Yikes! I came into work today to one of the staff in tears. It turns out that over the weekend her son was stabbed twenty times in a mugging for his wallet, which contained only £40, and his lungs have been punctured twice and he's in hospital. I told her to take the day off, obviously. Couldn't even believe she came into work.

But fuck, I mean… why? Leaving aside the robbery, why twenty times? Surely someone is "handled" after the first time. Even if you leave aside the morality, you'd think a mugger would want to balance risk and reward. Do that much damage and you're guaranteed jail if you're caught, and for £40. Threaten and mug someone without wounding them on the other hand, and you might not even get jail. Or a short term.

Why go so far? What's the point? Madness…


Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Dishwasher1910

Book 9: Chapter 17


It was early morning when Blake decided we would make our move. A warm and sunny day with clear blue skies and not a hint of a breeze. A perfect day for a not so perfect task. Rain would have been more fitting given the brutal war taking place in the streets of a falling city, but the world didn't seem willing to oblige us.

"Wouldn't it be better to go at night?" I asked her, strapping on my gear.

"Grimm see as well as faunus do in low light. The only ones at a disadvantage would be you and Ruby." She sheathed her throwing daggers in their bandolier and tightened her hood, tucking her long hair into it. "If nothing else, I can make sure Ruby attacks from the direction of the sun. It might blind Salem."

We made our way outside and found Ruby in what might well have been a final conversation with Yang. The Brawler was being called away by Miss Goodwitch, to the walls and outside where the fighting would be thickest. They were joining the defence in the streets to buy time for wounded to retreat into the walls of Beacon, which would make up the final defence of the city. Yang had one foot toward the Warlock but couldn't bring herself to go. She whispered harshly to Ruby, engulfed her in a hug and buried her face in the Reaper's shoulder.

Ruby hugged her back, but I doubted it changed much. Yang broke off teary eyed. She stared at us and nodded once; a silent request. I nodded back, offering what few assurances I could. If nothing else, I could make sure Ruby died over my dead body.

The discussion last night had been heated to say the least. Ruby's decision had been taken about as well as it had by me, which had made me feel a whole lot better on the night but didn't do much for me this morning. In the end, Ruby won. She refused to back down and made it clear that she'd be doing this with or without our approval, and that the only way to stop her was to break every bone in her body, in which case she'd die when the Grimm found her.

We could either work with and help her and have a chance to mitigate the damage, or we could be against her and she'd sprint off to do it herself, knowing not a single one of us had the speed to catch up or stop her.

There'd been a lot of crying. Yang and Ruby especially. I had to leave early, unable to deal with it all as everyone talked and made peace with the fact we were all going to be going out in the same blaze of glory. We either struck a lucky blow against Salem and won, or we died under an endless tide of Grimm. Every other alternative was lost to us.

"Are you ready?" Blake asked Ruby when she came back to us.

"Yep. I'm good to go."

You're not. You're just being a stubborn idiot. Yet again, I considered the merits of reaching out and destroying her new scythe. It would be easy for me. But in the end, it wouldn't change anything. Ruby would go out with her own or even a farmer's weapon if she thought, as Ozpin did, that there was a chance her speed could eclipse Salem's.

"Then let's go," Blake said. "Be sure to follow my instructions."

Ruby fell in behind her and I took up the rear, the three of us making our way through the Guild village and then up onto the walls and finally down to the courtyard where the western gatehouse lay. I spied a lone figure stood atop it with a bow in hand. Coco's face was split with indecision and a palpable aura of resigned acceptance surrounded her.

"Coco Adel has a Skill named Heartshot. With it, she can imbue her own life energy into an arrow. I will ask her to feed herself into a single shot."

It was a melancholy reminder that we weren't the only ones risking our lives. If I needed it, seeing as how people were still dying in the streets outside. With Salem within the city walls, she was finally vulnerable. I sent Coco a nod, hoping she saw, but the Archer was too focused on the horizon, no doubt lost in her own thoughts. Yatsuhashi stood with her, the giant silent support. He could do more than I, and so I continued out the gates, tightening the grey cloak around my shoulders that Blake swore would help my silhouette blend into the nearby buildings. Or at least more than it did with a full suit of silver plate armour.

