The Harvest Festival, Part 3!
A/N: Welcome, one and all, to the penultimate chapter of Weiss Reacts Volume 2! Woo! Can't believe we're this close to the end! Well, as this is also the penultimate authors' notes section of the volume, I just have several things to say; mainly, that as soon as the Death Battle featuring Yang comes out, we will indeed be featuring it. Also, please, please, PLEASE start suggesting fics for volume 3- but, as some of you already know, the usual rules I have for selecting fics that were unwritten are now currently up in my profile for people to read, in order to save myself time. They will also be subject to change at any moment, as they have not been set in stone yet.
However, now that we took care of that, let's get this chapter out of the way and head straight to the finale!
DISCLAIMER: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, otherwise there would be more Sumerian mythology in the show.
All mentioned franchises and characters belong to their respective owners.
"The Grimmfather?" Weiss raised an eyebrow quizzically. "That sounds like some sort of overcompensating criminal's epithet."
Professor Faust adjusted her glasses, shaking her head. "It sounds like that, yes. I can assure you, unlike overcompensating criminals- and for that, Mister Torchwick can tell you all about it-, the danger of the Grimmfather is very, very real."
Blake held up a finger. "Wait a second. It calls itself the Grimmfather?"
"It may come as a surprise, but this Grimm is sentient." The witch explained urgently. "It can think, and it can speak, too. We don't know where it came from, and, as I said, we don't even know what its true name is anymore.
However, it does more than think and speak."
Weiss scoffed. "Hardly believable. A Grimm that can think and speak for itself? That's preposterous."
"I would know." Faust responded without a change in her tone. "I was part of the group who sealed it out of our world.
I will not elaborate on it, but the creature…if you believe that Fafnirs, Goliaths and Deathstalkers are the worst of the Grimm, that is a false assumption."
"Cut to the point, Professor." Weiss interjected. "What do you mean?"
"Physical size and strength are not its only weapons." Faust continued, unperturbed by her student's interruption. "No, it has those in abundance, but its true weapons are those of the mind.
It can….speak to you. It speaks to your mind, and sees all and everything within it, and uses it as a weapon against you."
"Wait, so it basically uses your worst fears against you?" Jaune inquired. The witch nodded hastily.
"Indeed."
"Why?"
"The Grimm feed on negative emotion, including fear." Faust reminded her students. "This is a thing you learn in your first year as trainee Hunters in Sanctum or Signal or whatever academy you may attain. The Grimmfather knows this, and it can exploit its mastery of minds to continue feeding upon you. Even as you resist, it gains power.
That is why we could not slay it, merely seal it away and hope it never returned to our world. It seems it….found its way back. I can only conclude it hijacked my ritual to create an entrance through which it could return to the Kingdoms."
"And what happens if it returns?" Weiss inquired, her voice starting to tremble.
Faust adjusted her glasses, pushing them over the bridge of her nose.
"….likely, it would be defeated, but at high cost. Our world has many warriors, many fighters who could fight it. Other Hunters, other fighters, even those referred to as Magi…..but it would not come without high cost of life.
That is why myself and a couple of Hunters sealed it away, into a realm of his own creation, in order to save as many as we could from it."
"So, do we have a plan to deal with this Grimmfather thing that's dragged you into here?" Weiss asked hopefully. The witch morosely shook her head.
"The best way we can deal with it is by retreating and shutting this portal on him. If we can do that, the seal we placed over his realm will re-establish itself and keep him locked away."
Blake checked her scroll quickly, her fingers tapping on it and producing a representation of the Iron Savior on screen, the damaged areas in orange flashing green. "…..the Iron Savior should be ready for manual flight, even if Yamato hasn't switched back on yet. I suggest we use the cannon on it to overload the portal with Spiral Energy and shut it off."
"Seconded." Jaune remarked, shuddering. "That way, we can get out of this creepy place. Dust, this place gives me the chills…."
"The sooner, the better." Professor Faust remarked, nodding. "As soon as we get back to this Iron Savior, which I presume is a craft of some sort, we should take off at full-speed towards the portal and destroy it as fast as possible.
As Bartholomew would say, time is of the essence, and we have little of it as we speak."
Weiss looked around at her companions, her face pale with worry. "Wait, wait, what about Yang?"
"She'll have her own way back." Ren reassured her. "We have to go. Now.
If Professor Faust, of all people, is telling us that that creature is invincible, the best course of action's probably to get out of the general area."
