Chapter 21

Fight Like A Devil

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Magic / Curse"

Flashback

"Scroll Communications / Tv"

Location / Date / Time Change

Anima

After the Fall of Beacon, many were left to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. Some never escaped the hardship from the attack and others... other never made it out of Beacon. But Ruby Rose was the first to put on a brave face and say 'Never again.' So she gathered a few like minded friends and they set off for Haven academy to save it.

"Another day, another adventure!" Nora cheered.

"So, what's the plan for today?" Ruby asked Jaune who was holding the map.

"Walking." He answered.

"With a hint of?" Nora started, hoping for something exciting.

"Walking." Ren finished disappointing her.

Ruby let out a sigh as she thought back to how long they've been walking. "Haven sure is a long way."

"Ruby... how long did you think this journey would take?" Ren asked.

"I don't know!" She replied back, avoiding the question as she walked forward. "I grew up on a small island, Beacon was the furthest I'd been away from home."

"Right, but how long?" Jaune asked the same question.

"Maybe Uh... two weeks?" She mumbled out.

"What!?" Jaune asked, looking away from the paper.

"Alright fine, three weeks or something!" She shouted back. "Look, it doesn't matter." The group walked a few more feet before Ruby noticed something. "What is that?"

Nora hopped up on a burnt fencepost and looked over the stone wall. "That's wierd... I didn't think we'd be hitting another village for a couple more days."

"Are those... burn marks?" Nora asked in concern.

"We need to search for survivors!" Jaune shouted as he threw the map to the side. The other three raced after Nora and ran into the village. They looked around for signs of life but found nothing.

"It's almost like the town was abandoned." Ren mumbled.

"Hey! I've got something!" Nora shouted making the other three race over to her as she stood in front of a sign. She brushed the plant out of the way and read the name on it. "Oniyuri? Never heard of it..."

"Same here." Jaune said.

"I have." Ren spoke up, making them turn to him. "Think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn, only if it was incomplete. Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with the way the kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pooled all their resources together to build a city of their own, with their own laws.

"They hoped that in the future, it could one day become its own kingdom. Many thought of it as the future." He turned and walked over to an old railing away from the group. "My parents certainly thought so."

"What happened?" Ruby asked.

Ren leaned down and brushed some dust off the railing, showing a slash mark. "The same thing that always happens."

"Grimm..." Jaune mumbled in disappointment.

Ren turned back to his team. "Not just any one..." He replied as he clenched his fists.

Ruby glanced over at Nora, who never took her eyes off Ren before turning back to Ren. "One?"

A flock of birds took to the sky from the forest behind them. "Come on, let get through here as quick as we can." Jaune said before he started walking. "This place creeps me out." Nora followed him and then Ren did the same, leaving Ruby alone for a second before she followed suit.

They walked through the destroyed town in a group, keeping an eye out for any Grimm that might show up unexpectedly. Ren suddenly came to a stop and motioned for them to do the same. He reached down for his weapon and the others did the same, preparing for a fight. All looked up as a Tyrian jumped over a massive building and landed, his blades popping out of his bracers.

Laughing like a lunatic, he charged at Ruby before Ren blocked him. The traded swings that all missed before Tyrian kicked him away. He then went back to Ruby who was pushed by Nora and tried to swing her own weapon. Smirking, the psychopath engaged the girl before one swing cracked her aura.

He jumped onto Jaune's shield and stared at him before jumping off it and onto Nora's hammer. He then bounced off it and flipped into an old building that shattered upon impact. The dust settled and Tyrian was doing a split inside the tower. "We don't want to fight!" Jaune shouted.

"Who are you?" Ren asked.

Smirking, Tyrian fell down and landed in front of them. "Who I am does not matter to you..." He told Ren before pointing at Nora. "Or you. Or-" He stopped when looked at Jaune. "No, you do intrigue me." Jaune was taken aback before the agent of Salem chuckled. "No, the only one I matter to is you." He pointed at Ruby and they all stared in confusion.