"They've given up more ground," Blake said, looking out over the rise leading up to Beacon at the city. Form out high position we had a good view of the main thoroughfares, which were where the fighting was thickest. Last night it had been a good half the city away from us, but now the combat lines had become tighter, no more than half a kilometre away from our walls. "If this continues, the fight will be inside Beacon either tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Depends how long our walls last," I said.

"As long as Salem wishes them to. She can swat them down with the brush of a hand."

"That's why we're here," Ruby interrupted. "We're going to stop her."

How can you sound so sure? I wanted to ask. Or yell. You have no idea if this'll work and neither does Ozpin. You're being thrown to the wolves on a possibility. And I knew inside that we had no choice – that someone had to do something and that we wouldn't be the only ones, but that didn't matter. It was just how relaxed Ruby was that got to me. If she'd been nervous or afraid, this would have been so much easier to handle.

Worse, I couldn't tell if it was a mask or not. If it was, I'd feel better. I really would. Just knowing Ruby was aware of the risks would be enough, but the smile she wore was too excited, like she was fully committed to the idea she could end it all now and save everyone's lives. This was what Qrow had feared. This was what he'd asked me to look out for. Well, it was here right now, and I didn't know what I was supposed to do about it.

"Yes." Blake sounded less confident. More resigned. "I suppose we are. We'll stick to the buildings as we get close. I want you to let me go ahead and only follow when I wave to you. Ruby first, then Jaune. Don't move unless I tell you to, even if you hear me fighting. That'll mean I've chosen to fight something; in which case, you can be sure I can handle it. If you two run out when the Grimm are watching, we'll be swarmed and torn to pieces."

"I trust you," I said. "You can handle yourself."

"I can't even fight," Ruby whispered, hefting her scythe. "This only has the one hit in it."

"Not being able to fight won't stop you rushing in if you think I'm in danger," Blake pointed out. "I want you to say it, Ruby. You and Jaune will stay behind while I scout. Say it."

"I'll stay behind…"

"Good. If the Grimm come for you, defend yourselves if you must but try and hide first. Remember, our goal is to reach Salem undetected, not kill Grimm. Killing them now would hardly make a difference anyway. It'd be a drop in the ocean…"

To think hundreds of thousands of Grimm had died already and there were more coming. We'd held out for longer than anyone expected but that wasn't enough. Salem had to die. Tugging my hood down over my face, I nodded again to Blake, and then we were off.

/-/

The Grimm crashed on a line of pikemen. Or rather, a line of Millers, Carpenters, Builders, Farmers and Shopkeepers who wielded spears and held the line, points tipped toward the enemy. They buckled under the initial assault but then those behind pushed forward and braced. Grimm continued to push into them, impaling themselves and disappearing, allowing more to slam into the sharp points and die. The larger ones died slowly, however, and one pushed forward, wounding itself more and more as it forced its body deep down the shaft toward the man holding the other end, clad in but the lightest of padded armour.

It didn't hold up to the rending claws that tore his chest out. Trapped in the phalanx with nowhere to go sideways or back, he was forced to stand there and watch death approach, then take it without giving ground. He fell with a gurgle and a fresh person stepped into his place, pushed by those behind. He was a fresh-faced boy of some sixteen years and he died just as quickly, getting one good stab in on the Grimm which did nothing but draw its attention and end his life.

The third combatant did better, pushing it back so it could dissolve and then getting his spear down in time to impale the next attacker. And the next, and the next and another, until he was stabbing his spear hard enough to punch through lesser Grimm.

It was like flour being ground to dust under a mill. Where the Grimm hit the line, both sides died in droves and neither had any chance to retreat. Those at the front were gaining levels, I realised. The one man I watched had killed six Grimm now – and he'd probably never even seen one until today. Like me, he was growing stronger and stronger, stabbing and driving Grimm back with increasing ease.

