The entirety of Mountain Glenn was awake.
This was not as good as it may have sounded to those who were not aware that the entirety of Mountain Glenn's citizens were Grimm of various sizes and ages.
So, whilst it was still accurate to say that the entirety of Mountain Glenn was awake, it was more accurate to say that every single Grimm in the failed city was now bearing down on the four points that had just set off their senses.
Natural disasters attracted Grimm. This was a common fact. Alongside this fact was another, lesser known fact. Unnatural disasters also attracted Grimm.
This may have been because of the latent negativity that came with a disaster, or it could be that Grimm were able to sense them and track down disasters, using the latent negativity to enhance their senses when they reached the area.
The second theory had been extensively tested over the years, and whilst there was no true way to conclusively test, many things had been attempted, and certain oddities had been noted.
One such oddity was the way Grimm reacted to extensive vibrations, and that oddity had led to the development of the Spike.
So, when Naruto and the other three teams activated the spikes in sync with each other, it created what felt like an earthquake to the Grimm, effectively attracting the biggest swarm since the Fall of Mountain Glenn.
And all Naruto and his friends had to do was defend the Spikes until the Shai-Hulud emerged.
Easy.
When the Deathstalker burst out of the ground in front of Naruto and Pyrrha, pincers nearly taking the redhead's arm, shield and all, Naruto realised that they were not going to be in for an easy fight.
Not like he'd truly believed that anyway.
Naruto spun, Crocea Mors flickering back and forth as he cut at the incoming Grimm, as Pyrrha and Angel opened fire on the Deathstalker, but already a second and a third were crawling out from the ground.
"How long do we have to hold out!?" Liym shouted, the sound of her shotgun discharging another powerful blast of buckshot almost drowning out her voice.
Naruto answered for Slate. "Until the Shai-Hulud emerges!"
"And how will we know when that happens?!" Liym shouted back.
Naruto didn't answer, instead taking the time to bury Crocea Mors through the head of an Alpha Creep that had dug out of the ground in front of him.
Pyrrha did answer however. "Trust us, you'll know!"
Naruto brought forth Cadejo, Alcmena and Callisto all at once, and his summons quickly joined the fray, claws, jaws and sharp feathers adding to the damage being dealt to the seemingly infinite horde that continued to push closer and closer, encroaching on the Spike that they had to defend.
But even with his summons, even with the firepower that Angel brought, even with Pyrrha's skill, it still wasn't enough.
He wasn't doing enough!
To make matters worse, his main way of disrupting a group, Mana Quake, would disrupt the Spike, and that would be disastrous.
Though, come to think of it, he had a second way of dealing with large groups. It would just require a little more… explanation.
"Pull back, behind me!" Naruto shouted. "I'm going to try something, and I don't know how it works with friendly fire!"
Angel and Pyrrha were quick to respond to his order, Slate giving the Hunter-in-training free reign to command the battlefield, the man confident in the teen's capabilities.
And so, with everyone out of the way, Naruto cast a Gravity-Infused Mana Calamity.
It was a funny sight, in a morbid kind of way, Slate had to admit.
The sight of Grimm, once ferocious monsters of hate and suffering, reduced to comedic target practice as they floated about, somehow.
That was something that Slate wasn't going to ask about. The General himself had mentioned it to Slate during a personal briefing, and that was a rarity in itself.
Obviously, whatever the Uzumaki kid could do was something the General didn't want the populace knowing about. Or even most of the soldiers.
"Under no circumstances are you to ask about anything his semblance can or cannot do, unless it is required at that moment. Likewise, you and your squad are not to disclose any information about what he is or isn't capable of doing, should you discover anything along those lines. Am I understood?"
It was what the General had said, and Slate always followed orders.
It was what had allowed him to gain rank as fast as he had, before he settled into his position as Angel Actual.
Brothers, he was the only original Angel member left, nowadays. So many had come and gone over the years, and he had remained a constant, for three reasons.
The first was, as he'd said, because he always followed orders.
The second was because he made sure that he had a good relationship with other members of the military.
Mostly the important members.
