A/N: Thanks as always to my good friend qazse for help with reactions. Thanks to my brother Sai Blade for the script and making the video and thanks to Manzac 11 for letting him use the Rise footage. Check both of them out on YouTube!
Sai's handler stood by intently, watching over her hunter as the sound of a beating was heard in the background. "Now remember, Sai, your nurse said if you leave this room and even attempt anything dangerous that could raise your blood pressure, she'll put you in the hospital herself like she's doing to the commander right now." She warned her partner as the commander's cries of pain continued in the distance.
Many of the cast were quick to chuckle at the Commander's misfortune. "It's about time he got what's coming to him." Emerald said.
"Yeah. She may be a woman, but that nurse has A LOT of balls to threaten a patient like Sai. Not to mention beat up the Commander!" Yang said, quite impressed by the nurse.
"Right. You've got to be a different level of brave to take a swing at your boss. And even crazier than that to straight up beat the tar out of him." Qrow agreed.
"Yep. We could definitely use more health professionals like that. I hope they pay her well." Coco said.
Sai, meanwhile, was sat outside on a log bench, feeding a large marlin and a creature similar to an oarfish, shuddering at the sounds of the beatdown. "Don't worry, I have no plans of defying that woman any time soon. I'll leave the hunting to someone who's NOT on the verge of a heart attack for a while. You know, have him do the hunting part while I cover the information. That's teamwork right there. Ooh! And that's perfect for the monster we should cover!" He assured her as he continued to feed his fish, all while the sound of the commander being beaten could STILL be heard.
"Another monster with emphasis on teamwork. Do you think it could be as bad as Guanzorumu?" Ironwood asked.
"I sincerely hope not. Still, there are quite a few pack animals in nature that range from low to the middle of the food chain. Perhaps these rank somewhere on that scale." Ozpin said hopefully.
"Agreed. Relying on the numbers of a pack likely means that they are too weak to handle large threats on their own. That means they should be easy enough to handle as individuals." Winter added.
But some where still stuck on the fact that the nurse was brutalizing the commander off-screen. "Man, she's really beating the commander bad. I bet she'd be a great hunter!" Ruby said.
"Maybe, but aren't nurses supposed to take a Hippocratic oath NOT to harm patients?" Velvet asked.
"Actually, Miss Scarlatina, the Hippocratic oath only applies to doctors. Nurses have no such oath. Although SOME may make a similar pledge during their graduation speech." Glynda explained.
A black screen was briefly shown, before the word "Teamwork" appeared on the screen, with its definition listed directly below it. "Teamwork: the combined action of a group of people, especially when effective and efficient. Since the earliest days of man, we have found working as a group makes matters that seemed impossible as individuals seem like child's play in comparison. But while humanity has learned this concept well, it has existed in the animal kingdom even longer, before the age of man had even begun. Many creatures in nature live in groups and work together to survive, from numerous prey animals living in herds to watch each other's backs or fight off predators, while predators often hunt in packs to bring down prey many times their size they would be utterly outmatched by otherwise." Sai explained, showing a trio of Apceros stood in a defensive circle, then showing pack of strange, giant hyenas bringing down a massive brontosaurus.
Many of the cast, particularly the students who were still actively in Huntsmen teams, smiled at the mention of teamwork. "Yeah. It is pretty great working with your friends." Jaune agreed.
"And we're definitely efficient at it, thanks to you!" Nora said, playfully punching her leader's arm, even if this did still make him wince.
"Indeed. But like Sai told us, animals are quite good at teamwork as well. Some of the ways they capitalize one working as a group is quite impressive." Pyrrha said.
"Exactly. It's actually fascinating all the different ways that different animals manage to work together. Especially ones like orcas or hyenas." Ren agreed.
"Hyenas? Really?" Ilia asked.
