—In the depth of the Mistralian jungle, Western Mistral.

Flamebringer breathed out a sigh as he watched the Grimms around him dissipated.

"That makes what? 230?" a voice drawled behind him. It belonged to a pink-haired sankta who was munching some sweet. This was Ambriel, one of the top 10 snipers on Rhodes Island.

"231. You missed one there." the sarkaz pointed at a burning Mandrake near a pile of Ursa.

"Ah, thought that's a piece of grass. Honestly, these Grimm thingy makes no sense at all," Ambriel leaped off her seat and approached Flamebringer, "one moment you fight against some clawbeasts then suddenly you weeding a patch of grass. There's no rhyme nor reason at all."

"Maybe it's like those Seaborn?" the sarkaz swordsman said as he put away his sword.

"Huh, maybe so…" there was a pause as the two watched the last Grimm disappear, "you think they have a hive mind or something of a leader?"

"Seeing how they operate in a group, it's not out of impossibility. but it's too early to say."

"Guess you're right."

The unlikely duo lapsed into silence as they started walking away.

It has been almost a year since their sudden teleportation and the higher-ups finally deemed it was time for the landship to move. And while the executives trying to gain sanction, scout teams were deployed. These teams consisted of at the minimum 3 members who had at least one year of combat experience. The teams then spread to the west, east, and northern region to map the surrounding region and to make contact with any frontier villages like Kuroyuri. Two teams were sent to the west, one of them consisted of Ambriel, Flamebringer, and Red. Flamebringer had sent Red ahead to scout for any potential ambush since bandits were apparently a thing too in this world.

Of course, the sarkaz had his own motivation when he volunteered for this mission.

He had heard from the Kuroyuri's survivors that bigger Grimm inhabit the deepest part of the forest, and he was curious if they could prove a challenge to him.

It had been two days since the start of the mission and it seems they finally reached the deepest region of the forest.

Flamebringer scanned their surroundings. The deeper they got, the more humid the air became. It reminded him of the days he spent trudging Sargon's jungle.

Actually, some of the plants here were the same as the ones in the tropical jungle of Sargon.

As a green thumb himself, it fascinated him how two completely different worlds could have similar floras. There were also plants he had never seen before. he scooped them up, put them inside a container, and put them inside his bag.

They would be a nice addition to the Convalescence Garden…

While Flamebringer was busy collecting plants, Ambriel was looking at her terminal. It showed a rough topography of the terrain gathered by the drones a few weeks ago. She traced a finger on the screen, mentally counting the distance from their position and a clearing that was displayed. It would take them 15 minutes to reach it with all these shrubberies…

After that, took out her radio and called, "Project Red, you there? Over."

It didn't take long for Red to answer, "I'm here."

"How's our way? Anything interesting?"

"Hm, Grimm are spotted; 5 Beowolves, 3 Ursae."

Business as usual then…

"Wait." Red suddenly said before going silent. There were rustling, thumping sounds, before silence once more.

"A big one." Red suddenly said, "Trunkbeast. 4 meters tall, tusks and masked."

Trunkbeast? Those big fella from Sargon?

Trunkbeast was an animal back in Terra. A big four-legged creature with a strong, flexible trunk and mighty tusks. They usually used to pull caravans by the tribes due to their massive body and strength. There were also stories where Sargon nobles used them for war a long time ago.

"How many?" Ambriel asked with some trepidation.

Trunkbeast was strong, she doubt one bullet would kill it. Not to mention her Originium bullets were limited, and with where Rhodes Island was, she need to count her shots.

"One." Red's answer alleviated some of her worries, "the Ursa and Beowolves are with it."

Of course…

Ambriel sighed, "Keep us updated. Don't give yourself away." with that, the sankta finished her call.

"What is it?" Flamebringer asked as he approached her.

"Trunkbeast Grimm with a small horde." Ambriel saw the swordman's eyes lit up with interest.

"Trunkbeast, you say…" Flamebringer mused before he seemed to recall, "It must be that Goliath the villagers told me about. An…elephant Grimm with huge, curved tusks…"

His face split into a dangerous smirk. "...we just have to move forward, right?"

