(Early Authors Note: Hello and mae govannen my friends! I'm back and with the next chapter! I see many of you really enjoyed the last one (filler though it was), and so I come back to you now with the next chapter. This time we're back on track and back with the Tournament! Oh, but one last thing: for those who have been ichting for Raven to appear, then I'm sure you'll love this chapter.

To DemonicOrder: I know, I really enjoyed doing the picture of Zwei, it also just felt right to use Chibi for a filler chapter of that caliber. I mean, who doesn't love Chibi? As for Nora's coffee seer moment, no, Wulfrik did not see Nora (but he did feel a strange presence). Adam is indeed going to be definitely screwed when the Lizardmen find out about his little robbery. Whether or not he'll bring the Beastmen to him is still something I'm thinking over (I do kinda think it might work, what do you think?) and visioning as to what part they'd play. As for what books he stole, well, you'll have to guess. And as for the Advisor... yeah, maybe he will show up. I hope you got lots of candy as well! And as for your last statement, remember this:

"Beware the Orc when he is loud, but fear him when he is quiet."

To Merendinoemiliano: I can assure you that the Battle of Beacon will be unlike any other before it. As for James, well, if I do decide to bring in the Advisor, I'll have plans for the both of them together.

To Guest: Uhmm... no, I'm afraid they won't come to Remnant. Kislev and Cathay are basically the bulwarks for the rest of the Old World, after all. Of course, be sure to keep this in mind: though they may not come to Remnant, something from Remnant may come to them.

Now, I hope you all enjoy and like this latest chapter!)

With Yang and Mercury's match already underway, people were on the edge of their seats. Yang struck first with two hard-hitting punches, though Mercury dodged and managed to aim three well-timed kicks at her. The first was at her leg after she punched, the second was at her arms, the third at her face. Yang then jumped forward and fired the shotgun shells from her gauntlets, causing Mercury to bob and weave. Some found their mark and hit him. As Mercury had jumped, two struck him in mid air while three more hit him as he was struggling to dodge after hitting the ground.

The two then ran forward and fought each other close-up, though Yang soon realized she was at a slight disadvantage. Mercury's fast-moving kicks were more than she could keep up with, whereas Mercury was having a struggle with the more damage-dealing punches. After pulling back from each other, Yang smirked and said "I hope you quit going easy on me."

"Who said I ever was?" Mercury replied before kicking bullets from his feet. Yang couldn't move fast enough and faced the big explosion from the two blasts. From the dust and smoke that appeared Mercury came in and did a roundhouse kick to her face before grabbing her arm and (dodging a punch from her other arm) jumped up, yet still held onto her hand, swung about, and kicked her again in the face, causing her to fly back.

Mercury slowly walked towards her saying "What's wrong? You said not to go easy on you. Was that not enough? Alright, then… here!" he then shot up a storm of bullets and sent them all hurtling towards Yang. As the large smokescreen appeared, Mercury was walking away until he felt burning heat from behind him.

"O-ho! It looks like Mercury has just made someone very angry. And you wouldn't like her when she's angry." Port announced.

All Mercury could say was "Huh?" before getting grabbed by the face by Yang and slammed into the ground over and over again before she threw him into the air and shot him with all the rounds in her gauntlets. When she was out, she reloaded and ran towards the rapidly falling Mercury and punched him square in the gut. He flew backwards (very nearly flying out of the arena) and was only barely able to dodge a slam into the ground by Yang.

Mercury saw that he was going to lose, but he would go out fighting!

He charged Yang with his most powerful kick, and when the two collided a great cloud of dust and rubble appeared. When it cleared, Mercury was on the ground and Yang was victoriously standing tall and proud.

As the crowd cheered, Oobleck announced "And there you have it, everyone! Our first singles round goes to Yang Xiao Long of Beacon!"

"Better luck next time." Yang said to a kneeling Mercury before she walked away. However, it appears Mercury didn't feel the same.

"There's not going to be a next time, blondie."

The next thing Yang knew, she turned around to see Mercury coming at her full-speed with a leg stretched out and aimed for the rhead. She quickly shoots him down right in the leg, but then everyone gasps and becomes truly angry and shocked. "My word!" Oobleck says as Port turns behind him and says "Cut the camera!"

Mercury lies on the ground holding his leg, looking very much in pain, while Yang (as yet unaware of everything around her) says "That's what you get you-"

"Yang Xiao Long, stand down!" an Atlas soldier says as a crew of them surround her. She then looks around her in shock and sees what happened on the big screen. It showed the two of them standing, then Yang walked around him before shooting his leg. "But… that's not right! He attacked me! It wasn't me, I swear!" Yang said. However, the guards weren't having it. "Stow it! You've already caused enough of a scene." one of them said.

Emerald ran down to Mercury's side as he said "Why'd she do that? Why'd she attack me?!" Emerald cast a glare at Yang, then helped some medics lift him into a stretcher and carry him off.

Yang made to answer, but at the slightest move the soldiers tighend their grips on their weapons and held her still. Even as she was escorted out of the arena and everyone was still rooted in place from shock, Grimm were starting to gather in numbers once again. Grimm were suddenly roving everywhere, yet in the direction of Beacon.

Even farther away, when a great troupe of Nevermores were seen flying over them, a great voice said "Right, then. Tell Sporctacus to move."

Back in the Colosseum, as the medics were carrying Mercury (with Emerald following), a female medic called out "Here! We've got an ambulance ready to go." the two stretcher-bearers followed her to the ambulance, put him in and closed the door and one said "*Sigh* I hope they'll be okay." the female replied "We'll take good care of both of them. Leave everything to us." Then she got in and flew off. As they did, Mercury pathetically said "Oh, doc, tell me… will I ever walk again-ow!" until Emerald hit him in the shoulder and said "Ugh… my headache… using my Semblance like that is a real stretch. Besides, we weren't even prepared for that match to even happen."