Until a Beowolf leapt in, that was. The Grimm, not quite Ancient but close, proved faster and got around the tip of his spear. It tore his throat out in a shower of blood before being impaled by six spear tips at once. The brave man I'd been watching died on the floor, alongside the numerous other bodies which lay face up on the street.

I noticed the pale blue reflection of my eyes in the glass window. They were glowing again, keeping me focused on the task at hand and able to ignore what would otherwise have been crippling doubt, fear or rage. I turned away from the window, leaving the hopeless fight outside and the people dying in their hundreds.

Ruby was on the other end of the room, pacing left and right with eyes fixed on the window Blake had escaped through, waiting for the signal to move. The butt of Ruby's scythe tapped the floor with every step she took, doing little to me but likely driving her insane. She was biting her fingernails as well, letting the little bits of nail drop to the floor.

"Blake will be fine," I said flatly. "Be patient."

"How can you be so calm!?" she asked, whirling on me. She saw my eyes and sighed. "Oh. That's how. You know Blake hates it when you do that. Says it makes you act less human."

"It's not something I can turn on or off." I hadn't known Blake thought that way but couldn't say I minded. Not that I could mind at the minute, my Resilience having taken over, but even if it hadn't, I think I'd have been fine with it. I certainly didn't disagree. It kept me from breaking with Raven, and it helped me get through so many other battles in the past. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make if it keeps me alive. Without it, I didn't think I'd be able to stand and wait here as people died outside.

"Must be convenient," she muttered, "Being able to turn off your fear."

"It doesn't turn it off and it doesn't make me deaf, either." I still felt afraid, but it didn't affect me. I imagined this was like how Ren felt – the brief flashes of emotion swept away like oil over water. "You need to be patient, Ruby. There's no rush to reach Salem."

"There kind of is. If she reaches Beacon's walls, everyone dies."

"We're outside the walls," I pointed out. "Unless she somehow walks by without us noticing, it's literally impossible for her to reach the walls without us finding her first." Salem would pass through our path unless she took some circuitous route, which didn't seem likely. There was nothing for her to fear and she'd been on a direct line since the start. "We could lay in ambush instead of trying to find her. That's probably Blake's plan, and she's trying to find a good spot for us."

"Yeah well, I hope it's a little further ahead. If we wait here, all these people are going to die."

I hoped so too, and considering Blake was still scouting ahead, I was sure she had that in mind. It wasn't lost on me that Ruby's father might still be out there somewhere. Or he might be dead. There was no being sure, but he'd been injured before the walls fell, so he wouldn't have died in the initial assault. There was a chance he was out there. Good odds, in fact. Those dying first would be the Labour Caste in this case. Or Nobles. Were the Noble Caste even fighting? I hoped so, otherwise there would be questions after this. Assuming an after.

If the Nobles didn't fight but had us do it? There's no way they survive that. It'd be rebellion for sure.

A whistle from the window barely reached out ears. It was followed by a throwing knife impacting the top of the window and burying itself in the wood. Ruby was there in an instant and trying to pry it out. I followed, gently moved her hand aside and wrenched the blade free. "Go," I said, knowing she couldn't wait. "I'll follow."

Ruby was out and down. I waited for her to get out the way before dropping. It wasn't a long fall and I bent my knees as I landed. Blake was there, waving us quickly into the next building, one which had lost a wall, likely from some big Grimm falling into it and damaging the supports. With this, we were officially beyond the lines of defenders. Behind enemy lines.

"The house is clear," Blake whispered. "I'll move on and check the next. Jaune, your-" She paused as she saw my eyes. "Again? I guess it makes sense. It this over the Quest? Ruby? Will you be able to go ahead if you're having to block it out already?"

"It's not Ruby," I said. "It's blocking out the battle."

"Oh. Right. I suppose that makes sense…"

"They're using my weapons," I said. My voice was casual despite the topic, not removed of emotion but flat and even. More a forced calm than a lack of emotion whatsoever. "Normal people. They don't stand a chance and they're dying in their thousands."

