Still undecided on how RT's story telling is shaping up, and if we should have known some of these things before-hand. Maybe if they had shown something of Raven during Yang's little flashback with the photo explanation in Volume Two I would have seen things differently.

And episode 8 Jesus Christ Nora, Calm the fuck down.

Meh, I rant, yeah this chapter took a while… Leave a thought if you may, or if I've got you imagining how things will go at any point in the future then I've done my job. Play some metal and carry on.

Anywho onwards and upwards.

Tendrils searched through the contradicting flows and pits of the Empyrean,

Time and place meant nothing beyond the veil in the dark realm.

One creature seeking traces of whatever could pass for kinship amongst its horrifying kind.

An eternity in an instant, burning and spiraling back down to its master's domain.

Beaten but resolved, still feeding on the fear ripping the world of Remnant apart.

Echoes and dark whispers.

Naming names for a name.

Banishment would not be long with the favor in screams of such a song being sung from the world of Dust.

Closer…

Nearing…

"Feast and reform…"

Fear… Iron resolve…

"I will not have you parted so easily from this trial…"

Ripples of passing…

"Return…"

The roar of a daemon lord returned rang loud through the waves of the Warp…

"WE WILL BURN THEIR WORLD TO ASHES!"

Streets flew by in a blur.

Some people shut their doors and windows, intending to wait out the storm.

Kad knew better, he could hear the growing chorus of howls flowing south through the city. Even with his ears ringing from the battleship that had crashed behind him as he headed towards the stadium. But he did not stop to try and force the civilians out of their homes. It was time to fight and live for a better future, or stay in the dirt and die wasting away.

Some people seemed to have the same idea he did, the sense that being anywhere but in the north of Vale was going to be the smartest idea very soon.

But this made him slow down a little bit, the streets may have been distinctly devoid of cars but there were growing crowds lining the sidewalks and starting to move. Kad didn't want them to panic at the sight of him rushing by.

Many were wrestling with trunks of belongings. Kad paused by one family of four attempting to get their luggage down from a little stairway.

"Stop, leave it!" He told them pointed his right hand down the road.

The family was speechless at the sight of him, and the giant frowned in annoyance.

"It's not worth your lives," Kad said, "Quick…"

Noise was everywhere in the city even without the madness that had befallen Vale on this day. But Kad immediately snapped his head around at the flood of screams that rolled over them.

Back up the street, one great alpha Beowolf burst through the front of a building, showering broken bricks and dust down on the poor people passing in front of it. Blood dripped from its fangs as the Grimm growled and surveyed its prey.

Kad could hear the rest of its pack beyond the other buildings. His chain swung clear off his waist, and the giant began swinging circles crossing back and forth in front of him. Red eyes locked on, and the Grimm snarled when it realized who it was stepping forward.

Black steel wrapped around its throat when the Grimm lunged. Kad's fist crushed its white skull in a savage downward hammer blow. More beasts rushed through the building, howling and standing to reach with their claws.

Kad swung up to the right, cracking one set of legs and sending another Grimm stumbling to the ground as he swung. Another alpha, practically his own height, rushed forward when his chain swung back.

His fighting knife swept out in a flash. It would have bisected the Grimm from right hip to opposite shoulder if he had cut any deeper. The Beowolf flew back up into a second story window. Chain links wrapped around another wolf's throat when Kad struck again. Its thick spine crumbled easily as he tugged it forward and buried his knife up to the hilt in its throat.

Fires were spreading, and more Grimm dove down into the city to join the hunt, then flew up into the sky. Sometimes clutching bits of a building, or still screaming prey.

The last two airships were falling back to the south, gunning down whatever Grimm flew their way. But however many they sent crashing from the sky it was too little too late. Their part in the battle was practically over, the two aerial forces having almost canceled each other out.

One massive fist latched onto a black furry arm, the steel chain woven through his fingers pressed deep. Then Kad chopped his knife hand up and snapped the arm like a twig. The Grimm howled and stumbled. Kad spun his arm back and decapitated the wounded beast and then another in one long swing.

