This world was already destined for ruin, a remnant of its old self barely hanging onto a cliff's edge by the tip of the fingers. It was as if everything would begin to unravel and fall apart at any given moment. In which case, who would even wish to live in such a world under the oppression the Grimm? Already, mankind had been confined to live like animals in a cage awaiting death. Wouldn't it be better to just give up and accept a foregone conclusion?
Why couldn't everyone understand this simple point?
Yet still, there were those who fought to defend the world despite the heavily skewed odds, but soon enough, they too would be snuffed out. Like the flame of a candle, all it would take to extinguish all hope was an ill-timed gust of wind. But sometimes, the flame remains stubbornly burning.
A little more force would be required.
For all those that would rise up to defend the world, there were also those that actively sought to bring everything to ruin. Any advancement by mankind or Faunus was to be met with lethal action carried out by the harbingers of Salem's will, one of which was tasked with bringing ruin to Vale.
Her name was Cinder Fall, and she was currently frowning while seated on a secluded office in Vale. She was a beautiful ashen-black haired woman wearing a dark red V-neck mini dress with yellow motifs. Only one of her bright amber eyes could be seen clearly on her face as her bangs partially covered her left eye. Regardless, the way she bit down on her lower lip indicated her level of stress.
Nothing was going according to plan ever since a fifth Kingdom of Remnant had been established and much of the Grimm set for use against Vale were redirected to subdue the newest Kingdom. Worse, little results were obtained by sending Grimm as even the elder Goliaths refused to advance anywhere near Vermillion's dawn star.
'The star that shines through day and night.'
Cinder was privy to the information that the star was composed entirely of magic, something that only Maidens and Relics could wield. Was it one of the Four Relics then? It was possible as they had been hidden away for so long, but why reveal a Relic's location so blatantly after decades of concealing them? Moreover, it had already been determined that the Relics were hidden in the four Academies of Remnant. Was this a faint then? Something to throw the trail off and cause confusion?
Cinder could smell a trap when she saw it. She tapped her fingers against the table in front of her and ignored her drink which she'd placed on the side. She was far from naïve or incompetent, and would not so hastily volunteer to investigate the fifth Kingdom like one of her colleagues, Tyrian Callows.
The man could very well get himself killed for all that she cared. All that mattered to her was her task and the fall of Beacon Academy lest she draw Salem's ire. To make an enemy of Salem was to live a life worse than death.
Cinder sucked in a breath and began to think. She'd dismissed all her hired including her to avoid any distractions. This planning phase would be crucial. Ordinarily, she had intended to bide her time and continue pressuring Roman Torchwick to gather as much Dust as possible, but she had her priorities. All the gathered Dust could only be used effectively at a later point several years away at the next Vytal Festival when representatives from the kingdoms would all gather.
Right now, she had to do everything in her power to weaken Vale and increase her odds of success.
The fall of the Mountain Glenn settlement was her first object. After Vermillion's unprecedented founding, the Kingdom of Vale had accelerated its plans to expand its territories. Emboldened by Vermillion's success, Vale invested thousands of raw materials to be used to create the settlement of Mountain Glenn connected by underground subways. Walls and infrastructure were quickly produced by Vale's best engineers while Huntsman and Huntresses were sent out to defend the perimeter. Flying Bullheads transported the bulk of what made Mountain Glenn's walls, and soon the Mountain Glenn settlement had been completed.
One Vermillion was enough. Salem was already annoyed as it was that mankind possessed the power to expand their territories, and as such, sent Grimm to immediately besiege the city.
In all honesty, it should have fallen years ago even without Cinder's intervention, but many Grimm had been redirected to destroy Vermillion with little result. Moreover, much of the Grimm around Vale had been mysteriously disappearing, likely hunted and killed. The biggest mystery to Cinder and her subordinates was the discovery of something strong enough to pierce a hole through a mountain. Whatever it was, was likely responsible for the vast number of missing Grimm.