The third reason was only possible because of the second.
Slate always made sure to be prepared for any eventuality. He planned for failure, expected it, and was always happily surprised with success.
It's what made him such a profoundly solid pillar of the Atlesian Military.
Back home, even civilians knew his name. Lieutenant Slate, Angel Actual, the man who'd been captured by the White Fang and broke free.
He wasn't one to reminisce, especially not in battle, but he supposed he would be forgiven for his mind slipping as ever so rare as the occasion was, considering his age.
Fifty-four, not a year younger, not a year older. Wise, grandfatherly almost, but still almost as strong as he had been in his first years.
But even with thirty-plus years of experience in the field, never had he seen something so terrifyingly evil before.
"It's emerged!" Naruto shouted, panic sapping any kind of strength that might have been behind his words as he took in the scale of the worm that had burst from the ground.
Naruto had only seen it up close, which was a terrifying prospect on its own, but now, with the context of its actual size, he realised exactly why that tunnel had been so wide, and so long.
At its full length, stretched upright as it was, the Shai-Hulud reached up far enough that if it possessed the ability to leap, it would be able to reach the Daedalus.
That was a sobering thought.
'How did we survive this thing!?'
It was a question that didn't appear to have a proper answer, at least not one that Naruto would be able to find anytime soon.
Even if his train of thought hadn't been interrupted by the blaring of a voice through helmet speakers.
"Angel Actual, this is Skyhawk, we're thirty seconds out, en route."
Slate turned nearly one-eighty degrees to face the approaching Razorback, thankful he didn't have to fire off a flare.
Naruto cut through an Ursa that had gotten too close, and proceeded to feel like his entire body was vibrating at an atomic level as the Daedalus opened fire on the Shai-Hulud.
Glowing beams of energy converged on the giant Grimm worm, and the scream that it let out would haunt all those who heard it for the rest of their week at least, a torturous wail that seemed to carve a hole in their very souls.
"We're going now, Hunters! Get aboard!" Slate shouted as Skyhawk closed in, doors sliding open as its front gun opened fire, shredding an Ursa Major that strayed too close to Argon, who gave the pilot a thumbs up as he backed away, gun firing at the approaching Grimm.
Naruto knew he'd be the last to get aboard, he wasn't expecting anything else, and so he quickly dismissed his summons, their help appreciated but not needed currently, and began stepping backwards, sword still flickering out as he pulled his sheath off his belt and affixed it to his arm, deploying the shield and blocking an Alpha Creep that thought it could latch its jaws around his arm.
One swift strike and a decapitated Alpha Creep later, Naruto watched as Pyrrha hopped aboard the Skyhawk, only to nearly fall out again as the Daedalus fired another mindshakingly devastating torrent of energy.
She managed to grab ahold of the railing, though not without a rather obvious use of her semblance on her own armor, but at least she was inside.
The Grimm were getting closer, and more numerous. Naruto was still at least ten meters from the Skyhawk, and he was the only one still on the ground, but to turn around now was to invite the swarm to simply swallow him in their mass, trampling and feasting on his flesh as he found no way to fight back, as buried as he would be.
So, Naruto continued his backwards pace, calmly cutting away at anything that gained too much distance, occasionally placing a Shield Bash on a Grimm to give himself some space.
It was slow going, and then Naruto had an idea.
"Take off! I'll catch up!" He shouted, only to grunt a moment afterwards as a particularly hungry Beowolf began gnawing on the end of his sword, much to the beast's dismay.
The pilot of Skyhawk looked back to Slate, only to receive a nod from the Lieutenant and floor it, engines whining as they strained to lift the craft.
Naruto turned now, and with only a split-second left to him before the horde consumed him, he Jumped.
Aura pooled in his legs as he soared upwards, closing in on the rapidly departing Razorback, but it was too fast.
He wasn't going to make it.
Pyrrha stretched her arm out, and her fingertips brushed against Naruto's outstretched hand.
Close, but still not enough, and Pyrrha was too exhausted to levitate someone with her semblance. Even a boost of height wouldn't be enough now.
Naruto was falling.
He'd missed.