"Me?" She asked.

Tyrian stared at her before breaking out into a mad laugh. "Oh, you-you don't even know, do you? Just when I thought things couldn't get any better."

"Why are you here?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, so this rose has grown its thorns." He chuckled. "Why, little rose. I'm here to whisk you away with me."

"And what if she doesn't want to go?" Nora asked, stepping between Ruby and the madman.

Tyrians face grew bored as he stared at Nora. "Then I'll be forced to take her."

"That won't happen." Jaune said as he did the same as Nora.

Tyrian closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "We we're hoping you'd say that."

Before any of them could say anything, a building exploded behind Tyrian. Gripping their weapons, they watched as the dust violently flew forward and blinded them. They looked back up and saw a blonde man with jackal ears walk forward. "Finally. I can have some fun too."

Jackal launched forward at the group before Ren opened fire on him. The bullets barely grazed him as Tyrian swung at Jaune. He then kicked Ruby to the side as the demon reached the ninja and grabbed his chest. "Don't worry, I'll try to make it last." The shirt started glowing as he activated his curse.

"Heads up!" Jackal tossed Ren into Nora before the bomb detonated, heavily damaging both boys even with their aura and blasted them apart from each other.

Tyrian kicked them both away at the same time before he raced towards the downed Nora. A shot went off behind and he turned to see it fly past him and hit Nora. Jackal and Tyrian both just started laughing, missing the smile on Ruby's face. "Talk about bad luck." Tyrian chuckled as Nora stood up behind him.

The hammer happy girl smirked as Tyrian turned around. Nora launched forward and swung her hammer at him, creating a massive explosion. The dust settled and the three humans looked to see Nora in Jackal's hand by the throat before a scorpion tail ripped her hammer away. "Too slow."

Nora's neck started glowing before Ren charged at him and fired his guns. Jackal raised his free arm and blocked his face, but his arm was still damaged from the rounds. Tyrian kicked Ren to the side as the glow only became brighter. Jackal slammed the girl into the ground before kicking her, sending her sliding into an old fountain. The girl exploded and so did the fountain, but Nora remained in one piece.

Ren raced over and helped Nora stand as the two foes jumped away and stood next to each other on a bridge. "They're... both Faunus!?" Ren asked in shock.

"Is that what this is about?" Ruby asked. "Are you two part of the White Fang?"

"Please, like we would ever work FOR them." Jackal chuckled.

"I live to serve only my goddess." Tyrian euphorically declared.

"Cinder..." Ruby bitterly growled as she clenched her fist.

Jackal started laughing at the declaration the girl just made. "Please. There's only one person I follow, and that's the master of Tartaros; End!"

Both launched forward and Tyrian turned to Jaune and Ruby. He slashed his tail at her before she swung her scythe. He ducked and delivered a stiff uppercut that launched her back before turning to Jaune.

Jackal easily dodged all the swings Ren and Nora were throwing at him. "Don't you idiots get it yet?" He asked as he grabbed both of their weapons, triggering his curse. "Anything I touch I can turn into a bomb!" The weapons started glowing before they detonated. The aura of their warriors protected them for being completely destroyed, but they were still dented and singed.

Jaune was then tossed into the two as Tyrian began destroying Ruby's aura. A few slashes and a pair of big kicks completed the job as Ruby was sent tumbling along the ground. She reached for her scythe before Jackal kicked it away. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

He placed his hands on the ground before the light traveled under her three friends. "Ticking Time Bomb." A golden dome pulsing with black energy ways surrounded them before it lifted them off the ground, trapping them in the orb. "In three minutes that bomb will detonate. And I've put more than enough power in it to vaporize them. You wanna save them, just come with us."

"Don't do it, Ruby!" Jaune shouted, banging on the orb.

"We'll be fine! Just get out of here!" Nora added.