The sight of the monsters made many people start sprinting. All thoughts were put aside except for the primal instinct to flee. Droves, and droves trampled each other to get away from the spreading horde.

Spreading but nowhere near full strength yet.

Kad hurled one last wolf back the way it had come through the ruined building. Further to the north he watched some of the last stragglers desperately trying to put some distance between the Grimm and their own precious selves.

One woman at the rear of the crowd tripped and fell. Barely even a second later the first of the Grimm was upon her. An Ursa rearing up to swipe its claws down on her helpless form. Kad flipped his knife, grabbed the point and prepared to throw the blade.

As one of her arms came up in a futile gesture to ward off her impending doom, the Ursa's head disappeared in a flash of crackling blue energy. Surprised, Kad stopped and looked back to where the blast had come from.

Four familiar trainees charged out into the road and readied their various weapons.

Sun whistled over to get the giant's attention, swinging the moving parts of his bo-staff up into its whole form. Neptune fired his gun again into the horde. Dropping another Ursa which tripped up the Grimm behind it, making an opening for Scarlet and Sage to dash forward and bring the lucky woman up to her feet.

Kad spun his chain up around his left arm like a bracer, sheathed his knife and drew Ignis in his right hand.

The red blade hacked down, burning through flesh and bone. Kad swept back catching another Ursa in the side as he stepped into the middle of the road. One Beowolf saw an opening and rushed the giant.

Sun rolled and lunged forward from a crouch. The end of his staff cracked into its knee and shattered it with a shotgun blast. Kad's chain wrapped fist swung up and punched the Beowolf's head clean off its shoulders.

The smaller Faunus pushed his staff up to block another swipe. The Grimm pushed down, about to overcome his strength. Hair on the back of Sun's neck stood up as Ignis swept over his head and cut the Grimm in two.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kad asked him, still stabbing at the monsters pressing forward.

"Long story…" Sun replied, sidestepping another set of claws and retaliating with a shotgun blast, "You?"

"Longer story," Kad replied.

These few Grimm were nothing compared to what Kad saw stalking through the smoke behind the first wave. The boys of SSSN were holding, blades snapping out in between flashes of fire but this was no place to make a stand with their paltry numbers.

Kad lunged and gutted another Ursa. Taking a quick moment to look behind him. The crowd had put some considerable space between themselves and the Grimm.

The giant turned side to side barking orders, "Fallback! Give me room!"

The four boys didn't hesitate, moving as one back the way they came. The three that could shooting over their shoulders as they moved. Kad threw his sword back, freeing up both hands. His left punched up and cored through a Beowolf with one meaty crunch.

The dying beast fell. Kad jumped to the edge of the street landing right next to a little green sedan. His powerful fingers gripped the low sides, folding down the hard steel of the undercarriage into impressions of his hands.

The opposite edge caved in the faces of four wolves as the giant swung up his crude weapon. Screaming, and with spit flying from his mouth, Kad battered the Grimm down. He swung back, the front bumper pushed another Ursa into an undamaged store front.

He felt rather then saw what Grimm went flying on his back sweep. Then with one last roar of strength Kad raised the vehicle up over his head and sent it rolling down into the front rank of the horde.

Little Creeps were crushed and the whole messy advance faltered and stalled. Kad let himself have one single laugh then turned to collect his sword and sprint after the others.

The very shaken pair of Ruby and Penny stepped through the wrecked doorway and back onto the bridge of the Atlas command ship.

Winter was still kneeling, holding their father's head on her lap. As if she could will the man back to life if she just wished hard enough. Weiss walked to her team leader.

The ship lurched to the sound of something exploding on another deck. Everyone stumbled for a moment. Soldiers wrestled with controls and communications while general Ironwood stood at a vacant console, trying to re-establish contact with their last sister ship.

Weiss looked to Ruby, "Torchwick?"

