Blue Archive - An Otherworldly Sensei

The destruction that Rianra and his men had brought with him was shocking; destroyed vehicles, light posts toppled over, shards of broken glass littered the streets. It was a terrible sight to behold; it was hard to believe that one of his trusted allies could do something like this in such a short amount of time. Fortunately, it didn't seem any civilians or students had been harmed yet, though many of them took to SCHALE's office for refuge until the situation had been resolved. Just as Ja'vassa arrived at the office building, he'd find Rianra's group engaged in combat with a team of Valkyrie students led by Kanna. Despite their superior weaponry, they were struggling to hold back the relentless magical assault of their opponents, exhaustion evident in their eyes. With little hesitation on his part, Ja'vassa fired off his Crimson Rage spell towards Rianra, hoping to drive their attention away from his students and onto him. The crimson colored lightning struck its target head on, though painful, Rianra remained on his feet and turned to the old Khajiit with a mixture of fear and surprise in his eyes. "I was wondering when you'd get here, my Lord." Rianra greeted, trying to hide his trembling legs. Dealing with the Valkyrie was one thing, but he knew full well that Ja'vassa wasn't the type to offer mercy. "I take it a dagger to the back wouldn't have sufficed? Why are you doing this, Rianra? Attacking the castle was one thing, but why bring all of this destruction to Kivotos?" Ja'vassa asked, drawing his weapon as he approached the group, prepared to attack at a moment's notice. "The only thing standing in our way of conquest was you. We couldn't defeat you in a straight battle, but we suspect that you wouldn't be able to raise your sword against your precious students. Though we failed to turn them against you, I wonder how many of them would be willing to back you up knowing that it was because of you that we were able to reach Kivotos in the first place." Rianra explained, a soft smirk crossing his face as he spoke. "You cannot stop the Thalmor, our dreams of domination will be realized." In response to his explanation, Ja'vassa sighed softly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You really are an idiot, Rianra. If you were so terrified of facing me, you could've killed me several times by now. Why didn't you finish me off when I had fallen unconscious? Or launch your attack when I first arrived in Kivotos? All this plotting and planning, and yet... you've waited too long to act." He shook his head, raising his weapon as he'd approach the opposing army. Falling silent for a few moments, Rianra realized that he was right. He had numerous opportunities to finish the job and yet, he completely ignored them. Anger flashing in his eyes and clenching his fists. "Don't mock me, you decrypted fool. If I were to kill you, I'd want to do it in open combat, and not like a coward." He growled, though clearly seemed to be bluffing. "Is that so? Well, here I am, Rianra. Which among you would like to have the illustrious honor of destroying the Last Dragonborn?" Ja'vassa asked, gazing upon the group. "Would you like the honors, my old friend? Or perhaps you'd all like to come at me all at once." As he prepared his initial assault, he glanced towards the Valkyrie. "Focus on finding any civilians and evacuate them. I'll deal with our friends here. Regroup, close down the surrounding streets, and allow yourselves a chance to recover." He ordered, returning his focus on Rianra. Though hesitant to leave Ja'vassa behind, Kanna nodded in response. "Be careful, Sensei." She replied, turning to the weary Valkyrie students to relay the orders given to her. Raising his hand, Rianra grinned softly. "So nice of you to worry about your students, leaving them with a heroic image as their final memories of you. I suppose with them out of the way, there's no reason for us to delay any further." Turning to face his companions, he nodded slightly. "Move forward, hold nothing back." Though there was a little hesitation amongst them, none of them were particularly confident in being able to defeat him despite their superior numbers. They had heard the stories from Rianra, heard of the skills and terrifying strength he possessed. This seemed like a suicide mission, but they had come much too far to just give up. With fierce determination, they launched their initial attack with their blades raised. Despite their superior numbers, it was made apparent that it alone wouldn't be enough to stop the Dragonborn's advance. With the usage of his Glacial Ray spell, he was able to slow down their approach and used this to his advantage, delivering swift and precise strikes from his golden blade to incapacitate