Ruby stared at her friends in shame as she glanced over to her scythe. It was too far away; even with her Semblance by the time she reached it and fired, the man with dog ears could detonate his bomb and kill them all. She could also just use it to run, but then she'd be abandoning the last of family. Time was running out as a bird cawed in the distance.

"What's it going to be, little girl?" Jackal asked as the orb started glowing. "You gonna come with us, or are your friends gonna give this town a new coat of red paint?"

"Hey Fido, catch!" Before Jackal could turn around, a rock the size of his head hit him and sent him crashing to the ground. Both the stone and his concentration broke upon impact and the bomb faded, letting the three fall to the ground. Tyrian pulled his tail back launched it at Ruby but was met with a kick that sent him sliding back.

He bumped into Jackal and the two rolled back as Ruby looked up to see her uncle Qrow standing over her, a small smile on his face. "Hey." He turned around and looked at the two as the stood back up.

"Well, color me surprised." Tyrian said as he nudged Jackal. "That's Qrow Branwen. A truer huntsman their never was."

"So he might make a decent challenge?" Jackal asked. "Good, I was starting to get bored fighting these kids."

Qrow stared at the two in confusion as Ruby managed to grab her scythe and use it to help her stand. He turned to her, hoping she had some kind of answer. "I don't know, these guys are weird."

Qrow turned back to the two and gripped his weapon tighter. "Listen, I don't know who you two are and I really don't care." He said to them. "I just need you two to stay the hell away from my niece."

"Oh, where my manners?" Tyrian asked himself. "I am Tyrian and my companion's name is Jackal."

The five humans looked at the blonde and stared up at his ears as they twitched. "Bit on the nose, don't you think?" Qrow asked.

"Perhaps, but I'm not the one who named him." Tyrian replied. "As for your request, I'm afraid we cannot do that. When the queen gives you an order, you follow it. We do not want to upset the queen... or her partner I guess." Jackal growled at the insult thrown at End.

"The Queen?" Ruby asked in confusion.

"Salem..." Qrow mumbled.

"Who?" Ruby asked still as confused.

"I think we've talked for long enough!" Jackal growled. Tyrian dropped to all fours as Jackal's hands started glowing.

"Couldn't have said it better my-" Qrow started before the scorpion Faunus charged him and swung his blades, forcing Qrow to block. Jackal tried to punch him from behind, but the drunkard moved to the side and Tyrian at the fist instead. Growling, the two-on-one battle bounced around the town.

Neither side had the advantage as Qrow jumped and slammed his sword down on Tyrian. The pressure wave was so tremendous that it sliced a part of a roof off of a building. Qrow looked down before noticing that the other Faunus was missing. Before he could do anything, Tyrian's weapons clicked and bullets began firing out of them.

Qrow blocked as fast as he could as Tyrian raced around him. Nora and Ren gripped their weapons and raced to help. The blonde demon jumped down from on top of a building and slammed his hands onto their faces, forcing them to the ground. "I knew you brats would try and jump in." He said as he held the two on the ground as his curse took effect.

Jaune swung his sword at the demon only to have Jackal turn and bite his blade. The teeth hit the metal and the blade started glowing as well. Glancing around, he looked for Ruby before a shot hit him in the back of the head. The round coated his skull in a thick layer of ice before two more hit his feet. "Better let go or else you're getting hurt too." Jaune said, thinking they had him.

Through the ice, Jaune saw Jackal smirk before the glows intensified and detonated. All three humans flew back as Jackal shook the last of the ice off his head. "Did you really think I'd be unable to take my own blasts?" He mockingly asked. More shots went off but they weren't aimed at him.

Jackal saw Ruby fire her rifle at Tyrian, who blocked them with his tail. Qrow shrugged his shoulder before slugging the Faunus in the face. Another punch and an uppercut forced Tyrian back before Qrow ducked a swing. Jackal flew over the human and crashed into Tyrian, sending them tumbling backwards.

