Note: Well...it's here. The end. Or at least, the beginning of it. We don't really know what to say that we haven't already said a thousand times over. There were quite a few times that we honestly thought we'd never get to this point, that we would give up on this story and abandon it. Yet, here it is. The final battle. How is it going to end? Is Team RWBY going to be able to stop the Grimm? What's going to happen with Yin and Yang? Are we going to end this on a massive cliffhanger that will disappoint everyone, or kill everyone and make it super fucking depressing? We think it's pretty obvious, but then again, we thought it was obvious how the conflict between Weiss and Blake ended and no one actually predicted that correctly, so who knows? All we know is that Volume 8 just ended on a massive depressing cliffhanger, which is our schtick! Ending things with sad cliffhangers is like literally every chapter of this story. Those bastards at Roosterteeth are trying to out-depress us. Nice try.

So, yeah, nothing really more to say. Feel free to leave a comment or, if you want to yell at us on Discord, you can do so at GodSaveTheKings#6799. We don't have a Twitter so don't bother. Also, our other RWBY fanfiction, Yang's Eternal Hotness, is coming to an end soon as well, which means that our time in this fandom is basically coming to an end completely. After you finish reading this-the best RWBY fanfiction-make sure to check out that story-the worst RWBY fanfiction-as well. It's absolute trash...intentionally this time! Also, hope you liked the April Fools' Day chapter. Maybe we'll make an Aqua-centered spin-off someday that's just her complaining about things.

Okay, that's really it for us. We probably aren't going to leave many more author notes anymore, and we'll just be uploading chapters of the finale as they finish. Hopefully, it won't take eons. Thank you for coming on this journey with us. It's been fun. Enjoy.

Two young women walked down the streets of the City of Vale, each carrying a black case by their side. One, draped in a thick white coat, kept her pace steady and her spine straight, poised even in the face of her overwhelming responsibility. The other looked up at the sky from beneath the ridge of her bright red hood, musing quietly to herself. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and without any indication of a winter breeze, it was the warmest it had been in Vale in a long time. Of all the days to die, she was glad they picked one that felt nice.

The city seemed more alive than usual. Ruby couldn't tell if it was the gentler weather, or if it was just the right time of day to see people out. It was close to nine; most people probably would have already been to work or lagging behind hoping to snag a few extra minutes off the clock. Most of the people that passed by them were wearing suits and cast them funny glances. Most of them—thank God—were walking away from them. A few headed in their direction, though, toward the center, shoving their way past as they were eager to make it to work. Ruby wished that she could warn them. Stay at home. Call in sick. Whatever it took, just don't be there. She knew they wouldn't believe her, so she bit her tongue and focused on the task ahead of her. Hopefully, none of them would ever know what they did for them.

Blake gave them the rough location, and it didn't take Ruby very long to find it. There was something comical about it, ending it all in the same place that she began. When they walked up to the dust shop and stood in the frame beneath its sign, Weiss just shrugged, her lips firmly pressed together so as to not quiver. Ruby felt something heavy on her shoulders and took the deepest breath of her life.

"So, this is the place?" Weiss said. She glanced over her shoulder. Across the street, resting in an unassuming shadow that no one dared cross, was a thin alleyway marked with graffiti and trash. She could hardly imagine that under such a boring place, deep within the earth, was something so evil and impure. Her grip tightened on her case.

"Yeah. This is it," Ruby said, studying her surroundings. She expected some level of security, but there was no one in sight. No Faunus. No Glass. Blake said that there wouldn't be anything there to stop them. Glass's recruits were elsewhere, helping Adam escape. She was likely alone in the chamber with the Grimm. That meant it would be a simple, straight shot to their target. Ruby knew she was supposed to be happy with that. Fewer opponents to fight. Fewer risks of failing. Yet, she only felt her dread growing. They would have to fight the Grimm immediately. No more stalling.

"Okay," Weiss said as if sensing her teammate's hesitation. "I guess it's time to do this."

"Yeah. I guess it is," Ruby said simply. She didn't need to say anything else to Weiss. They understood the risks well enough. All that was left to do was to finish their mission and hope that Blake would finish hers. After checking both ways, they crossed the street and carefully entered the alleyway. It took only a few steps for them to reach the doorway. It was exactly as Blake described it. Large, metal, up a broken stone step and rusted to the point of abuse. Ruby tried to see if she could feel anything rumbling beneath her, any indication that the Grimm dwelled beneath. There was nothing. "Weapons out, Weiss. Let's do this."