In any case, the Grimm would soon overwhelm the Mountain Glenn settlement even if their numbers had been reduced. The only reason the settlement was able to hold on was due to Vale sending in prominent families of Huntsman and Huntresses to take command of the settlement.
Three had been sent since Glenn's creation.
They were the Belkan family, Elard family, and the Verdant family of Argus.
Each family held considerable strength through their heritage, and had been able to keep the Grimm at bay for years, but not without casualties. Many Huntsman and Huntresses died in the line of duty to the point that it became public knowledge that defending Mountain Glenn was synonymous to death.
Only the Verdant family of Huntsman and Huntresses were left after several grueling years, but it was only a shadow of its former self.
From the reports Cinder read, the Verdant family now only consisted of a grandma and her young grandson. They would be far from capable of stopping the newest waves of Grimm set to attack Mountain Glenn. Cinder would ensure this as Salem had instructed her to oversee Glenn's destruction.
Cinder let out a breath and focused her mind. Based on her reports the only variable to Mountain Glenn was the Arc family. Word was that Vale had pleaded with them to help defend Mountain Glenn and the Arc family head had agreed.
The Arc's were famed for their long line of powerful Huntsman and Huntresses. There was no telling what would happen if they got involved right before the final offensive could be launched, and therefore, they had to be dealt with.
Of course, Cinder had no plans of killing them off as it would take too long and consume too many resources, but she did intend to slow their arrival. Even now, the Arc family jurisdiction should be swarming with Grimm that would have to be dealt with before arriving at Mountain Glenn.
Good. Things were finally looking up for her.
A smile crept over Cinder's face as she reached for her drink, took a sip, and then stood up to begin her journey to Mountain Glenn. She had people to kill and a settlement to topple. No hard feelings though.
The strong live, and the weak die. It was as simple as that.
Life had always been full of trouble, but only Shirou knew the true extent of what this meant as he tried to keep Ruby quiet from blowing their cover. It was always one thing after another for him, and he knew that this wasn't ever going to change until he died or became indifferent to the plight of others.
Presently, he had a hand over Ruby's mouth as the both of them hid behind a bush out of sight. "Ruby, keep quiet. We don't want to get caught trespassing," he whispered.
Ruby nodded with swirls in her eyes, the inability to form words or thoughts causing her body to react on instinct. Her cheeks were flushed red and she was doing her best impression of a fish out of water. Much to Shirou's chagrin, Ruby was squirming while he tried to keep her as still as possible to prevent the bush's leaves from rustling and giving them away.
Unbeknownst to Shirou, Ruby was more concerned about how gently he was holding her in his grip rather than keeping hidden. Too close. He was too close. The fact that he was muffling her mouth made it impossible to share her thoughts at all. Rather, she was growing more and more conscious of the fact that he could surely feel how heated her temperature was becoming as blood rushed to her head.
O the mortification.
Shirou had always been slow to understand when others develop feeling for him. To Ruby, she'd had the longest crush on him ever since puberty hit and she began to realize that a hero she'd adored and idolized from the stories was her partner. The feeling only grew worse due to how attentive Shirou always was, and the fact that he'd always be around her when she was feeling lonely. Yang insisted that 'Shirou' was her imaginary friend, but Yang could be stupid sometimes. Just because she was older didn't mean that she was smarter or knew better. She even thought puns were cool, which goes to show what she knows!
Ruby managed to survive the situation by distracting herself using Yang as an outlet.
Meanwhile, Shirou was just thankful that Ruby had stopped squirming in time to avoid detection by Mr. and Mrs. Arc who were busy gawking at all the dead Grimm in the area. Mrs. Arc was cradling her youngest child in her arms while Mr. Arc kept looking between his son and the vanishing bodies of the Grimm.
Shirou could see that there was a misunderstanding building here, but for the time being, it was better to keep his silence. The alternative would be to reveal himself and Ruby, but that would mean having to explain why they'd trespassed into Arc family grounds. Ruby was an awful liar, and if pressed for answers, she may very well mention Roman and connect them with a criminal.
Silence was the answer here.