"Get off me, you idiot!" Tyrian cried as he pushed the demon off him. Both looked up as Qrow simply walked towards his blade, which was now imbedded into the wall. He gripped the handle and Tyrian charged him. Qrow flipped up and triggered the scythe mode, letting him fire his bird shot at Tyrian.

Qrow flipped up and grabbed a wooden beam that was available. Both opponents jumped up and Tyrian sliced the beam. Qrow jumped off the chopped part, forcing it into Jackals face before the blonde crashed to the ground. Tyrian landed and the two started fighting on top of the old house.

Jackal looked up raced over to the building and started climbing. A tile on the roof fell off and hit him in the face, making him fall backwards until he reached out and grabbed an old rain pipe. The old screws began to pop off as he stared up at the two. "Okay, screw it!" He activated his curse and building exploded.

Ruby stared at the smoking wreck in horror before jumping down and racing over. Qrow was thrown out the remains and bounced on the ground before landing on his sword, his aura flickering. Tyrian and Jackal launched themselves out of the building and the two prepared to fight again before Ruby interrupted them.

"Are you seriously that stupid?" Jackal asked. "Do you want us to take you?"

"No." Ruby firmly answered. "But I won't just stand by and watch someone else get hurt because of me." She raced forward and Qrow followed behind her. The two swung their blades and Tyrian pushed them back before Jackal jumped forward, swinging his arms to try and hit them.

The two humans dodged before Tyrian kicked Qrow away before trying to stab Ruby. Qrow recovered and blocked the strike for her. "Ruby, stay out of this!" He shouted.

"They picked a fight with me!" She shouted back before swinging at Tyrian. Jackal tried to punch her but she jumped over him and slid towards the smoking hole.

"It's not that. It's-" Qrow tried to explain before Tyrian broke off from him and charged Ruby. They began swinging their weapons as Qrow as forced to dodge Jackals swings. Tyrian kicked Ruby back as a piece of shrapnel fell from the sky, aimed at the young scythe wielded. Disregarding the bomb threat, Qrow kicked Jackal away and sliced the shrapnel in half.

The niece and uncle shared a smile before his face contorted in pain. Tyrian's stinger was firmly dug into Qrows chest as he smirked at the damage. That smirked soon faded as Ruby hooked his tail on Cresent Rose and fired, slicing it in half. The Faunus screamed in pain as the tail end twitched on the ground.

"You bitch!" He cried out before noticing the other three surround him. "S-She'll forgive you..." He mumbled before turning around. He raced for the exit before bumping into Jackal, sending him to the ground.

"Where do you think your going?" He asked his partner, glaring down at him.

"We, we can't beat them." Tyrian mumbled out. "We have to leave."

Jackal reached down and grabbed the Faunus' head, lifting him off the ground. "If a little thing like losing your tail makes you run, then you don't belong with us!" He triggered his curse and the head started glowing. The humans watched in horror as the Faunus begged for his life and tried to claw his way free.

"Say goodbye!" The glow turned white before the head exploded, showing the ground with blood and brains. He then kicked the body to the side as he starred down at the humans. "Now, hand her over or the same thing will happen to you."

"After what you just did to your friends? No way." Jaune said.

"We can beat you. We aren't done yet." Nora added.

Ruby looked at her friends and saw that they were lying. Their bodies were covered in scrapes and their weapons were almost near destruction. All she could do was hold onto her uncle and hope the Faunus would be intimidated by their show of strength.

"You pathetic humans think you can beat me!?" He asked with a grin. "I'm just getting started!" Jackal roared before waving his arms. "Explosive Spiral!" A tower of explosive energy ripped through the town and sent the five hunters flying as they cried in pain.

Ruby crashed along the ground before hitting the city wall. Her eyes cracked open to see Jackal charging at her, his arms out stretched. Ruby flipped her scythe and pulled herself up before rolling to the side, making Jackal hit the wall. He pulled his hand out and charged her again, forcing her to dodge his strikes. Triggering her semblance, she launched herself back and shifted her blade into its gun mode and began firing.