Jaune nodded worriedly. "Agreed. Let's go."
With that, everyone, now with Professor Faust among them, made for the Iron Savior as fast as their feet could carry them, sprinting across the grey dust. Blake took charge, leading the group, her eyes flitting about to watch for any Grimm ambushes. The catgirl checked her scroll repeatedly, checking on the condition of her ship.
"Come on, come on…" The catgirl pleaded, her eyes on the engine section, which was flashing green faster and faster, signalling that it was nearing complete repair. "…..just need it to get ready…."
Weiss looked around, Myrtenaster shining in her hands. "How long?"
"Should be about….three or four minutes! Keep running!" Blake barked, nodding to her.
And then something happened. Blake seized briefly, her cat ears twitching.
'Wait. What the….'
She felt it again. Her ears twitched.
'….uh oh. I can hear something. That's not good. What am I hearing? Is that a…..rumble…..'
She turned over to Ruby who was running next to her. "Ruby!"
"What?" The reaper yelled back.
"The ground's rumbling! Run faster! Run faster!"
"What?!" Weiss shouted in disbelief. "Again?! Just our luck! Can't we get anywhere without another thing trying to kill us?"
"Hopefully it's just more Nyctoraptors! Maybe they brought Yang back with them!" Ren remarked drily, StormFlower at the ready in his hands.
The rumble was drawing towards them, and the ground was shaking. Blake could hear it draw towards them, faster- far faster than any herd of reptilian Grimm could run, or any giant cephalopodic monsters could course through the air. No, even for Grimm, it was unnaturally fast.
'Unless…..oh. Oh no.'
The ground in front of them suddenly exploded, a black, incomprehensibly large shape surging out of the earth and looming over their party.
Blake managed to skid to a stop just a few metres away from the hole, standing the closest to it. Professor Faust was just behind her, staring at the creature that had emerged from the ground, adjusting her glasses.
"…it's here." The witch muttered under her breath. "The Grimmfather has arrived.
Dust help us."
Weiss clenched the handle of Myrtenaster tightly, staring up at the ancient Grimm that had barred their escape, taking in the form of her new opponent, partially in awe but mostly in utter terror.
The first thing she noted was that it was nothing like any creature that walked the good earth she lived upon. It towered far over her, even over the Kraken or the Iron Savior or any other Grimm she had ever seen. Its giant, spider-like legs- all ten of them- reared up over them and stabbed into the ground, kicking up the dirt where the tips of its spindly limbs planted themselves. Giant plates of bone shielded the upper half of its legs, with what looked like dark, dried blood staining the red markings upon them. Under its abdomen, a pair of ancient, bronze swords was impaled into its body, but if it felt pain, it didn't show it, and it was as if they were but pinpricks to the humongous creature.
As for its upper body, it had a humanoid torso, a gargantuan plate of bone protecting its chest, and two giant bear-like arms, with hands tipped with sharp, jagged claws. The Grimm's head resembled no animal the heiress had never seen, with a long, white snout, golden narrow eyes, and large ears, resembling a wolf's. Its snout had long, blood-red stripes running down each side, leading from its small mouth, which was curled in a small, sinister smile.
"Ah. Hunters." It spoke in a hollow voice, husky and dripping with hunger. "Do you know not who stands before you?"
Blake glared up at it, drawing Gambol Shroud. "Be quiet, creature. We're not afraid of you. Just who-"
"Who the hell do you think you are? Yes, I know, young kitten. I know you full well, especially the accursed witch who threw me asunder." The Grimmfather retorted, its mouth curling into a nasty smirk as the catgirl faltered and Faust stood back, drawing her wand. "You are not the first to say that to me. You will not be the last.
Know you not who I am? I have been in the legends of your forefathers, before your grandparents were but specks in the eyes of their own elders. I have seen the fall of kingdoms and empires, with their desperate straggling survivors seeking solace in cold caves, with my kin awaiting their inevitable demise, feeding upon their despair and their terror. I have slain a thousand of you, who sought to slay me for glory or for the love of country, and their fear and desperation sustained me in my long years, with their eternally echoing cries in my mind for me to peruse at my pleasure.
I am the bogeyman of bedtime stories. I am why you sought the solace of Dust and light. I am the reason you fear the dark.
I am the Grimmfather, and you have slain my kin. For that, you shall perish and become my next meal."