"Jaune…"

"I wonder how many of them listened to my speech and felt inspired by it?"

"Jaune, stop. Please…"

"Do you think they're cursing my name for making them think it was possible for them to stand up to the Grimm? And here I am, ignoring their plight and moving on while they die." I sighed. "It wouldn't surprise me if they hated my guts." I stopped suddenly. Blake looked ill and Ruby wore a horrified expression caught somewhere between grief and panic. Most of that was aimed at me. "Sorry," I said. "Didn't mean to bring the mood down. Don't worry, I'm not dwelling on it or anything."

"Only because you can't." Blake shook her head and moved us upstairs, hissing to herself. I couldn't make out the words but knew they were about me.

"Is this how it always is?" Ruby asked me. "Does it always make you like this?"

"No. I guess this is an extreme case." I answered frankly. Not much point of hiding anything here, and I didn't really consider my Resilience fugues, as Ren called them, to be that big a deal. "Most of the time I don't really think at all. I just turn off and focus on a task. It's not as horrible as it sounds, especially if it's boring work like making spearheads."

"Like in Atlas when you were digging people out of the rubble. You just kept going and going, even when Yang and Pyrrha couldn't life another rock."

"Like that. It doesn't make me not tire, more…"

"It stops you tiring mentally?"

"Yeah. That's a good way of putting it." Those times passed in a blur that I couldn't recall, but I didn't think it made time move faster or shut off my mind. If it had, I wouldn't have been able to complete the task at hand. "It's more that I focus so solely on the task that I ignore everything else. It's not had any negative side-effects so far."

"Except making you act like this," Blake said from ahead.

"Except that." I shrugged. "It kept me sane and alive when Raven had me. I just kept fighting and killing without being weighed down by it. At the end, I started to break, but without this I'd have snapped in the first day or two."

Ruby touched my arm. "Can we not talk about that…?"

"Sure." They were the ones who asked. "I'm not emotionless," I felt the need to reaffirm. "Just so you know. I'm still pissed at Ruby for choosing to do this, and annoyed at Ozpin for suggesting it, so yeah. Definitely not without emotions."

"Just hyper-focused," Blake said. "I get it. And apparently, so focused that you'll speak your mind without worrying how it affects people, like literally telling Ruby how angry you are. If it were any other situation, I'd take advantage of that and see what you really think about things."

The idea brought a small smile to my face. Blake always could see the humorous side of things, and I liked her witty sarcasm more than Yang's stupid puns and practical jokes. "Ask away. I'm an open book to you."

"Maybe another time." She waved us to be still and walked up to a window, leaning against the wall beside it to look out at an angle without exposing herself. Tracking Salem, no doubt. I held Ruby back, who curiously tried to look as well. "The Grimm are sticking entirely to the roads," she said. "Something to be said for mindless aggression there; as long as they don't realise we're in the buildings, they won't bother."

"Grimm tend to take the easiest route," Ruby said. "Most animals do. People, too."

It was how paths in forests formed, as people naturally stuck to trails where branches and bushes had been pushed aside. There were animal trails as well as human ones, and trackers and hunters tended to use those to ensnare prey. Or so I'd heard from others in Ansel. I'd never been hunting before coming to Beacon, and Heroes cheated. Extreme Stats and Skills made chasing down a deer on foot trivial.

For the Grimm, it wasn't too different. Their only thought was to kill the people before them, and those people weren't in buildings. Given a straight line between them and their prey, what reason would they have to slow their progress by working through buildings, rooms and corridors? One or two might by accident or virtue of being pushed into the buildings because the throng of Grimm in the roads were too much, but those Grimm were always small and few in number, and thus quickly dealt with by a trained Assassin.

"We need to get a little further out. Salem will have her guard up when she gets close to the front lines. She has to know that's when we'll launch an attack."

"We're going with the ambush idea, then?" I asked.

"I think so. She's on the move so we may as well pick a good area and wait for her. Somewhere with space for Ruby to attack. That's why it's useless here – too many Grimm. She'd be skipping over their heads to reach Salem."

