Blake removed her empty canister for the sixth time this night, replacing it with her second-to-last one.
She let her eyes momentarily float to her team, the combined explosions of Ruby and Yang's totally unorthodox combination covering the hungry growls of their pursuers.
If the faunus wanted to be honest to herself, they were doing unexpectedly good so far. Weiss staying out of the combat ensured she had enough aura to maintain Chloe's speed.
In addition, the few Ghouls who managed to reach the running Deathstalker were being easily disposed by the rest of the team.
Compared to the way the monster had dealt with them before, this hunt was way too easy. She shot another one, seeing once more its form dissipate. Why didn't it go after us? What reason could it have to avoid engaging us?
Suddenly, her ears perked and she turned her head towards the left. Her powerful night vision managed to spot a wave of deep black fog literally running towards them, as if trying to intercept their movement.
"Weiss! Enemies on our 2!" "Sweet Dust!" Obeying its master's command, Chloe slightly turned to its right, trying to create distance from the upcoming ambush.
And exposed itself immediately to the other massive wave that jumped out of their right side.
"SHIT!" half a dozen Ghouls fell on the Deathstalker's back, immediately trying to attack Weiss. The girl rolled backwards, dexterously using her two blades to divert the bites and slices, her armored arms minimizing all hits that passed through.
Blake unclasped Nightfall "DUCK!" and immediately after her teammate complied, she whirled the blade, slicing all of them to pieces. To her dismay, they immediately started recover, giving just enough time for Weiss to run next to her team.
"Thanks" she panted. "Don't mention it" the faunus replied. "We are out of ammo!" Ruby's voice sounded as the Ghouls completed their regeneration- and fell to Envelop's clip emptying, their bodies dispersing on the wind.
Ruby and Yang walked next to them "they are catching up" the blonde pointed to the back, where a few Grimm had started to climb the Deathstalker's rear, a few strikes from its stinger only managing to momentarily repel them.
Ruby let her eyes quickly focus on their left and right, where even more pursuers seemed to appear by the minute. "Weiss" she turned to her team "we are jumping off. Tell Chloe to stall them as much as possible."
"No problem, but can you two run at this state?" a Ghoul tried to jump on them, but Blake shot it down. "No other options; let's go!" she picked up and stowed her rifle's remains in her backpack.
Simultaneously, team RWBY ran towards the front of Weiss' summon, while the ex-heiress gave her command.
They jumped away and started running like crazy through the woods towards the hill, allowing themselves only one glance towards the Giant Deathstalker being overrun by the moving howling mass of darkness.
"Run! Fight only what tries to stop you! And don't lose sight of each other by all means!"
They didn't even wait Ruby finish to spring in action, the howls from behind them indicating their enemies had started moving again- way too soon for their taste.
Ahead of them all, naturally, was Blake. Her keen eyes scanned through the area as she swiftly led team RWBY towards the top of the hill, on the lookout for any ambush and helping them avoid traps and terrain hazards.
Weiss was right behind her, gasping and panting from the stress while holding both weapons, ready to run to anyone's help.
The sisters were just a little behind her, determination all over their faces as they braved the overwhelming exhaustion that threatened their bodies.
They ran like this for a significant amount of time, when Yang noticed the howls and growls from their predators had started getting louder. "I think they are catching up, guys!"
"Took them a while; I thought they were faster than that" Ruby grumbled. "Let's keep our pace; don't waste even more energy until they come closer!" she addressed her team, receiving three nods of agreement.
As they kept running, all that time the howls and screams from their pursuers sending their blood pump, Blake noticed an exit from the thick canopy.
"There! We can reposition ourselves more favorably!" she screamed as they stepped out of the forest.
Beyond the thick veil of the forest, a snow-covered slope was being spread. There were no trees around to block their path, so the only thing that remained would be to outrun the Grimm to the top.
And then, their faces paled in horror as they saw a massive pack of Ghouls bursting out from the white terrain, seemingly hidden behind trees and rocks.
Realization hit them, as suddenly their pursuers sped up and reached them in split second, getting them surrounded.
"They set a trap…" Ruby murmured as all four of them stood back to back, as both packs started advancing on them. "To think we would be outwitted by Grimm…"
Weiss clenched her teeth and quickly gave Crown to her partner "you will need this, sister."
The Ghouls opened their mouths and charged. "Cover each other! Flowers of Battlefield!" was the only thing Ruby managed to say before the black onslaught fell upon them.
Gauntlets and swords flashed as slices and hits severed Grimm limbs with extreme precision. Instead of attacking, all members of team RWBY danced through the battlefield in pairs, continuously exchanging positions to not allow the Ghouls to flank them.
Their weapons never attacked their own enemies; instead, they kept hitting each of their respective partners' adversaries, allowing them to protect each other's back more effectively- a pattern that they had perfected in cases like this when they were out of aura and had to minimize every hit received.
Unfortunately, when Ruby had come up with the defense pattern, she hadn't taken into account enemies who could revive themselves.
The black maze of teeth and claws closed tighter, the fallen ones rising back, starting to break the team's rhythm.