They placed their cases on the floor, and as they unpacked their weapons, Weiss couldn't help but wander her gaze back to her girlfriend. That term, girlfriend, felt so weird to her. They hadn't done anything physical. No kisses. No hugs. Hell, they never even held hands. They hadn't spoken about it since their conversation yesterday, nor had they ever discussed the nature of their relationship out loud. It was only in the little moments they recognized it within each other: the occasional flush of their cheeks, the sideways glances, and the gentler ways they referred to one another. It had been less than a day since they cemented anything, and the truth was that they didn't really have the time. They had a city to save. The idea that they were likely to die only further drove Weiss forward. She wanted to be with Ruby, not merely in the shadow of a romance that she had now, but truthfully and fully. She knew that if she died now, she would never get that chance. She had to live past this day. She had spent her whole life being deprived of anything meaningful—she sure as hell wasn't going to let the world take anything else from her.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid, though. Everyone was counting on her. If something went wrong—if she panicked, got injured, somehow forgot how to summon—then she couldn't begin to imagine the carnage that would lie in front of her. She had practiced summoning over and over since she figured it out. She was mostly confident that she could do it. All it took was a clear mind. Her mind was anything but clear, unfortunately. What she wouldn't give to have a few more days to practice. It wasn't lost on her that she only managed to summon once she came out, and there was maybe some small ironic humor to be found there. If only she wasn't such a lovestruck coward, then maybe Humanity would have had a greater chance for survival. She supposed it was too late for regrets. Better to fight with a clear head and all that.

With her weapon in hand, she looked to Ruby for approval. Her leader nodded and together they pressed their backs close against the alley wall. The last thing they needed was for someone to come out and see them. Blake had given them the layout of the place. There were only three rooms. A main dining room just beyond the metal door, a staircase, and then finally, the chamber beneath. They had to assume the worst—that once they opened that door, they would have to fight off half a dozen of Adam's sympathizers and Mrs. Glass herself. Weiss looked at the tip of her blade, sharp and glistening in the morning light. She had one half of a good arm, a searing, bandaged claw wound on her side, and a blistering, lingering headache. Despite all of that, she was going to have to make that sword dance through flesh. It had been with her for so long that it almost felt like a part of her, another chunk of metal and machinery to add to the cybernetic parts within her. She had an instinct to grab her pendants and say a prayer before battle, but she realized that was no longer possible. She didn't mind. It was better that way. The Gods were never going to help her win this fight. It was just something she would have to do on her own.

Ruby locked eyes with Weiss, and with a silent nod, they readied themselves for their attack. Weiss moved to oppose the door, facing down the metal like it was her first true opponent, while Ruby carefully draped the edge of her scythe over the handle. She placed her fingers on the trigger and steadied her trembling hands. She heard nothing from inside the door, but couldn't tell if that meant they were alone or the metal was blocking out the noise. Either way, she was about to find out. She made sure Weiss was ready, and then silent mouthed:

Three.

Two.

One.

Ruby pressed the trigger, and the scythe blade pulled back hard, slicing clean through the doorknob and separating it from the rest of the metal. A black gravity glyph materialized on the door, and Weiss charged forward into it, blasting it forward into the room. The metal slammed against the opposite wall as Weiss and Ruby dashed into the entranceway, weapons drawn, ready to face down anyone that dared to get in their way.

The stalling would last a little longer, though. The room was empty.

Weiss and Ruby nervously looked at each other and lowered their guards. It was exactly as Blake said. The room itself was some crude facsimile of what a normal apartment was supposed to look like. Some standard features were there, like a dining room table and chairs and a fridge that was barren of food, but otherwise, it seemed quite ghastly and ancient, like something that would be displayed in a museum. Ruby didn't understand what kind of mind would make something like that. If they wanted a convincing decoy to avoid undesired attention, why bother making it so unlike an actual apartment? And if it was just there to do nothing, why even have any furniture at all? The whole room, in its dull grey color and the outdated furniture, sent more of a chill down Ruby's spine than the actual oncoming battle with the Grimm. She tried not to get too distracted by it.