Except he hadn't. Naruto still had a few tricks up his sleeve.
He might've missed getting inside the craft, but that didn't mean he couldn't stick the landing. No pun intended.
Naruto Flash Stepped upwards in mid-air, using the added momentum to nearly touch the bottom of the Razorback, and he flipped as he closed in, a cast of Surface Walk sticking his feet to the bottom of Skyhawk.
He almost lost his footing as the Daedalus fired again, but he managed to maintain it, stepping around the hull and climbing inside, much to the surprise of nearly all its occupants.
The blond teen flopped on his back aboard the Skyhawk, letting out a strained laugh.
The rest of Angel slumped into the mesh-like seats.
"Shit, kid, you can't be doing shit like that. Gonna give me a heart attack," Slate muttered, and Liym reached over, patting her commanding officer on the back.
"Relax, L-T. He's all good, we're all good, now we just gotta wait for the General to blast that beasty back to hell."
Pyrrha placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder as he sat up, the two sharing a smile.
"Uh, L-T? That worm thing…" Strong began, and Slate and the others looked out the door to stare at it.
Naruto was up on his feet in an instant, hand coming up grab the nearest railing. "What's it doing?!"
The Shai-Hulud was rearing back, massive burns across its body, the searing stench radiating far enough that even Naruto could smell it from here.
Then it stopped rearing back, and the most indescribably disgusting noise emerged from it as it rocketed forwards, and spat.
Naruto had never seen a giant worm monster spit a ball of acid and earth at a flying fortress before, so this was definitely a first, and it was also something he didn't want to see repeated.
He also never wanted to see the projectile impact against the Daedalus and shred through armor plating and hull like it was a hot knife through something firmer than butter, but still not firm enough to resist a hot knife.
He didn't want to see the Daedalus list as one engine suffered a critical failure, and he didn't want to see one of the massive turrets disconnect from its supports and plunge into Mountain Glenn with a massive crash.
He didn't want to see the turret then explode as its Dust batteries began cooking off, creating an even larger crater, lancing blue energy carving buildings into pieces.
"No…" Slate uttered, eyes wide beneath his helmet as the Daedalus strained to maintain its elevation, engines pushed to their absolute limits as the destroyer began to right itself.
"The Daedalus can't take another hit like that!" Barnes spat out, fingers tapping a stressed beat against his rifle.
Naruto turned to look at the Shai-Hulud once more, and Observed it.
[Shai-Hulud]
[The Devourer]
[Level 75]
[HP: 147,250/446,250]
"It's two-thirds of the way to death!" Naruto shouted. "I might be able to kill it if we can get high enough above it!"
Even Pyrrha glanced at him in shock as he said it, and Naruto knew it was a longshot.
"No, kid. Whatever you're planning, no. You can't kill that thing, I don't care how strong you think you are," Slate said, placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Have faith."
Naruto's head whipped around to stare at the grizzled soldier. "Faith? That thing is about to shred through the Daedalus, you really think faith is going to do anything?"
Slate's grip tightened on his shoulder. "Look. Watch."
So, as much as Naruto didn't want to, he watched.
And the Daedalus stopped listing. In fact, it seemed to level out, panels on the side unfolding.
"Normally, the Daedalus tries to use those plasma batteries to kill anything, because they cause minimal collateral damage," Slate explained. "But now that the big bastard pissed 'em off, I doubt the General cares all that much anymore."
Naruto's eyes widened as the loud sounds of rockets filled the air, adding to the din that was the battlefield, and the two teens watched in awe as a veritable fleet of missiles departed from the side of the Daedalus and curved through the air, impacting in colossal explosions that rocked the very air itself, causing turbulence aboard Skyhawk as plumes of smoke and fire covered where the Shai-Hulud had been.
"Sure, the Daedalus is damaged, but if there's one thing Atlas does, it's never go down without a fight."
Naruto stared in amazement and shock as the final barrage of plasma hit what was left of the writhing, screaming Shai-Hulud, and, finally, it slumped down, dust and rubble kicked up as the ground underneath it collapsed, revealing the Glenn underground to the surface for the first time in years.