At the very least, he swore that he'd make it up to the young Arc for taking the fallout the next time they met at a better setting.
Several minutes passed before Shirou was sure that the Arc family members were too far away to detect them. He released his hold on Ruby and finally took notice that her face was a brilliant shade of crimson, much like the tips of her hair.
"Y-You shouldn't just grab me so suddenly, drag me behind the bushes, and then tell me to keep silent," she was pouting while digging a hole in the ground with the tip of her shoe. "I-I might get the wrong idea ya'know…" She trailed off in a silent voice, clapping her hands to her cheeks and swaying. (W-We haven't even kissed yet.)
Shirou suddenly felt a foreboding sensation originating from Summer behind him, and quickly pretended as if he didn't hear anything. Ruby was still too young. She probably just felt feelings of adoration for him and nothing more.
"No time to stick around," he deftly switched the subject. "We should leave before we're caught."
Needless to say, but Shirou had already completed Roman's task to hunt the Grimm in the Arc family's land. He still didn't understand why Roman would request such a test from him, but at least it wasn't something immoral like he'd been expecting. If Roman had asked him to help with a robbery or inflict harm on an innocent person, then he would have refused immediately. In any case, the job was done.
"Do you want to climb on my back, or am I picking you up?" He asked Ruby. As a Heroic Spirit, he was faster than most methods of transportation. He could be out of the Arc family property in a matter of minutes with Ruby in tow.
Ruby seemed to hesitate at the offer as she stammered out a response. "I'll climb on your back."
But your face says otherwise.
Ruby looked as if she was pouting while a grand struggle of epic proportions waged war in her mind. There was no doubt that she wanted to be carried in Shirou's arms, but she was older now and should pick a more reserved choice. Besides, she hadn't fully recovered from earlier.
Shirou noted how reluctant Ruby seemed as she made her way over to latch herself onto his back, but she'd made her choice. He placed his arms under Ruby's thighs and hoisted her up while she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Bending his knees, Shirou took off and directly left the Arc family lands. Meanwhile, Ruby took the opportunity to rest her chin over Shirou's shoulder and became content with just that for the time being. She grinned and hugged him tighter around the neck.
There was a misconception here that Shirou brought Ruby along just because she was whining. This wasn't just the case. It was deeper than that as it was due to the connection, he had with her as Master and Servant.
To an extent, he could feel what she feels and vice versa.
Ruby was already a lonely girl with hardly any friends. She had a mother that never came back, a father and sister who constantly left home, and now him who was trying to distance her away from any danger. If he constantly left her too, then there would be no one to keep her company or be there when she needs it. As a Servant, he had a duty to his Master, so he couldn't just leave her alone like everyone else in her family constantly did. It was why she developed an attachment for weapons since working on Crescent Rose was one of the only things that she could lose herself in.
From the connection he had with Ruby, for the first time in several days, he felt contentment. It may actually have had been a while since the last time it was just the two of them together, and Ruby wasn't wasting the chance.
"What are we doing now? Are we fighting more Grimm or are we looking for bad guys?" Ruby animated her words using her bubbly personality. The grin on her face was the one constant.
"Well, we're going back to Vale," he said bluntly. He had to find Roman again to determine if the man really was worth helping. There had to be a reason why Boyd had been so insistent.
As it would turn out, far from reaching Vale, Neopolitan who had been tasked by Roman to keep an eye on them appeared. She made herself known by stepping out of the forest canopy in direct line of sight with Shirou. Her mismatched pair of eyes gave Ruby a passing glance while regarding Shirou with a level of respect.
Not one for words, Neo simply lobbed over an unidentified scroll and disappeared back into the foliage.
Shirou caught the scroll in one hand while Ruby tried to see how Neo had left so fast without leaving any traces behind.
"She seems strong," Ruby whispered.
"More like dangerous," Shirou quipped while looking over the scroll in his hands. An unknown number was calling. "As you are now, if that woman ever becomes your enemy, run and don't look back."
Ruby grunted in a manner similar to Yang. "She doesn't look that tough. Uncle Qrow could take her."