"I don't suppose negotiation'll work?" Ren quipped, before aiming StormFlower at the Grimmfather. Professor Faust was assessing the situation, but it was plain from her face that even she was scared of the Grimm before them.
"…we must get to the ship! Do not engage it!" The witch warned, but it smirked.
"Oh? You mean to escape me? We have yet to have such fun!"
Suddenly, it reached forward with its giant spider leg, attempting to crush Faust. Luckily, she managed to dodge by twisting aside, pointing her wand at it. Everyone else drew their weapons, and Blake nodded to her allies.
"We're going to need to fight on the defensive."
"Understood." Weiss flicked the chamber on Myrtenaster to ice rounds, and charged into battle, sliding across on glyphs. Next to her, Ruby was sprinting at the Grimmfather, swinging Crescent Rose at its leg.
"I got your back, Weiss!" The reaper reassured her, as she leapt in the air and swung her scythe into its leg-
-and it parried, barely even raising its limb, before flicking Ruby back. The reaper cried out in pain, as she slammed the blade of her scythe into the ground to slow herself down, wincing. Weiss' eyes widened.
"Ruby!" She cried out. The reaper held up her hand.
"I'm fine! Keep going!"
Velvet and Vivi were busy swinging at the creature's legs with their massively-oversized weapons, axe and mallet swishing in unison, but barely even chipping away at the bone plates.
"Gah!" Velvet yelled, barely managing to block the Grimmfather's retaliatory strike with his leg, as it let out a chittering laugh, mocking their efforts to kill it. Vivi managed to avoid another swing, looking up desperately at the bunnygirl.
"Piiii pipippipii!"
"He's too strong!" The bunnygirl cried, looking over to Nora, who was blasting at its carapace with Magnhild.
"Dammit, go down!" The berserker cried, futilely attempting to make a chip in its bone plates. She was also swatted aside, skidding next to Ruby and groaning as her Aura flashed about her, healing her injuries.
"Nora!" Ren roared, before glaring at the Grimmfather and releasing a flurry of equally ineffectual bullets. Next to him, Faust was blasting it with balls of sickly green fire, speaking rapidly in an incomprehensible tongue, and Winter was shooting at it with Frauenmantel. Jaune pushed Pyrrha out of the way of a swipe of its leg and managed to weather a strike with Crocea Mors, bone meeting metal.
The Grimmfather laughed mockingly. "Is that it? Is this all Grimm slayers have to offer against me? This is pitiful."
"Tch! It's no use!" Weiss helped up her girlfriend, checking her over for wounds. "He's too powerful."
"…..I have an idea." Ruby looked around, nodding to Blake. "Blake! Hurl out Gambol Shroud's ribbon!"
The catgirl nodded, casting out the ribbon. "Right!"
"Winter, Velvet, Vivi, direct attack!" Ruby ordered, and the three girls nodded, before renewing their assault. The Grimmfather scowled, trying to block their flurry with his legs.
"Tch. Pathetic! Is that all you have? These petty weapons won't hurt me! Come on! At least give me a good show before you die!"
Ruby looked to Pyrrha. "Plant Milo down!"
"Right!" The spearmaiden responded by stabbing her spear into the ground where she stood. Blake suddenly understood, and she pointed Gambol Shroud behind her, tying her ribbon to its handle and fired, sending the other end of the ribbon towards Pyrrha, who caught it and tied it around the handle of her spear. Blake then ran towards Ruby, passing her the ribbon , and the reaper tied it around the blade of her scythe.
"Ren, Jaune, get into position! Weiss, glyphs! Nora, in position!"
"Aye aye, captain!" The berserker saluted, before positioning herself in front of the ribbon, now shaped like a giant slingshot. Weiss raised Mytenaster, pulling it back and yanking Nora back.
"Firing!" Weiss barked, before letting Nora fly towards the Grimmfather, with her jumping into the air.
"WOOHOOOOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOO!" The berseker roared, soaring through the air. Her feet were met with Jaune's shield, as Ren lifted his comrade into the air before somersaulting aside, landing on his knees and hand.
"Got you, Nora!" Jaune called, before landing himself. Nora somersaulted into the air and stared the Grimmfather in the eye, grinning.
"In the name of the Great God Sloth, I PUNISH YOU!"
"What?"
"THE GREAT GOD SLOTH!"