"He fell…" Ruby said before taking in a breath, "He's dead…"

The Heiress nodded briefly, then turned to look out the window at the Grimm swarming the north. The three girls moved close to General Ironwood, Penny spoke first. Or at least she attempted to before the general held up a hand to stop whatever question she undoubtedly had.

"Not now Miss…" Plus he needed some information of his own, "Where's your father?"

"Gone to the city in an escape pod." She replied.

"Dammit," Ironwood caught himself before his mouth got away from him looking at the young ears present. Comms were still acting up and he could have used the Doctor's technical skills.

He looked to his left out over the burning city. His brow creased together as he tried to organize a response once again. Down on the holographic control station in front of him, a little video screen finally popped open, revealing the very startled captain of the other ship.

The Atlesian blinked in surprise. "Sir! At last. We were starting to…"

"Not now captain," The general said, "What's your status?"

"Minor damage. But we can't-"

As quickly as it came, the feed went dead again. And Ironwood muttered under his breath cursing whatever was wreaking havoc on his systems.

But the problem was far worse than he realized.

The hidden program that Cinder had placed in the CCT network months ago finally came online. The little scrap of code set about its task.

Technicians and operators tapped on their keyboards trying to get a response. Adjusting their headsets, listening for any tell-tale signs of minor interruption. But the omnipresent data stream that linked the communications and information network of the whole world had gone silent.

But not before the hundreds of Atlas Knights received a new set of instructions on their command network.

People all across the city looked up to the robotic soldiers when they suddenly went ramrod straight and paused. Whatever they were tasked with. Escort, patrolling, guard duty. All of those parameters were over written. And replaced with a custom pattern.

The androids looked up, seeing those around them in a new light.

Targets.

It didn't matter who they were, Hunter, soldier, or civilian, unarmed, or armed to the teeth. All their simple programming registered was hostiles. Knights across the city swept their weapons up and opened fire.

It hadn't even given them a warning. The Android suddenly shot up and tried to kill them.

And only Pyrrha's quick reaction with her semblance had saved their lives. Her hand came up shimmering black and blasted the rogue knight backwards into a concrete wall of Vale's arena. The rock rippled and shattered where it struck. Servos whined and groaned pushing the robot up again.

Team JNPR wasn't done however. Ren was the quickest out of all of them. His twin pistols flashed up and shredded its head in a hail of bullets.

High on a fright of adrenaline, the four of them looked to each other and then down and up the hallway of the colosseum. Drawn by the sounds of shrieking and the ringing clash of metal on metal.

Jaune drew his sword and slung the shield, "Everyone outside!"

Many trainees had been clutching their weapons, looking out windows once again. Swallowing down the déjà vu. Watching the airship's losing battle and trying to figure out what was going on. It was a surprise when the robots attacked. And on any other day the result may have been far worse if they hadn't set off the youth's hair triggers.

Laser glanced off auras or swinging weapons as everyone just reacted.

The north facing steps gently sloped up for several dozen yards to a variety of revolving doors. A handful of androids were walking up the grey stone stairs, looking for targets. Students and civilians ducked back from the glass when they saw their steady advance heading right toward them.

Jaune peeked his head around a shadowed corner on the east side of the building and narrowed his eyes taking in the sight. Nora crouched below him. Her face lacked its usual bubbly grin.

"We've got to stop them," Jaune said,

Pyrrha frowned leaning around him, she didn't like their odds, "What should?..."

"Not today! Bolt bags!"

The unexpected male shouting was followed by a volley of explosives arcing in from the west. Droids flipped and staggered from the impact of shredded masonry. Jaune ducked back,

"Or we just wing it," He said in exasperation, "Pyrrha, shields, Ren Nora, keep em at arm's length."

No signal was coming in.

Not from the Airship outside, not from the tower, or anywhere else on the ship.

The general snarled, turning his head to look back out the window. But then back to the door, drawn by the clatter of loose equipment and armor on the blue soldier that came staggering in and fell to his knees. Clutching the massive burn mark on his stomach.

His breath came in short heavy gasps, swallowing to try and salve his dry throat.