"I was talking about you," Shirou replied dryly.
Ruby deflated, and eventually conceded the point. "I'm not strong enough to fight her…yet."
Well, it was a better answer than nothing. Moving on, but the unknown caller was getting impatient, though it was clear to Shirou who was calling already.
Without much care, Shirou clicked the 'answer' button on the scroll, and sure enough, a familiar voice was heard.
"It seems you've completed the task." There was mirth in Roman's tone, as if he was laughing at his own inside joke.
"Easy peasy." Ruby made a peace sign with her fingers that went largely ignored by Roman who'd already gotten confirmation from Neo about a successful job.
"This will teach my newest 'colleague,' Cinder Fall, not to rely on brats for direct subordinates. They clearly weren't meticulous enough to fully conceal their trails, but who can blame them? My Neo is just too good. No one orders Torchwick around and keeps him in the dark as if he was just some third-rate thug, and deserves to get away with it!"
Shirou could picture Roman smirking on the other end. He seemed the sort to revel in the misfortune of those he disliked.
"In any case, if you're capable of defeating that many Grimm, then I can at least think of you as strong enough to have some trust in, especially you Archer."
Shirou perked up a brow.
"You're just like Neo and I. Someone who knows his fair share of dirty work but still follows an unwritten code."
Ruby looked between Shirou and the scroll in his hands in confusion, but no one would explain to her anything.
Shirou didn't deny the statement. He'd seen his fair share of atrocities and killed others for the sake of peace. He'd be a hypocrite to say that he'd never delved into the murkiness of a criminal underworld. "Just get to the point."
"If you can't already tell, Cinder has some sort of connection with the Grimm. I'm not sure how it works, but she's demonstrated that they will listen to her," Roman's voice took on a more serious tone. "Based on the information Neo was able to intercept, Cinder has interest in a particular location. At first, I wasn't quite sure what she wanted with it, but the fact that she sent Grimm to delay the Arc family means she likely plans to eliminate it." Here, Roman paused. "Ever heard of Mountain Glenn?"
Yes, in fact he did. It was all Vale could talk about several years ago after Vermillion's creation. It was the first ambitious expansion ever deployed by the four original Kingdoms in years, but word in Vale said that the situation was handled.
No, wait.
Shirou's mind picked up on a realization. Remnant was a world besieged by Grimm where humanity only lived in pockets of land known as the Kingdoms. The Grimm feasted on negativity, and whether or not Mountain Glenn was doing well, there was no way Vale's government would inform the public of tragic or dire news. The blow to morale would breed too much negativity.
"Mountain Glenn isn't as peaceful as Vale says it is, isn't it?"
Roman grunted through the line. "That's an understatement. It's been on the verge of collapse for years. It's a miracle in of itself that they've been able to hold on, but since Cinder's involved, this year just might be its last."
Shirou went silent. Roman wasn't saying it, but a master criminal like him must have realized what sort of person Shirou and Ruby were during their first meeting. Roman was dangling this piece of news in front of his face and waiting for him to latch onto the bait.
In the criminal underworld, you make use of what you can. Often the ability to discern a person's motivations and interests were the defining feature that differentiated between a lousy crook, and a potential King Pin.
Roman knew where he was putting his cards from the beginning. He truly was a devious man.
"If Cinder wants Mountain Glenn gone, then all the more reason to keep it alive just to spite her," Roman continued speaking. "The two of you could even be heroes if you succeed."
"H-Heroes?" Ruby had stars in her eyes.
"Yes, Red, heroes of Mountain Glenn. Now let the adults continue speaking."
After much deliberation, Shirou finally conceded. He would never abandon his principles to help those in need, more so as a Heroic Spirit. "How do we reach Mountain Glenn?"
Roman must have looked all too pleased at his answer. "I've already made arrangements for you to participate in its defensive forces," he admitted.
"Of course, you did," came the flat response, but Roman remained nonplussed.
"I've registered you both as Mercenaries sent to help defend the Mountain Glenn settlement," he explained. "There will be a group of other mercenaries meeting up at Vale's subway in another week that the two of you are meant to travel with."