"There it is," Weiss said, motioning to the other door. According to Blake's intel, it would lead directly down into the dark room where the Grimm was being held. Ruby didn't hear any noises coming from there either, which meant that their dramatic entrance had fortunately gone unnoticed. She gritted her teeth and approached it cautiously. Weiss held her sword at the ready while Ruby grabbed at the handle. To her surprise, the door opened right up without any resistance. She looked through the opening and saw only a dark, descending staircase that seemed to go on forever. A strong breeze hit her from within, and with a heavy sigh, she slung Crescent Rose over her shoulder.

"Well," she stated, "I guess there's nowhere else to go but down."

There was a line in the City of Vale commonly known as the 6th Borough Cross. Gentrified between races, it was the exact street separating the five major districts of Vale from the singular locality, Gotral, that held most of the city's Faunus population. The street carved the entire southwest portion of the city away, and to the unprepared, stepping across the street acted like a portal into another world. From the sullen apartments, any Faunus could look out and see the massive skyscrapers of the financial district towering over them and practically feel the rich and powerful of Vale looking down at them. There was no physical boundary between the districts, but the street itself functioned as a barrier that no one dared to approach on either side, shamed of seeing those who dwelled elsewhere from them. The police were typically restricted to patrolling on either side, leaving the long road as the perfect place to avoid the cops' unwanted attention.

It was the perfect meeting spot. The van was parked firmly along the side of the abandoned road. Two Faunus waited in the vehicle, while another six hung around its sides, keeping their eyes firmly on their clocks. One more Faunus—a large man with bright red fur and two remnants of horns sticking out of his head—simply sat on the curb, looking up at the skyscrapers with a furrowed brow. Those towers were everything he ever hated about Vale. How much labor had gone into constructing those monuments to corporate greed? The amount of money wasted was probably sickening. He absentmindedly rested her palm upon the handle to the sword that was dangling from his hip. If he had the chance, he would have personally seen it to slice apart every asshole in those buildings—but that wasn't what fate had in store for him on that day. That work was set to be done for something else. He was just waiting for his ride…and his partner.

Adam saw her coming before the others. She cut it close, appearing down the street almost at the exact hour they were set to depart. She was in no hurry, walking with a tepid stride that betrayed her determined gaze. Adam rose to meet her as the other Faunus perked up. He waited for her to approach him, and when she was eventually in earshot, he held his arms out wide.

"I almost thought you weren't going to make it."

Blake stared Adam down. She kept several feet away from him and the others. She tried to see if she recognized any of them, but they all looked unfamiliar to her. They were the allies he had been communicating with while she was gone? They didn't look very tough, but looks were easily deceiving. The simple fact that she didn't know them at least made her job easier—though hardly unbitter.

"I couldn't miss this if I wanted to," she quipped back. Adam took a bold step toward her but stopped as he was able to get a closer look. From afar she seemed normal, but he could begin to make out the damage that she had received from her fight with Weiss. She seemed in pain whenever she breathed, trying to hide it behind a sneer, and a thin scar had formed on her cheek from where Weiss's sword kissed her skin. He shook his head and sighed.

"Damn. That Schnee girl really did a number on you," he mused.

Blake responded automatically. "You should see what I did to her."

Adam snickered. "Oh, I already know. I wouldn't expect anything less from you." Blake's jaw clenched. She tried her hardest not to react as Adam casually waved her toward the car. "Come on. I want to get out of the Kingdom before the attack starts."

Adam's first indication that something wasn't right came when Blake didn't move. She was planted firmly on the chipped, frigid sidewalk, staring him down in front of an abandoned apartment complex that looked like it could collapse at any minute. The building's resolve was weaker than hers, and Adam, curious and confounded, waved her toward him again. Instead of following his commands, however, she spoke.

"Do you really want this?" she asked pointedly.

Adam awkwardly glanced behind him. His relationship with the other Faunus was less personal than with his comrades at Gunhound. They were aligned only by their ambition and common enemies, and they had gone out of their way to do him a favor. Anything less than a fulfillment of their mission was wasting time, and he could feel their annoyed glares as Blake held him up for no reason.

"What? I don't even know what that means."

"A lot of innocent people are going to die, Adam," Blake said sternly. "Hundreds. Thousands. Is this really the way forward?"

Adam pursed his lips. "Belle, you know if there was another way—"

"There's always another way."