"Oh, indeed. Hyenas are actually very intelligent and highly efficient hunters. In fact, what Hyenas are often depicted as little more than scavengers, they have a higher success rate when hunting than even lions do, to the point lions actually try to steal food from THEM. It is one of the biggest criticisms of The Leo Ruler about how inaccurately they represented hyenas." Penny answered. [1] [2]
A younger silver-haired huntress with an Insect Glaive was shown in the Volcanic Hollow, facing a pack of Ioprey and their Drome. "And, of course, this concept is not lost on monsters, either. But while some monsters live in packs and work well together, none embody teamwork quite as much as the Izuchi." Sai declared, suddenly showing footage of a Gargwa desperately running through a bamboo thicket, fleeing from a pair of furry raptors with sickle-like tails, narrowly dodging the attack of one, before changing direction, when a larger version of the creatures cut down some bamboo into the Gargwa's path to block its escape, leaving it helpless for the three creatures to launch an attack, the two smaller ones attacking together and slicing it with their tails, causing pain and stunning it, leaving it open for their alpha to attack and finish off the Round Bird.
The group was a bit surprised at this new young Huntress in the volcano region. "Who is that?" Weiss asked.
"Oh, that's Sai's daughter, Akasha." Katana answered.
"Wow. I didn't realize Sai was a parent himself. He doesn't really seem like... the type." Blake said.
"If there is one thing I've learned in my time as headmaster and seeing the result of many different parenting styles, Miss Belladonna, it's that there IS no one type." Ozpin said.
"By the way, her mom is Uncle Sai's college sweetheart Moka Akashiya, a vampire." Tekko added.
"So she's both a demon AND a vampire." Razara said.
Ruby gasped at this. "No way! That is so cool! We have to meet her sometime!" She cried out.
"Y-yeah, that is... pretty amazing." Blake said, trying to hide her excitement, due to one of her many books being a not-well-received vampire series.
"Oh, don't tell me you're thinking about those trashy 'Dusk' books." Yang groaned.
"FILTH!" Ruby cried out.
"Honestly, how can you like those?" Weiss questioned.
"Um... Hey, look! They're showing the monster now!" Blake cried out, pointing to the screen.
Much like the ninja kitty said, they saw the topic of discussion for the video in all its glory. "No way... Those raptors have sickles on their tails! That's so awesome!" Ruby cheered in amazement.
"Huh. I didn't expect you to get so excited over that, little Rose." Cinder said to her girlfriend.
"Of course! I mean, aren't sickles just mini-scythes?" Ruby said innocently.
"I guess that's not totally wrong..." Summer admitted.
Meanwhile, Adam, having a decent level of strategic planning thanks to Sienna, looked rather impressed with their takedown of the Gargwa. "Impressive. The smaller one cut off its path and led it to the leader, who blocked its path. That's a solid hunting strategy." He praised.
"Not to mention the two small ones attacked at the same time and softened it up for the leader to finish. That's not easy to coordinate, but they made it look like child's play." Hazel added, equally impressed.
A hunter wielding a sword and shield was fighting a trio of the smaller raptors alongside his palico and palamute. "A relatively common sight in the Shrine Ruins near the village of Kamura, while occasionally found near the Frost Islanda, they are the standard small raptor-like Bird Wyverns of the general region, similar to other small Bird Wyverns like Velociprey and Jaggi's." Sai explained briefly as Akasha was shown again fighting a Velocidrome and its Preys, as well as a handful of Jaggi and Jaggia.
"So, I guess that's the guy taking over for Sai while he's trying to appease his nurse?" Neo asked with a smirk.
"Yep. Rakka Suripa. He's a pretty good hunter himself and he's got a good sense of humor from what I've seen." Katana introduced the new hunter.
They then turned their attention to the raptors in question. "Raptors with fur on them? I've heard of FEATHERS before, but that's a new one. Still, the color's not bad." Roman said, before wondering how the fur felt and if it'd make good coats.
"That's weird, though. I thought the big claw is on the raptor's feet, not the hand?" Jaune wondered.
"It usually is. I guess these raptors are just different." Emerald said with a shrug.
"The Dromes, or alpha's, of the types of raptors that have Dromes usually have the claws on their hands AND feet. But their underlings usually only have them on the feet." Tekko said.
"Oh, come on! That's just overkill!" Ilia complained.
"Bet it makes it harder to open doors, though." Nora said with a smirk, everyone chuckling at the Cretaceous park reference.