Ruby laughed nervously. "New definition for treacherous ground?"

"Hmm. We'll find open space ahead. The Grimm are all just charging forward, so once we get beyond them, it'll be clear. Wait here. I'll check the next building." With that, Blake swept ahead and through a door, peering once to make sure it was clear and then sneaking out. The lack of immediate howls and screams told us she was okay.

She returned within six minutes and hurried us out, pushing my head down and making us sprint the small distance between two buildings. Grimm rushed by on our left and right but thankfully didn't notice us, too focused on the defenders ahead bleeding out so much negativity that our own was dwarfed.

"Keep moving," she said, sprinting on and pushing through the house. "Wait here."

We waited. Ruby was shaking with excitement.

Blake returned. "Now. Move."

The pace continued for thirty or more buildings and well over two hours. The sounds of combat never quite faded behind us, but it became muted. One long droning din of steel and roars rather than individual sounds. We'd brought ourselves past the majority of it, and so far without being noticed. That was testament both to Blake's skills and the Grimm's complete lack of attention on anything not directly in front of them.

This time, Blake didn't stop Ruby and I looking out the window with her. There were Grimm running or flying by, but in much smaller numbers, packs of three or four. The cobbled streets could be seen, along with the occasional body of a human or faunus defender. Some wore the robes of Vacuo, proof of their tribespeople fighting alongside us. I wondered how Sun was doing.

"This is as good an area as any," Blake said. "Does it look okay to you, Ruby?"

"Um. Yeah. Seems fine. I can run on it…"

"Salem will come this way – we're right on the main street and she'd be an idiot to take any of the narrower ones. Way more likely to get ambushed."

"What if she does?"

"We'll loop around behind and attack her that way," Blake said.

Ruby seemed satisfied with the decision and nodded. She brought out her new scythe and began to swing it, limbering herself up for the fateful attack. I had to look away, even if my eyes were still glowing faintly.

Blake touched my arm. "I'm going to cross the street and clear the buildings there. When Ruby attacks, successful or not, she should continue on. Ideally, I want to sneak her across and have her launch the attack from that side and finish on this side."

"You want me to stay here," I said.

"Someone has to keep the house clear, and you're the slowest of us. You'd not be able to make the run when the time comes. Not to mention getting across the street in the first place. I can sneak it and Ruby can cover the distance in a matter of seconds. You? You'd be seen."

I knew she was right. If Ruby made her attack and finished here, Blake could sneak around or away from the other side without being caught, whereas I'd be hunted down easily. Once Ruby was here, however, I could cover our retreat. And if the attack failed for whatever reason and she needed another scythe, I was the only one who could make it. That meant sitting here on my own and leaving the two to brave the Grimm alone.

"Will you be okay?"

"You know me, Jaune. I don't take risks for fun."

"Of course." I laughed. "Right. I guess if it's the only way, it's the only way."

"Good. No complaints, Ruby?" Blake asked the Reaper.

"Um. No, I guess not. Will Jaune be safe on his own?"

"Safer than you, Miss wants to attack Salem."

"I don't want to…"

"Yeah? Well you're not showing it well." Blake paused to give me a quick kiss. "Stay safe," she told me, before taking hold of Ruby's cloak and tugging her away. Ruby waved after me, smiling like she was just going for a walk around the Guild Village and not to fight the single most powerful entity on Remnant.

Watching them go, holding my breath as they crossed the street and letting it go as no Grimm reacted, I hunkered down on the top floor, close to the window where I could see outside and watch the action unfold. The only thing left to do was wait. Wait and hope.

/-/

With time, my Resilience faded. There was nothing for it to work on as I sat alone in the abandoned house, leaning back on a comfortable sofa made of leather, head falling over the back and staring up at the ceiling. With it, my fears came rushing back. Lucky for me, it was too late to do anything about them, so I was able to ignore them and sit still.