them. Though he was actively trying to avoid killing them, he didn't seem too bothered by those who had fallen as a result. One by one, their superior numbers dwindled until there was only a handful of them left that could still fight. Those left standing held their weapons close to them and slowly backed away from Ja'vassa. Though afraid of potential backlash from their superiors, they saw little choice but to surrender. Dropping their weapons, they'd fall to their knees with their hands raised. While he was disappointed that they'd give up so easily, he was relieved that the battle wouldn't last for much longer. The sooner it came to an end, the sooner he could return home to deal with the aftermath of Rianra's attack on the castle. "So, what's it going to be, Rianra? Are you going to surrender quietly or are you going to keep fighting? I'd rather not kill you, but if that's what it takes, then so be it." Ja'vassa shot his old companion a harsh glare, poised to strike at a second's notice. Whether he surrendered or fought on, it seemed death was in his future regardless. Despite his fear, he could at least go in peace knowing that it came against his organization's biggest enemy. "It's too late for me to turn back now. If I surrender, I know I'll be executed the moment you bring us back to Skyrim. I'd rather go out in battle." Rianra took a deep breath, hesitating for a brief second before rushing forward with his sword raised. As the battle began, it quickly became apparent that Ja'vassa was toying with his opponent. Despite years of training by both his Thalmor superiors and by Ja'vassa himself, Rianra found himself struggling heavily to make any sort of progress against the Dragonborn. The latter's superior experience and skill made this a one sided fight. Their swords clashed, spells were thrown about; perhaps due to his fierce anger and determination, Ja'vassa seemed to be full of energy though Rianra was slowly tiring out, likely due to the recent conflicts with the Valkyrie. The old high elf's movements were becoming uncoordinated and sloppy, his strikes with his blade barely making contact with the other's. As another attack from his former ally flew his way, Ja'vassa ducked away and delivered a swift kick to his opponent's wrist; knocking the sword from his hand. The sudden disarming left Rianra in a state of shock, giving the Dragonborn an opening for another attack. Rather than going straight for the kill, he delivered a rough kick to Rianra's abdomen, knocking him over in the process. With the elf on the ground, he'd pin him down, his foot firmly on his chest with his blazing sword pointed directly at him. "I'm disappointed in you, Rianra, not just from your betrayal." Ja'vassa's tone was soft, almost like that of a teacher scolding their student. "I've trained you for centuries, taught you as much as I possibly could, and this is the best you could do? All this plotting and planning, and for what? All for this pathetic display?" Glaring daggers towards the fallen elf, his fists trembled in anger. Gritting his teeth, Rianra was unable to meet the Khajiit's gaze. "What are you waiting for? Finish me off. We were foolish to think we'd even stand a chance... generations of planning, but we never really had any organization. I suppose being killed by my former master will make for a better story." Despite the obvious fear and resentment in his tone, he couldn't help but laugh at the situation. Centuries of planning and preparation, to be ruined in the matter of days. They wanted to live up to the former Aldmeri Dominion, but would instead die as an embarrassment to the Thalmor's name. Ja'vassa shook his head and raised his sword once more. "I am sorry, Rianra. You have served me long and well, but you know the price for betrayal is steep. Even for one I held so close to my heart, you will die here... but, don't worry, we'll see to it you get a proper burial, if just to honor all that you've done for me." As he finished speaking, he thrust his weapon towards Rianra's neck. Closing his eyes, Rianra anticipated the feeling of the blazing sword against his neck. Minutes felt like hours, and every second he waited for the end to come was agonizing. After going several moments without feeling anything, he shakily reopened his eyes and stared in surprise as he saw Ja'vassa's weapon just inches from his neck, trembling in the Khajiit's hand. "Why do you hesitate, Ja'vassa? You've won. Don't drag this out any longer than it has to be." Rianra ordered, shooting his former superior a harsh glare. Despite his insistence, Ja'vassa found himself unable to finish the job. "No. Not like this. Despite your crimes, I can't bring myself to kill someone I once called my brother." He shook his head, sheathing the weapon and slowly