Shirou considered the notion. Well, he was a mercenary in his current persona, making this method viable. The problem was that Ruby had taken no action to disguise herself and he didn't want to paint a target over her. Many in Vermillion were already looking for the red-haired girl that had accompanied the Huntsman of Red.
He considered the situation, and had a simple solution.
Ruby would wear a mask just like him.
Still, he considered the option of refusing Roman's task, but he already knew himself well enough to know what his answer would be. In any case, Ruby had long since been persuaded to help from the moment Roman mentioned them being heroes. Then again, it wasn't as if he was any different. The two of them really were suited for each other as Master and Servant.
Two idiots with the same laughable dream to be Allies of Justice.
A week passed without much activity aside from the fact that Ruby had blurted out to Yang that she spent a day hanging out with 'Archer.' The way Yang's eyes seemed to lock onto Ruby's made Ruby feel as if she was in trouble, and as such she'd been avoiding Yang like the plague ever since.
"Ruby, where are you!? This conversation isn't over! What do you mean you spent a day with Archer!?"
"Ruby!"
Shirou heard Ruby (eep!) as she latched onto him and told him to "hurry and go!" They'd long since made preparation to venture out today, and were only waiting for an opportunity to leave. The fact that Ruby was running away from Yang gave enough of an excuse to explain Ruby's absence in the house. As it was, Shirou and Ruby were going to miss their appointment in the subway to Mountain Glenn if they waited any longer, but with Shirou's speed, they could still make it. Without protest, Shirou did as Ruby wished and took them to their meeting place.
The subways under Vale connected all the way to Mountain Glenn which bypassed a large majority of Grimm infested lands. This allowed for Glenn's construction in the first place. In any case, the subways were filled with transport trains, one of which was an express reserved for the group of mercenaries Shirou and Ruby would be joining. The mercenaries huddled in tiny clusters, wearing leather armours or whatever they could scrap together with low funds. Money had always been a problem for them which is why they worked to obtain it.
Upon Shirou and Ruby's arrival, most of the other mercenaries didn't bother giving them a second glance, and continued boarding their train. Shirou saw no problem with this, and merely ushered Ruby to take a seat inside their ride and wait out the trip to Mountain Glenn as silently as she could. Knowing Ruby though, it wasn't exactly simple for her to keep still. She was on her knees over her seat and was staring at the tunnel walls that blurred due to the train's speed. She passed the time by seeing how close to him she could get before he'd plop her off to sit properly beside him. She got to the point of making herself comfortable seated on his lap while leaning her back onto his chest. Rather than take her off of him, he opted to let her stay in her position as she'd become oddly docile after he wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling when the train shook.
A few hours later, and they arrived in Mountain Glenn with a dozen or so hired mercenaries who each kept to themselves. Money was the only reason they were here, and they didn't exactly possess the highest moral compasses.
Shirou made sure to watch out for Ruby and remain cautious of those around him, but like Ruby, he was taken aback once he began to observe the Mountain Glenn Settlement. It was located near the side of a mountain with no natural barriers around it to keep the Grimm out. Instead, it had large walls that created a circle to the north, south, east, and west. It looked much like Vale with a large central plaza and metro buildings, but everything just felt off. There were people on the streets, but all of them had their gazes pointed at the ground.
"Uhm, hi!" Ruby called out to a passerby. She was wearing a white porcelain mask which Shirou had given her, but it did nothing to hide her personality, nor all the red she wore. Shirou had half a mind to believe that she only wore so much red because he wore red when equipping the shroud of Martin.
Said passerby glanced up at Ruby with dead eyes, sighed, and then just pretended as if Ruby didn't exist. She froze in response, and lost her exuberance. She was being affected by the somberness in the air.
The best way to describe the settlement of Mountain Glen was gloomy. Even Ruby's boisterousness had simmered down as a result, and Shirou found her silence oddly jarring after growing accustomed to her general enthusiasm. Perhaps it would be better if they went looking for something happier? However, before Shirou or anyone could explore the Glenn settlement, a voice called out to them and stopped them in their tracks.