I could still remember my first time coming to Vale. I'd stayed in an inn for the night and looked at myself in the mirror, a young and scraggly boy filled with so much doubt and dreams. There was a full-length mirror nearby that I turned to glance into. The reflection that looked back was neither young nor a dreamer. He was a grizzled man with the beginnings of stubble across his jaw and a worn expression. He wore pitted silver armour and the sofa buckled under his weight. His eyes were sharp and wary, not afraid but ready. Prepared.

The younger me would have looked at such a man in awe and dreamed of one day being just like him. Well, dream completed. Ambition reached. I turned away with a smile and a soft laugh, more amused at my younger self than pleased with how far I'd come. I'd save that for if we came out of this alive. Shelve it until after giving Ozpin a solid punch and tracking down the King of Mistral. I'd killed one, and quite frankly, I was keen to add another to the list after they'd abandoned us.

Why are we the ones doing this? We've not even graduated Beacon yet. Why are we out here and not someone older?

I knew why. We were as high, and in some cases higher level, than most adult Heroes now. Thanks to our Quests all going the wrong way, we were grossly over-levelled and in my and Ruby's cases, far above what people twice or three times our age could manage. Ruby was at a level few adults reached in a lifetime. Even I was far above average, while Blake was at parity with most professional Heroes. We may not have graduated, but there were few left that were better than us.

Talk about pressure.

My chest rose and fell, and a grand sigh broke forth. The waiting was always the hardest part. A larger group of Grimm were approaching – I could hear them – and the fact they didn't rush mindlessly ahead told me they were being held back. Controlled.

Salem was coming.

Blake planned our position to perfection.

I stood and made my way over to the window, standing off to the side as Blake had before and looking out without revealing myself. In the distance, further up the road away from Beacon, a procession of Grimm approached. Bigger Grimm, stronger Grimm. Salem hadn't left herself completely without defence. Clever.

I couldn't make out Ruby or Blake in the building across the street but knew they'd be watching as well. Once Salem passed between our buildings, Ruby would strike. A straight line from building to building with Salem in the centre.

This has to work. She's human now. She'll die if she's hurt bad enough.

If she wasn't...

If Ruby failed…

No. I couldn't think that way. There had to be a chance. I readied Crocea Mors, drawing her and marvelling at the fact that in some strange way I was wielding the same sword I had since the start. Different materials and different qualities but copied down to the smallest detail by my Skills. Enough so that it registered as the same to my Swordmaster Passive. I remained a Blacksmith for now, seeing no reason to brace for the headaches the transition caused. On my sword, just above the cross guard, a `Seal` rune glowed faintly. I'd added it as a last-ditch insurance. Blake had them on her weapons as well, just in case we couldn't escape and would have to fight for our lives. Neither of us told Ruby.

The Grimm came near, the front rows coming into vision in an orderly formation so unlike them. They moved in unison, like a parade, one foot forward and then the next. They snarled and snapped at the air, not quite as willing to be held back as they pretended. Salem's control over them was direct, and she came in riding atop a black styled throne. The giant beetle Grimm was gone, too big to fit within the wall, but she'd either affixed the seat to an Ursa or created the Ursa with a seat growing out of its back. Either option seemed fantastical, but given her flamboyant behaviour, were more than possible.

I stood a little taller as I saw her. Pale skinned and with flowing black robes, sat back with her hands upon the black armrests, face juxtaposed by the black that surrounded her. Red eyes peering out ahead toward Beacon. Her expression was something I couldn't yet make out, but she was coming closer, the front ranks of the Grimm passing by my window down below. I loosened my shoulders and took a few steadying breaths. My gaze flicked to Ruby's building again, where I could just see the hint of red fabric in one of the upper windows. I licked my suddenly dry lips and focused on Salem again.

She was oblivious. There was no doubting it and my heart thudded in my chest. We had the element of surprise and she didn't suspect a thing. My fingers gripped and released on the hilt of Crocea Mors, wrapping and unwrapping around the handle. I was afraid to move, scared the slightest clink of armour would draw her gaze.

