what the headmaster was actually thinking was that it would be a shame if that were to happen. 

Not just that, but they technically didn't have any right to hold him here against his will. Not when all he had done was, supposedly, wander onto the school grounds from somewhere in the Emerald Forest.

Regardless, if Rio wanted to leave, Ozpin didn't plan on stopping him. 

Actually, he was very much expecting the boy to do so. 

"Very well, I will answer your questions to the best of my ability."

That was why Rio's reply greatly shocked him.

"… Are you sure?" Ozpin asked, blinking multiple times, not only at the reply but at speed in which it came.

"Of course," Rio smiled.

Yes.

Rio was sure that this was the only way.

In this world, I need to do things differently. I can't live casually, just protecting the people important to me. Those people are far away, and if I want to get back, I need resources, power, and influence. My spirit arts aren't enough to transport me to other worlds, not yet anyway. However, maybe this world's power has the answer...

This is what Rio surmised.

No, it's what he hoped. 

If not...

Rio shook the thought away. 

But, in order to make that happen...

His gaze did not stray away from Ozpin.

A powerful benefactor wouldn't be unappreciated.

"Alright, then I'll begin the questions. I warn you though, some of them might be very inconsiderate to your privacy," Ozpin cautioned.

"I expected as much, please begin."

'Haruto, I didn't say anything for a while but, are you sure?' somewhat surprising him, Aisha's voice echoed through his mind, announcing her concern.

'Yes, Aisha. If I want to see everyone again, I'll need more power. And perhaps more important than that, allies.'

'Alright, just be careful. And, I'll be by your side either way, Haruto.'

Rio's smile grew tad bit softer. 

'Thank you.'

"Ahem."

Ozpin cleared his throat after Rio had finished fastening the device to his right wrist, the hand closer to the glass panel. "Then I'll begin by asking a question that I want you to purposely lie about so you know what happens, alright?"

"Alright." Rio agreed.

"What is your preferred type of woman?"

"..."

Rio blinked.

Did he just, no... he had clearly misheard him. 

In fact, everyone else thought they did too.

Except for Glynda.

She could be seen glaring at the now smiling Ozpin through the glass, and Ozpin had a feeling that's what she was doing as well.

"Ozpin…" she growled.

"C-Could you, perhaps, repeat the question?" Rio asked after a while, voice strained but desperately trying to maintain his composure. 

"Simply put, I want you to lie about what type of woman you prefer."

After hearing the question again, and unfortunately confirming that he wasn't auditory hallucinating, Rio slowly nodded, even if he was still deeply confused. "...O-Okay then."

Meanwhile…

"What type of calibration question is that!?" Weiss cried out indignantly.

"Shhh! We'll miss it if you keep talking Weiss!" Yang chided, seemingly all for it.

"Rio's… preferred girl?" Ruby echoed, looking confused as to why a question like that was chosen out of all the others.

"And that's the headmaster of our school…" Blake said with a sigh.

Anyway, Rio continued to lie about his answer.

"Um, if it's a lie then… I like pushy and assertive girls with no regard for personal space and consideration."

ERRR!

Just then, a loud buzzer echoed, making it pretty obvious that what Rio had just said was a lie.

"...w-well, at least he knows what he wants." Yang chuckled, albeit a bit disheartened that her personality was somewhat disliked by the boy.

"I see," Ozpin said with a bit of a laugh. "Alright, now answer the question honestly so we can confirm the other side of it."

"R-Right. I, um, prefer girls who are easygoing, someone who I don't have to force myself to chat with even if there's nothing to talk about..." Rio said, rubbing the back of his head in an embarrassed manner, a reaction they hadn't seen from the oddly mature boy yet.

And… there was no buzzer this time, which meant what he said was the truth.

Team RWBY smiled, Yang too.

Blake's lips certainly curved up unconsciously.

Hm. How innocent.

"Alright, now that the fun part's out of the way, let's begin. First, what is your full name?"

Rio thought about it for a little while.