Shifting Magnhild into grenade launcher form, she blasted him with as many grenades as she could into his mouth, eyes and snout, causing its face to be obscured in smoke, laughing maniacally throughout. It raised its hands up and roared a demonic roar, flailing, as the berserker somersaulted back to the rest of her team, who gathered together, having dismantled their makeshift slingshot.
"…..I hope your plan worked…." Weiss reared up, raising Myrtenaster up and waiting with bated breath.
Jaune breathed heavily, panting. "…..this is going to be a close thing, if it works. Please work…."
Faust adjusted her glasses. "No time! It's distracted! We must go-"
"No."
The smoke fell aside, and the Grimmfather glared at his victims below. Everyone jumped back, surprised that he'd survived.
Weiss stared at it with wide, horrified eyes. "…..how?!"
"He's far too strong!" Velvet cried.
Faust looked to her students, desperately shooing them and trying to get them to move. "Start running, I implore you. NOW!"
"Oh my….." Winter called out, looking for the first time horrified, her noble composure finally broken.
Jaune raised his shield, readying himself for another fight. "How did he survive?!"
"I….tire of these games, pathetic mortals." The Grimm roared, his voice dripping with hatred. "Now…..you shall die. But I shall have my fun with you first, and I shall feed off of your fear and horro, and then only then will you succumb to oblivion!"
Blake's eyes narrowed, her Aura flaring green around her. "Like hell we-"
"Despair."
And then all was silent.
Weiss awoke, blinking and looking around. The heiress trembled, reaching around for Myrtenaster, and found it, clenching it and finding strength in having her weapon by her.
"U….uggh….." The heiress groaned, pulling herself up, looking around and-
"No. No. No." She muttered, horrified at the sight she had beheld.
Ruby lay in front of her, a large chunk from the middle of her chest ripped away. Her normally vibrant grey eyes were glassy and blank, and her hand was outstretched towards Weiss, as if reaching towards her desperately. Her mouth was open, a dried stream of blood pouring from it, as if she had tried to say something before her painful demise. The sight tore at her heart, but she wasn't the only one.
Nearby, Yang was slumped, dozens upon dozens of scratches and slashes upon her body, her clothes torn and her skin rent to shreds. Blood poured freely from her wounds, and she was unmoving. Winter was impaled upon a shard of bone, her eyes closed and her face contorted in pain as Frauenmantel limply hung from her hand, broken in two pieces. Blake was curled up on the ground, looking smaller than in life, her golden eyes as glassy as Ruby's, Gambol Shroud having been impaled into her own heart. All her friends lay about her, dead; Jaune and Pyrrha, torn asunder, Nora and Ren slumped and bleeding their lifeblood away, and even Velvet, clutching the torn remains of Vivi in her arms, curling around her to protect her beloved from danger even at the last.
Her beloved parents, too, had fallen; Siegfried was face-down on the ground, bloodied and his sword Balmung nowhere to be seen, and Freya-
Freya slumped to the ground, staring plaintively at Weiss, blood pouring from her mouth, as Jormungandr was roughly torn from her mother's body and pointed at the heiress.
Siegmund Schnee stood before her, a mocking smile on his face.
"What's wrong?" The warrior called, laughing. "Your parents, your friends, your lover…..in the end, it's all useless, isn't it? They all died for you."
"No."
"They're gone, Weiss. In the end, strength is all you have."
"No."
"And now, you must face me alone, child."
"NO!" Weiss cried, shaking her head. "No! We defeated you! You….no! You can't! Ruby's not dead!"
"Face the truth, child! You are alone!" Siegmund declared, laughing harshly. "Alone. Alone you were born, alone you are, and alone you shall die, Weiss.
Face it. You have always been alone."
…..
Jaune pulled himself up, looking around, Crocea Mors having been up. He looked around, groaning.
The others had fallen down, their pained eyes shut and flitting frenziedly, as if a terrible nightmare had taken them. Even Professor Faust had fallen, huddled up in a ball.
"J…..J-Johann….." She muttered, choking slightly. "I…I was….I am…."
"Pyrrha." Jaune muttered, before looking to the spearmaiden, who was curled up, shaking her head. "Pyrrha! Get up!"
"D-don't…..please….don't leave me….." Pyrrha muttered plaintively, shaking her head. "Please….I don't want to be alone again….please…."
"Dammit! Pyrrha!" Jaune called out. Realising his efforts were futile, he looked to Winter.
"Winter, please!" He begged, shaking the lady's shoulder. "Come on!"