A slice to Yang's leg caused her to flinch. A claw raked Blake's arm. A pair of canines trailed over Ruby's neck. Two Ghouls pounced on Weiss, forcing her to roll around and receive a good amount of lacerations to avoid getting eaten alive.
Yang tried to move towards her, but she fixed her with a stare "cover Blake!" she shouted to her girlfriend, skating to stab a Ghoul that was sneaking up on Ruby, while the red girl hacked another one's head off.
Blake skidded away and sliced a couple more, cursing inwardly as they reformed once more.
This is hopeless! She thought, ducking to allow Yang smash an enemy, the blonde's left arm dripping with blood and her breath ragged.
Ruby danced around Weiss, blood dripping from her reopened wounds and cuts in her body, mixing with her sweat. Her entire system was in agony; her brain in hyper drive.
She was using all her instincts to fight the gnarling mass, her mind fully occupied with one single thought.
How are we going to survive this?
It was at this point Blake's ears perked at a weird sound. Above the screeches and growls, above her teammates groans of pain and panting, above her own blade colliding to bone… a sound like- a missile?
"TAKE COVEEEEER!" a cheery voice was heard just a split second before a grenade hit the back of the Grimm pack, annihilating a good amount of Ghouls and sending a shockwave that blasted team RWBY towards the opposing direction.
The cat girl immediately stood up, her head spinning from the impact of the blast. Around her, her dizzy eyes could see Ruby kicking a few of the Ghoul survivors away and Weiss trailing on the snow while supporting a half-conscious Yang.
"OPEN FIRE! COVER THEM!" the sound of at least a dozen guns opening fire, accompanied by the pained screams of the Grimm being torn to shreds helped her focus a little more.
She turned around, looking towards the source of the noise- and smiled.
Nora was running down the slope, Magnhild at hand, with three more huntsmen dressed in the SHU outfits and bearing the colors of Mangrove City next to her.
Behind them, at least twenty more huntsmen were providing cover fire to her team, two large-operation cannons being set up at the edge of the top.
The Ghouls started once more regenerating and she saw a hesitant pause at the ranks of the huntsmen, before Nora shouted once more "DID I TELL YOU TO STOP?" making them to continue shooting.
One of the men stopped next to Blake, while the other two went off to assist Weiss and Yang. The ginger-head girl jumped above them and slammed away a Grimm, landing next to Ruby.
"Gosh, you look terrible!" the brunette was covered in half-dried blood, Crown still in her hand. "Tell your people to switch to dust cartridges; they are the only effective thing on those Grimm."
"SWAP TO HEAVY ARTILLERY!" Nora screeched once more, unfolding her hammer and sending another one away. Behind them, Ruby saw her team slowly being aided to safety and smiled in satisfaction.
The growls of the undying monsters forced her to look on her front again. The pause in cover fire had allowed the pack to start running towards them once more, screeching.
She corrected her pose, standing tall, as her friend gave command. "FIREEEEE!" before sending them a few bombs herself.
The sound of dust bombs and projectiles peppering the Grimm resonated throughout the slope.
The first wave of Ghouls was torn to shreds in a few seconds, to the orangette's glee. She raised Magnhild in anticipation for the second wave- that never came.
Instead, team RWBY, Nora and all the huntsmen participating in the operation saw with their eyes opened wide every single Grimm that survived the explosion withdraw back.
Their forms slowly turned to mist as they faded into the black, snow-covered forest.
"Well, that was a thing" Nora took off her goggles and turned to Ruby- just in time to catch the fainting brunette's body before falling to the ground.
December 2nd, 85
Cypress Outpost Infirmary
"Here…open your mouth" Weiss said tenderly as she gave Yang an apple slice. The blonde, seated on her bed and covered in bandages, looked at the piece of fruit and turned her pleading eyes to her girlfriend.
"Baby, no offence, but this is the sixth apple you have peeled for me only in the last hour." A pair of cerulean eyes stared at her "you are suffering from semblance overwork and muscular overheat. You need vitamins."
"But…" she tried to protest, but Weiss shoved the slice into her mouth, fixing her with a serious glare. "Nom-nom" reluctantly, Yang surrendered to her fate- and to Blake's amused laughter.
"I swear; you two are so precious" the cat-girl exclaimed, seated on a comfy-looking couch at the other side of the room, near Ruby's bed. "Mind your business, Bellatuna!" Yang replied, earning a chuckle from her partner.
"Quiet, you two!" Weiss hissed. "You will wake up-" "I am awake Weiss, thank you" the reaper replied, shifting in her bed.
Out of the entire team, Ruby had suffered the most injuries from fighting, including a large bite mark all over her neck, currently covered by a series of gauzes. It hurt a lot, especially when straining it.
"Sorry for interrupting your rest, Rubes." The brunette licked her lips "its fine, Yang. I think I have been resting more than fighting in this mission anyway" she added, slightly dejected.
"That thing truly did a number of us didn't it" Weiss exclaimed, pealing another apple. "On that note, I am sorry guys about-" Ruby groaned "Save it, Yang. We all fell victims to its corruption. If I can accuse us of something, it is that we went there unprepared for such an enemy."
