Bill leaned back in his chair, calmly watching the different parties through the large screen before him. Both of his cats—Kuroka and Shirone—were perched comfortably on his shoulders, their tails lazily swaying.
Summer glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow in mild confusion. "Where did you get a second cat?" she asked, her tone curious but amused.
Bill smirked faintly without looking away from the screen. "Don't worry about it. Just know this is my last one. I'm not going over two cats."
Raven chuckled softly from where she sat, a teasing edge in her voice. "You mean you're content with two girls? You sure you don't want more?"
Kuroka, still in her black cat form, yawned lazily on his shoulder and stretched out her paws. "He doesn't need more, nya," she purred, clearly entertained by the banter.
A faint flush crept across Bill's face as he shot her a look. "It's not even like that," he muttered, a hint of embarrassment slipping through his voice.
Shirone's tail flicked mischievously as she gave him a sly glance. "Yet," she added quietly.
Kuroka's ears perked up, and she gave a knowing smirk. "Uh-uh. Shirone, you're still a kitten, nya."
Shirone puffed her cheeks in protest, her voice taking on a rare spark of irritation. "You're only five years older than me, Nee-san! And Master is only three years older."
Kuroka's tail twitched, amusement glinting in her golden eyes. "We'll discuss this later, Shirone. Remember, after we watch the others fight the Hydra, we're going hunting, nya."
Bill cleared his throat, lifting a hand. "Alright, that's enough—you two can argue later. It's starting."
At his words, all eyes turned toward the screen. The room fell silent as the Hydra battle began to unfold before them.
In the empty checkpoint, everyone waited with bated breath. The air was thick with tension, and even the wind seemed to hold still. Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, loose stones rattling across the dirt as the trees shook violently. Off in the distance, the first of several massive serpentine heads broke through the canopy—its golden eyes glowing with malice as it towered over the checkpoint. A second head rose beside it, then a third, then a fourth. The creature's enormous, scaled body slithered forward, tearing through trees like grass beneath its weight.
Sona, standing at the front with her bow drawn tight, steadied her breathing and raised her voice over the rumbling earth. "Everyone, remember the plan! Sorcerers—enchantment!"
Weiss, Koneko, and Akeno immediately began to cast Fire Affinity. Flames coiled around everyone's weapons, the heat radiating so intensely it shimmered in the air.
"Archers, fire!" Sona commanded sharply.
She, Sam, Bianca, and Blake loosed their arrows in rapid succession, each shot finding its mark. Blazing enchanted arrows rained down on the Hydra, piercing its thick hide and igniting it in bursts of fire and magic. The monster roared in pain, its many heads thrashing wildly as smoke rose from its burning scales.
"Warriors, advance!" Sona shouted, her tone fierce and commanding.
Issei, Saji, and Kiba charged forward without hesitation, shields raised and swords at the ready. Rias swung the Bloodskal Blade with a fierce cry, crimson energy erupting from the blade as it slashed deep into one of the beast's neck. Tsubaki followed immediately after, driving her switchglaive into another head's throat, dark blood gushing from the wound.
Issei and Saji coordinated their assault, slicing into a third head from opposite sides. As Issei drove his sword forward, the crimson gauntlet of his Boosted Gear flared to life. "Boost! Boost! Boost!" The repeated power-ups coursed through his body, increasing his strength and letting him drive the blade deeper and deeper into the Hydra's flesh.
Seeing Issei's attack working, Saji extended his Absorption Line toward the creature, the glowing tendril latching onto its scales. The Hydra's roar turned into a strained hiss as its vitality began draining away, its flesh softening under the assault. Their combined attacks tore through the beast's defenses, burning and ripping its hide apart.
Enraged, the Hydra reared back, thrashing violently. Its massive heads swung in fury, flinging both Issei and Saji through the air like rag dolls. They hit the ground hard—Issei groaning in pain as his sword clattered beside him.
Before the monster could strike again, Kiba burst forward in a blur of speed. Using Issei's head as a stepping stone, he vaulted high into the air—earning a muffled, pained grunt from Issei below.
Once airborne, Kiba drew his sword in a single fluid motion and drove it deep into the Hydra's neck. Blood sprayed as he began climbing upward, embedding his blade over and over into the creature's flesh as he ascended toward its head. His expression was focused and determined, eyes narrowed as he pushed forward despite the Hydra's roars echoing through the forest.
On the other side of the battlefield, Qrow narrowed his eyes and focused, activating his semblance. Instantly, chaotic misfortune spread through the air like a curse. One of the Hydra's heads lunged forward to strike—but its movements twisted unnaturally, and it ended up coiling around another head, the two becoming tangled together in a violent knot of thrashing scales.
Taking full advantage of the opening, Tai sprinted up the creature's massive body, his boots pounding against its rough scales as he gathered momentum. With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air and unleashed a furious flurry of punches, each blow striking with bone-shattering force. His fists cracked against the Hydra's face in a blur of motion, the impacts echoing like thunder until the monster's skull caved in and its fangs shattered. The head hung limp, its lifeless eyes rolling back as its body collapsed under its own weight.
High above, Qrow transformed into a crow midair, his feathers glinting in the sunlight as he soared upward before suddenly shifting back into human form. As he fell, he unfurled his massive scythe—Harbinger—the blade gleaming a deep crimson. Spinning through the air with deadly precision, he brought the weapon down in a brutal arc, the edge slicing clean through another of the Hydra's necks. The severed head crashed to the ground with a wet thud as Qrow landed gracefully beside Tai, his weapon dissolving back into its compact form with a click.