The medic, now actually Cinder, simply said "Well, even though we weren't the ones to orchestrate that match, perhaps those Greenskins mean to help us. Nevertheless, you all performed wonderfully…" she then turned to the driver and said "...driver included."

Said driver just smiled and closed her violet eyes to reveal one brown, and the other pink, when they reopened.

In team RWBY's dorm room, everyone was gathered around the TV and watched as Lisa Lavender said "A terrible tragedy has taken place this afternoon during the first one-on-one round of the Vytal Festival Tournament." The screen then shifted to an interview with a Haven tourist who said "I don't know what Beacon's headmaster is teaching his students, that was disgraceful. Completely uncalled for! 'Course, this is the first match after a small invasion of ratmen, so I guess it was just adrenaline and all that, but whether it is or not, that was still unnecessary." then the screen switched to an empire soldier who said "I don't really know too much. But what I can say is that the Haven boy was already defeated! There was no reason for her to knock him down again like that. Had this taken place in Bretonia, she would have been exiled or killed for such an offense to an opponent."

Then the screen switched again, but this time to show a horde of Grimm heading towards (had anyone known at the time) the coast. "Despite Atlas reinforcements, local authorities are still calling on any available Huntsmen to aid in suppressing the spike in Grimm activity." a reporter said before Ruby turned it off.

Around the same time, Emerald had also turned theirs off in the warehouse they were hiding out in. "Hey, I was watching that." Mercury said before Emerald replied "Shut up already!" Mercury however, would not.

"Is this how you treat a patient?" he said before Emerald twisted the screwdriver in his robot leg, causing Mercury to fix it while saying "Ack! Too tight!"

"Enough." Cinder said, bringing silence.

"Our Mercury put on a wonderful show. He was quite brave. Now, he'll need some rest, and also he'll need to stay out of sight. We wouldn't want anyone to see an injured patient walking about like nothing happened, now would we?" she then turned to Emerald and said. "In the meantime, you and I will head back and, if the next match is the one we hope, make sure it goes just as smoothly."

Back at RWBY's room, after the TV was shut off, Ironwood said "I'm sorry, but you've left us with no choice. Because of the events that have taken place, I'm afraid your team is disqualified from the Tournament."

"But he attacked me!" Yang said, sure of what she witnessed and just as angry as the others that they were disqualified.

"Video footage and millions of viewers will say otherwise." Ironwood replied as he paced around, thinking. "But Yang would never do that!" Weiss said, supported by a "Yeah!" from Ruby. Even Lupio agreed and said "Indeed. I don't think Yang would purposefully harm a defeated opponent unless they pulled some sort of trick to make it look like what they wanted it to appear. I've known many illusionists during my time in my world, and more than a few can make an illusion as good as the one we just witnessed. If illusion it was."

Ironwood sighed before looking at team RWBY saying "You four seem like good students. And the staff here at Beacon know you would never lash out the way you did. What I believe, and hope to belve, is nothing more than a result of stress, adrenaline, and the battle with the Skaven. They had many monstrosities, and they fought viciously. It would be understandable wif a fight with them could cause something in a person's mind to see things. Even after the fight has passed, one can still see things that might never have been there."

Yang began to reply "But it wasn't-"

"That's enough! The sad truth is, whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. The whole world saw you attack an innocent student. They've already drawn their own conclusions. And since I've already said you're disqualified, I will say this… perhaps Lupio might be right. Our enemies may have done this, though for what reason, I don't know. Nevertheless, I hope you all still enjoy the tournament." Ironwood then left the room, followed by the two robots placed on guard.

"Wait!"

But before he was gone, Ironwood turned and saw that Lupio had now stood up and said "Yang may be no longer competing, but could a replacement not be made? Could not someone else fill in for her? Like I said, I myself am unsure whether or not that was an illusion by our enemies, but even so I would like to volunteer myself as team RWBY's champion in the tournament. If that can be arranged, of course."

Ironwood thought for a moment before saying "We'll see." and walked off.

Once he was gone, Yang looked around and asked "You guys believe me, right?" Ruby replied with a "Duh!" while Weiss said "You're hotheaded, but not ruthless. I know you'd never do something of that caliber."

The only three who had not said anything were Lupio, Blake, and Gillie (who had been silent the whole time, listening and coming up with a conclusion of his own). "Blake? Lupio…? Gillie?" Yang said. While Blake lowered her head and Lupio made no response (being in deep thought), Gillie said "I… do not know. I can't sense magic like Lupio can, and I have no idea of how to know if a Semblance is at work or not. I myself am unsure on where to stand. Lupio? Blake? What say you two?" Still Lupio would not respond, leaving Blake to answer and say "I want to believe you… I really do…" However, her answer only caused shock and Yang to tear up at the thought of her friend not believing her. Weiss, outraged, said "What's that supposed to mean?! How could you even say something like that? Yang would never lie to us." Ruby nodded and held Yang's hand while Gillie then said "How do we know it wasn't you? You're the only one here who's Semblance seems to dabble most in that of illusions and copies. Could you have just done it because of your still-remaining sentiments towards the White Fang? Do you really-"

"Enough!" Lupio said.

"I've heard enough. I don't know Yang as well as I know others, but having been around her, I know enough to say that I doubt she'd ever do something like this. I sensed no illusion magic used, nor did I notice anything amiss with Blake (and yes, I was keeping an eye on her. My suspicions on Faunus won't die that easily). Or anyone else, for that matter."