removing his foot from Rianra's chest. His words and actions only served to make Rianra even angrier, his gaze hardening as he slowly sat up. "You've become soft, Ja'vassa. The Dragonborn I knew wouldn't have shown anyone mercy, much less a traitor... and don't you dare bring up our relationship, you didn't give a damn about any of us." He growled as he'd return to his feet. "You're wrong, Rianra. I loved you. Perhaps this place has made me soft, but that hasn't changed what you and the others mean to me." Ja'vassa replied, his gaze softening slightly. "However, don't assume this means I'm letting you go for all of this. You still have to answer for your crimes." The sincerity in Ja'vassa's words caught him by surprise; he knew his Lord was never one to tell a lie, especially with something so serious. Rianra stood there in silence, saying nothing and doing nothing as his hands were bound together. This campaign, his cooperation with a reformed Thalmor group, was all a big mistake. His ambitions ultimately outgrew his stature; he wanted to control Tamriel himself and saw the Thalmor as his ticket to ultimate power, but he failed to realize how much wealth and love surrounded him in Sjel Blad Castle. With Rianra bound, Ja'vassa yanked at the ropes holding him. Briefly turning towards some of the Valkyrie students who were watching with great interest. "Kanna, I'm bringing him to Sjel Blad for questioning and containment. If you could, pass a message along the General Student Council. I'll bring a few of my men over here to help with cleaning up and tend to the wounded. I am sorry for all this, I never intended for something like to happen." His tone was soft; there was no hint of happiness or relief now that the brief conflict was over. Having to treat one of his own so harshly wasn't something he took pleasure in. Kanna nodded at him. "We don't blame you, Sensei. You couldn't have seen this coming... but, help with cleaning would be nice. I'll file up a report and let them know what happened." She replied, watching as he'd head back to SCHALE. Upon arriving back in Sjel Blad Castle, it was a great relief to see that everyone was more or less in one piece. A few of his men were injured, but there weren't deaths on his side. The attacking Thalmor agents were either killed or arrested, tied up and brought down to the dungeons where they'd await trial. Rianra's own trial would have to wait a few days as Ja'vassa needed to gather his able bodied men and bring them back to Kivotos to begin rounding up the agents that were wounded and stranded on that side, as well as aid with general clean up. Over the course of the next couple of days, forces from Sjel Blad Castle gathered the fallen agents and took some time to ensure the streets were clean from debris, ensuring that none of the accidental fires had gotten too out of hand, and made sure that none of the Valkyrie were hurt too badly in the incident. While Ja'vassa took care of helping with Kivotos, he had left Mordan and Relumara in charge of interrogating the attackers and allowing them to decide on their fates. Most of them were merely imprisoned for the time being, though they'd wait to do much with Rianra until Ja'vassa had returned. They were in favor of executing him alongside Vallas and Viralia, believing them to be the primary conspirators in the attack, but they'd leave the final decision up to Ja'vassa. On the dawn of the eighth day since the incident, Ja'vassa was in the midst of a meeting with Rin. While she didn't directly blame him for what had happened, they had to discuss what went down and wanted to come up with a plan to ensure something like that wouldn't occur again. As their meeting continued, several students had planned to visit him; news of the chaos on the streets in front of SCHALE spread across the city like wildfire and though they knew that their teacher would be safe, they figured it wouldn't hurt to check in on him. Hifumi was the first to arrive, though she knew he was in a meeting, she showed little hesitation in rushing to his side, quickly wrapping her arms around her. "Sensei... we heard what happened here. I'm glad to see you're safe." She spoke softly, a gentle smile crossing her face. "Hifumi..." Ja'vassa whispered, his attention on Rin being stolen by the girl in his arms. "Yeah, I'm fine... we just finished with the clean up. I'm sorry to push you away, but we have much that needs to be discussed here. Though, I suppose it's alright if you hang around here if you want." Tightening his grip a bit, he'd hold her a bit closer to him. Merely nodding in response, Hifumi pressed herself against him, falling silent to listen in on their conversation. Rin wasn't too happy with the interruption, but she figured that it wouldn't hurt for anyone else