"Not this time. You know that," he said with a grunt. "We've run out of time. Any day now, you know they are going to try to come for us. People are going to suffer if we don't—"

"If we don't what? Sick a monster into the middle of a city?" Blake challenged him. "Adam, you know that deep down, this is crazy. It's sick. This isn't going to liberate anyone. All the Grimm is going to do is hunt and kill until there is nothing left to stop it. You're the smartest person I know, so surely you know that this isn't going to work."

Adam grimaced. He didn't know where this was all coming from, but the fact that she was challenging him, here of all places in front of his own allies, made his blood boil. "Look, this is what we have to do. If you aren't happy, we can talk about it on our way back to Gunhound. I know you'll come around if you—"

"No, Adam." Blake's words cut deep. Adam froze in shock as she stared him down, firm in her resolve. "I'm not letting you run away from this."

Adam tried to find the words to fight back but found himself speechless. A Faunus called out to him from behind.

"Yo, Adam! What's the hold-up?"

Adam disregarded his ally's comments, and instead let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh.

"Belle…look. I don't know what's come over you all of a sudden, but I think you're acting a little emotionally here."

"Emotional?" Blake huffed. "Nah. My mind's clearer than ever."

"W-What is this?" Adam tried to dismiss her. "Are you trying to bully me into staying? To do what exactly? Fight…you want me to what, fight that thing? Is that what's happening here? I don't get it. What do you want?"

"What do I want?" Blake asked with a slight shrug. "I'm just trying to make things right. That's all."

"Oh, what the…is this an act? Am I being pranked or something?" he rolled his eyes. "Belle, seriously, stop fucking playing and get in the car. I don't want a cop showing up and arresting us because you're too stupid to know when to stop monologuing. This is what you do constantly, by the way. All of this back and forth conscience shit. Don't give me this act like you suddenly care about what happens to these fucking people. You've never given a shit about anyone."

Blake knew he was right. That was maybe the most bitter pill to swallow at all. Adam knew her well. She had given every ounce of herself to him, divulging every secret, every fantasy, and desire to him all at his commands. When he said she didn't care about anyone, he was relying on years' worth of experience. She had been careless, brutal, and unforgiving, easily disposing of people when they were no longer convenient to her. She gave up her mom, her idol, and in the end, the closest friend that she ever had, all because she had accepted the idea that all she could ever do was harm others. She burned those bridges so badly they would never be repaired no matter how hard she tried. And yet, despite all that, she was here, staring down the one man who had guided her down that path and thrived from the division she caused. She made a promise that she was going to be better, a promise sworn in tears and blood in the falling snow. The old Belle Kataliana would have broken that promise without a second thought, but that woman was dead. Blake Belladonna was going to be the best damn person she could be, even if she didn't have very long left to be it.

Adam, frustrated at his girlfriend's defiance, shook his head and began walking back to the car. "Fuck this. Whenever you decide to stop acting like a dumbass, you can come and sit and we can—"

His footsteps were interrupted by the sound of a sword unsheathing from his holster, and he was forced to turn around when Blake forcefully called to him.

"Don't you dare take another step."

The other Faunus immediately drew their weapons. Knives. Guns. Adam's hand moved toward his sword, but he stopped himself before he did anything rash. He quietly hissed in displeasure and forced through a smile as Blake's repaired sword was aimed toward his head.

"Are you seriously doing this?"

Blake tilted her blade, calm and collected as she stared daggers through him. "Yeah. I'm doing this."

Adam looked up at the sky, scratching his head. "Oh, for the love of—"

"I'm not letting you run away from this," Blake said determinedly.

"So…so what?" Adam said, daring her to move. "You're going to fight me? Me? I mean, really?"

"Only if I have to," Blake warned him. "You can come with me peacefully and stop Glass. I really don't want to hurt you."

"Oh, and then what?" he challenged her. "Are you going to turn me into the police? Send the Huntsmen after me?"

Blake narrowed her gaze. "If I have to."

Adam's cool smile faded into a jaded sneer. His hand tightened over the grip of his weapon. She didn't know if he really had it in him to kill her. She didn't know if she could really kill him. The other Faunus? Sure. There was nothing personal between them. But Adam? She couldn't help but think of all the days and nights they had spent together. She thought she would end up spending eternity with him, either living in peace in the new world they created or executed when they refused to kneel in defeat. Even if they were now enemies, she would do whatever it took to avoid killing him. There was still that spark in his eyes that she found so appealing and had drawn her across the world with him. She had been prepping herself for this fight for days, but even now, she couldn't imagine watching that spark die out.