While Lupio managed to subside Gillie's accusations, Blake still looked (and felt) very hurt, but pushed on and said "I had someone very dear to me change. It wasn't in an instant, it was gradually. Little choices that began to pile up, 'mistakes' and 'accidents' done here and there… he told me not to worry, and I believed him. At first nothing was done on purpose, or at least not with malice. Accidents, self-defense… before long, even I thought he was right. This is all just… just very familiar. But you're not him, and you've never done anything like this before. So… I want to trust you. I will trust you. But first, I need you to look me in the eye and say he attacked you first. I need you to promise me that you regret having to do what you did."

Yang wiped the tears from her face, looked Blake straight in the eyes, and said "I saw him attack me, so I attacked back."

Blake looked down, smiled, looked back up and said "Okay. Thank you. I just needed to be sure, that's all. Like I said, I've had this happen before, and I just… I just don't want a repeat of before."

After having everything cleared up, Yang asked for some rest, and so everyone left the room and closed the door. "This is all a mess." Weiss said before looking at Lupio and asking "Are you sure you didn't feel any kind of magic-use, Lupio? Nothing at all?" Lupio just shook his head and replied "No. And even then, my skill in that isn't as strong as you might think. And if it was someone's Semblance, well… don't look to me for figuring out who. I haven't even figured out mine yet. Or my Aura, really."

Then, team JNPR's door opened revealing Jaune who asked "Is she doing okay?" and a worried team behind him. Blake replied "She's… doing the best she can."

"Mercury and his team flew back to Haven to be with his family. So, until they land, no one can question him about what happened." Ruby said.

"You just let us know if there is ever anything you need." Ren said for support. "Don't ever hesitate to ask."

With a nod from them all, Ruby then smiled and said "If that's the case… then win one for Beacon, Pyrrha! You and Gorlasg, too!" Pyrrha smiled and said "I'll do my best!" Weiss nodded and said "Yeah. It's what Yang would've wanted. And while I'm no fan of Gorlasg or his team, they're still representing Beacon and they so far haven't done anything wrong. So, yeah… let's root for Gorlasg as well!" Blake agreed and said "Hey, how about we go and get something to eat? Maybe that will clear our heads." With an enthusiastic nod from both Ruby and Lupio, they all left to get some food, leaving team JNPR alone.

As Yang was still sitting, watching her team walk across the courtyard (Ruby was trying to eat Lupio's chili dog, even as he climbed up whatever high-up object he could), she closed her eyes in thought. During this quick time, a quiet old Qrow flew in through the window and then leaned against the wall and said "Hey there, firecracker. So… why'd you do it?"

"You know why." Was the swift response. Qrow however, just walked towards her and said "All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid. So either you're lying, or you're crazy."

"I'm not lying."

"Huh… crazy, then. Got it. I'd rather be crazy than a liar, I suppose."

Yang just slumped more and said "Who knows? Maybe I am. Maybe everyone is right, and all I did was see what was never there." Qrow simply chuckled and said "And here I thought your dark-haired friend was the emo one. She certainly acted the part."

As he continued pacing, he stopped when Yang said "I saw my mom."

"I-i was in a lot of trouble, facing someone a little more than I could handle. I took a pretty hard hit. But when I came around, the person attacking me was gone, and there stood my mother, same sword and everything, like in the picture dad has. She didn't say a word, she just left." Qrow shook his head before turning around and saying "You're not crazy, Yang. That was your mom alright. I don't see my sister very often, but she does try to keep in touch, whenever it suits her. So yeah, all that stuff that happened was real. She found me recently, gave me a tip for one of my most recent assignments, and wanted me to give you a message."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" Yang asked. Qrow just nonchalantly replied "Guess I was just waiting for the right time. Though, as you can guess, that never seemed to come around to me until now. As for the message… she wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, you shouldn't expect that kindness again. Huh, just like her, really. Raven's got an interesting way of looking at the world that I don't particularly agree with. She's dangerous, but you're a tough egg, kiddo. You shouldn't let this tournament thing get you down. You had a slip-up, sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on."

"Move on to where?" Yang said, uncertain.

Qrow just sighed and looked out the window while saying "Raven let some of her info slip before leaving. If you ever want to track her down, I think I might be able to help you." he then turned and smiled as he said "And besides, I don't think you'd have to worry about Ruby. That kid, Lupio, sure knows how to treat a lady. Hehehe… but anyways, glad we had this talk, kiddo. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere else to be."

Yang (not hearing his last words) just scoffed and left the room. She had a lot to think about.

But first, Gorlasg said he figured out how to take Lupio out of the picture once and for all. Qrow simply waited for her to leave before jumping out the window (becoming a crow once again) and flying towards Beacon tower.

Luckily, Ozpin left a window open, so Qrow flew in, turned back, and said "You know he's making you look like a fool, right? All these soldiers, all these robots, and for what? Sure, we got attacked twice, but we still beat them off."

"With James's soldiers, Qrow. I do not doubt James is here for our protection, I believe he is just… misguided." Ozpin replied.

"Yeah? Well I'm not even sure he has a heart." Qrow said back as he took a sip of coffee. "Anyways, what exactly do you have planned? We don't have the Maiden, so if you wanted Nikos to be the next one, then maybe this should have been more thought out, yeah?" Ozpin just shook his head and said "I have thought it out, Qrow. We may not have the Maiden, but I believe that should we ever regain her, Miss Nikos should be aware of the evils she'll have to face. And I have no doubts she'd make a great Maiden. She's strong, intelligent, caring, and most importantly… she's ready. Ready to know of the gathering darkness, and ready to help us combat it."

*DING*

Sure enough, the elevator opened up to reveal Pyrrha walking calmly towards Ozpin and sitting down opposite of his desk. To break the ice, Ozpin said "Well, it comes as no surprise that they've chosen you to move on to the final round of the tournament. Of course, I'm sure you've heard of how it will be a battle royale, yes? Just something to make it extra challenging, and more exciting, too. Your performance has been exemplary, and because of that, I believe you might win this."