"Sir… The droids turned on us…" The trooper managed to say before he collapsed. Another soldier came over and knelt at his side to have a look at the wound. Ironwood's tactical mind ran through those implications. Adding that to his working plan.

The three girls not lost in grief gathered close.

"What are we going to do?" Weiss asked.

"Can we even do anything?" Ruby wondered.

"You're going to have to leave…"

The general's tone was completely neutral, not a hint of emotion in his voice.

Penny looked over to him, "Sir?"

"You're going to have to leave…" He repeated before elaborating.

"Find your father and get him to fix the communications tower. We have to warn the other Kingdoms. If they aren't under attack as well," Ironwood looked over to the navigation officer, "Helm, take us up another five hundred meters. Get us in signaling position."

"Aye sir."

The general's hands flew over his console, bringing up the necessary systems, "I won't be able to get you in proper position in time. You're going to have to make your way through the city and find Geppetto."

One soldier called out to the general, "Sir? What are we going to do? The fight's over for us…"

"Is the ship still flying?" Ironwood asked,

The soldier stuttered a little, "…Ah… Yes, sir."

"Then we're not dead yet… and that's only when our fight ends. Helm plot us north."

"Sir! May I ask why? Sir?"

"We're going to plug that hole…"

Silence hung over the bridge. Broken only by the muffled sounds of weapons fire outside.

Ironwood looked over them all, "If anyone else wishes to depart, now would be the time to do so."

He looked down to the girls, "I'll buy you as much time as I can. Hopefully we can get help from Atlas, or whatever forces can rally in Vale. Find Ozpin or the Marshal… And you fight these monsters as hard as you can. That's all anyone can do. And the only thing that will see us through this."

The three of them nodded in solemn understanding. Weiss moved over and tugged on her sister's sleeve.

"We have to go…" She said.

Winter shrugged her off, "I'm staying," she said through her tears and choked sobs.

Weiss bent down again and got a better grip on her twin, "You can't do anything but get in the way. You're not thinking clearly. Father wouldn't want you to throw away your life in a pointless gesture of grief."

Without waiting for a reply, and ignoring the stabbing pain in her own heart Weiss pulled her sister away following Ruby who was following Penny. Heading for the nearest escape pods.

Ironwood looked to his soldiers, the unspoken suggestion that it was now or never. He couldn't see their eyes, but the soldiers breathed deep. And the chorus of clicks and metallic sliding from their weapons being checked and reloaded were all the assurance the general needed that they knew how much rested on their shoulders.

The first wave out of the tree line wasn't much, a pack of Beowolves and some Creeps of varying sizes.

Easily mown down by the explosive shots Yang sent into them. Grimm tripped on blackened stubs of limbs, meeting oblivion at varying rates when her shotgun rounds hit center mass or exploded their heads. Blake slowly spun her cleaver sheath, shifting her grip on the pistol in her right hand in preparation for when Yang would need to reload.

Raven was looking south, thinking about an escape route and trying to figure out what the airships were doing.

Finally Ember Celica clacked empty, Yang was fast but the dimming rate of fire gave the Grimm the opportunity to surge. Blake stepped forward. Many fell from her laser accuracy, the Faunus girl put bullets through eyes and throats. But soon the black horde set their claws on the first rocks of the rubble pile.

Yang cocked her fists, shifting her feet. Blake jumped and flipped down, focusing her aura through her weapons. As she slashed through the air a wave of purple light shimmered and flew knocking the Grimm back.

"Look out!" Raven called out to the two of them in warning,

Red beams of energy stabbed down from the sky, igniting trees and Grimm alike as the Atlas command ship descended. Drowning out all other sounds with its screaming engines and the roar of weapons firing at the Grimm still in the trees and the air while its last comrade in arms hovered overhead.

Four grey coffin sized pods shot down from its hull and landed in the streets.

The flying armored beast leveled out at the roof level of the buildings behind them. Blake and Yang shared a look and jumped back into the city limits.

