It was now 11:48, and every Branwen that stayed behind to fight now could only sit and wait for the oncoming battle whenever it struck that night. Vernal along with 13 others was in the trees, while 18 others were with Jaune, Shay, and Sophia, defending the front gates meanwhile, there were 19 others with Raven, Hawk, and Natasha.

Currently, Jaune and Shay waited up top on the walls along with the men that they had, while Sophia had gone to check the dust supply again.

"Oum this waiting is fucking pissing me off" Shay grumbled

Jaune nodded in understatement, after all, everyone was on edge because no one knew if they were going to survive the night. Jaune could understand them, it was different from raiding villages and fighting a small group of people, a battle like this, tensions and nerves were high, some would die, others would live. Jaune couldn't help but think back to Beacon, everyone fighting for their lives. What's worse, is that the situation would only get more terrible, because whichever side won, they would also have to finish off the Grimm that came because of all the hate and anger that would no doubt go on the battlefield.

"You ever been in a battle like this?" Jaune asked Shay

"No" Shay replied

"I have," Jaune said

"When?" Shay asked

"I went to Beacon remember?" Jaune said

Shay remembered, and he felt dumb for forgetting that the blonde had lived through that night. "Oh, right," Shay said "what was it like? That night?"

Jaune looked at him and sighed, "It was a nightmare" Jaune said "I saw White-Fang attack and kill innocent people, I saw familiar faces of students I passed in the halls buried in rubble or dead or being food for the Grimm... I heard the screaming of people and children, Fire filled the halls, gardens, and grounds" Jaune said

Shay looked at him and saw the look in Jaune's eyes, and as he had said all of that, Jaune looked like he was just staring off into space, so focused on nothing

"I don't know how anyone could be the same after that, even people like us..." Shay said "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to go through something like that"

Jaune looked at him and gave him a soft smile, "thanks, but your right, I doubt anyone that was there is really the same after that night..." Jaune said "And now I got go through something similar yet again"

"But we'll win this time," Shay said "We won't fall, and even if we do, we'll rise from the ashes, as a fucking fiery Phoenix" Shay finished with a smile

Jaune smiled widely a little bit as well. Jaune began to think that maybe Shay was right, even if they did lose here, the rest of the tribe was safe, and they could rebuild and become stronger.

"How long is Sophia going to check our dust?" Jaune asked

"Ah, she's just making sure we're well prepared," Shay said "She just wants us all to be safe, and so do I, She's always been one to make sure everyone else would be ready or safe, been like that since we were kids"

Jaune nodded, "So, did you join the tribe, or were you born into it?"

"Born, just like Sophia and Vernal," Shay said "We grew up together, and the three of us have been friends for a long time, thought me and Sophia are a lot older"

"How old are you anyway?" Jaune asked

"20" Shay replied

"Really?" Jaune asked "I thought you might have been late 20's but I guess not"

"Yeah, I get that a lot, I've always looked older," Shay said

Suddenly, they all heard a large vehicle speeding down the dirt road and Jaune and Shay along with all the men with them stood up and looked over the front walls and saw the lights of the vehicle through the trees.

"Ger ready!" Jaune said

"Jaune, tell Sophia to bring the guns!" Shay said "We might need up if they start firing at us as soon as we get here"

Jaune nodded and turned to go down the ladder until he heard a large crash from the front gate. He got down to the ground and went to look at the gate, and saw that the doors of the gate held up that, still, he was a bit confused as to why they tried to ram the gate with a single vehicle to ram the gates, Jaune looked to the gates and Shay looked over the walls at the vehicle on the other side, and he also looked in confusion. As Jaune got closer, he realized that something was seeping under the gates, a red liquid.

A lot of it was flowing under and through the gate and Jaune knew it wasn't blood because it flowed slowly as if it was syrup. Jaune got down on one knee and touched the liquid only to realize what it was. Liquid fire dust. Jaune quickly moved far back from the gate and then looked up to Shay on the wall

"SHAY!" Jaune called out

Shay turned to him with a look of confusion

"SHAY GET DOWN-!" Jaune cried

but it was too late because an explosion happened and it blew Jaune back, sending him flying and crashing back into the ground hard.

Jaune then slowly opened his eyes and saw the night sky above him, but also saw dirt falling on him like rain. He took a breath and slowly sat up, and as he did, all he could hear was a deafening ring in his ears and he looked back to the gate only to see it gone and the ground around it set ablaze. After a few seconds, the ringing died down and he then heard someone calling his name,

"Jaune! Jaune!"

He turned to his left and saw Sophia with most of the men run up to him. Sophia rushed up and helped him back on his feet

"What the fuck happened!?" Sophia asked

"The Helveteshund rammed a vehicle into the gate, I think it was carrying large containers of Liquid Fire dust, then they must have lit it up or timed an explosion, and they blew up the gate. Jaune said

"Where's Shay!?" Sophia asked

"He... He was right under the gate when the explosion happened" Jaune said "I don't think he made it..." Jaune said

Sophia looked a bit saddened when Jaune told her that, but there was no time for that as they heard the loud howling of people mimicking the howl of wolves, Jaune then unsheathe Crocea Mors and activated his shield. Sophia brought her weapon out, which was a pair of two kunai knives on chains, the knives themselves glowed a bright orange.

"Get ready everyone!" Sophia ordered

The other bandits all pulled out their weapons and got ready for the incoming attack, and it didn't take long for it to come. With a booming roar, the Helveteshund rushed to attack and the Branwen Bandits did as well.

Meanwhile, Vernal and her men saw the rushing of the Helveteshund men. She knew that with the front gate being blown open, it was going to be harder to hold the fight. Vernal signaled her men to wait until they all had their backs turned, and once all of them had officially charged into the camp, Vernal signaled her men to drop down from the trees and attack from the rear.