Then…

"Rio. Rio Amakawa."

Yes.

Given that Rio was the name of the person he was reincarnated as, and Amakawa was the last name of the student named Haruto Amakawa he died as, that wasn't a lie.

Ruby, found herself mouthing that name, Amakawa, testing it out.

"Alright, where were you born?"

"A rural place called Yagumo."

Rio once again lied with ease, or rather stated his half-truths. Rio really was born in a place called Yagumo. However, he was also born in Japan as Haruto.

"Hmm. I've never heard of it… must be a village that's far out…" Ozpin murmured.

After all, there were tons of villages in Remnant not recognized on official maps.

"Where are your parents?"

"Unfortunately, they are no longer alive, sir," Rio said softly, which enveloped the surrounding observers into silence.

They could clearly see the boy's eyes darken considerably, especially with how bright they usually were.

"…I'm sorry to hear that. Do you have any relatives?"

"Yes. Grandparents who are very kind, and a cousin who I cannot be more grateful for."

"I see."

The relief in Ozpin's eyes, that is, him being glad the boy wasn't all alone, and that he treasured the family he did have; it wasn't superficial in the slightest. 

Rio…

However, Ruby still looked a little sad, and so did Yang.

They had lost both their moms, one missing and the other having passed away, but they still had their father and even an uncle, unqualified as he was sometimes.

They felt sympathy for Rio's situation.

"You were flying through the Emerald Forest," Ozpin continued. "What circumstances led you to be there?"

Rio met this question calmly.

After all, for this, there was no need to lie.

"I'm just as confused as you, sir, I woke up in that forest having no idea how I arrived."

Ozpin frowned, especially since the buzzer did not go off during Rio's statement.

The onlookers, too, looked slightly mollified. 

"He… woke up in the forest…?" Weiss asked, flummoxed.

Yang also looked unsure. "Well that's a little weird…"

"Do you know what you were doing before that?" Ozpin inquired.

"Sorry sir. I don't recall," Rio replied.

Again.

There was no indication that he was lying.

"Hm. How curious. Do you have a case of amnesia then?"

"Ah, sorry for not clarifying. I can remember those who I have traveled with and the events of my life perfectly, but I don't remember anything that could have led to me waking up in that forest."

Ruby and the others looked lost.

They were no doubt even more curious about Rio now that they knew his circumstances.

"I see…." Ozpin murmured, looking lost in thought.

It seemed he didn't know how to take Rio's story.

But it wasn't just Ozpin.

Rio, too, was more worried than he let on.

He knew he had probably been with Celia, Miharu and the others, yet he couldn't remember what they were doing last.

All he knew of were the recent events he had experienced.

It wasn't so much long-term amnesia, but rather a circumstance where his memory failed him regarding how he was brought to this other world.

Or perhaps... was I even conscious when it was happening…?

It was entirely possible that Rio had been sleeping during the "move".

'Aisha, do you...'

'No... I too was asleep in my spirit form. Though, I should have detected if something as grand as wide-scale sorcery magic was used. …I'm sorry for not being of more help, Haruto.'

The girl's solemn tone made Rio snap out of his musings.

'Please don't apologize Aisha. This just means we need to take our time figuring it out. And… I know it's shameful to say but…'

'…?'

He could somehow feel the girl tilt her head.

Rio answered, even if he fidgeted in his seat slightly. 

'Aisha... being the one here with me calms me down immensely.'

'…'

The moment he said that, there was a brief silence, making him wonder if he should have kept it to himself after all. 

But then. 

A torrent of warmth enveloped his body. 

No, his soul.

It was a gentle warmth, even as going so far as to make his heartbeat faster. It was like… Aisha had hugged him from behind, not actually of course, yet the feeling flowing tenderly inside of him made it seem like that.

'A-... Aisha?'

'Me too... being here with Haruto calms me down as well.'

'O-Oh, I see.'

Rio was so surprised by the raw sincerity that his cheeks reddened slightly. Naturally, this only confused those in attendance.