Grimm still clawed onto both airships, the second pushed its thrusters as hard as they could go. Breaking north en-route to Atlas. But not before its payload of heavy missiles rocketed out and down into Forever Fall. Trees. Earth and burning Grimm shot into the sky. And then sucked back down when the fireballs ended.

Ironwood nodded in silent thanks, and wished his comrades all speed.

He tugged down the edge of his dress coat and began issuing rapid orders, "Perimeter fire, all guns, motion tracking. Have the rockets target the flying Grimm. And prepare the heavy missiles."

His voice was calm and clear giving orders. Just as his mind drank in information and processed it. Serene with well-practiced drills. Not letting any other emotion distract him.

Soldiers called out to each other, relaying status and targets. Gatling cannons and laser batteries targeted anything moving in the burning trees. Several still functioning paladins jumped down from the hangar. Soldiers riding on their backs, intent on taking care of any Grimm to miraculously make it through the blaze.

The airship settled down. Its outer wings scraping the sides of the narrow passage. Nose facing out to the world.

A few creatures, covered in clinging fire did make it through the blaze. But the Atlas army was waiting with weapons ready.

But the valiant force was blind to what was coming through the untouched trees.

"Let's go!" Yang shouted, waving for Blake and Raven to follow her as she took the lead.

The fronts of the escape pods exploded off, flying into walls all the way across the street as their occupants stepped out onto the sidewalk.

Yang's eyes went wide, and she smiled recognizing the small form of her sister.

Ruby smiled back, holding out her arms. The blonde swept her up in a bone crushing hug. Spinning around for a moment before setting Ruby down.

Weiss, Winter, and Penny stepped out and observed the other three Huntresses. Penny waved, and Blake nodded in return. Ruby looked over her sister and her partner.

But Yang broke the silence first, "What happened?"

"A lot of things," Ruby replied, eyes being drawn to the airship still shooting into the forest. Smoke trailed behind small rockets beading on flying Grimm. Seeing their leader's gaze re-focused, the three girls followed her silver eyes. Those with more sensitive hearing flinched as the heavy missiles roared to life.

More explosions ripped through Forever Fall, Ironwood had to be conservative. Guessing when the creatures might be massing and using only a few of his limited supply of larger missiles.

His troops on the ground shifted nervously in their paladins or gripped their rifles tighter, hoping none of their comrades would see their fear.

Shaking ground was nothing new this day. Men tried to ignore the tremors beneath their boots and look for more targets.

But the quakes were growing, becoming constant.

Even on the ship people began noticing things. Lose bits of debris rumbling. Ripples in pools of liquids. A few looked out windows, others on the ground readied their weapons. The flames in front of them reached even higher and took on a deeper hue.

Ironwood furiously plotted out another firing solution. Shouting out after hissing frustration between clenched teeth,

"Get ready to!"

Whatever rallying words Ironwood had died in his throat when the biggest Goliath he had ever seen appeared out of the fires, bellowed high and rammed the nose of the airship.

Ineffective flashes of energy pulsed against its skin from the few paladins, before they were crushed beneath the feet of the multi ton beasts that followed this behemoth.

The floor under his boots tilted up, bodies rolled down. Four of the elephantine Grimm pushed the airship back. Stray rounds bounced harmlessly off their hides as they rolled the ship backwards. Armor plates crumpled and warped. Men on the ground were fatally torn between looking at the giants and the next wave of creatures coming with claws outstretched on the heels of a dozen Death Stalkers.

The wrecked hulk of metal was smashed down beneath the ivory tusks. A new crescendo of howls flew over the city as the monsters sensed their triumph.

But the General hadn't been idle in his final moments, arming the few remaining missiles on his flagship. His last defiant act against the darkness birthed another sun along the northern wall and a clap of thunder that shook every window to pieces in a ten block radius as the ship's Dust reactor breached.

The walls shuddered and began to collapse, widening the hole blasted mere moments ago.

The girls all stumbled and tripped backwards, ears ringing their skulls painfully. A few of them squinted through the haze, beyond the heat waves floating up from the scraps of metal they saw shadows begin to take shape.