"Thank you professor Ozpin, but I would have never made it this far without my teammates." Pyrrha said. Though Qrow (who was leaning against the wall behind them the whole time) said "Personally, I think it's the other way around. I've seen what you guys can do, and frankly, if it wasn't for you they'd have lost the tournament."

Taken aback by his words, Pyrrha stood up and politely said "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've been introduced."

"Name's Qrow." Was the only reply before Ozpin helpful said "Qrow is a trusted colleague of mine. Please don't mind what he said about your team. He's just… a different thinker about these things, I guess you could say."

Pyrrha, unsure of what's going on, asks "Professor, if you don't mind me asking, why have you called me here? Is there something you need?"

The headmaster didn't respond, he simply said "Please, have a seat." Pyrrha did, then Ozpin asked "What is your favorite fairy tale?"

Confused at the question, Pyrrha could only say "I'm… sorry? I'm afraid I don't quite understand the question." Ozpin, unperturbed, repeated "Fairy tales. Stories you were told as a child. Surely you have some you can remember? Perhaps the Story of the Seasons? If so… then would you believe me if I told you that that particular story has been around since I was a boy? Or that that story is real? I know it sounds hard to believe, but it is true. The four Maidens are real, and they are out there. The Fall Maiden, however, is in the hands of the Greenskins, within their capital. For the longest time we've been planning on how to siege the place and retrieve her, but haven't entirely figured out how."

"We?" Pyrrha said, confused and shocked at his words. Then the elevator dings again and out steps Glyda, Ironwood, and Balthasar Gelt. "Mister Gelt? What is all of this? Why are you telling me any of this? Who are you?" Glynda calmly replied "You know who we are. We're still the same teachers and headmasters you met when you first arrived at Beacon."

"Except we got a little part-time job." Qrow added. "See, we've been protecting Remnant from dangers no one else even knows about. And now that we've recently told Gelty here-"

"Please, don't call me that."

"...And now that we've told Gelt here about it all… we thought we might as well tell you, since you're gonna be the next Fall Maiden. After we get back the first one from the Greenskins."

Ozpin continued and said "You have to understand, Pyrrha Nikos, that we are telling you this because we trust you, and because we believe you are the perfect candidate to receive the Fall Maidens powers, should anything go wrong in her rescue. You see, it all started when-" but then Ironwood's scroll rang, interrupting Ozpin. "Sorry. Just a moment." Ironwood said before answering.

"Wait, slow down. What… wait, that can't be! All of them are free?! Hello? Are you-*grunt of frustration*"

"That doesn't sound good." Qrow said.

"Correction, it's terrible. Greenskins have invaded the Arcturus, freed thousands of their fellows, and seemed to have turned the boat and the town into a defensive position against us. I'm sorry, but I must leave now." he returned to the elevator and called Winter on his scroll.

"Winter, I need you and some men to head out to the Arcturus immediately. I can only spare enough to help deal with what you'll be facing, so be careful."

"Yes, sir. I'll head out at once." was the reply.

Ironwood closed his scroll and sighed before saying "What are you planning, Greenskins?"

Winter closed her scroll and turned to Weiss and said "I'm sorry, Weiss, but I have to go. The general has sent me important orders."

"What is it? Greenskins?" Weiss asked. She really hated the fact that Winter would have to eventually leave. She knew she would, she just hoped it wouldn't be now. Winter nodded and said "Yes, Greenskins. But I wouldn't worry. We've both faced them before and know they have neither Aura nor Semblance. And since the general is lending me a sizable force to deal with them, I should be back in time for the final match of the tournament. You'll be sure to save me a seat, alright?"

Weiss smiled and said "Of course. Stay safe, Winter. Without Aura and Semblance those Greenskins may be weak, but in numbers they are strong."

Winter nodded, gave Weiss a hug, and left.

Weiss (not expecting the hug) was truly worried about Winter already. She saw what the Greenskins are capable of even without Remnant's technologies and powers.

Back with Pyrrha, Ozpin, and the others, Ozpin got up and said to Pyrrha "I know this must all sound crazy, I know this might not be something to believe. But when I ask you to trust me, Pyrrha Nikos, I mean it. Our world is facing the greatest threats ever before, and we'll need you and others like you when the time comes." Ozpin then turned to Balthasar and said "Mister Gelt, how goes your experiments of opening a rift so as to return to your own world and bring back aid?"

The Supreme Patriarch nodded and said "Indeed. I have managed to create an orb that will transport the wielder back to the Empire. However, I was only able to make one of these, for I needed what remainder of materials I had to create a second orb that will allow transportation back to Remnant. Neither have been tested, and both are one-way trip. I think we had best use these when in the uttermost end of need." Pyrrha and Ozpin nodded, with the headmaster saying "Hmm, yes. That would be best. Thank you, Mister Gelt. Thanks to you, and Lupio, perhaps we can stand a better chance then before against the evils of both our worlds."

Balthasar nodded and left. He had much to prepare. The way the match went, the attack from the Skaven, all of it felt too convenient. As if they were distractions, meant to pull prying eyes away from something much bigger.

But what...?

Later...

Meanwhile, the next match was underway and its contestants were none other than the losers of the previous rounds. To raise morale (and to distract the people from… past events…) it was proposed that before the final match, a free-for-all of the losing teams could take place. Teams SSSN, BRNZ, FREZ, FNKI, they were all there and all ready for fighting. Once Port finished the countdown, they all sped into action. Sage swung his greatsword in a wide arc, causing Zunther and Neo to jump back and get attacked by Scarlet and Neptune. Sun ran forward and knocked down Bolin before being on the defensive as Gwen then attacked him.

Frederick ran among the rocks and scouted out a lone opponent, then took them down. He then ran ahead and attacked Scarlet from behind, only for Neptune to jump in and shock him with his trident. "Thanks, man." Scarlet said.