Tai grinned broadly, his chest still heaving from exertion. "That's my best friend, people!" he declared proudly.
The two men bumped fists, sharing a look of mutual satisfaction as the others stared at them in awe. Weiss's eyes sparkled, her lips parting in amazement. "So that's what veteran Huntsmen can do… incredible," she breathed.
Sona's commanding voice cut through the moment. "Sorcerers! We need suppressing spells—now!"
Weiss snapped back to attention, her grip tightening on her staff. She channled magic quickly and launched High Ingle at the nearest head. A barrage of massive fireballs erupted from her staff, streaking through the air before slamming into the Hydra's scales. Explosions of flame engulfed its necks, forcing the beast to rear back in agony.
Akeno followed up immediately, her staff glowing with crackling violet energy as she summoned High Levin. Multiple bolts of lightning surged downward, striking the Hydra with devastating precision. The creature shrieked, its thrashing tail tearing gouges in the earth.
Meanwhile, Koneko used Frigor to create a massive ice pillar beneath Rias and Tsubaki. The two were propelled high into the air, their weapons poised for the killing blow.
Rias swung her greatsword with confidence, scarlet energy flaring along the blade's edge as it cut deep into the Hydra's neck. At the same time, Tsubaki mirrored her motion, thrusting her glaive from the opposite side. Their combined strike sliced through the thick muscle and bone, severing another head cleanly before the two landed gracefully on the scorched earth below.
Atop the final head, Kiba had finally reached his target. Gritting his teeth, he forced the Hydra's jaws open with his arms and legs, muscles straining under the pressure. "Now!" he shouted through clenched teeth.
Sam, Bianca, Blake, and Sona unleashed a coordinated volley—arrows streaking through the air like blazing comets. They flew straight into the creature's gaping mouth, detonating inside its throat with bursts of fire and light.
Kiba didn't hesitate. He drove his sword straight into the Hydra's eye socket, piercing through the skull and deep into its brain. The monster gave one final, echoing roar before going silent, its massive body crashing to the ground with a thunderous impact that shook the entire clearing.
Kiba leapt off just before it hit, landing in a crouch as the dust settled. For a long moment, the battlefield was still. Everyone watched the Hydra's body, waiting to see if it would move again.
When it didn't, Rias exhaled and raised her sword high, her voice triumphant. "We did it!"
Cheers erupted from all sides, the combined parties shouting in victory as the wind carried their voices across the field.
Back in Gran Soren, Bill leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the glowing screen before him. A small, satisfied smirk tugged at his lips as he said, "Not bad. They actually pulled it off… though I'm pretty sure Tai and Qrow could've beaten that thing without any help."
Raven, standing nearby with her arms crossed, nodded in agreement. "Oh, definitely. They were holding back so the kids could get some hits in," she said with a faint smirk. "But Qrow alone could've handled that Hydra if he really wanted to."
Kuroka, still in her cat form and perched lazily on Bill's shoulder, flicked her tail and purred. "They did pretty well, huh, Shirone, nya?" she said, glancing to the other shoulder—only to notice Shirone curled up fast asleep.
Her ears twitched, and she tilted her head. "Hey, Master, did Shirone sleep through that, nya?"
Bill glanced over and shook his head. "Nah. She took control of her clone remotely so she could participate directly."
Kuroka's golden eyes widened, and her ears perked in surprise. "We can do that? I really need to master this clone ability, nya," she said, a spark of determination flickering in her voice.
Bill chuckled softly, then asked, "What are you two hunting today?"
At that, Shirone stirred awake, stretching her arms and letting out a small yawn before answering sleepily, "We're gonna hunt some cyclops first, then go after some chimeras and griffins… then come back for lunch."
Kuroka grinned, her tails swishing lazily behind her. "Yep, that's the plan. That should let us max out our vocations. After that, we were hoping you'd give us those keys you promised, Master, nya."
Shirone nodded eagerly, her eyes shining with determination. "Yes! I want to grow stronger as soon as possible."
Bill smiled faintly at their enthusiasm. "Alright," he said, glancing toward the ceiling as if addressing someone unseen. "I'll talk to the boss."
Meanwhile, on a shattered moon orbiting an unamed world, Tet sat calmly across from a colossal pitch-black dragon whose scales shimmered faintly like obsidian glass under the dim light. Her golden eyes gleamed with quiet power as Tet spoke, his tone relaxed but carrying authority.
"So that's the deal," he said evenly. "In exchange for becoming one of the guardians of my multiverse, I'll help you suppress your death aura. In return, you'll be free to enjoy yourself on any of the worlds currently within my multiverse."
The massive dragon lowered her head slightly, her molten-gold eyes narrowing with thought. Her quiet, feminine voice echoing through his mind as she replied, "I see. Sounds simple enough. I need only repel beings that are universal or above in power? Very well. I accept. Good to be working with you, boss."
Tet's lips curved into a faint, satisfied smile. "Good to be working with you as well, Kuro."
With a casual wave of his handhe transported them to the dimensional gap then a surge of divine light rippled across the void. Before the dragon's eyes, a breathtaking floating island formed within the dimensional gap — complete with lush forests, crystalline lakes, and gentle sunlight that shimmered despite the endless void around it.
Kuro gave a low, approving growl as Tet stood and turned away, leaving her to settle into her new domain — the newest guardian of his vast multiverse.