"…I….Weiss…..I'm sorry…..I'm sorry I couldn't…." The lady muttered, her voice trembling. "I wanted to…I wanted to save you from…."
The knight clenched his fist. Surely Blake would be standing, right? Her courage was beyond everyone else's.
"…n-no…..Yang….no….d-don't leave…." The catgirl pleaded in her frightful dream, and Jaune shook his head.
"What….what happened?!"
"Ahhh. You still stand, mortal."
The Grimmfather looked down upon him, chuckling.
"What…." Jaune's expression of confused fear slowly shifted to one of anger. "What did you do to my friends?!"
"They are dreaming- dreaming of the things that tear at them, that they fear the most, that eat at their very soul." The Grimm announced, chuckling. "I like doing that to my victims. After all, the more fear, the better."
"You…..you bastard."
Jaune gritted his teeth, clenching his sword in his hands. The Grimmfather laughed mockingly.
"Ah, the golden knight! I know you well, too! Jaune, son of Andreas, son of Anton. Son of a line of heroes, wishing so desperately to be a hero himself, and yet so far away. Beloved, and yet loving nobody, breaking the hearts of those he professes to care for."
'No. Don't listen to him.' The knight reminded himself. 'He's trying to use my emotions against me. I can't let that happen!'
"And yet he fears nothing? Why?" The Grimmfather tilted its head, curious. "It matters not. I'll just kill you anyway."
He brought down its massive leg upon the knight, attempting to run him through. Jaune blocked the attack, swatting his leg aside and rolling away.
The Grimm laughed again. "Feisty prey, aren't we? Well then! I shall have some sport!"
"Gggh….shut up!" Jaune roared as he slashed at it with his sword, jumping back to avoid another swipe.
"Face it mortal! You're alone! Alone! Just like your heiress friend! ALONE!"
He paused.
'Alone? I…no. I'm not alone. Dammit, that's clichéd, but I'm not alone.
I've got to balance the odds. I'm going to hold the line until they wake up. No, I'm going to make sure they wake up.
I won't let this thing win! I am not alone!'
"…..I…..will never…..be…..ALONE!" Jaune declared defiantly.
Suddenly, his Aura flared around him, surging to create a shield around him. Around him, his golden Aura formed warm tendrils, shooting out towards all of his companions.
The Grimmfather tilted its head, staring at him.
This was…..curious. This wasn't meant to happen.
"What in the name of….."
…
Weiss was tossed aside by Siegmund again, who was laughing at her.
"Come on! You had more spirit the last time we fought!" The warrior declared. "Is that all you have?"
'I….I can't even….' Weiss looked down, scrabbling away from the next strike from Jormungandr.
'I've got to….I have to fight…..but….'
Her spirit was broken, and it had been broken the moment she saw her beloved broken in front of her.
'…..Ruby….'
"If you love her so much, then you should join her!" Siegmund roared, raising Jormungandr up and thrusting it down at the heiress-
You do not stand alone.
'….Jaune?!' Weiss' eyes widened, as she looked behind her, to see Siegmund being tossed aside by an unseen force.
From behind, a strong, warm hand pulled her up, and-
…..
The heiress awoke in the real world, blinking. Ruby was next to her, alive and well, and pulling herself up- as was everyone else.
Weiss was about to go over to hug her girlfriend tightly, before she realised something.
'Power. I feel so….powerful. What the….' She looked down, before she realised her Aura, normally invisible, was flaring, with the white colour of hers tinged with gold.
"What the….Ruby, are you…." Weiss inquired, but the reaper looked down, shaking her head.
"I'm not." Ruby herself was glowing, her red Aura tinged with the same gold hers was.
Blake pointed in front of them. "Look!"
Everyone's eyes were drawn to Jaune, who was bursting with Aura, sword drawn and shield driving back the Grimmfather.
"What is Jaune doing?" Pyrrha inquired, looking down at her arms. "…did he free us from those….nightmares?"
"He did indeed." Professor Faust nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Aura Amplification. One of the rarest Semblances, one that bolsters the souls of those around its possessor. Our Auras were bolstered by his to the extent he managed to break the Grimmfather's hold on our minds and souls."
"That explains a lot." Blake muttered, clapping her hands. "No wonder people were so attracted to him.
Think about it. I mean, he's already bishonen and all that, but his very presence strengthens you mentally and physically."
"I won't let you win!" Jaune roared, pushing the creature aside, sliding back. Suddenly, however, he could feel his Aura starting to fade.