Black mist drifted into the sky, wreathing the atmosphere in an eerie personality, and Naruto watched on as the Shai-Hulud died.
[Quest Complete!]
[Operation Kingslayer]
[Defeat the Shai-Hulud.]
[Rewards: 750,000 XP, Skill Book, Title]
Naruto let out a breath of relief that seemed to empty his lungs permanently as he slumped back into a seat, hands hanging limply at his sides.
"Shit, L-T, we haven't had an op like that in years. I feel a decade older, at least," Strong remarked, letting out a relieved laugh.
"Happy seventieth, Strong," Liym remarked, and Strong took a mock-swipe at her head.
Liym was almost too tired to duck out of the way, deciding instead to take the hit directly, making Strong swear as he shook his wrist, having clocked it against her helmet.
Slate paid his subordinates no mind as he placed his other hand against Pyrrha's shoulder.
"You two did good. Impressed me, which is pretty difficult to do. If you don't get extra-credit for this, send your teachers to me, we'll set 'em straight."
Naruto had to laugh at that, and Pyrrha couldn't help but join in.
"I think the conflict of personalities might be a little more deadly that most of your operations, Lieutenant," Pyrrha said between laughs.
Naruto nodded. "Considering how intense Goodwitch can be, I doubt it'd be so easy."
Slate paled. "Goodwitch? Gods, nevermind. I take that offer right back."
Naruto found himself interested, and he could tell that Pyrrha was now on the edge of her seat. "You know the Professor?"
Slate waved his hand back and forth, a so-so motion if ever there was one. "She and the General used to be a couple. Terrifying woman, even more so when the two got into a rather heated argument. Let's just say I learned a few things about where not to put a riding crop-"
Slate didn't get to finish as a voice Naruto was unfamiliar with came over the Skyhawk's internal comms.
"This is Captain Bison, Kilo Actual. White Fang are getting away aboard a train full of explosives, headed for Vale. Any and all units able to respond, do so now. We don't have time to get the Daedalus home, so this is on you. Good luck out there."
Naruto paled as he heard the message, and Slate quickly shouted at the pilot, who began turning the craft towards Vale.
"Can we make it, Skyhawk?"
The pilot gave the biggest, most noncommittal shrug in existence. "We either make it or we don't, Lieutenant. I ain't a fortune teller!"
Slate amended his question. "Can we beat the train?"
This, the pilot had a more concrete answer for. "If the fuel holds up, and we don't plunge into the ground… yes. But you're going to want to hold onto something!"
Slate didn't need to be told twice, and neither did the rest of the Skyhawk's occupants, who all hooked their arms around something quickly, as Naruto watched the engines begin to rotate.
It all clicked with Naruto at that moment. 'The Razorback is a VTOL?!'
Then the Skyhawk doubled its speed towards Vale, and Naruto felt an immense pressure push him back in his seat as the doors closed.
All the while, the only thought that was going through his mind was 'can we make it?'
Ruby was terrified.
So many things had gone wrong, so quickly.
Nora looked as worried as she did, and that spoke volumes. They didn't even know if the other half of their team was alive!
Plus there was AWBN, and her… boyfriend.
It was hard to say, somehow, and even despite her situation she still found herself somewhat giddy at the prospect.
Only to have it stamped down as he mind regained control of her heart and she realised that Naruto could be dead.
And, to top it all off, the White Fang were making an attack on Vale, using the distraction of the giant worm to get a head start.
Then there were the memories of the Shai-Hulud she wished she could purge from her mind. That thing was… horrifying.
So many teeth…
"Ruby!" Nora shouted, getting her leader's attention. "We're nearly there!"
Ruby nodded, climbing to her feet and placing one hand on Crescent Rose to comfort herself.
She banished any memories of the dead Grimm to the back of her mind, she could deal with them later.
She had a job to do, a team to lead.
Well, hopefully.
She shook her head. No sense in despairing, that wouldn't help. She just had to have faith in her sister and Ren, and equally so in AWBN.