Well at least someone's interested…

—Rhodes Island landship.

"–And then, and then, boom!" Nora exclaimed. She suddenly jumped with arms spread wide, accidentally slapping Lie Ren who sat beside her, "The guy just walked away while the building exploded. sooooo awesooome!"

An Ren chuckled as she watched Nora explaining a movie she watched with her friends yesterday.

It was 4 days since she was released and four months since her waking up in a strange facility.

When she woke up, she was confused by everything for the last thing she recalled was being buried alive under the rubble of her own house. She had thought she was dreaming, but as she regain clarity, she realized that she had survived the destruction of Kuroyuri.

The first thing she asked when she woke up was her son and husband. She was extremely glad when she learned that Lie also survived the ordeal, but alas her husband wasn't so fortunate.

She grieved even right now, but she had to put up a strong front for her son. Lie was all she had now, the last thing she wanted was to see his smile slip.

Currently, she along with her son and Nora, eating lunch at the slightly crowded cafeteria. There were many people in the room, and most of them were faunus with two features. In her days as a huntress, An never meet faunus like them, not even in one of her mission to the Menagerie.

Where they had been hiding all this time?

Better yet, how did a facility as big as this goes unnoticed for so long?

"—Then, after that Mister Midnight chided Miss Catapult, saying that 'this movie isn't for children.' then, Miss Orchid come in and bonked the two on the head because they were arguing too loud." Nora finished her story and drink her milk.

"Hm, from your story, I think Mister Midnight is correct." An said. From what Nora told her, it was a movie meant for a more mature audience with the theme being death, but it does sound like an interesting movie, "what's the title of the movie?"

"it's Farewell Elli."

Never heard of that one. Must be a new release…

The three then chatted animately (well, it was more Nora animatedly telling them about her days.) as they eat their lunch.

Eating together like this, reminded An of the days back in Kuroyuri. The reminder alone reopened a wound in her heart at the thought of not sharing this moment with her husband ever again.

The sadness slowly felt overwhelming, especially seeing how her children smile and laughed.

And as if the two knew what she felt at the moment, they shared a look.

Suddenly, Nora jumped off her seat, "I heard they're finally opening up the deck. Lilly said the view is great from there. Let's go, Renny, Auntie!"

"Fufu, you can just call me, An, you know?"

"Hmm… Nah, feel weird. Oh, I know! I'll call you Anny, how's that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful, Nora." An smiled when the girl jumped with joy.

"Yaaay! I know I'm smart at naming things!" Nora nodded with a smug smile, "well, let's go! As Miss Orchid would say, we're burning daylight… but how can someone burn daylight?"

An chuckled as Nora and Lie gently pushed her wheelchair out to the hallways.

The journey to the deck took about 10 minutes. Rhodes Island was big, bigger than her village. It helps that there were lifts and escalators around the place, it makes traveling around the facility much faster.

On their way, the trio bumped into Warfarin, the doctor who An appointed with most of the time. She was a young woman with pale white skin and red eyes. Her pointed ears denoted a faunus heritage, but An wasn't sure what (not that it matters.)

She chatted a bit as they happen to walk in the same direction. Doctor Warfarin was nice despite her sharp tongue at times. she genuinely cares for her patients and often asks how they are doing outside the examination room. Seeing the hard-working young doctor always made An smile.

Although sometimes she saw folks from Rhodes Island giving a berth from the doctor at times.

Gosh, I hope she isn't bullied because of her age…

Not long after they part ways with Doctor Warfarin, An and the kids reached the lift to the deck. There were familiar faces on the giant lift both from the village and folks she came to know during her stay in the facility.

An looked down on the kids. Nora was excited she was buzzing with anticipation as she talked with one of her classmates. Lie was more subdued, but she noticed the excitement bubbling inside her son.

It was the first time for the Kuroyuri villagers to be let on Rhodes Island deck after all. Stories from the facility inhabitants hyping up the view from above were echoed by the villagers. And since she couldn't step out like most of the villagers…

Not gonna lie, I'm a bit excited too…

The elevator then rumbled as it ascended. The air surrounding them had become colder, the warmth of the facility slowly replaced by the chilly draft of late autumn.