"No problem. Just-look out!" Neptune then turned his trident back into a gun and shot down Russel as he jumped up to slam his weapon down. Cardin was holding off the combined attacks of both Velvet and Fox, while Dew then came in and was distracting Fox as Cardin overpowered Velvet and soon she was out as well. Coco then pulled out her MG and mowed down the whole of Cardin's team, knocking them straight out of the ring. Reese and Nadir double-teamed Roy, but thanks to May's sniper skills, they were both knocked out and so was Dew. Elsewhere, team FREZ and FNKI rallied together in a temporary truce to take out the rest of the combatants. Flynt used his Killer Quartet to push Neon forward faster while team FREZ and the other two members of team FNKI (Kobalt and Ivori) spread out and attacked from the sides. Their plan was to coral them all in a pincer move so Neon can take them all out lighting-quick.

At first it was working. Everyone was getting pushed towards the center where Neon just skated around and around, knocking out any who got too close. But Coco wouldn't go down too easily and used her MG to try and pin Neon down, while at the same time Sun used his Semblance and had his copies go and attack Flynt. They held him off long enough for the ring to break and soon all but Frederick, Rachel, and Flynt were out.

Soon all that remained were those three, team SSSN, Coco, Roy and May.

"Anyone feel like quitting?" Sun asked as everyone caught their breath.

"You first." Roy replied before launching his saw-blades towards him. Sage deflected them, but one went the wrong way and accidentally hit Frederick. "Not… fair…" he said before he too was out. Then the last battle came and everyone just charged into each other, turning the whole thing into what can most easily be described as a 'mosh pit'.

Roy and Sage were battling close-up and May used her sniper to knock down Sage, only for herself to get beaten by Neptune. But, Coco (who always carried coffee with her should she need a wake-up) threw it at him. Not wanting to get burned (and also for a split-second thinking its water), Neptune ran far away but wasn't looking where he was going and tripped over some debris and fell out of the ring. Rachel, tired of Coco and her (in her mind clearly overpowered) MG, sped forward and kicked her right in the face before grabbing her ankles and swinging her around her, throwing her into Roy, then the two hit the rocks and were out (as rocks fell on them).

In the end, all that remained were Sun and May. Of course, May stood not much of a chance and was soon handley dealt with.

"And with that, Sun Wukong claims victory of the free-for-all for Haven!" Oobleck announced amid the cheers.

As Sun basked in the admiration of the people and everyone cheered him on, Yang was wandering the courtyard until she ran into Gillie. "Ah, sorry. I did not see you there, Yang. How have you been?" Gillie said politely. Yang just sighed and said "Could be worse, I guess. Everyone thinks I actually did attack Mercury, but I'm serious when I say he attacked me! You do believe me though, don't you?"

Gillie looked away for a moment before standing up and saying "Honestly, I still don't know. But, after listening to all that's been said, I do think you are not to blame. It reminds me of a story when I had first tasted beer. It was good, so good that I blacked out and woke up in a woman's bed. Being a warrior priest of Sigmar, I was forbidden from doing whatever I had done during my drunken state. Nevertheless, I soon found out it was never me. Hell, the bed I was in was my own, the woman that was there was simply an illusion. I realized pretty quickly that it was Lupio. And frankly, I did kind of deserve it since I had confiscated some wealth he gained from the Norscans as a tithe to Sigmar. Anyways, the point is that you have to dig deeper for the truth than you initially think. Foul play is at work, Yang. Whoever caused that incident clearly wants to tarnish both you and your team, and Beacon, not to mention cause trouble in Vale. Though it can't be the Greenskins. They're smart (at times), but not this smart. Of course, I have my own suspicions on who might have done this... but that ought to be for another time. We cannot dwell too much on what will or will not be right or wrong, we must simply prepare. Take care, Yang."

Yang nodded and said "Thanks, Gillie. I really needed that. If you're right about something going on, then I'll be sure to be watching the Colosseum closely. Something's probably going to go down there, if anywhere. See you later."

As she walked away and Gillie continued to sit in silent thought, team GRYN gathered together in their abode and chatted.

"Wot exactly do we do now, Gorlasg?" Yaklak asked. "Everyfing's in place, so why not-"

"Nah. Wez got to wait fer da signal. We want to win this tournament and give all these gits a winnin' surprise, yeah? We wait." was the stern reply.

Naklak nodded and Rotgutt laughed while saying "Yeah! And then I'll 'ave more ingredients for more foodstuffs as the prize! Hahaha!"

As the team soon laughed a bit at whatever they had in their heads, they soon grew serious again and nodded as if to be ready, then they parted ways. Gorlasg (before he left) said to himself "Right then, the next ought to be…"

And sure enough, as he guessed, the next match was…

"Alright everyone! For our final match, we have a four-way between Gorlasg and Pyrrha Nikos of Beacon, versus Lupio Von Schwatz (who is graciously filling in for team RWBY) and Penny Polendina of Atlas! Be sure to return tomorrow and stay seated and be ready!"

"Really? Tomorrow?! Bah… whateva'."

He then walked off, chuckling as he went.

Elsewhere...

Things were surprisingly boring in Ironwood's ship. Granted, Roman wasn't too worried. Neo was still out there, after all. If anyone can bust him out of here, it's her.

"Oi, fancy git, ya still there?"

And maybe leave these guys behind.

Ever since those Atlas chumps brought in a whole crew of Greenskins, they wouldn't stop talking for even an hour. They just either argued or laughed or insulted the passing guards. Sometimes, when no one was around, they'd talk to him about what's been going on or who he is.

He, of course, grandly introduced himself but did not know what's been going on since he got locked up. He in turn asked who they were, and they introduced themselves as (in this order) Grumlock, Gazbag, and Umug. The first two were the co-leaders of their tribe called the Bloody Sun Boyz, while Umug was a substitute while they were away chasing that specialist Schnee. When Roman heard that, he got a laugh out of it.