"Hey, what is that sour mood I am sensing in the air?" Nora's chipper voice sounded in the room, as she opened the infirmary door, Ren in tow. "You survived, and that's what matters!"
Blake turned around and looked at Ren as Nora jumped to lift Ruby's spirits. The stoic man was wearing a long white uniform with the SHU emblem on- the Huntsmen' winter operation outfit.
His hair was even longer than last time they had met him, the single magenta streak running down his face.
Like Sun, very few things had changed in Ren, save for his attire and the ring he was wearing in his right hand, matching Nora's respective one.
Blake had always been wondering where the heck Nora had managed to find pink-colored wedding rings, but some things were better left unknown.
"Nora you will crush Ruby like that" he stated as a matter of fact. "Ooops! Sorry!" the orange-haired girl jumped back, much to the entire team's amusement.
"Did you come to check on us, Ren?" Weiss asked, leaving the plate down- much to Yang's relief. "That was one reason, yes. The other one…"
He put out his scroll and linked it to the infirmary monitor, opening it "…Commander Goodwitch wants a supplementary report."
As he was speaking, he typed Goodwitch's private number and after a few seconds the Headmistress' face appeared on the monitor, just after team RWBY had managed to get seated in a pointless attempt to don a professional posture.
"Hello team RWBY, Mr. Ren, Ms. Valkyrie" she addressed respectfully. "I am glad to see you are all doing better." Ruby smiled widely "Hello, Professor! Thank you for your concern." Next to her, Ren nodded in approval.
"Now, to not interrupt your rest more than necessary, I wanted to tell you that the council received the initial report and are less than pleased with the results." Everyone narrowed their eyes, save for Ruby who lowered her head.
"You know what, Professor? They can go-" "Yang, please no." Weiss interrupted her, gently grabbing her hand. Glynda only sighed "I understand your anger, Ms. Xiao- Yang" she flashed a weak smile that immediately vanished.
"But the council won't; is that what you meant Professor?" Weiss asked. "Yes. There are people out there who only care about the numbers, not the circumstances. No matter how unfair that sounds."
"It is unfair though?" Ruby asked, rising her head to look at Glynda. "164 people are missing; probably killed and turned to Ghouls, because we didn't manage to protect them. Is it unfair to say that we failed?" she asked, making everyone's face drop.
The usually stern woman, however, narrowed her eyes at the girl. "And 247 people are safe and accounted for, because you succeeded in protecting them from a 0-class Grimm. Don't undermine what you four did, Ruby. And no matter what you listen the next days, don't forget that."
The red girl opened her eyes, allowing a sincere and gentle smile to grace her face, matched by her teammates' rising ones. "Thanks, Professor. We really appreciate it." Glynda nodded in approval and turned to Ren.
"Have we still not managed to pinpoint its location?" The man narrowed his eyebrows before replying- an indication he didn't like what he was about to say. Next to him, Nora visibly deflated.
"We checked the entire area- the woods, the village and the Altar, as per team RWBY's instructions. We failed to find any single trace of the Grimm, save for the broken coffin and the skeletons underneath the Church, who are on their way to be transported to headquarters."
Goodwitch gritted her teeth. "Any signals in the radars?" Nora was the one who replied. "Nothing. Neither our equipment nor Mangrove's managed to get it. It's as if it vanished!" she exclaimed.
The cheerful girl's announcement was followed by a heavy silence, while everyone contemplated the implications of the report. Once more, it was Glynda who ended it, taking a deep breath.
"All right. Team RWBY" she addressed them, grabbing their full attention. "You are getting a 10-day leave to regain your strength. Use it to its fullest, since we do not know when you will be able to do so again." They all agreed; it was indeed much needed.
"Mr. Ren" she then turned to the man "From this moment onwards and until we have a solid lead on the Grimm's whereabouts, the entire region of Yugure is considered a type 0 threat zone."
He nodded in agreement, before she continued. "Nobody enters without your permission and your teams are advised to avoid it unless necessary. I will send you reinforcements to boost the forces of Cypress as soon as possible."
"Yes, madam!" Nora replied cheerfully, earning an eye roll from her superior. "That will be everything; I will see you soon enough." The call ended, leaving them to exchange stares with each other.
"Does anyone else get the feeling that this is the beginning of another crazy thing?" Yang asked them, earning a few reluctant affirmations.
"Ah, right; speaking of crazy things, Ruby" Ren grabbed a pen and a couple papers from his coat pocket, giving them to her. She looked at them and immediately stiffened.
In her arms were pictures from one of the extremely rare cases where she had allowed a reporter to get a photo of her for a magazine; she still remembered the harrowing experience as she turned her silver eyes to her friend in confusion.
Ren shrugged his shoulders "two of my recruits are members of your fan club; they asked for an autograph." Ruby's whine of protest got totally lost beneath the loud laughter of her teammates.
And that brings the Yugure arc- our introductory arc- to an end. There are two more chapters left, which will act as the epilogue for this and the setup for the next arc, I will probably upload them together on August 1st.
Thanks again for following, favoring or simply reading the story- I deeply appreciate it in so many ways!