Ruby took off as Yang sprinted ahead. Blake ran off on her own path while Weiss took position behind Ruby. They dashed through the twist and turns of the festival, as if the festival itself turned into a labyrinthe intent on keeping Ruby and her teammates delayed just a little longer. Still, the gunshots became louder, and the trail of bodies didn't stop.

Soon they found themselves bursting out of the festival grounds and onto the mall streets itself. There, Ruby and the others spotted a far larger group of Crusaders―they had to be at least twenty strong―gunning down faunus civilians with merciless impunity.

Yang screamed and took off in a near flash, socking the nearest Crusader towards the wall with a vicious crack. Ruby fired off powerful shots down the street. A Crusader screamed as her hip was blown off and another collapsed in agony from a shot that badly grazed their ribs.

Weiss weaved glyphs underneath herself, Yang and Ruby as sparks and deformed bullets flew around the trio. Blake leaped from the rooftop and landed on a Crusader setting up a machine gun. Then she shot another one standing next to her who got caught off guard. Yang was lost in a frenzy of wrath as she broke arms, legs, ribs, shoulders, and other bones with her furious punches and deathly kicks.

The rest of the Crusaders fell back further down the street and regrouped, then unleashed a hailstorm of bullets toward Ruby and her teammates' way. A bullet struck Ruby's forehead and she forced herself on the ground, disoriented. She saw sparks and deformed bullets flying off Yang as she propelled herself forward and snatched two Crusaders by the throats. Then Yang threw them towards a small group of Crusaders, throwing them all on the ground.

More bullets struck Yang yet the wrath on her face remained undeterred. Blake leaped in again and took out another Crusader carrying a machine gun, her afterimages dissipating with each shot made at her. Weiss conjured a glyph wall between Yang and the Crusaders and summoned another one to propel Yang backwards.

"Weiss, what the hell are you doing?!" Yang scowled at her, losing her balance as she found herself gently flown backwards towards Weiss. "Let me back in, it's gonna take far more than a few damn bullets to–!"

"Your aura's running low, Yang! I can already feel it!" Weiss weaved together fire and wind dust together and propelled it screaming toward the Crusaders as a terrible blast of fire. "Let us handle this while you rest!"

The fire scared off the Crusaders but it only scorched the street. Still, the Crusaders appear to be down to nine terrorists and they began falling back.

"Come on!" Ruby yelled a war cry. "Press the attack!"

Blake dashed forward as she left a trail of afterimages taking the shots. Weiss conjured a glyph wall in front herself and Yang and ran as well. Yang grumbled as she followed behind Weiss. Ruby sprinted ahead and brandished Crescent Rose forward, switching to scythe form. The nine terrorists took potshots at them but they still continued the retreat. Ruby glimpsed at Weiss and Blake taking up her flanks, then glanced over her shoulder to see Yang covering her rear. Ruby turned back with a smile. They may save the day yet.

The Crusaders appear to have stopped at a street crossing through the Mall, with several cars parked on the curbs, giving Ruby and her teammates ample time to surround their flank. Ruby, Weiss and Yang formed a pincer around the Crusaders while Blake took to the rooftops to flank them for a surprise.

Ruby raised Crescent Rose in a high stance. "All of you, we'll give you one chance to surrender now! We outmatch you, and we will use force again if we have to!"

"Ha, tough words coming from a kid!"

Ruby's eyes widened at the voice. That was familiar. Violet strode in front of Ruby and her teammates, swinging her assault rifle on her shoulder. Ruby scowled and she and the others aimed at the monster.

She raised a finger. "Ah ah ah. Kill me, and the furries'll eat lead."

Ruby froze as the female Crusader beckoned her cohorts. They brought out at least a dozen or so fauna, whose wrists were bound with cords. Oh God, they got hostages.

"That's it," Violet trained her rifle on Ruby and her teammates as the remaining Crusaders backed away, dragging the hostages with them. "Just stay where you are, and don't move an inch."

This is bad. Ruby growled, frustration bubbling in her chest. They can't touch them without risking harm to the hostages. A glance at Weiss and Yang and they shared similar looks. Nothing can be done at this point, unless…

And then Blake leaped from the rooftop and landed on a Crusader. She shot another one and aimed at Violet. Ruby and the others took a step forward, weapons primed, but then they witnessed two people screaming as barrels, pressed against their temples, roared fire through their heads.

Their screams went silent and the victims collapsed on the ground, their bodies limp and their faces forever frozen with fear.

Ruby, Weiss, Yang, and Blake froze in their spots as the remaining eight Crusaders trained their assault rifles on the whimpering and sobbing hostages. The female Crusader chuckled, shaking her head and staring down on Ruby and her teammates practically with a sneer.

"You kids are naive if you thought you had any chance of rescuing all of these lowlives. And now you will pay for your arrogance with two of their lives." Then she glared at them. "You little shits try another stunt like that and we'll shoot more of these furries. Capice?"

She turned to her cohorts and gestured her head. "Come on, we've wasted enough time! Let's get the hell outta dodge!"

Ruby and her teammates could do nothing but watch the Crusaders drag their terrified hostages with them in their retreat. They crossed the street and disappeared further into the Mall, but at this point Ruby didn't see a reason for her teammates to pursue them now.

Blake stared at the bodies, shaking her head, collapsing on her knees. Ruby could only imagine what was going through her mind now as she muttered, "I screwed up. Oh God, I screwed up again…"

Yang's anger had faded into strangely serene, yet sensibly morose mood. "Man, this day just keeps getting better and better, huh? Blake," she looked at her, holding her shoulder, "look–"

"I-I thought I saw an opening," Blake muttered, shaking her head even more. "Their backs were turned, I-I-I thought I could've tried to, t-to–"

"You idiot!"


And that was Part III, folks; hope you enjoyed. Part IV will be coming along soon.

-Sda.