Rakka Suripa was shown fighting the Izuchi again. "And just like those two, they have the standard attacks you might expect from such raptor-like creatures: they pounce, they bite and they claw at you. Also, similar to the Jaggi, they use their tails like whips to attack prey and enemy alike. However, this is a bit more effective for them than the Jaggi, since their tails sport BIG-ASS SICKLES ON THE END! Doing a bit of rough math- nothing exact, so take this with a grain of salt- The Izuchi are roughly the same size as a Canyne, if not slightly larger. There are no measurements for Canyne's, but they're a bit larger than humans, who can ride them, so let's put them at six and a half feet. Again, Izuchi roughly the same size, so we put them at six and a half feet, too, maybe seven. Their tail seems to make up half their body length, so that's at least three feet. And their tail blade is about a third of that, so it should more or less be a foot long. More than long enough to reach any vital organs or disembowel a person." Sai analyzed with close looks at a handful of still images.
Many groaned at Sai going into the gory specifics of the tail blade. "Honestly, I think we could get the picture on our own. The math really wasn't necessary." Weiss criticized.
Her team all gasped at this. "Did WEISS SCHNEE just say math and extra information WASN'T NECESSARY?!" Yang asked in mock disbelief.
"It's a sign of the apocalypse! The end is nigh!" Blake cried out dramatically, even with the back of her hand to her forehead, to join in on the gag. [3]
"Actually, I'd consider the information rather relevant, Weiss. Knowing the length of the blade tells us exactly how dangerous it is. Yes, a blade in general is dangerous, but if it's only an inch or two long, it won't do too much damage, since it needs to be at least three to five inches long in order to reach anything vital. And even if it is sharp, you're going to have a very tough time disemboweling someone with a blade only a few inches long. A blade a foot long or more, on the other hand..." Ren explained, leaving it to hang at the end, since his point was self-explanatory at that point.
"Wow. I thought Miss 'top of our class' would've known that. Maybe you're losing your edge." Coco teased, to which Weiss gasped in offense.
The hunter and his animal companions continued to face the tiny terrors. "And they are also capable of somehow storing rocks and pebbles in their stomach, then regurgitating them at hunters as high speed projectiles. Yes, you heard right. They puke rocks at you as projectiles. This doesn't afflict any ailments on the target, but come on, that's gross." Sai added one more point to the creature's list of abilities as one indeed launched a small cluster of rocks from its mouth to hit Rakka's Palico, another one using this attack on Rakka himself as his back was turned, prompting him to turn around and attack the creature responsible.
"Eww! That's disgusting!" Weiss shrieked.
"I have to agree. They aren't nearly as interesting as we first believed." Pyrrha agreed.
"It may be rather revolting, but it is a surprise their enemy wouldn't be expecting, so it would likely catch them off-guard and likely do significant damage." Winter pointed out.
"In addition to being highly unsanitary, vomit still contains stomach acid, so its pH balance is rather acidic. So while it won't melt anyone, it would likely burn a significant amount." Penny noted.
"Along with, you know, being blasted by a rock. Seriously, that stuff came out like a cannon!" Roman exclaimed.
Rakka was now looking down the sights of a camera to view a much larger version of the Izuchi. "And, of course, like the Velociprey with their Drome or Jaggi with their GREAT Jaggi, the Izuchi are also lead by a larger and stronger alpha, the Great Izuchi. Much like the Dromes and Great's of other species, the Great Izuchi is basically just like one of its underlings, just a good bit bigger and stronger. Which also means a bigger tail blade. And it does all the same attacks: it still rushes in and swipes at you with its claws, still pukes rocks at you- Ew- and, much like its underlings, it will swipe its bladed tail at you. But while the little Izuchi were already quite agile and dexterous, capable of doing backflips while swinging their tails, the Great Izuchi is even more so, capable of doing double backflips for greater range and extra damage from extra momentum. Unfortunately for them, should they miss, this extra momentum can betray them by getting their blade stuck in the ground, leaving them vulnerable." Sai explained as the creature's attack resulted in its blade being trapped.