"Ha, ha, ha! Oh, man! Chasing that stuck-up Schnee all over the place? That's something funny! But I guess it didn't work out if you're in here, now did it?"

Gazbag just replied "Oh, wez got what we needed. But we'll be waiting to use 'em to get outta here. See, somefing big is gonna be comin' to Vale, and we're part of it. Wez just waitin' for the signal. 'Course, seein' as how your buddies' plans are failin', how'd ya like to join ours?"

Roman laughed again before saying "Listen, Green… the people I work for are gonna change the world in a way I doubt you could. I can't stop 'em, Red and her pals can't stop 'em, and I don't think you and all your buddies could stop 'em. Besides, I'm sticking with those guys not because of what I have to gain, but because of what I can't afford to lose. And besides, I don't really feel like risking my neck for you guys when you don't seem to care all that much for people. Or Faunus, for that matter."

Gazbag and Umug just chuckled (soon causing all their ladz to chuckle as well) while Grumlock just said "Oh… I'm sure you'll change ya mind. It'll just take time. Ha, ha, ha!"

As the whole crew of Greenskins then started laughing, Roman sat back in his cell and started thinking.

These guys got all over the place in such a short amount of time. They've gone to just about every corner of Remnant, and still they're as strong as one could think. Even with all the news places saying they're on the run, only to switch and soon say these guys are coming back in the thousands. Was Roman Torchwick wrong this whole time?

Would these Greenskins really be able to stand against the people he's working with?

Maybe so. But nevertheless, Roman will stick by his partners until their bitter end. Then he'll switch and help out these Greenskins. Although, maybe he'd switch sides quicker if all these Greenskins quit laughing! "Lost ya funny bone, fancy git? I'd find it right quick if I was you. It ain't like we're gonna be stuck n' locked up in 'ere forever!" Umug said, a great grin on his face. A fellow Orc agreed and said "Yeah, right. You lot think we Orcs ain't all dat smart, but we are. Who else is causin' a ruckus all about this world, eh? Us! Who else has a grand Boss thats gonna take over this whole world? Us! Who else is gonna bring over Gork and Mork? US!" It was at the mention of Gork and Mork that Roman said "Who are they? more of your buddies or something?"

Instead, they all stopped laughing and shared evil smiles nad grins before Gazbag said "They are godz, they are. Gork, da cunningly brutal one, and mork, the brutaly cunnin' one. All wez gotta do is find four fancy treasures n' four fancy magic ladies to unlock 'em or somefing'. And den... Ragnarork can finally begin."

With this, the Greenskins would say no more save for that same word over and over again.

"RAG-NAR-ORK! RAG-NAR-ORK! RAG-NAR-ORK! RAG-NAR-ORK!"

Elsewhere...

Even as the Greenskins locked away in Ironwood's ship, far away and over in Anima, Raven Branwen had just found the jackpot.

The village of Shion (conveniently close by) had just uncovered a Dust mine. If she and her forces can swoop in fast enough to take all the mined Dust and scram before the Grimm come, they'd be set for a while. It took days of preparation and waiting. Those villagers sure took their sweet time in mining a sufficient amount for Raven's tribe to steal. After everything was set, Raven gave the order and her men were on the move.

The journey wasn't anything dangerous, but it was oddly quiet.

Too quiet.

Not a single Grimm anywhere. None watching them from the treeline, not even any aerial Grimm. "Should this be a good thing or a bad thing, Raven?" Vernal asked, voicing the concerned looks of her fellow bandits. "I don't know. We should've been attacked by at least a few Grimm by now. But there isn't even any wildlife. No birds, no animals, nothing. It's probably nothing, now let's get going. If those Grimm are attacking that town already, then I don't want them near wherever they store the Dust." Raven said and continued to push on and finally found the village.

Or rather, what was left of it.

Buildings burned and crumpled, bodies of Grimm were fading away or being continuously hacked at by their killers. The bodies of the townspeople were there as well, but many were thrown into cooking pots. Explosions and gunshots were everywhere, with the words "DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKA!" being said every time. While most of the Branwen Tribe looked at this nightmare before them with horror, shock and fear, Raven looked on with indifference, but with a hint of sensing opportunity.

The rampaging masses down there were Greenskins. It was obvious. She had seen them both on the news and during her corvid surveillance. She had seen them everywhere across Remnant, but she couldn't get close to their capital. They had that place locked up tight. Heck, all their places were. She had also spotted a particular crow flying around the same places she was.

Hpmh. Still running errands for Ozpin, apparently. That headmaster is an even bigger fool than he was before if he thought creating team GRYN would do anything. She saw them fight during the teams round of the Tournament, and they were strong. Just what did Ozpin hope to gain from them? Clearly nothing, since they took basically all of Vale. That aside, Raven saw a chance at something bigger than Dust right before her. From what she saw of the Greenskins, they respect strength and power. Already they're speaking her language. Raven then had a plan, one that would make her stronger than ever before and ensure her tribe's safety. She started walking down towards the ruined town, ignoring Vernal and the others' warnings.

The closer she got, the louder the shouting became. Death was everywhere she looked, but no more Grimm came. All that was left were the Greenskins. Some spotted her and tried to attack, but she cut them down easily. Most were too busy continuing making a mess of the whole landscape to pay attention to her.

When she reached what used to be the town center, she saw him. The Warboss.

He was dancing around a giant black banner with a red claw in the center. A giant orc in black armor was setting everything ablaze with its flamethrower, another was cutting up bodies, then a massive Giant came in and just crushed everything in its path. These Greenskins were chaotic, unorganized, careless.

Raven would fix that.