The demon dodged most of the bullets but a few rounds still hit him. His black blood dripped to the ground and angered him. He picked up an old barrel triggered his curse and tossed it at the scythe wielded. She sliced it in half but the bomb still activated and blasted her from both sides. With her lack of aura, Ruby took every bit of the blastwave and fire.

"I promised I'd bring you back in one piece." He chuckled as he picked up an old brick and Ruby fell to her knees. "But I think they'll be fine with a missing arm." He threw the brick around before activating his curse and throwing it at Ruby.

Before it hit her, Nora jumped between them and swung her hammer, batting the brick back at the demon. Jackal was hit in the head before the brick exploded, blocking his view. "Get to Jaune! He has a plan." Nora said before running forward and slamming her hammer down.

Ruby nodded and ran looking for Jaune as Jackal recovered and grabbed her hammer began pushing down on the handle. "You're starting to really piss me off." He pushed harder and looked the girl in the eye. "I'll make you scream in pain."

Nora smirked before lighting began arching off her arms and she pushed back. "I'm not going to give up. I'll keep fighting until your legs break and you go- I can't hold this for much longer. Ready?" She asked, confusing Jackal before rapid gunfire ripped into his back, tearing it open.

Glaring over his shoulder, he saw Ren racing towards him firing his guns. Distracted, Nora took the chance and ripped her hammer away before slamming it into his head, sending him crashing through two buildings. "That wasn't as cool as you thought it would be, Nora." The ninja said.

"Come on. The look on his face was priceless." She replied, shifting her hammer into its gun mode.

Both turned back as Jackal climbed out of the second building anger in his eyes. "I'm gonna kill you two!" He growled before launching himself at the two. Both flanked to the side and began firing at him. Jackal dug his foot into the ground to turn and charged at Nora, jumping out of the way of her grenades.

The lightning girl jumped over him and fired again, hitting him in his damaged back. His anger began rising and he charged again, only for Ren to kick an old support beam into him. Jackal caught it and activated his curse, shattering the beam into thousands of splinters. Ren used this as a chance to get behind him and swung Stormflower, coating it in the demons blood. Instantly, the curse activated and blew Ren back.

"Stand still and die!" Jackal shouted as he tried kicking the man away. Ren jumped back and fired again, forcing Jackal to run from the bullets. A shield popped out from an ally and hit him in the face, knocking him to the ground. The demon looked up to see Jaune raise his sword to stab him in the head, which would have killed him.

Jackal rolled to the side and the blade hit the ground. The Tartaros member channeled his curse into the ground at Jaune, who braved himself behind his shield and tanked the blast. Nora roared as she charged Jackal and swung her hammer, ready to crush his head. Jackal moved to the side and grabbed the handle before tossing her into Ren.

He turned back to Jaune only to have the blonde ram his sword into his gut. He then bashed the shield into the demons head multiple times, dazing him so much that he couldn't focus his curse. A final slam forced him off the blade and jackal grabbed his head in pain. "Jaune, catch!" Ruby shouted before throwing the bag at the blonde. Jaune moved to catch it, but Jackal intercepted and grabbed both.

"I have had it with you annoyingly humans! I don't know what you're planing, and I don't care!" The demon shouted before activating his curse. The bag began to glow as the Tartaros member missed the nervous smile on the humans face.

*BOOOOOM!*

The bag exploded and both Jackal and Jaune were caught in the blast. Smoke rose out of the ground as Jaune climbed to the edge of the newly formed crater, his aura flickering heavily. His new armor was gnarled with cracks and scratches, but somehow both it and he were in one piece.

"Jaune, that was a crazy plan." Ruby said as she helped the blonde out of the crater. Behind him, Ren and Nora were helping Qrow out of the house they hid him in.