The elevator stopped with a slight jolt as it reached the top. Once the door opened, the people came pouring out of the platform. Warm sunlight slowly greeted the people as they reached their destination.

The trio waited for a bit before slowly making their way out of the elevator. Nora and Ren pushed An's wheelchair to a free space near a pair of Rhodes Island operators.

The sight that greeted them almost rendered them breathless.

They were high, higher than the highest tree in the forest below. The canopy which rustled by the wind made it look like they were passengers of a ship, sailing on a sea of green and orange. The cold breeze and the warm sunlight of midday struck a perfect balance, it would continue so until a couple of hours.

No words were exchanged as Lie, An, and Nora gazed down on the forest. Deep in her heart, An yearned to share this moment with her late husband. And the friends who lost their lives that night.

But no matter how hard she wished it was impossible. A fool's endeavor.

There will be no memories to create with them. All she could was cherish the good times they had together. The thoughts filled her heart with grief as regrets slowly set in.

But…

As she looked forward, two mops of hair immediately stuck out in her vision. She turned to them and saw mesmerized smiles on their faces.

This view…somehow lightens her heart.

That was why…

An put her hands on Lie's head and then Nora's.

They turned to her, curious. She smiled softly as she brushed their hair.

The two grinned and returned to watch the sight, unaware of the single tear running down her cheek.

…From now on, she promised that she would spend her every waking moment with them.

She will smile with them, cry with them, and spend the rest of her days with them. Filling their heart with memories that they would cherish for the rest of their lives. Watching them grow up into great people, maybe even there as they build their families.

There was no way she would wallow in her grief and miss those moments. For they were her treasures. her stars. her joys.

Her children.

While the Ren family gazed upon the sea of trees peacefully, somewhere under the lush canopy a fight occurred.

Flames charred the ground and burned the trees. A ring of fire surrounded a small part somewhere in the depth of the western forest. Strangely, beyond this ring, no trees were touched by the flames.

And inside the ring…

"HAHAHAHA!"

A cackle rang above the crackles of fires. Accompanying the cackle were sounds of air being sliced. A monstrous shriek echoed among the fire as the ground shook. Two beasts clashed in the sea of fire, a fight between steel and reinforced tuks.

Even from this far, Ambriel could feel the intensity of the fight…

"That guy… is he that pent up?" the sankta muttered as she peeked through her scope.

Flamebringer's face was split by a wide grin as he locked his swords with the Goliath's tusks. She was surprised that the thing's tusks could match the sarkaz' swords, after all, they were known for their sharpness and toughness.

The sarkaz suddenly pushed aside the tusks. The difference in strength was shown when the Goliath's head was flicked aside. Flamebringer then used his larger sword and released a crescent fire at the Grimm.

The fire explodes upon impact, slightly pushing the giant back. Seeing his attack barely impact the Goliath, Flamebringer's grin became wilder and he charged to attack—

There was a movement in her peripheral. She quickly turned her rifle and shot.

The next moment, a dead Grimm came stumbling out of the forest.

—Ambriel returned to watch her teammate fight but quickly lost interest.

"So much testosterone…" she murmured as she lowered her rifle. She then leaped down from the branch she sat on, landing on her feet.

Her eyes immediately set upon the device she had set some time ago; the trusty portable radar that she usually lugged on her back. It was almost ready, only a few minutes more until its ready to use.

While waiting, she decided to sit down and rest now that the area was clean of Grimm.

Ambriel rummaged through her bag, took out some sweets, and began munching. At some point, her terminal let out a beep and Red suddenly jumped down from the branches.

"Yo," Ambriel lazily greeted, "Want some?"

She offered the grey-haired lupo a Pocky. Red silently took the offer and sat down near the sankta. Seeing the specialist didn't say a word, Ambriel never bothered to spark up a conversation.

If she said nothing, then nothing happen…

In the end, No words were shared between the two as they snacked in peace.

While Ambriel and Red relaxed, Flamebringer was having the time of his life.

His foe, the Goliath, was strong. It reminded him of the sarkaz tribe who shared the same name. In Terra, there was a subspecies of sarkaz named Goliath who often become mercenaries due to their immense strength.