She walked right up to the dancing Shaman and said "Are you the one in charge here?" the Orc, rather than answer her, just kept dancing but sent a look to the two Orcs in black armor. The one with the chainsaw blade charged first, swinging in wide arcs and thrusting with well-timed hits. Then the second came in, but instead of using the flamethrower, turned it into a mace then put Fire Dust in it, before slamming down on her. She narrowly dodged, for the explosion from the impact sent some rocks and debris her way.

"Hold it!" The Shaman yelled when he stopped dancing.

"Whos dere, eh? A hummie? Wot d'you want, ya git? Wez already killed ya buddies 'ere n' da Grimm were a piece o' cake! If its a scrap ya want, though, then its a zoggin' good scrap you'll get! Krump 'er, ladz!"

With that, the nearest Greenskins charged the bandit leader, but she stood there, still as stone. She waited for the five nearest Orcs to reach her, then she pulled out her sword in a sweeping arc and killed those five Orcs all at once. Some of the forces were checked by this swift multi-kill, but one Ogre bellowed something and pushed onward. His gauntleted fists were powerful and explosive. One had a mini-gun on it, the other a shotgun. As she continued battling, the Giant lumbered over and was about to crush everything with his foot.

Not wanting to be a puddle of blood and offal, Raven sprinted past the hordes, through a building, and out the other side flew a raven. The raven circled a bit before flying straight down to the banner. Raven emerged soon after and said "I don't wish to fight you. We both wouldn't want this fight, I'm sure. Instead, how about we come to an agreement? You don't know all there is to know about Anima, let alone Remnant, but I do. Join me, and we'll all prosper off of the weak. I am a person who respects strength, and I see a lot in this tribe. Join with me, and no one will be able to stop us!"

Raven wasn't expecting them to start joining her right away, so she wasn't surprised when they all started laughing at her. Of course, when she saw some of the Goblins mocking her, she started to get ticked off. But the Shaman had something rather interesting to say.

"I'z Zogger. Boss o' the Bloody Klawz 'ere. You 'fink youze a betta' boss than me? Prove it, then. Fight my champions. Beat 'em to dust, then fight me, an' then we'll see if you can be da best."

The other Greenskins roared their agreement and banged their weapons chanting "Kill da hummie! Kill da hummie! Kill da hummie!"

"Very well, then. Bring out your champions." Raven said. While she wasn't nervous, she was concerned. These Greenskins are at least smart enough to master more than a few of Remnants weapons, so this tribe's champions must no doubt be the most efficient users. When the champions gathered, she saw a few old faces. First it was the Ogre, then the two Black Orcs, then the Giant, an Orc (not as big as the Black Orcs, but bigger than a normal one), a Goblin with a staff and hood, and a band of Snotlings. She knew the first four were fearsome, but she thought the rest as a joke.

"Snotty Krumperz, do yer job!" Zogger yelled.

The crew of tiny Goblins bumbled and tumbled forward. Raven noticed how small they were compared to the regular-sized Goblins. "Is this really what I'm facing first? This group of pipsqueaks? Honestly, I expected something strong. Not some bunch of little imps."

But the multiple weapons in her face shut her up quickly.

Those Snotlings had all sorts of weapons! Pistols, rifles, bows, crossbows, shotguns, swords and spears, they had them all. Raven counted at least two dozen of the rotten little creatures. She could take them easily, but their wide range of weapons would be a slight problem. Raven may be good, but she's not so great as to take all sorts of weapons fighting styles and emerge without at least a small scratch. Still though, these Greenskins clearly didn't know how to handle their own weapons right. She was confident in her victory.

Seeing the look of confidence and assurance in her own victory (which he hated) one Snotling said "Oi. Dis 'ere git 'finks she can beat us!" to which another Snotling said "Oh, really now? HA! She can try, but we'z champs of the Bloody Klawz for a reason!"

"Yeeeeaaaah… we'z da best o' the best, yet she finks she can beat us, eh? Well we'll see 'bout dat!" Said another.

"Wez gonna krump you so bad, youz ain't gonna be livin' long enough to feel most o' it!" A fourth added.

"Enuff! Letz just krump da zoggin humie already!" Bellowed a fith.

And with that, the weaponized force of pint-sized Gobbos charged. They first released a barrage of bullets and arrows, Raven easily dodged them of course. Next they pulled out knives and daggers and used their swords and other melee weapons and tried to cut her, but they only hit her Aura. Even then, not many even landed with their intended target. These Snotlings weren't very strong when it came to weapons larger than themselves. All the while, the crowds of Greenskins were cheering the Snotlings on, expecting them to win. Raven was starting to tire of continuously dodging, so she went on the offensive and cut two Snotlings in half while another was impaled.

She then dodged their pitiful attacks as she dived into a bush and turned into a raven upon getting out and flew up into the sky, then after causing them all to look up the way she flew, she came down from behind and scratched out the eyes of another Snotling, then ripped out his throat.

But then she was stuck in a game of dodge, for she was trying her best not to get shot down by the hail of bullets and arrows sent her way. After a bit more dodging, she saw how the Snotlings ran out of ammunition, but one pushed his way through and said "Eat dis, ya stoopid birdie!" and threw a Fire Dust crystal with… a burning string attached to it? It took Raven only a moment to realize what that was before narrowly avoiding the fiery explosion that soon rocked the area.

Great. Now these guys are able to make Dust crystal bombs.

After that, she returned to her human form and with a speeding stroke, sped past a clump of six Snotlings and cut them to pieces. The Greenskins were shocked (sort of) to see these (better than normal) Snotlings get cut down so quickly. "What's wrong? Not very good at keeping your own word, are you?" Raven taunted, daring the rest to attack her again. Instead of an answer, the remaining fourteen charged her from all sides. Five attacking her from the front, five from behind, and two from either side. Instead of reacting, Raven sheathed her sword then turned the Dust revolver (thing, I'm not really sure what exactly it is) to Earth Dust, pulled out her sword (now an earthy-brown color) and then stuck it in the ground.