"Alright! Pick them off!" Vernal ordered

And with that, they began shooting and slashing the Helveteshund tribesmen from the rear, and while some had fallen, some realized that they were getting attacked from behind and began to fight back as well.

Vernal herself shot one woman in the back and then shot her on the head, she then turned around and dodged an Axe that was aimed for her guts, but instead, she kicked the guy in the stomach and then shot him in the chest. She then heard someone yell as they were going to strike her and she turned around and blocked the attack with her pistols blades and she pushed him and his sword back and shifted her weapons into their circular blade form and she quickly sliced open both his stomach and neck. She fought with such anger that burned within her like a fire. She was angry. Angry that these people had destroyed the home she had grown up in and killed the people she had grown around and up with.

She had seen a few of the bodies of kids she had grown up with and fought alongside so many times. She would kill any Helveteshund that got in her way, none would be spared from the wrath of Vernal. She quickly charged and an unsuspecting Helveteshund tribeswoman and with one swing, decapitated her. Vernal then quickly turned to fight anyone in her line of sight. None were safe from Vernal Branwen.

On the other side of the same battlefield, Jaune blocked some bullets that were shot at him with his shield, he moved out of the line of fire and found himself being confronted by a woman with two swords, she swung at him and he dodged it but saw her second blade swing at his other side and with his sword, he managed to block the attack but he was then hit near his ribs, but thankfully his aura had blocked it, and he then pushed his sword away from the woman's second one before hitting her in the face with the front of his shield, and then he stabbed her right in the right side of her body, and he then removed his blade from her body as it fell to the ground.

Jaune then looked at her body and realized that this was the second person he had killed, and he just kind of... stared at her body. He saw how terrified her expression is and how lifeless her eyes had become. There was a moment of doubt in his body, however, that was pushed aside as he was felt the impact of a bullet from his aura, and he stumbled forward a bit, but he turned around and looked at the raging battle that took place. He saw the fire of the gates spread, he saw the bodies of both Branwen and Helveteshund, he heard the firing of guns and the yelling of victors who defeated their opponents and blood-curdling screams of the dead or soon to be dead, and seeing all this, without a second thought, he gripped his sword and shield tighter and Jaune jumped right back into the fight. He swung at any Helveteshund tribesmen he could find, and with the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he was unstoppable.

Sophia threw her two kunai right into one Helveteshund Tribesmen's body and from his body, the kunai began to glow bright before exploding and engulfed him in flames. She then pulled on the chains and brought the two kunai back. However, she noticed that the battle was becoming tight-knit so she pressed a button, and the chains detached and she now held on to the handle of the kunai and quickly began fighting once again.

She stabbed one man in the neck and his neck and head burst into flames, she then quickly dodged a bullet the whizzed past her cheek. She then saw another man rush at her with a mace but she ducked and then quickly stabbed both of her kunai into the man's sides, pulled them out, and then brought both upwards and they stabbed right into his chin and head. She pulled them out and then found herself face to face with another tribesman, he went to raise his gun but Sophia quickly used one Kunai to disarm him and then used the other and stabbed him right in the eye. Sophia let his body fall to the ground and she took some quick breaths and regained herself.

Her mind was on the battle and Shay. Had he really died? She hoped that wasn't the case and that Jaune was wrong, but another part of her knew, that there was a possibility, and that broke her heart for several reasons, but she put those thoughts aside, right now, there was a fight, she couldn't think about anything else.

.

.

.

Finally, the sun had risen into the sky and signaled every creature that tomorrow had come.

And for the Branwen Tribe, it signaled their survival from just hours ago. Yes, just an hour after the first attack, the secondary wave of Helveteshund had hit from the east, and Raven's group fought hard and brave, but they also began to need help, so Sophia led the surviving men to Raven's side and fought and they had won. Capturing some who were still alive and holding them.

Vernal was covered in dirt, blood, and sweat. She had loved round and it seemed that no matter where she walked she could step or trip on a person's body. She saw how those that survived and still had some smiles on their faces, from either the sudden and lucky victory or just the fact that they had survived the night. However, she noticed one person not smiling and not even moving, he just sat on a crate and looked at the bodies of their fallen brethren and enemies. He, like her, was covered in blood, dirt, and sweat, his some of his armor was stained in some places. She sighed and walked over to him, and she could see that his eyes remained focused on the dead.

"Hey," She said as she approached him

He didn't respond, he just kept looking at the dead.

"You ok?" She asked

Again, he didn't respond.

Vernal looked at him again and a small amount of anger and worry formed inside her and she called out to him a third time, "Jaune!" She yelled

Jaune's eye's blinked three times and apparently, that seemed to get him out of whatever trance he was in and he turned his head slowly and looked at her

"Are you alright?" She asked for the fourth time

Jaune looked at her for a moment before turning his head back slowly to the dead that he was only looking at minutes ago. Vernal had thought he had lost it and was just gonna walk away.

"How many people died last night Vernal?" He asked

Vernal looked back at him, and still, he didn't take his eyes off the dead. "I don't know" She replied

"How many more do you think will have to die?" He asked again, still not looking away from the dead bodies, now a fire burned bright in his eyes, a fire of rage and hate. His face expressed it as well.

She saw the change in his face as well, it unnerved Vernal. "I don't know Jaune" She replied

Jaune just kept staring. The fury and hate were directed at one person right now. And right now, he had hated that person as much as he hated her.

"I do," Jaune said "Only one more person has to die"

He then stood up and headed to where Raven, Hawks, and Natasha were. Vernal could only guess what he had meant...