"Mr. Rio, are you okay?" Ozpin asked, raising a brow in perplexity.

"I… I'm alright, sir. Think nothing of it." Rio replied, trying to calm his features.

Rio belatedly thought that if Ozpin asked if he was alone, then he wouldn't be able to get away with lying. Though, on a technicality, Aisha wasn't 'present' at all, but residing within in her spirit form.

"Alright. Next question. And I apologize if this is tasteless, but... have you ever committed any criminal offenses of any kind?" The man asked, putting that question forward with obvious wariness.

"…Yes," Rio replied slowly.

Ozpin nodded, as if expecting this to some degree, perhaps assuming it was minor. He asked his follow up.

"Have you stolen something—"

"Headmaster, these questions are all fine and good, but you don't have to beat around the bush. The truth is, you only want to know just one thing, right?" Rio suddenly interrupted him.

Ruby tilted her head at that.

(What does he mean?)

Ozpin stared at him for a while before sighing. "Right then. Rio Amakawa, have you killed a human being?"

"—!?"

The reactions brought about by such a question were instantaneous, the girls finding their expressions hardening.

Glynda even more so.

Ozpin...

The woman felt like she had been slapped across the face.

However, it wasn't like she couldn't understand.

Given that Rio was an unknown in every sense of the word, such a question wasn't exactly without need.

A strange boy had walked into the school, flew in rather, and Ozpin wanted to make sure he didn't have any vile intentions.

On another note, it looked like even Rio was aware of Ozpin's endgame long before she did.

As Glynda was thinking this, four young girls expressed their own reactions.

"Wha…" muttered Weiss, having long since stiffened in shock.

"…"

Blake went completely silent, her eyes narrowing slightly. Probably out of all people, she understood the necessity to ask such a question. But, two of her teammates weren't so ready to accept it.

"H-Huh?" Ruby squeaked.

Yang sported a troubled frown. "H-Hey, don't you think that's a little—"

"Yes, I've killed someone."

Rio's reply sequestered everyone into silence, leaving no room for anything other than the sharp intakes of breath each and every one of them took.

With a slight glower to his normally bright amber eyes, Rio affirmed Ozpin's question, shocking all present, even the asker himself. Yes; the headmaster couldn't say he expected such a concise response. The man even expected Rio to lie for the first time.

But…

The buzzer did not go off.

Meaning what Rio had just said was without a doubt…

Eyes widened as far as they could go, looking at Rio with expressions that bordered on uncertainty. Of course, they wanted to trust the boy who had seemed so kind, humble, and polite, but they also could not ignore what he had just said.

Glynda's throat went dry, not only because of what Rio had said, but what kind of face he was making as he said it.

It was a face that couldn't be described so easily, but Glynda only recognized it as 'pained'.

It was as if the boy was halfway to a smile, but changed to looking cynical instead.

Like he was silently mocking himself.

He's… killed..

Weiss was shocked, no doubt about it.

All of a sudden, she felt a paralyzing fright, similar to that a prey feels when a predator locks eyes with it.

This person... this was the same person who had shown her such respect... but that same person had also murdered another.

So, the terror she felt at having been so close such a boy... it wasn't something Weiss could so easily force down. 

Yang audibly swallowed, expressing her clear unease. Meanwhile, Ruby's mouth opened and closed in shock.

But Blake, she still remained quiet.

After all, something like murder?

Did she of all people really have the right to condemn another person for taking a life? After what she's done, even indirectly? People had also been killed by her actions. Even if she wasn't the one to swing the blade or pull the trigger, it didn't change the fact that her inability to act caused death.

"…"

So Blake didn't say anything.

"I see. Why?" Ozpin asked, an amount of calmness appearing that his students in the other room weren't expecting. But the one most surprised about the question was—

Rio looked up with wide eyes.

"You'd… You would ask me why?"

The white haired boy could not prevent the disbelief from leaking from his voice.