Despite being put-off by the rock regurgitation, many winced at the misfortune of the alpha monster when its tail got stuck. "Oof. That's never fun." Qrow said in sympathy, having a few times in the past where his Semblance caused his blade to catch on something, tripping him up.
"Oh, yeah. That was a nightmare most of the time in training or on missions." Summer groaned at the memories.
"Hey! Not like you didn't have slip-ups, too! Like the time you 'accidentally' cut Tai's pants off?" Qrow reminded her.
Summer glowed red from blushing in embarrassment. "It was an accident!" She insisted.
"My weapon caught on things a lot when I first started training. It didn't help I was stuck in a small room full of furniture." Cinder admitted.
"At times like these, you really learn to appreciate the value of blunt weaponry." Ozpin declared.
"Or firearms." Ironwood added with a smirk.
"Or even purely relying on one's Semblance, if they had the aura reserves for it." Glynda said proudly.
"Wow, they really jumped on the band wagon to take some digs at you guys." Neo noted, to which the two glared at her.
The alpha creature was now fighting Rakka and his partners alongside its subordinates. "However, the Izuchi line is quite possibly the most dangerous of the small raptor type of Bird Wyverns, as they are, by a significant margin, the smartest of all of them. Firstly, the Great Izuchi will always travel with at least two lesser Izuchi with it, so it will always have back-up under normal circumstances. And it is capable of geniusly coordinating with its subordinates on how to attack the opponent, whether to attack directly as it attempts to flank, or whether they should attack all at once or one after the other, opening up a target's defenses so the next attack lands a solid hit. And the cunning creature will also occasionally take a page from Barioth's book, hooking onto a cliff or wall with its tail to get out of a hunter's reach, find the best point to leapt to, launch itself off and strike its target from above." Sai listed the creature's combat strategy as it attacked in tandem with its subordinates and indeed hooked on to a cliff wall to try and get a more advantageous position.
Many of them were amazed at the strategic mind and coordination behind these raptors. "That is so awesome! They're like raptor versions of us!" Ruby said in amazement.
"I know Nora made the joke already, but it really is starting to feel like Cretaceous Park." Jaune said in awe.
"They'd be great partners in pairs for some of our White Fang grunts." Adam said, before noticing Ironwood's glare. "As soldiers for hire for Huntsmen academies, if I can convince Sienna." He quickly added nervously.
And they were even more amazed when they saw the Great Izuchi cling to a cliff with its blade. "Getting out of attack range, then attacking from a higher vantage point. Impressive. Tyrian's used that trick more than once." Hazel said.
"I know thunder monsters, but I don't care! I need like a dozen for my armada!" Nora declared.
"We actually might have to schedule an intervention." Pyrrha whispered to Jaune, who nodded.
Rakka was now on the monster's back, strange cyan wires wrapped around the creature allowing him to control its movements. "So, after all that, you might be thinking that dealing the Great Izuchi would be a great problem. So, what should you do? Well, thankfully, Great Izuchi is still a smaller and rather frail monster compared to many others around the Kamura territories, even being the first monster most rookies are sent out to hunt, so you should be fine. But if you do wish to have a solid strategy for when the time comes, a good place to start would be taking out its subordinates, so it has no back-up to assist it. And using a flashbang to blind it as it's grappling on a cliff is a good way to bring it down. As for its weaknesses, it is greatly susceptible to Thunder, Poison, Paralysis and Sleep. And it can also wear itself out pretty easily, so you can just wait for it to get tuckered out, then have carte blanche over its weak points, those being its head, torso, forelegs, tail and tail tip." Sai explained as the fight continued, before a list of the monster's weaknesses were shown.
"So, they have a bit of a stamina issue, it seems. That could be a problem." Ilia said.
"Not necessarily. They're pack hunters, so if they get worn down, they can likely take it easy and allow one of their packmates to step in while they recover. It's a method used regularly by painted dogs in Vacuo." Penny suggested.
"Man, these things sound like the PERFECT team monsters." Yang said.
"They're pretty close to it, yeah." Tekko agreed.