'W-what?!'
Professor Faust frowned. "And it seems, this is the first time he's actively used it. He's used up far too much of his Aura."
"I have you!" Winter surged forward and caught the knight as he slumped back. The knight blinked.
"Ugh….." He groaned. "…thanks…."
Weiss looked up, clenching her hand around Myrtenaster's hilt. "Well, even with that whole amplification thing, we still have to deal with that thing!"
The Grimmfather laughed. "So you are free of my nightmares, are you?"
"That's right!" Nora declared. "How dare you kill so many sloths?!"
"Of course! Who the hell do you think we are?!" Blake roared, readying for a fight. "We can take you on, you excuse for a scary villain! COME ON!"
"I can simply send you back to frightful slumber with one word." The Grimmfather retorted, chuckling. The catgirl- and everyone else- faltered.
Jaune's eyes widened in horror. "….no…."
"…..now, you shall all desp-"
"COMING THROUGH!"
"What-"
Suddenly, an alpha Nyctoraptor soared through the air, with Yang on its back, one hand on the feathers and one hand extended and punching the Grimmfather in the face, interrupting him. The other Nyctoraptors leapt onto the Grimmfather, clawing and biting at its bones.
"Grah! My kin! What are you-" The Grimm roared, trying to shake off his attackers.
"I'm the new queen around here now, buddy." Yang remarked as her mount landed on the ground. "Let's just say, Grimm are surprisingly easy to convince to follow you when they think you're the big man."
"Y-you…."
Ren smirked. "I knew it."
Blake sighed openly in relief. "Yang! You're alive!"
"Damn skippy I am." The brawler winked at her. "I'm not dying just yet, y'know."
Weiss huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, well! You took your time!"
"I missed you too, Weiss." Yang remarked, smirking.
"A sight for sore eyes indeed!" Winter commented, smiling. "Thank Dust you're alive, Miss Xiao Long."
Professor Faust adjusted her glasses. "This reunion is all well and good, but we must go! Quickly!"
Blake checked her scroll hastily. "…..darn it! Yamato's not online yet! And the Grimmfather's still standing between us and the ship!"
The giant Grimm screeched at them, tossing aside the Nyctoraptors clawing and ripping at it.
"I…..will ruin you." It declared. "I will ruin you, destroy you and your kin and partake of your blood! DIE!"
He reared up to smash at the people on the ground, before a beam of intense green light collided with his back.
"GRAAAAAAHHHH!" It screeched, falling to its knees, pained, as the bone plates on its back were melted by the burst.
Blake looked up, surprised. "That can't possibly be….that's the Spiral Motion Cannon!"
The Iron Savior was in the air, having blasted the Grimmfather in the back, with the Spiral Motion Cannon underneath the bridge charging up for another beam. It flew past the Grimmfather and lowered itself next to the people on the ground, the doors flying open.
Yang looked to Blake. "I thought Yamato was still offline!"
"He is!" The catgirl nodded. Weiss grabbed both of their arms.
"Who cares?!" She snapped. "Let's just get out of here before he gets back up!"
Everyone ran into the ship, and onto the bridge, where everything had been repaired. Blake took her seat hastily, as everyone resumed their seats- Faust sitting by Yang- and resumed command.
"Iron Savior, identity Blake Belladonna." The catgirl intoned quickly. "Command enter- run Yamato interface."
"Yamato's not here right now, but I'm certainly happy to help."
Everyone's eyes widened as a screen lowered from the ceiling to reveal Nanami's sleepy visage, her pink hair and eyes as vibrant as ever, peering down at them. Weiss was taken aback.
"Chiaki?! What are you doing here?!" The heiress snapped. "Wait, don't tell me-"
"I…." She took a moment to yawn. "…..I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm actually an AI, myself."
The heiress glared at Yang. "You…..used an AI to beat me at Team Fortress?!"
"It's not important right now!" The brawler protested.
Blake sighed in relief. "Thank Dust, Nanami, you saved us! But how did you get on? Where's Yamato?"
"Oh, Yamato's….sleeping…..he was tired like me…..and I backed myself up onto the ship…..I thought you might need an…..extra hand…."
Ren nodded, clapping. "An extra hand indeed. That was a good shot."
Yang looked up. "Nanami, can you fly us out of here?"
"I've played a few…..spaceflight games, I think I can fly pretty well….." The gamer AI explained, yawning again.