"You all over there, hurry!"
The voice belonged to a blond-haired woman in knight's armour carrying a large rifle-sword over her shoulders. Her hair was tied into a neat bun and she had a sharp look in her purple eyes. Freckles ran over the top of her cheeks, but they were largely unseen as her pale skin was flushed from exertion. The Arc emblem was emblazoned over her pauldrons which gave her the authority to call on the aid of those in the settlement.
Her name was Aurelia Arc, the eldest daughter of the family.
The Arc family had taken partial command of Mountain Glenn since their abrupt arrival a week ago, and the effect was showing. The walls erected around Mountain Glenn appeared heavily bolstered, each mounted with Altesian artillery constantly firing explosive rounds of Dust.
Behind Aurelia Arc was a group of younger teens carrying supply bags over their backs to be delivered to the groups fighting at the walls.
"On it!" The mercenaries called out. They were already paid and now had a job to do.
Shirou and Ruby looked at each other, before following everyone else.
The situation was far worse than anything Roman could have emphasized at an earlier briefing. There was no time for any orderly marching or displays. Mountain Glenn was constantly under attack so Shirou and the other mercenaries were quickly ushered to defensive locations.
Many of the mercenaries were split up towards the south, east, and west walls, but Shirou and Ruby were told to remain in place and await instructions.
"My name's Aurelia Arc," Aurelia formally introduced herself. "The rest of you are coming with me to Glenn's Northern wall."
There were no natural barriers around Mountain Glen, meaning that the walls were the last defensive line that absolutely mustn't be broken through lest the city be overrun.
Shirou realized that he and the other mercenaries must have been Glenn's reinforcements. Mountain Glenn would not turn anyone willing to help away, even if that help was only running supplies for the Huntsman and Huntresses on the front line.
Shirou looked towards the group of teenagers carrying supply bags behind Aurelia. In this group was a very familiar looking boy who was clearly lagging behind as Aurelia urged the group to be faster.
"Jaune, I can't baby you here," Aurelia's voice was soft yet stern. "I need you to keep up. I don't know what dad was thinking to bring you here, but this isn't a place for children."
"Ouch," Ruby mouthed behind her mask.
"Ruby," Shirou chastised her when he noticed Jaune flinch at his older sister's words.
"Sorry, being quiet now. Not another word."
Shirou only felt that this trend was going to continue. He knew his Master well enough to know that she could run her mouth even without bad intentions. It was part of her not having enough friends to learn when she should or shouldn't be quiet. Her social awkwardness was going to take some time to get better. Still, Ruby was anything if not kind.
Ruby moved to help Jaune out by offering to carry some of his load, but she was beaten to it by another boy. Said boy had thick black windswept hair and bright hazel eyes. Like Jaune, he was dressed light for maximum movement, wearing what looked like a light Romanesque armour without the shoulder pads. Jaune in comparisons was heavily armoured in white plate due to his sisters fretting over his safety.
"Here, pass me half," the boy said lethargically. He didn't seem very motivated, but there was determination in his gaze.
"Thanks," Jaune did not deny the boy's act of kindness and quickly offered up a few heavy parcels from his supply bag. The boy grunted after accepting them, and said no more.
Jaune and the boy looked around Yang's age, but Ruby was even younger, making her stand out even more after she froze while approaching them.
"I, ugh, hi? I'm Ruby." Ruby was the first to call out after Shirou had nudged her. Silence was not the best way to start a conversation. "I wanted to help, but I guess you don't need help anymore."
"I'm Jaune Arc," Jaune smiled sheepishly. "Thanks for offering to help."
Jaune and Ruby looked towards the other boy and waited while walking. Said boy looked between the two and let out a sigh.
"Ectoras Verdant," the boy introduced. "Just call me Ector."
If Ector was surprised that neither Jaune nor Ruby reacted to his name, then he didn't show it. What mattered now was to focus on discipline and do their best for Mountain Glenn. The three trudged on after Ruby insisted Jaune give her something to carry.