"And they're actually a team, not slaves for some master like with Guanzorumu." Pyrrha said, still having a chip on her shoulder about the Emperor Conqueror Dragon, along with Ruby and Velvet.
Finally, Rakka deployed a shock trap and managed to capture the pack leader. "And so, that is basically all you need to know about Great Izuchi and its underlings. Most hunters have seen these types of small raptor Bird Wyverns before, they're not too exciting, just the standard monsters you take on before upgrading to the big boys, but Great Izuchi and its ilk EASILY stand out from the rest of the pack, actually coordinating their attacks, their crazy blade tails make them way more cool and dangerous than the other raptors, just how smart they can be to latch onto cliffs for a better attack is amazing and really smart and yes, even their rock vomiting attack is pretty cool. As for final closing thoughts, let's hear from the hunter himself. Rakka, what do you think of this guy, buddy?" Sai admitted as Rakka was shown hunting the monster again.
But then, the hunter in question threw down a smoke bomb before grappling away with the help of the wirebugs. "Overall, a very good, quick ambush predator that can keep you on your toes. Also, its armor and weapons look sick." Rakka gave his final thoughts, with images of himself, his Palico and his Palamute all wearing Izuchi are and wielding weapons made from the raptor.
"Ooh, mama like." Coco said, sinking in every detail of the armor.
"Looks like something you'd see in Vacuo mostly." Velvet noted.
"It does look like a style best suited for the desert." Blake agreed, remembering some of the stories Sun would tell her about Vacuo, including how many people dressed their.
"Aww, they even dress up the dogs! That's so precious!" Winter cooed, breaking down similarly to Weiss when she first met Zwei. She then noticed everyone's eyes on her and composed herself. "Ahem. I meant... Yes, the armor looks quite stylish and functional on those canines." She corrected herself.
"So, what did you think?" Tekko asked excitedly.
"They were so cool! I love their little sickle tails and now they grappled on walls with them!" Ruby cheered.
"Same here. That tail and those claws of theirs struck a chord with me. Could've done without the rock vomit, though. That brought back some bad drinking memories." Qrow said.
"Speak for yourself! Sure, puking up the rocks was gross, but they still basically shoot rocks at you with THEMSELVES as cannons! That's sick! in both meanings of the word." Neo said.
"I thought they were pretty cute with their little fur and their weasel faces." Emerald admitted.
"Yeah, it's a good look. I was digging that armor, too. For the hunter, the dog and the cat." Coco agreed.
"And their teamwork was quite impressive as well. I've seen some student teams less coordinated than them." Glynda said, rubbing her temples as she thought of Team CDRL and their match against Pyrrha.
Ruby then zipped up beside Katana. "So, Katana-" She began, but Ruby put a finger to her lips to stop her.
"Yes, Ruby, Remnant will be getting Great Izuchi. They aren't nearly as dangerous as most other non-Elders you've already heard about, so they should be fine and not cause too many problems." She assured the Silver-Eyed girl, before smirking. "And besides, who doesn't love raptors?" She asked, to which Ruby, Yang, Nora, Qrow and Jaune all nodded in agreement.
"So, what monster is up now?" Summer asked.
Razara looked at the list of videos and finding the next one on the list, before dropping her head down on the table. "Oh, god, not this thing..." She groaned.
Her sister and mother quickly came to her side and saw what was next, Tekko groaning and Katana sighing. "Well, this one is going to be interesting. Make sure you're really paying attention for this one. Because there is A LOT to cover with Akura Vashimu." Katana said playing the video.
A/N: So, not the longest lore, but there isn't too much info on Great Izuchi out yet. Maybe that's why Rage and the others haven't done Rise lores yet. But still, I hope you guys enjoyed it! And I now how that ending sounded. No, I don't hate Akura Vashimu, but DEAR GOD, the amount of stuff to go through before you can cut off its tail is INSANE!
[1] Hopefully you enjoyed this informational section on hyenas.
[2] I've probably given Remnant's version of The Lion King like three different names by this point with how many times I've referenced it, but haven't looked back to see the original name I gave it...
[3] You know, every so often, I think we forget Blake DOES have a playful side to her. Or maybe you don't, but I do...