He had assumed by admitting he killed someone, that would be the conclusion of this conversation.

He hadn't at all been expecting Ozpin to ask for a justification to why he did what he did.

But as Ozpin stared down at Rio, the older man's collected gray orbs showed no judgement nor displeasure, only honest curiosity. So met with Ozpin's unchanging expression, Rio began to continue.

"Because…"

"..."

Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake and even Glynda all held their breaths.

They put their reactions on hold, even for the tiniest bit. As scared as they were, as bothered as they were, as uneasy, concerned, worried, anxious as they were, they hung on to what the boy's reason would be.

But… what could Rio say that would validate him killing another human being?

That doubt rose in the back of their minds.

Rio spoke, his voice losing all emotion, speaking in the kind of calm and blunt manner that was eerie. "...Because had I let them kill me, those children would have been used as playthings for the rest of their life."

Though.

As much as he tried to let no emotion pass through, a heavy inflection of disdain could be read through his tone.

Maybe, just maybe, he could have saved Miharu, Aki, and Masato without killing anyone.

Maybe it wasn't necessary to shed blood.

Maybe he could have showed mercy even though they planned to do awful things to those he cared about.

Maybe he could have done a lot of things.

But.

Why did he need to?

Rio knew this was his rotten self-speaking, but even so, he honestly asked himself that question.

Why did he need to bother showing mercy to people—no, scum like that?

Did they show mercy or kindness to Miharu when they loaded her in that wagon, ready to be shipped off to whoever would pay the most money?

"…"

That's the first time he's shown anger… Ozpin noticed.

Gone was the kind and gentle aura of the boy, and in its place, was the stony face of a man who had not only see turmoil and anguish, but clearly had experience compartmentalizing it.

And, on the other side of that glass, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Glynda had listened with apt attention.

The buzzer hadn't gone off through that entire time, meaning what Rio had just said hadn't been a lie.

Killing was wrong and they knew that.

However, how could they judge Rio given what they had just heard, given that he was just trying to protect people from suffering a fate no person should ever have to go through.

It did not need to be said just what he meant by children becoming 'playthings'.

While Ruby thought perhaps that just meant slavery, Yang, Weiss, Blake, and Glynda had their own understanding of what Rio was talking about.

Weiss' face morphed into disgust at the thought, and she secretly found herself satisfied people like that had met their end. Although, she felt a tiny bit guilty for thinking such dark thoughts.

Additionally, Blake and Yang noticed the boy was clenching his fist tightly in his lap, making it clear how much he was trying to control his own festering dissatisfaction over the memory.

But Ozpin suddenly clapped his hands.

"That's all the questions I wanted to ask of you. I hope you can forgive me for rudely inquiring into such personal topics."

Upon saying this, he actually bowed his head towards Rio.

But Rio hurriedly shook his head in a fluster. "...While I admit they weren't easy to talk about, I have no right to be dissatisfied, Mr. Ozpin, so please raise your head." And yet, Rio pasted a strained smile on his face, his eyes taking a melancholy gleam.

"I'm… a rather rotten person deep down, I know that for a fact. But even if that's the case, I don't want to become someone who forgets how to be kind. I… owe that to my mother and father, and so many others who have chosen to be around me."

Saying that, the boy smiled, as if remembering something pleasant.

Weiss looked at that expression without averting her eyes.

Even now, the buzzer had not gone off.

Throughout the entire conversation, Rio had not lied at all.

For a while, it was touch and go whether or not she could trust this boy, but now, Weiss realized she's seen all that she's needed to.

Rio had exposed his heart and told them of his sins, fully aware of just what kind of person that made him as a result.

And...

That pained, almost jaded smile flashed in her mind. 

Someone who has malicious intentions wouldn't make a face like that...

If Weiss couldn't trust Rio after all that, then she was just as rotten as he thought he was.