They would be fine, they were excellent fighters. Nothing could stop them, not even a massive, seemingly endless horde of Grimm.
A horde that had once been directionless, only for AWBN and RRYN to stir them all up, and the White Fang to give them a path directly to Vale.
Ruby didn't know if they were going to beat the White Fang to Vale, but she was desperately hoping so. The moment they got within communication distance she'd contact Professor Goodwitch and warn her.
Ruby turned to face Apache, who were checking their weapons. Apache-Actual looked to the young girl and gave her a nod, to which Ruby responded likewise, the older woman chambering her rifle with a new round.
"Apache, we're close. LZ might be hot, so be prepared," the pilot said, and Ruby nodded to Nora, who loaded the last grenade into Magnhild.
"Ready when you are, fearless leader!"
Ruby smiled a smile she barely felt.
The door opened, wind whistling past her ears, nearly deafening her, as the engines rotated into their vertical configuration, but Ruby was already jumping, Crescent Rose unfolding as she employed her landing strategy, Nora right behind her.
Apache rappeled out behind them, slower but still trying to keep up as Ruby landed.
Partial relief flooded the veins of the red reaper as she saw three more Razorbacks coming in, five figures leaping out of the open doors, more soldiers rappelling out.
They only had moments to greet each other though, because they hadn't gained any ground on the runaway train, and the courtyard they'd landed in exploded.
From a scientific standpoint, a train was not designed to be used as a battering ram.
This would seem like common sense to most, but it appeared to have simply slipped the minds of the White Fang.
Because the train they'd effectively reconstructed and sent barrelling into Vale at top speed had breached through the courtyard and punched a hole in Vale's considerable defenses.
At the cost of most of the terrorists aboard the train.
It was rare for any member of the White Fang to have Aura, it was almost always only the higher-ups that had it.
Those that had it had survived the initial impact.
Those who didn't, had a chance to survive the initial impact.
Some did, some didn't.
Those who did found themselves suddenly at the mercy of the merciless Grimm that had followed the train.
Blake looked on in horror as a Beowolf with half an arm sticking out from its jaws crawled out of the hole the train had made, red eyes already looking for more to feast upon.
It was greeted by eight Hunters-in-training, twenty soldiers, and a crowd of terrified civilians.
And a blaring siren that sounded out, the klaxon warning all of Vale as to what was happening.
Blake raised Gambol Shroud and fired at the Beowolf, killing it in a few rounds, but she was nowhere near lucky enough for that to be the only Grimm to have followed the train.
A much bigger round impacted a Creep that had popped out next to the Beowolf, and Blake was thankful to have some backup that had actual, legitimate firepower.
Weiss was a great partner, but there was something… unsatisfying, about a lack of firearms in a fight.
As much as she was loathe to admit it, it reminded her of the times she'd fought alongside the White Fang.
Of course, no one in the White Fang used a weapon that fired 12.7 millimeter rounds like Ruby did.
Another, lighter round hit an Ursa in the face, cracking the bone plating and puncturing the flesh beneath, indicating that Pyrrha had joined her, Blake glad to have more assistance.
Ren and Nora approached as well, the boy's SMGs firing bursts of ammo in much the same way hers did, and Nora occasionally fired a grenade down the hole, not doing the structural integrity of the tunnel any favors.
Whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen.
Blake noticed Yang there, too, but as opposed to the rest of them the blonde was staying back, ready for when the swarm became too much for the torrent of bullets, arms raised, fists clenched.
The only one she couldn't see was Naruto.
That had Blake worried, though she would never admit it. If Naruto wasn't there, then there was a chance…
The black-haired Faunus shoved those thoughts out of her mind.
Pyrrha wouldn't look nearly as composed if she'd just lost their leader.
Naruto had something planned.
He always had something planned. It was why he was their leader, she supposed.
Naruto would make his presence known with some kind of new ability, shock everyone, and save the day, typical Naruto stuff.
He'd done it time and time again.
Though usually he had done it by now.
That worry began to creep up into her mind once more.
What if he had gotten hurt, or worse?
Well, actually, now that she thought about it, it wasn't like Naruto could get hurt. It was life or death in the most literal sense for Naruto.