Weiss' spirits sank. "So I am to be put at the mercy of a gaming AI whose only experience of flight is with video games.
Dust save us all."
"It's better than nothing." The catgirl pointed out. "Nanami, take us to the exit! Quickly!"
"Alright….."
Nanami yawned once more, before the Iron Savior turned around and began jetting off towards the exit.
Behind them, the Grimmfather gave a wounded roar, before giving chase to the ship, hoping to retrieve his prey.
"You will not escape me!" It declared behind them. "You will die! YOU WILL DIE!"
"Nanami! All energy to rear thrusters!" Blake commanded.
"You got it."
The thrusters shot up in output, with the exhaust searing the Grimmfather's face. It paid the wounds no heed, too consumed in his hatred for his prey to care.
"No….die….DIE!" It commanded, before swinging its great paw into the side of the ship.
…..
"Ack!" Weiss was nearly knocked out of her seat as the Iron Savior was rocked.
"We've taken a little damage to the side." Nanami sleepily declared. "Not enough to stop us."
The Grimmfather's voice echoed throughout the ship.
"You won't escape. I'll kill you. I'll KILL YOU!"
"He lost composure quickly." Yang remarked, whistling.
Suddenly, the ship began to stop its forward movement, and began to be yanked backwards.
Blake looked up. "Nanami! What's going on?!"
"It seems he's….pulling us back….." The gamer AI responded, frowning. On-screen, a feed from the back of the ship could be seen, as the Grimmfather's arms were wrapped around the back of the Iron Savior, dragging it back.
"Yes, I knew you couldn't escape me." It muttered. "Now, I will tear apart this craft of metal and consume you slowly, painfully, and agonizingly, and I will savour it-"
Yang looked over worriedly to Blake. "What do we do?!"
"…Nanami! Engage the emergency thruster mode!"
"Right."
From the back of the ship, the thrusters suddenly flared green bursts, setting the Grimmfather aflame.
"GRAH!" It roared, trying to shake of the fires, and letting go of the ship, letting it shoot through the vortex, placing them back in the Emerald Forest's skies.
Weiss cheered. "YES! We're free! We're away from that blasted creature!"
"Not yet!" Ruby reminded her. "We still have to destroy the portal."
Professor Faust studied the screen, shaking her head. "And quickly. Those flames will not hold it."
"Nanami!" The catgirl called out. "Fire the Spiral Motion Cannon once more!"
"Understood."
The ship turned around as rapidly as possible, before the cannon underneath fired, shooting an intense green beam of energy into the vortex.
The Grimmfather leapt forward, attempting to jump through, but the beam hit it in midair, seemingly knocking it down. The portal crackled with the energy passing through it, before emitting a high-pitched screech. It shrunk rapidly, crackling and rumbling, before it imploded, leaving one last flicker in the air before winking into non-existence.
"…portal destroyed." Nanami declared helpfully.
Jaune sighed. "It's over. We did it. We have the Professor."
"Thank Dust." Weiss sighed in relief. "Now, it's over-"
Pyrrha pointed to the right, staring at the window in horror. "No, not yet!"
Suddenly, the Grimmfather leapt at the Iron Savior, pinning it down and smashing it into the ground.
Everyone in the bridge was smashed against the frontal windows, forced out of the ship. Luckily, this time, nobody was too injured, and everyone pulled themselves up, as the Grimmfather glared down at them, standing triumphantly over the broken craft. Much of its body was scorched and burned, with many of its bone plates gone or cracked.
It glared down at them with a hateful, hostile gaze.
"Now that your craft's gone…" It promised, straining to speak with the pain it was going through. "I will enjoy ripping you to shreds."
Weiss nodded to her companions. "His bone armour's gone. It'll be easier to fight him."
"Indeed so." Professor Faust drew her wand, readying herself for a fight. "We have no other choice. If we let him go, he risks rampaging in Vale as well as Beacon."
Jaune groaned, drawing Crocea Mors. "I feel drained, but I'll do this. One last fight, then I'm taking a nap."
"For Senpai!" Velvet declared defiantly, as Vivi stood on her shoulder, facing the giant Grimm.
Ruby stood by the heiress, Crescent Rose fully unfolded. "Weiss. Let's do this."
"Let's."
By them, the others drew their weapons, standing resolutely against the Grimmfather, glaring at it intensely.
"Come then." Blake declared, challenging it. "Give us your best shot."
To be continued…..