Back with Ozpin and Rio…

Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"Rotten you say? I don't believe it. While we all do things we are not proud of when it comes to protecting those we love, that doesn't mean we are all inherently bad people. You only did what you did to prevent someone else from crying. There's no shame in that. Taking action for the sake of others, even if some might judge you for it, that in no way makes you rotten."

Ozpin's words, that didn't seem to condemn Rio at all, made him smile. "I absolutely agree with you, sir."

Though even though Rio said that, his eyes were hollow.

What Ozpin just said, it was true that Rio believed it.

However, understanding it as truth and thinking such sophistry applied to him was another thing entirely. After all, those who protected just for the sake of protecting deserved praise. But that was not Rio.

He only selfishly acted for his own sake, protecting only for satisfying his overflowing insidious character.

While he did manage to save Miharu and the others, how could he label himself as good when he, even now, planned to kill someone for no one's sake but his own?

Justifying it and saying it was for his parent's sake was only to soothe his own conscience.

He knew full well who he was doing it for.

This ache inside him, this bloodcurdling rage that would not relax even in the most pleasant of moments, it all came from imagining that man's face as he stood over his mother, smiling with such a disgusting expression.

So, doing things we aren't proud of for the right reasons...

Even those types of people were a million times more reliable and safer to be around than Rio was.

"And besides…" Ozpin continued, a hand to his chin, stroking it fondly. "Team RWBY said you were nothing but polite to them despite you being an 'intruder'. It's quite hard to believe, no?"

"Team… RWBY?" Rio cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

Ozpin nodded. "Yes. I believe you've already met them."

"Ah, those four…" Rio's eyes widened in realization. "Haha, I see. Miss Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and... Belladonna, was it? Ah, no, I suppose that was just a last name... But yes, they were quite kind for giving someone like me the time of day. I should find a way to pay them back, if I can."

Those four girls listening in silence were caught slightly off guard at that, faces warming. Although, whether that was because of the relaxed, matter of fact look on his face, or the clear sincerity in his tone, they weren't sure. 

"...Though, that being said, I guess it's only natural they wouldn't be kept in the dark in this case." remarked Rio all of a sudden, causing Ozpin's expression to twitch slightly.

"Oh?"

Ozpin tabled his mug and clasped his hands on the flat surface.

"That's an interesting remark. Wouldn't be kept in the dark? Do you mind sharing what you mean?"

"While it's a bit embarrassing to think about... those ladies in the other room have been listening this whole time, correct?" And while saying that, Rio looked wryly to the side, straight to where Ruby and the others were looking in from.

All four girls stiffened up as Rio had exposed them so suddenly. Even Glynda showed a surprised expression.

"E-Eh?" Yang let out.

"W-Wait, how did he know?! He can't see us, can he…?" Ruby cried, face flushing red all of a sudden.

"…No, he's… probably guessing." Weiss said, but looking a little unsure.

"…"

Blake remained silent, watching Rio closely.

A silence ensued; however, Ozpin broke it by laughing grandly.

"Haha! Very amusing! If I may ask, how could you tell?"

"It's nothing so special. I just assumed that this being an interrogation of sorts, that glass would have another purpose. Not to mention, at the very least, how would Miss Glynda subdue me in time if I, by some chance, managed to overpower you?" Rio replied with a calm smile.

Although I say all of that, it's only due to my memories of Amakawa Haruto, watching those types of movies with Miharu and Aki….

But, upon Rio's explanation, Ozpin's smile widened even further.

"Marvelous. Even though you're so young, you are considerably sharp."

Not only that, but he's also seemed to grasp I'm not just some old headmaster… Ozpin wondered how Rio was able to tell his strength wasn't what it seemed. Was it just a guess, intuition, or something else?

"Thank you for the kind words, but I think you are giving me too much credit," Rio said after a beat.

"No, if anything, I'm not giving you enough." Ozpin shook his head.

But then he posed an interesting question.

"By the way, you might be correct that a third party is listening in, however, how are you so sure that it's Team RWBY?"

As Ozpin proposed this, the girls listening in slowly snapped out of their tranced visages and donned curious expressions.