Which didn't do anything to dissuade her worries.
Another round spat out the end of Gambol Shroud as the gun clicked empty, and she quickly ejected the magazine, reaching behind her to grab a fresh one from her belt.
Nothing.
Her hands clasped around air, and she realised that she was out of ammo.
Her partner saved the day once more today, Weiss stepping forward from her place behind her and handing Blake something that looked suspiciously like one of her own magazines, marked with something both familiar and unfamiliar.
Blake took it without question, though, she trusted Weiss implicitly, something that would have made her old self recoil in horror, and loaded it into the gun, waiting for the next target to emerge from the dirt.
"Wait…" Blake began, similarly confused expressions not only on RRYN and AWBN's faces, but on the soldiers as well.
Wasn't there supposed to be a giant horde?
The rattling of the Razorback barely fazed Naruto as he stepped outside the craft, Surface Walk allowing him to stick to it without issue, if somewhat buffeted by the wind that blew past.
"Are you sure about this, Naruto?" Pyrrha asked her partner, a concerned expression on her face.
Naruto could barely hear her over the wind, but got the message regardless. "Yeah, Pyrrha! I need you to tell everyone where I am, in case they assume the worst!"
"Approaching Vale now! Above the line, if you're gonna drop, do it now, kid!" Slate shouted over the noise, and Naruto nodded, dispelling Surface Walk.
Pyrrha and Slate watched Naruto plummet towards the ground, face-first, his frame getting smaller and smaller by the second as the distance they gained grew.
Air blasted past Naruto at speed as he practically skydived towards certain death, the ground beneath him looking particularly hard today.
Something about near-death experiences made Naruto sarcastic and witty, who knew?
Of course, Naruto did have a plan.
Something he had never really considered, a combo that might just work as his new landing strategy.
Sure, he could just Mana Impact into the ground at whatever speed he was going at right now, but that might collapse the entire tunnel that he knew lay beneath him, getting closer with every passing moment.
He needed a quieter, less attention-attracting method of landing, one that didn't sound like the Daedalus crashing down to Remnant.
He Flash Stepped in mid-air once more, in the exact opposite direction his momentum was taking him, and then, just before he landed, he rolled, Rolling Recovery triggering to take the majority of damage as he skidded to a stop, feeling the pain of landing still fire all the way up his legs, sapping a chunk of his considerable Aura.
Without the amount he had, he imagined it would have been far more painful.
But, he'd landed, silently-ish, and without too much trouble.
Now, onto phase two.
Phase two consisted of using Terrakinesis to dig himself into the tunnel.
Something that proved to be remarkably easy.
He'd just misjudged how far ahead he was of the train, and as he fell into the tunnel, he realised that it was about three feet below him, rushing past at an incredible rate.
He grunted in pain as his chest hit the train and he almost rolled off of it, just managing to snag the side of the vehicle-turned-makeshift-weapon before he got dragged underneath it and turned into some kind of Naruto-pâté.
Ignoring that disgusting thought, Naruto pulled himself atop the train, held on for dear life, and waited.
He didn't have to wait long.
The train didn't brake, it didn't screech on the tracks, it just hit, converted all its momentum into kinetic force, and burst into the daylight with a jolt that nearly snapped Naruto's neck from whiplash.
It stunned him, the sheer amount of force. It actually gave him a Stunned status effect, and made him unable to move for a few seconds.
That was something that had never happened before.
Naruto was quick to his feet once it had worn off though, wrenching open the hatch atop the train car he'd been on, which had thankfully remained upright, and dropping inside.
A car full of dead Faunus was not what he wanted to drop into, of course, but that was what he got, and he barely avoided puking as the sight greeted him.
Necks and limbs bent at odd angles, cracked skulls leaking blood slowly against the far wall. No survivors.
A sacrifice that ultimately meant nothing.
Naruto didn't dwell on it, pushing on through, his search renewed as he recovered his thoughts.
Somewhere in here, was going to be someone who survived, someone important, someone that he would not allow to escape.