Shirou observed Ruby, Jaune, and Ector interact and nodded his head. As far as he was concerned, if Ruby made new friends, then it was all the better. In the meantime, he frowned while using his senses to scan the perimeter.
The situation was hectic, and one look over the northern walls was all that it took for anyone to understand why. The Grimm were everywhere.
Aurelia was urging everyone to run faster, but tragedy struck moments away from reaching the northern wall. A Nevermore shot from the sky dive-bombed into the north wall's artillery and destroyed it.
"The artillery's been taken down!"
The shout resounded while Aurelia's eyes dilated. They were minutes away from reaching the northern wall, and as such had a clear view of all the fighting going on. More than anything, Aurelia's battlefield experience kicked in.
If the artillery's down then the Grimm-
"Dad!" Aurelia yelled while watching a man fight alone over top a section of the northern wall. There were other Huntsman nearby, but they were already stretched thin, and each had their hands full trying to keep the other Nevermores from flying over.
"Ready your weapons!" Aurelia gave the hasty order. "Snipers start shooting the Nevermores!"
Aurelia unlatched her sword-rifle and began aiming towards the sky before Shirou decided to intervene.
"No, that's a bad idea," Shirou raised his voice. He'd seen enough, and already knew what he had to do. If Aurelia had experience leading in battles, then Shirou was experienced in ending them. "The vantage point from here is too low, and most snipers don't have the ability to kill Nevermore in a single strike."
"What?" Aurelia turned to look at Shirou with bloodshot eyes.
Insubordination was the worst offence to commit in any battle, but Shirou continued speaking regardless. "Your best bet is to just reinforce the Huntsmen and Huntresses on the wall to prevent a breach," he said.
"And give the Nevermores free access into the city?" Aurelia's narrowed her eyes sharply.
"I didn't say that. Just leave the Nevermores to us."
"…"
Aurelia was clearly skeptical, but she held her tongue and watched as Shirou grabbed Ruby and leapt dozens of meters towards the position of the broken artillery. They weren't going to repair it, but instead make use of its elevation to increase their line of sight.
"Ruby, get ready," Shirou instructed. He knew that he could probably shoot the Nevermores himself, but something else was more important.
Ruby nodded her head, and with a flick of her wrist, Crescent Rose took on its sniper form.
Shirou took in a breath. For better or for worse, he would give Ruby as much battle experience as he could to survive even on her own. Still, ordinary Dust bullets wouldn't be able to have the strength required to pierce through and kill a Nevermore in one shot.
Something had to be done first.
He knelt down and placed a hand over Crescent Rose's gun shaft. "Trace. On."
Aurelia could have just been imagining it, but she could have sworn that she saw flashes of glowing circuit-like patterns travel up and down Crescent Rose as Ruby took aim.
When Ruby fired, Aurelia's hair blew violently across her face as the explosion of Ruby's shot detonated on a Nevermore high in the air.
T-That wasn't possible!
A single look at Crescent Rose was all that it took for Aurelia to determine that the calibre of its round wouldn't be strong enough to pierce a Nevermore's hide, yet it did. This meant that Crescent Rose had just shot what amounted to an artillery shell. None looked more elated at the revelation than Ruby herself.
"S-Shirou, how did you do that!?" Ruby gushed. "You went all like, 'Trace On,' then the bullet went booom!"
Shirou resisted the urge to run a hand over his face. "Focus Ruby," he simply reminded his Master. "More Nevermores are coming."
"Right!"
Aurelia and everyone in her group watched in disbelief as a tiny teenage girl accurately shot down Nevermore after Nevermore until there were none left in the sky. Still, without the cover fire of the artillery, the Grimm would still overwhelm the northern walls with their numbers.
Shirou understood this concept most clearly. Cracks were forming along the wall from the Boarbatusk's ramming against it. To make matters worse, Ursa would soon reach within striking range.
Here and now he had to act lest the wall be breached.