After all, what their headmaster had just said was valid.

Even if Rio assumed that there was someone on the other side of the glass, there was no way to tell who it was, right?

Yang showed this doubt on her face.

I mean, it's not like he can see through walls, right?

Yang had such a misconception when it came to trying to decipher what Rio's semblance could be.

Meanwhile, Ozpin kept speaking.

"What makes you believe that they would be receiving some kind of special attention? There are hundreds of teams in this academy. Surely, the headmaster wouldn't be favoring some first-years."

"This doesn't have anything to do with deduction or the like. It's just... one of the girl's has a rather strong scent you could say. I wouldn't mistake it."

As Rio spoke, the surroundings went quiet.

Ozpin, for one, had been effectively unable to respond.

Though, the five women listening blinked multiple times.

Then…

"He could smell… one of us…?" asked Ruby with a great amount of confusion.

The others and Glynda looked just as flabbergasted as her.

That is until Ruby asked her next question.

"Yang, did you take a shower?"

"Okay! Rude! Of course I did! Is there a reason you're asking me something like that, little sister!" shouted Yang as her face reddened, moving to trap Ruby in a headlock.

"A… smell."

Ozpin repeated this, brows furrowing slightly. 

"Mr. Rio, it may not be my place to say this, but I believe it's a bit rude to even imply that a girl has a… strong body odor," Ozpin said delicately, as if not sure how to breach this sort of subject.

Now it was Rio's turn to blink in confusion.

"Body od—...w-wait a minute," Rio all but shouted, eyes growing wide. 

His face reddened and his eyes darted to the glass with clear panic. Also, his hands flew up in the air, growing more and more nervous by the second.

"T-That is not what I meant to imply. I meant nothing along the lines of some stench, but rather my senses, they allow me to differentiate humans from spirit f— er, people with animal traits..."

As Ruby was getting punished by a slightly miffed Yang, those words made them both look up in surprise.

"Animal traits, then…" muttered Weiss as she looked at one person in particular.

Yang, Ruby, Weiss, and even Glynda cast their gazes to Blake as she stared at Rio with widened eyes, the same boy who was currently bowing his head in shame at his poor choice of words.

Blake looked bewildered.

He… He knew I was a faunas…

If that was the case, that look from before suddenly made a lot more sense. Though, she couldn't get over the fact that she had been seen through that quickly.

Of course, that was when the boy's words just now came back to her. 

I give off a different scent, huh…

Blake's cheeks darkened a bit. 

Which, a certain someone was quick to capitalize on.

"Well, it's no wonder. He can obviously see those raging pheromones you give off, Blakey~"

Blake fixed the girl with a glare. "There's…There's no way that's the case."

"Why the pause~?" chimed Yang with an amused expression.

"You're insufferable."

"I see…" Ozpin said, bringing the room's attention back on track. "So you knew immediately that Miss Belladona was a faunas. So naturally, she wouldn't be the only one present, but the rest as well."

So they are called Faunas… Rio gathered.

He would file that away for later.

Naturally he would be curious.

After all, his spirit arts came from the animal-like spirit folk of his own world. While a bit of a stretch, he wondered if there were any mysteries this world's faunas had.

Ozpin laughed merrily.

"Well, that will conclude our talk. Again, thank you for answering such difficult questions, Mr. Rio."

"There's no need for that. I came here and acted of my own volition after all," Rio said kindly.

"I'm glad you're so understanding."

"But, I do have one question, if it's allowed." Rio suddenly inquired.

"Of course, ask away. I'll do my best to accommodate you."

"Why would the headmaster of a school be the one interrogating me, instead of some other authority figure? And to that end, what are you seeking of me as a result?" Rio asked calmly.

Across the glass, Glynda shook slightly.

This boy…

"Ahahaha…! Why am I surprised, of course you understood that. Well I'll be honest then."

Ozpin looked Rio square in the eye.

"Mr. Rio. I would like you to join this academy for the time being."