She would do what she had to, though. That was all that mattered. Blake pulled back her sword, ready to drive it forward. The others aimed their weapons, yet Adam stood exactly as he was, unsure if he was going to fight.

Until he heard a voice laughing at him above.

"I told you she would betray you."

Blake nearly dropped her sword in shock. The voice was strikingly familiar, cracked yet bored and monotone. Blake looked up to where a fire escape hung over her head from the old apartments, and she quickly made out the form of a woman lounging casually along the steps. Dressed in a long scarlet shirt and black tights and gloves, she looked almost normal save for the three masks layered over her face and the thick glass-heeled feet that tapped patiently against the metal railing, clanging out with every impact. Her golden eyes looked down at Blake with disdain, and though Blake couldn't see past her masks, she could hear the deep, gloating satisfaction in her voice.

"I said it a hundred times, and yet you insisted that she would be loyal," Mrs. Glass groaned. "This is why I'm sending you away, you know. I doubt I could trust you with anything more important."

Blake tried to remain calm as Glass casually stood up and stretched herself out. How long had she been lying there? Better question: why was she laying there? She was supposed to be with her creation, preparing for the attack on the Embassy. Glass seemed to bask in Blake's confusion, placing one foot on the edge of the railing and then casually hoisting herself up and over, flipping in midair to land gracefully on the sidewalk below. The Faunus that followed her lowered their weapons, and Adam bowed his head fearfully as Glass approached him. She turned her back to Blake, and Blake didn't even consider trying to shoot her while she was vulnerable. She knew that striking now wouldn't get here anything but a quick and merciless death.

"I'm actually amazed," Glass continued, taunting him. "How long do you think she was planning on betraying you? During her mission? When she met the Grimm? Or maybe she had been thinking of sticking the knife in your back for a long time. You were so confident in your hold over her, and what did that get you? She's exactly what I thought she was: a traitor to her own people."

Blake gritted her teeth. "Tough words from a genocidal maniac."

"Oh?" Glass mused. "Am I wrong? You threatened to turn Adam into the police. After all that's happened to our poor Adam at the hands of those bastards, you really want to send him back into their custody."

Blake knew the words weren't directed towards her. They were motivation for the Faunus by her side. She wanted them to know why they hated her. That extra push may have been the difference between her life and her death.

"Hey!" Blake yelled toward the others. "You really want to listen to her? That Grimm she made isn't going to stop at the Humans. Once she thinks we're no longer useful, she'll make it come for us. The Faunus don't benefit from this."

Maybe she was making a point. Maybe she wasn't. It was so hard to read the faces of people she had only just met. She knew they had to be afraid though. They knew about the Grimm. That was enough to horrify anyone. It was a long shot, but if she could just sway a few of them, it would make her life so much easier. Glass was quick to nip those hopes in the bud.

"Why the hell should anyone listen to you?" Glass asked. "How long did it take for you to betray your values? Four months in Human skin, and suddenly you are willing to side with the Humans. The Huntresses. The Schnees. One little taste of privilege was all it took. Now you want to protect the world that has done everything in its power to hold your people down."

Adam growled. His hand wavered over his sword. He was thinking about it. Blake could see it plain as day on his face. He never took her disobedience well, and Glass knew exactly what buttons to push to make him mad enough to hurt her more than he thought he wanted to.

"Adam, do not fucking listen to her," Blake warned him.

"He'll to whoever he wants to," Glass said tiredly. "I mean, you came all this way to fight him. It would be disappointing to let him off now. But, then again…" Glass carefully turned around and smiled at Blake beneath her mask. "We all know this is just the distraction, right?"

Blake's expressions betrayed her surprise. No…she couldn't…

"Did you really think you were going to get one over on me?" Glass asked sweetly. "You think you've found a way to kill my baby, haven't you? I thought you might try something to stop me."

Blake couldn't hide the quivering in her voice. "What…what did you—"

"Oh, nothing major," Glass sighed. "I just figured…the early bird gets the worm."

The chamber door opened and Ruby and Weiss stormed inside, ready for the fight of their lives. Ruby cocked her sniper. Weiss summoned three glyphs behind her. They stared into the darkness.

Except there was nothing there. No Grimm. No Glass. No bodies.

Nothing.

Ruby lowered her weapon. "W-What? Where is it?"

Weiss squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the darkness. "Blake said this was the place, right?"