to listen to them. She sighed softly, speaking up after a moment. "We're grateful for your quick actions, Sensei, but we need to work out a solution to prevent this from happening again. You trust your companions deeply, that much is obvious, but it seems there's many that would be willing to take advantage of your trust to cause trouble for your castle, and apparently for us as well. What do you propose we do about this?" Rin asked him, leaning over the table slightly. There was a slight pause from him. It would be difficult, but not impossible to vet every single visitor to Sjel Blad Castle, but that could easily drain resources and become an unnecessary waste of time. They could close the castle to new residents, but that could create some problems with the locals. For the most part, none of the solutions seemed viable until one finally came to mind. "I'll sever the connection between Kivotos and Skyrim. I'll return home and destroy the Milestones on this side, that way... that way something like that won't happen again." Ja'vassa suggested, his gaze firmly on the table in front of them. "I'd... I'd miss this place dearly, meeting and befriending my sweet students has been an incredible experience, but I can't risk being responsible for any of you potentially getting hurt." Hifumi's eyes widened at his suggestion, looking up to him with disbelief etched into her face. "Y-You're not seriously considering leaving us, Sensei? You... you can't do that." She pleaded, clinging to his robes now. "What choice do I have, Hifumi? It's because of those Milestones that they were able to get here. Severing the connection between our worlds is the only choice I have." Ja'vassa voice began to crack, though he was determined not to show any emotions yet. "I... I know Skyrim is your home, and I know you have people there that need you, but... we need you, too. I need you here, Sensei." Hifumi choked back her own sobs, quickly wiping away the tears propping up in the corners of her eyes. "You... you can't just abandon us like this, not after everything we've been through." He hesitated, biting his lip softly. "But, I----" Before he could say much of anything else, Hifumi interrupted him. "Please don't leave me, Sensei. I'm not sure if you realize just how important you are to me, and so many others." Hifumi pleaded, clinging to his shirt just a bit tighter. Choking away his own tears, Ja'vassa took several deep breaths. "...I adore you, Hifumi, but... I..." Taking another deep breath, he sniffled away the growing wetness in his eyes. "Can... can you give me some time to think this over, please? I believe severing the connection between our worlds is the best option, but... perhaps there's another solution. I just... I just need some time. I'll return soon, I promise." Understandably, Hifumi was hesitant as she feared he'd disappear without saying anything to her, but perhaps he'd surprise her in the end. "...alright. Just promise me that you'll at least say goodbye before you make your final decision, please?" Ja'vassa nodded in response, reaching over for the weapon that rested against the table. "I promise. I couldn't just disappear without at least seeing the student I love the most one last time." He assured her, holding the weapon out for her. "Here... hold onto this for now. I'll come back for it." Looking towards him and then towards the golden sword he held, she seemed confused. "Goldbrand? Are you certain you'd trust something so precious to someone like me?" Hifumi asked, hesitantly taking the offered weapon. "Of course I trust you, Hifumi. Let it serve as the sincerity of promise. I'll return in a few days and I'll visit Trinity as soon as I come back." Ja'vassa nods, standing up from his seat and stepping away from her. "Rin, I'll be back soon. I'll have a solution for you, I promise." The Vice President merely nodded, not entirely certain as to what he had planned, though she found herself increasingly curious about what he was going to do. She had grown to respect and care for him, so it'd be disappointing if he really chose to stay in Skyrim, but she understood completely if he did. "Very well, Sensei. May your journey be promising on the other side. If this proves to be our final meeting, just know that I'm glad you came to Kivotos, even if your time here was brief." Hifumi nods in agreement. "She's right.. you've made an incredible difference in all of us. Know that you'll always have our trust and affection, no matter what happens in the future." She gave him a shaky smile, pushing her fears into the back of her mind. Ja'vassa nodded at them, turning back towards the Milestone in his office. "Right... I'll be back soon, I promise. Stay safe until then." With his parting words, he'd disappear alongside the opened portal.