It didn't. Salem came closer and closer, and maintained her attention on the road ahead, not even thinking to have her Grimm investigate the buildings. Arrogance? Or was it just inexperience? How often had she really been in danger? How could she really know the strategies of humans when she interacted with them so rarely? We had this. We had this one chance, and after, she would learn, adapt and ambushing her again would be so much harder.

Less than a hundred metres away, I finally made out the details of her face, in time to see her lean her head to the side and rest her chin on one hand, seemingly bored. Anger bubbled under my skin and rather than force it back, I focused it instead. You're unimpressed now, but just you wait and see. We're not dead yet.

Closer. Closer still. Salem showed no awareness of them and her procession was passing us by, her at the back. When she was less than twenty metres away from the central point between our buildings, I looked over her for weapons. Her black robes didn't reveal any armour and she didn't have a weapon to speak of, hinting at her magical focus. On a whim, I engaged my Runesight, just to see if there was anything more.

"What-!?"

Salem glowed. Or rather, her clothing glowed. The robe was several pieces, and each had a Rune emblazoned on it. She wore a pendant hidden between her breasts and the Rune upon that glowed through her top. Each wrist held a golden bangle with a Rune. Her belt had a Rune. Two tiny red earrings each held a Rune. And they were the same Runes, each and every one of them. The exact same Rune.

`Seal`

Her entire outfit was built with `Seal` Runes covering it. The same I'd placed on Ruby's weapon with the explicit design of defeating Salem – of sealing her away. Except… if that was what the Rune was meant to do, then why would she herself wear it? Why would a temple dedicated to her have it on the doors? How could she wield and touch the pendant I'd worn if it could lock her away? Why would she give it to someone who could become an enemy?

Arrogance…?

No…

Intent.

Salem didn't fear giving me the Rune because it wasn't a danger to her. In the same way she hadn't feared Raven wielding it, in the same way the temple in Vacuo had never held her as a prison. `Seal` didn't mean to lock someone away. It wasn't a prison Rune for otherworldly gods. It wasn't a secret weapon to be used against her.

Which meant that Ruby. Oh Gods, Ruby...

Panic gripped me and I leapt up, one hand on the window and ready to throw everything aside and scream a warning. Call it off. Run. Get back to Beacon and try again. The plan wouldn't work. The Rune was a dud. No sooner had my hand touched the window did I freeze, looking down in absolute horror.

Into a pair of bright red eyes.

Salem, through coincidence or fate, looked up and saw me in the window. Her eyes widened, genuine surprise showing as she slowly pushed down with her hands and rose from her throne. A wide, cruel, smile spread across her face as she turned fully toward my window.

Across the street, Ruby leapt from hers and landed on the ground, kicking off like a shooting star, scythe glowing silver with my Rune upon it blazing like a second sun.

A Rune that didn't do as we suspected. As Ozpin hoped. Salem turned away, registering surprise as Ruby leapt over the heads of the Grimm a blur of silver and red aimed at her unprotected back.

The world dimmed as black power raced down and coalesced in Salem's right hand, a ball of oozing darkness dripping with murderous power. Enough to destroy the walls of Vale, let alone a girl who boasted a measly five Constitution.

The Grimm were too slow to react.

"It's over!" Ruby shrieked, eyes blazing. "This is for Summer!"

Salem was not so slow. Slower than Ruby, but Ruby had to cover the distance. Salem completed her turn mere milliseconds before Ruby struck, bringing her hand up between them with a victorious smirk. "Goodbye."

A beam of purest black erupted out from her hand. Its light engulfed Ruby.


I made the decision to skip the actual showing of the scene where Ruby has to explain her plan to the others. While I knew it would be a suitably dramatic scene in itself, I was worried about how long it would drag things out, especially since we know Ruby plans to go ahead with it anyway. I do realise it makes Yang and the others seem smaller as characters, but, well, for one, they are side characters in this story, and secondly, it would have taken at least half this chapter to write it, so this would be dragged out even more than it already is.


Next Chapter: 21st October

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