Chapter 42– A few days after Grimmwater's events, Cherry and Alizar are severely reprimanded by their comrades. After apologizing, they are sent across Remnant to search for the remaining Eldergrimm tombs.
A month later, we find team RWBY on a plane to Atlas for Weiss' visit to Dr. Polendina while a group of faunus under Grey Fenris attacks a strange facility in Aegis Forest owned by CC- Carmel Communications.
Chapter 43– After a small fight with Yang, Weiss visits Winter's grave to vent her troubles and sorrow.
She finds Whitley there and has a small talk, where he tells her that the cause for her sadness is not her eye loss, but her becoming aware of her vulnerability. She proves him right later, by refusing the operation.
At the same time, Sophia Carmel and her two right hand men, Perros and Wenge, receive a tape where Grey reveals he knows of the cult's existence and demands them to bring him Azure's concoction to the captured facility in Aegis Forest.
Chapter 44– Blake joins Ilia in meeting Carlo Custard, a faunus working for Grey. He informs them of Fenris' turn to the occult after talking to a strange man called Dahlias and their capture of Carmel's facility.
After Yang and Weiss have a heart-to-heart talk, RWBY forms a plan of action. Ruby has to return to Vale, but she asks the others to infiltrate Carmel's upcoming ball, hoping to find a lead to the cult's activities.
Chapter 45– A few days later,Blake, Yang and Weiss, excessively dressed, attend Sophia Carmel's ball. They meet lots of upper-class citizens, Jacques Schnee included, and Robyn Hill, now a councilwoman.
They mingle with the guests trying to fish for information, unaware that Sophia has been spying on them all along and is having preparation to face them head-on.
Chapter 46– Escorted by Alex and Albus, Ruby returns to Mantle. They find out that the three girls have been missing since the ball two days ago and that an unknown person has been using Yang's scroll to send Ruby fake texts.
They visit Robyn Hill in the Happy Huntresses HQ. The woman validates their appearance at the ball and agrees to join them in asking Sophia Carmel for additional clues and infiltrate Carmel Mansion if necessary.
Despite a lot of surprising resistance from Peros and the guards, they manage to find out that a trap had been set for Weiss, Yang and Blake. The elderly man denies it, but is forced to talk by Robyn's semblance
Chapter 47– We flash back to the ball. Weiss, pestered by partygoers is trying to defend her choices against her condescending father. Her save comes in the face of stunning Sophia Carmel who reprimands the man.
After some time without progress, Weiss isolates Sophia. They talk for a while, until the CEO uses a strange power to manipulate her and have her lure Yang and Blake in the garage. There, she captures them both by using the same power again to put them to sleep without resistance.
Chapter 48– Carlo is found out by Gray and tortured for betraying him. After he kills Carlo, the wolf faunus commands his henchmen to move and only leave a small group behind for defense.
Sophia is leading a strike team to the facility in Aegis. Weiss is brought along, her spirit crumbling after Sophia tells her of her mind-controlling semblance and how she has arranged for Yang, Blake and Ruby's death.
Unknowingly to them, Ilia has freed Yang and Blake, subdued Sophia's men and they have now engaged the group sent by Fenris to kill them.
Chapter 49– Weiss is being tortured by sorrow and Sophia's semblance. After she succumbs, she joins the strike force as they use a secret path to reach the facility and ambush Fenris' forces.
They find butchered corpses that have been killed by Grimm. Exploring the facility, they come across Carlo's remains and realize that Fenris has used him to summon a horrible skeletal Grimm; the Valkraghast. Before they can formulate a plan, the monster appears and attacks them.
Chapter 50– Blake, Ilia and Yang defeat Fenris men. They discover that Sophia never sent Azure's concoction for the trade and discuss what to do with their captives, as rescuing Weiss is their top priority.
Their plans are thwarted by the sudden attack of a Wendigo-like Grimm with the ability to manipulate vines and branches. It viciously massacres everyone but the three girls, who barely manage to run away from it.
Chapter 51– Sophia's group is killed one-by-one by the Valkraghast. As they try to escape, Weiss comes up with a plan. They lure it out in the open and then she manages to skewer it with the help of the guards.
They find a few survivors. Sophia asks to kill them all but one, but Weiss shaves off her control and attacks her. She is subdued by Wenge and, in a burst of fury Sophia forces her to kill all the captives on her own.
She is then locked in a room, with the surviving faunus, Kendrick, who is also Carlo's best buddy. The man thanks her for trying to help them and shares with information about Fenris' latest occult activities.
Chapter 52– Sophia interrogates Kendrick and mentally torments Weiss before she receives update on the need for repairs the facility has. She then instructs two of her men to fix the antenna, before she dozes off.
Outside the forest, Ruby, Alex and Albus meet with Mathew Moose, a faunus woodcutter. The man forces them to spend some time in his cabin, explaining that a powerful blizzard is about to fall on the forest.
Making haste in the forest, Yang Blake and Ilia find a ruined house to pass the blizzard. They gather their thoughts and try to ease their worries about Weiss' condition, as well as the mysterious stag Grimm's.
Chapter 53– The three girls spend some time recovering their strength and reaffirming their purposes. They are suddenly interrupted as they try to leave, by a long-forgotten to them sound of skittering legs.
The same sound attacks Moose's hut. Ruby realizes they are Arachneas; spider-like Grimm that make nests and infest abandoned places. Moose mentions an abandoned altar as they get ready to fight off the threat.
Meanwhile, Weiss is slowly falling prey to her despair. Kendrick gives her a stern pep talk and convinces her to at least try fight the numbing sensation off. He reveals he intends to escape and asks for her help.
Chapter 54– Ruby's group takes down the Arachneas with relative ease, as they use the cabin to their advantage. Blake's group has a tougher time and they are forced to run deeper into the blizzard-struck forest.
Sophia Carmel dreams of her mother's funeral and how she met Bistre Woodrock in it- the man who invited her to the cult. She wakes up, only for her to see the blizzard and the Stag-head Grimm strike the facility.
Chapter 55– Weiss and Kendrick use the ventilation shafts to escape. As they see Wenge's men being eaten by Grimm, they step in and barely save the man, before they go back to help his comrades as well.
Fenris and his people find traces of Blake's team and follow it into the forest. At the same time, the girls discover eerie monoliths surrounded in webs. They get attacked by a massive Arachnea Behemoth but, with Yang's immense efforts, they manage to defeat it and move on.