Ruby walked further into the chamber, expecting the Grimm to jump out at her at any moment. Yet, no matter how hard she looked, there was nothing. Nothing above in the corners. Nothing in the back. She didn't get it. It wasn't like something that massive could be hidden.

"It has to be somewhere here—ahh!"

While walking in the darkness, Ruby suddenly felt the ground give way beneath her. She quickly began to fall into the pit, but at the last moment, Weiss was able to grab onto her hand and pull her back to safety.

"I got you!" Weiss said hurriedly, holding Ruby close. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks." Ruby took a moment to catch her breath, thankful for Weiss's help before she turned and looked down into where she had nearly fallen. At first, she only saw more of the blackness of the room, no different from anything else.

Then, she saw it. It was hidden by the poor lighting, deep in the back of the room where the shadows were thickest. But now that she was standing right there, she could see it clearly: a tunnel, descending deep into the floor. It was massive, practically as big as the chamber itself, and it carved directly through the stone and concrete beneath the city. Curving deep down and bending up, it seemed to go on forever into the depths of the city. Its edges were rigid, unclean; it wasn't made by any tool that she could think of. Ruby's mind took in everything she was seeing, and within seconds, she realized exactly what it was she was seeing.

She gasped in horror. "Oh no…"

The Atlassian Embassy of Vale.

One of eight main buildings located in Identity Square. Surrounding it: a bank, two corporate headquarters, an advertising firm, a set of spare offices, and a consulate building. The square centered around a single multi-layered fountain, where intersecting pathways and perfectly trimmed hedges guided the thousands of employees to their jobs. It was a bright day. Busy. Just beginning.

Nine o'clock.

A man in a dark brown suit approached the fountain, nervously adjusting his tie. He had a presentation to give his supervisor about a strategy for a new line of toothpaste a client was trying to sell. The words SWOT Analysis had been burned into his brain. Staying up all night preparing hadn't helped his confidence. "Don't worry, Daddy," his four-year-old told him. "You'll do great." If his job was to impress four-year-olds, he might have felt better. Technically, the toothpaste was a children's brand, so he guessed he was trying to impress four-year-olds. What better way to impress a four-year-old than appealing to the sensibilities of a seventy-six-year-old who never had kids and didn't give a damn about his own family. The businessman's briefcase dangled limply from his wrist, containing all of his secrets to success. He doubted they would be good enough though. He needed a healthy dose of luck if he was going to get through the day alive. Rummaging through his pocket, he managed to find a spare coin. It was rusty and small, but he hoped that the Gods of Fate wouldn't mind. He carefully rested the coin on the back of his thumb, and with a heavy sigh, he flicked the coin up into the air. With a disappointed shrug, he watched as the coin descended toward the water, and he almost considered wishing that he just wouldn't have to give the presentation at all that day.

The coin broke the surface of the water—and the ground beneath him suddenly began to shake violently. He stumbled backward, barely able to keep his footing. He heard a few screams from the others around him. Panic. Chaos. An earthquake? He looked at the ground and saw cracks breaking through the payment. The ground seemed to breathe out as the entire floor shifted beneath him, and he swore that he saw something move underneath his feet, rushing toward the fountain. The cracks multiplied and intensified as they raced toward the middle of the square, and then all at once, the trembling stopped and everything became still.

The businessman took a deep breath. He looked around. A few people had fallen over and were being helped back up to their feet. In the surrounding buildings, he could see some silhouettes appear in the windows, checking out to see what had happened. He looked back at the fountain and noticed that the water seemed to stop spraying from the top. The rippling in the water eventually calmed and became flat. All was quiet.

He took a step toward the fountain.

The ground erupted. He was suddenly thrown onto his back as the fountain exploded outward from within, his briefcase flying out of his hand. He smacked his head and grimaced, and looked up only just in time to see the creature arrive. A massive thing broke through the earth: a fifteen-foot serpent, black as shadow and a thick skull-like head, sticking straight up in the air. Rubble and water dripped from its slick surface, and the businessman could only gaze up at it in terror. The serpent looked around, scanning its hunting ground—and then, its head draped down and its two blood-red eyes locked onto the man beneath him. Hungry and in agony, the serpent opened its mouth wide; a single, small coin fell out of its mouth and bounced off the floor next to the man's feet.

Its jaw unhinged, dripping black fluid over the remains of the fountain. A hundred Human screams echoed out from its throat into the square.