Roars echoed through the tunnel as he broke open the door and pushed onto the exterior of the train once more, planning on investigating the next train car.
Okay, so he had a delay to his plan.
'Think of it as Phase 2-B, Naruto.'
Phase 2-B consisted of Naruto using whatever he could to take cover as the first wave pushed past him, ignoring his faint scent in favor of the much more delicious smelling scent of fresh civilians and bleeding terrorists that were further down the tunnel.
He let them pass, he knew his friends would handle it on their end. He wouldn't let them handle the whole horde, though.
The moment he thought the coast was clear, he stepped out of his cover and placed one hand on the wall of the tunnel, smooth concrete worn and chipped with age, splintered with cracks from the recent impact.
He pushed his Mana into it, willing it to obey, and as Terrakinesis took hold, he began the tedious process of sealing the tunnel with the thickest barrier he'd ever constructed, out of the hardest stone he could manage to compress.
It was slow going, incredibly slow, and he found himself having to stop at least once to kill a Grimm that had gotten too close, but they became fewer and farther between as he sealed more, the smaller Grimm becoming the only ones that could pass through the only spot that was unsealed as of current.
It was because of these smaller Grimm that he was struggling to seal the wall completely.
He couldn't take the time to seal it completely as if he did, he'd crush a Grimm within the wall, and it would defeat the structural integrity of the wall.
At the same time, if he didn't, Grimm would just continue to pour through, and effectively make the wall pointless.
An idea occurred to him then, a solution presenting itself quickly. Whether it was because he was becoming more in tune with his semblance or if it was because of the recent boost to his INT and WIS, he didn't know, and he wasn't willing to delve into that line of thought at that moment.
Mana Field sprung from his other hand, pushing the scrabbling forces of darkness back as he closed in on the gap, using the projected Mana to force the Grimm back as he quickly began using Terrakinesis to finish his barrier.
He couldn't hold it for long, though, so he was thankful it didn't take too much time to finish, and he let out a pant as he dispelled his control over both spells, leaning against the new wall.
It wouldn't hold forever, he knew that, but it was enough for now, until Vale and Atlas could clear the tunnel out completely and repair both ends. Or collapse the entire tunnel so Grimm couldn't get in in the first place.
Whatever Vale would decide to do wasn't important to him now, though, so he pushed through the lingering exhaustion he was beginning to feel, thankful it wasn't the true Exhaustion status effect.
He still had a survivor to find, and possibly imprison.
Crocea Mors in hand, he began walking towards the train cars, wary of any enemies that may have used his distractedness to prepare an ambush, not that he truly expected any to.
Anyone that was able to stand and fight was still not going to be in the best shape, and he had plenty of reinforcements waiting for him outside, with their only method of escape being to head towards them.
Naruto had thought this through at least a little, to his credit.
This wasn't like his initiation. He wasn't caught off guard, or confused. He was prepared. Ready.
He grabbed the door handle for the next train car and wrenched it open, the flickering light-bulb adding to the eerie atmosphere that really helped give the carriage full of more broken Faunus corpses the kind of horror-movie vibe that Naruto was really not a fan of.
Had they just not expected the impact to be so… jarring?
Had they even expected an impact?
Something was… wrong. Something didn't add up.
Naruto decided to go for the next car, only to have the door to it thrown open in front of him, a bloodied, beaten Fang member climbing out, his mask cracked and missing pieces.
And a giant chainsaw in his hand.
Naruto was on guard instantly, sword pointing at the man, but he simply coughed up blood and threw his helmet aside, slumping to the ground.
"Get it over with, human. Kill me."
Naruto was taken aback. "Kill you? What?"
The Faunus's eyes were intense as he glared into Naruto's own. "Do it, human. Or someone else will. At least let it be someone who doesn't want to make it last."
Naruto was still wary of the Faunus man, but he placed his sheath on his belt, free hand warily checking the man for injuries.
"I said kill me!" The man roared, his free hand grasping Naruto's arm with a ferocious grip, pulling him closer. "I won't become some animal for Atlas to use, boy!"