She then turned it in a full circle and from that circle erupted multiple earth spikes. All save four of the Snotlings were impaled. The remainder (one from each side) only had a moment to glance at what happened in surprise before Raven grabbed the one in the front and slammed it into the one on her right, causing both to fall onto the spikes. The final two had their heads cut off before they could scream.

The Greenskin crowds could only stare at the sight before them. This hummie beat one of Zogger's champs with ease! "Well, that was a nice warm-up. Now where's the real challenge?" Raven called to Zogger, causing him to scowl while the rest of his tribe just cheered Raven's victory. If she could beat one so easily, she might just win and be the new Boss!

That, however, was something Zogger would not entertain.

The Shaman only growled and said "Wot? Just cuz yer first scrap was against Snotlings don't mean the rest'll be so easy! Cuz dey won't! Next, youz gonna be fightin' Nurjug Spell-Crazy. And believe me when I say you ain't gonna last against all o' his spellz. Cuz he has a lotta 'em! A LOTTA 'EM!" Zogger then turned towards the hooded Goblin and said "Nurjug, you're up! Break dis' humie like a twig wit' ya spellz!"

The hooded Goblin shuffled forward as the Greenskins were cheering and saying "Nurjug! Nurjug!" Raven, for her part, was still not impressed. This Goblin may be normal sized and use magic, but so can she. Nurjug looked at Raven with his beady red eyes from under his hood and said "Wots da matter, hummie? Feelin' nervous? Feelin' itchy?" and with that, Nurjug waved his hands and all of a sudden Raven started itching everywhere. Even her… well, her lady parts were itchy! She couldn't help but quickly scratch, but it gave Nurjug a few moments to unleash a barrage of magic missiles at her. She didn't have the time to dodge, and was directly hit by them all. The Greenskins were roaring again and cheering Nurjug, but through the dust, a figure could be seen still standing.

It was Raven, her Aura only briefly shimmering before she charged the Goblin Shaman. Nurjug was unprepared for her to survive (let alone charge him) that fast, so all he could prepare was a forceful push-back spell. It slowed her down, but not enough. Nurjug then runs away as fast as possible, giving himself as much distance as he can, then he uses his Vindictive Glare spell. Raven is able to avoid some of them, but others pop, fizz, and explode all around her, nearly knocking her off her feet and disorienting her long enough for Nurjug to run up a tower. As he does, he readies up even more spells to barrage Raven with.

Once he reaches the top, Nurjug laughs at Raven and says "Hahahaha! Ya can't beat me, hummie! I'z got da high ground and da Little Waaagh on my side!"

The bandit leader just grunts her frustration and runs toward the tower, but instead of climbing up, she rolls her Dust revolver and gives her sword a Wind Dust coat and with that, swings her sword a few feet away from the tower. While this probably couldn't do anything with no Dust, the force of Raven's swing sent a wave of wind so powerful (not to mention sharp) that it cut the base of the tower, causing the whole thing to crumble. Nurjug, terrified and angry at Raven's persistence to kill him, waved his staff, yelled "Right then, time to Nikkit! Nikkit!" and two giant green hands appeared. One caught Nurjug and floated him back down to the ground, and the other aimed straight for Raven and caught her in a vice-like grip. The first hand (after dumping Nurjug a safe distance away) then speeds off to try and take Raven's sword and scabbard away from her (along with taking anything shiny and of value).

The hand managed to take her sword, but could not take the scabbard. Nurjug wasn't worried. As long as she didn't have her sword, she wouldn't be much of a problem. And with his hood he doesn't need to worry about her turning into a raven and taking his eyes.

After the hands took anything of value, they dropped it off in a random pile of other shiny things and disappeared. They didn't do much to hurt Raven, but they did make her look bad.

I mean, getting robbed by a pair of magical hands? Really?

Raven could not let such an insult go unpunished, so she angrily ran straight to Nurjug (dodging and ignoring all his magical attacks) and grabbed him by his hood and said "So, you want to play dirty? I'll do it too, then!" she then threw him into the side of a building and then ran off to regain her sword (and other things she was robbed of). After she got it back, she charged straight back to Nurjug, threw fire Dust in his eyes (and soon igniting it), kicked him up into the air like a ball, and then stabbed him as he fell, then cut him down one side, pulled him up to cut him down the other side, then threw him up into the air again and cleaved him in two. Nurjug's purple Aura flickered and died soon after.

Raven held her head high and turned to Zogger and said "Alright, not bad this time. But I'm still looking for that best-of-the-best champion you have. So far, it's been a breeze."

Again the green crowds roared and cheered the hummie for her victory against Nurjug. Zogger was starting to get angry, but wasn't sure if he should keep going. She looked weak, but if she could take out both the Snotty Krumperz and Nurjug in a row? No, the best thing is to come up with a plan. But before that, Zogger is going to be petty and try to beat Raven with numbers.

"Enough o' dis! All of you ladz better get 'er now! Go, go, go!"

Of course, many did attack (if only to later brag about how they killed the hummie that killed two champions), but some held back because they wanted to see her face the other champs. As the masses were closing in around Raven, they saw her sigh then run behind a pillar, only for a raven to fly away from the other side.

"ZOGGIN' DAMN IT!"

(Ending Authors Note: Well, well, well! Things are picking up! The final match of the tournament will soon be upon us and we finally get to see Raven and she's for sure up to something! We're getting closer and closer to the end, I just can't wait! I hope you all very much enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next. Please review, follow, favorite and share with others. I also just want to give huge thanks and credit to Colossus Bridger for coming up with the Bloody Klawz Tribe and helping me very much with giving Raven something to do. Bye, ya gits!)