There was no hesitation in his actions for it was never wrong to save others. Here and now, he had a purpose, a meaning to his existence.
A Heroic Spirit of Humanity.
If the Grimm would seek to oppress mankind, then he was their natural enemy as a hero of man.
His identify may be discovered, but so what? Let it be so if it meant saving lives. Besides, he wasn't exactly going to use a sword in this case anyway.
You need artillery? He would do better.
How about tactical missiles?
His eyes shut, and then opened as a torrent of magical power burst out from around him. His black bow then appeared in his hands much to everyone's confusion.
Aurelia's expression scrunched up in disbelief. Standard weapons had long since become outdated after the emergence of gun shifting mechanisms.
What was he going to do with a classic bo-
Aurelia's words caught in her throat, trying to make sense of what she was feeling. Her hands were trembling, a tingling sensation travelling down her back in a way that had only ever happened when she'd seen the video of the Huntsman of Red at the Vytal festival.
She shuddered, goosebumps trailing up her arms.
This wasn't the first time that a classic weapon proved its worth. To belittle them now was to be hypocritical.
If there was a sacred sword that could house the sun, then surely more of such weapons could exist. She couldn't help but believe so as a flame-like Aura different from any she'd ever seen enshrouded Shirou in a hazy blue. It was the energy of magic.
He may not realize it, but there was something about him that drew the attention of others, bidding them to remain steadfast regardless of any situation.
Everyone was staring.
To a world in which magic had been revoked, magic itself was a catalyst to draw forth and invoke the semblances of magic left behind. As a spirit, the magic Shirou used was in its purest form, and able to permeate throughout his surroundings to make contact with others. It seeped through the skin and down into the core of man.
What the mind no longer remembers, the body will. Pathways once dried and running only at a minimum output abruptly overflowed.
Aura was the power of the soul, the ability to harness powers and abilities that could only be described as lost magic, a remnant of its former self. It was a window of a bygone past, and with Shirou freely charging the air with magic, this distant past could inadvertently be realized once more if only momentarily.
The individual colours of the rainbow began to light up like torches all around Mountain Glen's Northern wall.
Ruby, Aurelia, and everyone nearby stared in muted wonder as their Auras surged like never before. They felt strong; powerful, more than this, one person's Aura in particular resembled a billowing forest fire that caught Aurelia in stunned disbelief. Her little brother had awakened his Aura, and his reserves were massive.
"J-Jaune?" Aurelia called out softly, but her voice went unheard over the sound of thunder which shifted her attention back to Shirou.
Aurelia shielded her face as flashes of lightning writhed within the clouds above despite no signs of rain ever appearing. It was almost too surreal, but the roars of the Grimm echoing in the horizon all but guaranteed that this was reality.
In times of despair and helplessness, they come.
It was childish, but Aurelia began to remember distant tales that had once captivated her in her childhood and motivated her to become a Huntress. Childhood fairy tails that now seemed as real as real could ever be.
They need not any reword, nor gifts.
From Shirou's hand, a twisted 'arrow' formed from the energy of his magic, a torrent of wind buffeting the area. An unseen force carrying a strength beyond common explanation.
With a single action, they could reverse the overbearing tides.
An arrow was notched, stretched back over the entire draw-length of a towering black bow.
Grimm fear them, the world reveres them.
The arrow was released towards an army of advancing Grimm, a shockwave of power blowing everyone off of their feet.
They were the Heroes.
When all hope had already been lost, it was the day that a light bloomed from the Northern walls.
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Fiction Press: Survivor's Log: Reflections
Book link: Fatedlegacydark. ca
Summary of book:
Death. Grief. Ruin. Nothing was left unchanged after an unexplained tragedy led to the loss of millions across the world in key locations. Cities were reduced to wastelands of steel and concrete, and many were forced into migration. When events leading to the prior tragedy occur once more, Kevin Black was going to have to learn that sometimes mysteries were better left unsolved. Trapped with his friends in the world of a ruined city filled with monsters, the journey out would be far more perilous than the journey in.