Though, this Goliath is weaker than that Goliath swordsman he fought in the past.

He lamented that he cannot let loose lest he burned down the entire forest…

Flamebringer lowered his body, arms spread wide. He stayed for a moment, his amber eyes burned on his foe. Watching as it writhed where it stood.

The Goliath had lost its tusks and its trunk, reduced to burning ashes. The bone mask over its head was charred and cracked on some parts, revealing a glowing wound underneath. The giant wobbled on its feet, it was barely standing now.

It needed to be taken down…

In a burst of orange, Flamebringer disappeared and reappeared behind the Grimm, swords crossed. His swords were glowing hot yellow, leaving a trail of where he had moved.

Said trail was all over the Goliath's body.

The Grimm let out a death cry as it dissipated into burning ashes.

Flamebringer stood up and took a look at his surrounding. The fire was still raging on even when the battle had finished. It only took a swing of his greatsword to extinguish his Arts, not even an ember remained. All that was left was a patch of smoking charcoal forest.

Flambringer put away his swords and turned around. He was about to leave for the camp when the ground rumbled.

His ears perked up as he turned in a direction. There he saw it.

Deep in the dark, there were a pair of shining red orbs and a glint of white. Just from this glimpse, Flambringer could tell that it was another Goliath, but unlike the one he fought this was bigger.

An adult…?

From what he heard the older the Grimm the stronger and bigger they were. The Goliath he fought was 4 meters tall while the one approaching was almost as tall as the trees, around 6 to 7 meters tall.

Flambringer grinned in anticipation. He drew his swords again as his fire Arts ran down the blades, ready to conjure another arena of fire.

The adult Goliath came into view and the difference was clear than the one he defeated. The younger Goliath had clear black skin while this one had patches of bones dotting its body with short spikes on its back.

Flambringer threw his hand up, blazing swords pointing down the ground. He channeled his—

"—Laevatinn!"

A wall of fire suddenly burst out of the trees, engulfing the Goliath in a matter of seconds and reducing it into ash. The giant didn't even let out a death cry, it was killed before it realized it.

—Flambringer's sword stopped inches away from the ground. He stared at where the Goliath was standing, brows twitching.

The wall of fire disappeared as a familiar redhead sarkaz walked into view. It was nonother than Surtr, the amnesiac sarkaz swordswoman (up to debate) of Rhodes Island. She was also one of the most active field operators of the company, often being sent to fulfill contingency contracts.

Her eyes immediately landed on Flambringer once she fully stepped out to the charcoal forest. Her face sets on her usual expression that some would call bitchy.

"Weak," she murmured, but in this silent night, it might've been a shout.

She then walked away in the direction of Flambringer's team camp, leaving the sarkaz swordman silently fuming.

A while after Surtr left, Flambringer dropped to his knees.

"...first that feline, now this…" Flambringer slumped, head resting on his swords.

Just why can't an honest swordman get a good challenge for once…?

A/N:

Hey guys, this fic is back. Some of you might think that this fic was dead like most other Arknights fanfic. I'm here to tell you, no it isn't. There will be a time of long dormant, yes, but I won't truly abandon my fic. Yes, this meant also my other fic might get a sudden revival at some point.

The reason I took a long time to write new chapter two reason, one I'm a lazy bastard who spent too much time on youtube, and I forgot how these FR chapters are supposed to go. So you can throw away whatever plan I said if I ever said anything.

There are also times when the muse was just impossible, being a generally moody person it made it hard to write down anything even though I literally have 2 drafts of this fic on my drive; one is the Black trailer, while the other is a Halloween special that I would post on Ruby's birthday.

Man excuses fall out easily from my forked tongue…

Anyway, yeah, this fic is alive and well. It might be slow since I actually have to read the stories from the game and not rely too much on the wiki even for a small bit of info. I apologize in advance if it took 10 centuries for an update.

Oh yeah, if you're interested I made another fic at Webnovel and Ao3 because I don't know how should I post it in Fanfiction. It's a multicross world travel system fic.

'These Odd-Jobs are out of this World.' if you wanna check out. (shameless plug achieved.)

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and have a pleasant day.