"Hey, it worked didn't it?" He asked as he fell to his back. "He might be immune to his own explosions, but not to the ones we make. I'm just glad we had enough Dust left to pull it off."

The dust settled from the blast to show Jackal on his knee with his right arm missing from the elbow down. Ice coated his body in thin layers, other then the big chunk that formed in his gut, as his hair stood up from the electric Dust. Black blood was pouring out of his arm and gut wound as he glared up at the humans in anger.

'Damn it all...' He cursed to himself. 'I underestimated these brats... I could go Etherious mode and rip them all to shreds, but I don't have any control in that form. I might end up killing the target.' With a heavy sigh, he knew what he had to do. 'Sorry, boss.'

"It's... not over yet..." He groaned out as his body started glowing. The whole town began to glow in a golden light, scaring the five. "I might not be able to bring you back, but I can still take you all out!" He laughed as his body began cracking, letting out even more light. "I'll see you all in-"

*BANG!*

Half of his head was blasted off, leaving a gaping hole in his face. The light died down instantly before the body fell backwards, letting black blood pour out. The teens turned around to see Qrows weapon smoking from the gun barrel before he dug the blade into the ground. "What? You heard what he said." Qrow said defending himself before gripping his wound.

Instantly, he was barraged with questions from the three JNPR members. "Uncle Qrow, what was that all about?" Ruby asked, still confused as to why the two were after her.

After a few heavy pants, he turned to his niece. "What's your favorite fairy tale?"

A young boy with a backpack on stared back one last time at a farm before turning and walking. His eyes never left the ground as he walked through the woods to his destination. "I'm... sorry." A voice from INSIDE his head told him.

"Y'know... the weirdest part is how it all feels." The boy said. "Leaving home, going to the city, everything you've told me, it's all crazy. But it doesn't seem so crazy anymore. It feels like I'm doing the right thing."

"Well, I suppose that's a start Oscar." The voice said.

"Really? Because in all honesty it feels scary..." The farmboy confesed before thunder crackled across the sky. Rain started falling and Oscar picked up his pace as he reached the train station. He placed his Lien on the ticket machine only to find he had insufficient funds. "Great. I'm guess there's no infinite supply of money to go along with this weird magic?"

"Sadly, no." The voice replied. "You're going to have solve this on your-" The voice came to a stop, confusing Oscar. "Be careful."

"What are you talking about?" He asked back before looking to the left.

A single eye stared back at him and he fell to the ground in shock. "Now that's just rude." The porcupine Faunus said. "Do you know much does it cost?"

"That's enough, Franmalth." Both looked over to see a man and another Faunus, shark if Oscar had to guess, walked over. "Do not bother him anymore."

"Oh, fine." Franmalth huffed as he leaned on his cane. "I tell you, Torafuzar, you're no fun ever since you came back." The larger Faunus ignored him and the two walked past the boy, the shark not even bothering to protect himself from the rain.

The man looked down at the boy before punching the machine, making a ticket spurt out. Carefully, Oscar picked up as he walked to the train, before stopping to look back at the boy. "You mustn't be afraid to stand up to whatever blocks your path." He told him before following his companions.

"Who... who are they?" Oscar asked as he stood back up.

"I cannot speak for the first two." The voice said. "But that man is someone from my past... and should not be taken lightly." A train pulled out of the station as Oscar stared at his ticket.

I went through several versions of this fight before I settled on this way. Hopefully you guys liked reading this as much as I did writing it. As for poor Tyrian, I know he wasn't supposed to die here. But Jackal strikes me as the kind of guy who doesn't take kindly to cowards. So it's off with his head.

I also decided to introduce Oscar/Ozpin in this chapter because not only is he important to the overall story of RWBY, it would just be weird if I had the two of them show up out of no where during the battle of haven. Interesting fact, this is also the first time he's ever seen a member of Tartaros. This is going to do it for volume four, and no sooner since volume six is coming out today! I'm hyped!

Beta read by Natsu is Awesome.