Naruto pulled back, the grip on his arm loosening as the terrorist coughed up more blood.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, surprise etched into his face.
The terrorist spat to the side. "Atlas will take me, torture me, call it 'interrogation'. Then, when they're done with me, they'll pass me off to the SDC, and I'll become their labour animal, their slave. No rights, no freedom. Just a lifetime in the mines, never to see the sun again. Kill me, boy. I deserve that much at least."
Naruto shook his head frantically, even as he continued to check for injuries. "I can't. I need to know what happened."
The man grimaced. "You want to know, boy? You want to get roped into this?"
Naruto nodded. "I have to."
The Faunus let out a grunt of pain. "Fine. The one who's responsible for all this, the person in charge of Torchwick, in charge of Taurus, it's C-"
His voice failed him, and he couldn't speak. The answer was on his lips, and Naruto watched on in abject horror as the thin blade left his neck, blood spurting from the wound like water from a burst pipe.
It coated the short woman that stood next to him, her white and pink visage becoming irrevocably stained red, and yet she didn't flinch, didn't shy away from it, she didn't pay it any attention.
Because her eyes, her heterochromic eyes, they stared into Naruto's very soul.
She shook her head very slowly, a demure smile on her face, someone else's blood dripping down over her whole body.
A finger came up to her lips, the single index finger placed against the softness that was as equally coated in red, and she disappeared as fast as she had appeared, leaving only the fear that she brought with her.
Naruto felt Crocea Mors hit the ground, and he slumped to his knees, eyes wide.
System Mind did nothing to prevent the sobs that threatened to emerge from his throat.
Ruby had been the first one into the tunnel after Pyrrha had said that was where Naruto was.
She hadn't even waited for the rest of them, though with Blake and Weiss being somewhat distracted with their detainment of Torchwick, that was to be expected of them.
She'd just shot off into the tunnel, uncaring of what might happen. Naruto was down there, and he might need help, she'd thought.
She'd never seen a dead body before, though. She knew it would happen eventually, of course, and both her father and her uncle had done their best to help her prepare for the horrors that Remnant had in store for her with her chosen career, but still, words could only help so much.
It was a morbid thought that it didn't bother her nearly as much as she'd thought it would when she was much younger, but she had a more important person on her mind, and as hopped up on adrenaline and worry as she was, it wasn't enough to delay her.
But then the tunnel had more.
Corpses of Faunus littered the tunnel like it had been the site of some kind of mass suicide. Snapped necks, broken, bent limbs, missing pieces, blood and viscera all over the place indicated against that, but still, in a way, it kind of was a mass suicide.
Still, Ruby pushed onwards. Naruto wasn't one of the corpses, thankfully, so that meant he was further down the track.
Considering the light dimmed the further she got, the occasional flickering light of whatever bulbs had survived or a bit of flame from the crash would have to do illumination-wise, but it didn't bother her. It meant she didn't see what she was stepping past.
And then she found Naruto.
Conflicting emotions sprung up in her, a swirling mix of fear, relief, terror and a thousand other unnamed feelings flowing around like she'd been plunged into a melting-pot of emotion.
Naruto was on his knees, staring unblinkingly at the corpse in front of him, his sword on the ground next to him, a massive wall behind him.
And Naruto was absolutely covered in blood, dripping from head to toe.
"Naruto! Naruto!" Ruby shouted, trying to get his attention.
Naruto's eyes moved, just enough to meet Ruby's own, and he looked like he was struggling to breathe.
"Naruto, are you okay?" She asked, sliding to her knees in front of him, hands clasping his own shaking ones.
"I was too slow."
This confused Ruby. "Naruto, what are you talking about?"
His eyes moved back to the corpse, staring back at him in surprise. "I was too slow. I couldn't save him."
Ruby released his hands and grasped his head, tilting it so he had to meet her eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Naruto. They're terrorists, they made the decision themselves. No one would blame you."
The words felt hollow to Ruby the moment she said them, but to Naruto, they seemed to mean something.
"I was so close. So close."
Ruby leaned in to hug him, uncaring about what he was covered in. "Close to what, Naruto?"
"The truth."