Another Goliath stood were its kin had been vaporized and howled in vicious triumph swinging its long trunk and tusks into the air.

Blake looked to the horde and then to her leader just blinking at the beasts,

"What do we do?" She asked.

Ruby looked to her left, and then to her right,

"Run! Definitely run!"

Another droid fell, armless and weaponless at Pyrrha's feet. Jaune was charging forward cutting at the robots being flanked by Ren. Nora swung and batted one away with her hammer.

The Mistral champion turned her head looking for another target.

One droid raised its rifle up on her left, she raised her shield on the same arm and braced. But the robot never shot.

One black ax curved blade landed on the robot's firing arm, pulling the metal limb back and throwing off its aim. Another flashed out and cut the robot's legs away at the joining piston middle. The robot looked up briefly at the one who wielded the short chopping weapons before the first ax hacked down and sank deep into its head.

Pyrrha dropped her weapons down just a little bit while she took in the sight of this stranger. He was about average in height. A muscular but not bulky body build, which she saw all of due to his lack of shirt. More metal rested on the back hammer ends of both axes, hinting at a second form for the weapon.

He did have long black pants and boots at least, and finally a wide brim silver hat. Like the kind she had seen herdsmen, and cattle drivers wear in Vacuo. The hat cast long shadows over his face, shading his hooked nose and his soft yet scarred features. Especially the dark mark some instrument of destruction left around his right eye.

"Thanks…" Pyrrha said, nodding a little. And leaving a pause for the trainee to give his name.

"Roland," He said tipping his hat down, "Auburn Roland."

She bowed her head again. The last few droids up the steps were being cut down by some of the braver students rushing from inside. Pyrrha had a brief moment of shock when she saw the broad form of Cardin Winchester rush forward at the head of his team. Smashing droids out of his way and heading towards the big group of trainees gathering out front.

Barely even a second after the last droid fell all eyes turned to the north, drawn to the fireball and following clap of thunder from The Wall.

More and more young trainees came out from the stadium, watching the black flying shapes diving through the air. Gripping weapons tighter when another chorus of screams passed over them.

Jaune pushed his way through the crowd of students from all over the world. Moving down to the base of the steps. Scanning back and forth along this street. Picturing the dividing line that he knew was right in front of him. Almost dead center through Vale.

Their line in the sand.

Amidst the groups of civilians rushing south Jaune saw two figures that he recognized. One girl clad in all black with reddish brown braided hair. And a tall boy, broad shoulders, bare arms, blue vest, and bull Faunus horns.

Co'Balt and Alicia were really running. Sneaking glances over their shoulders every now and then as they herded the unarmed civilians forward. The two of them quickly crossed the street and attached themselves to the edge of the crowd. Co'Balt kneeling and trying to catch his breath. Alicia looking back to the north.

As the only two who had actually been in the madness headed their way, Jaune figured they had to know something. So the blonde leader of JNPR made his way over to them, his team plus a few other leaders right behind him.

Still more Grimm dove from the sky. Confident having their hard won total air superiority.

But they still had to come down to him. One Nevermore screeched, reaching out its razor talons.

Kad stepped, grabbed an ankle with his left hand and jerked the bird off course. Its cry turned to one of pain as its bones broke. The high pitched shriek died as the giant jumped pulling himself higher, spun once and cut its head off with one smooth stroke of Ignis.

The heavy corpse smashed into the pavement, the dead Nevermore's brethren flew higher, wary of the giant sword's reach. SSSN were still pushing the civilians onward to where they hoped they would be safe.

Kad walked backwards for a few steps looking for the Grimm he knew were on their trail. But he didn't see any, at least not at the moment. They certainly hadn't given up.

Because he was still alive.

The civilians soon disappeared in various directions, off to seek shelter in the untouched parts of the city. Or into the stadium where others grouped close staring at all the armed teenagers. Kad slowly approached the colossal building. Yet the reassuring sight of armed forces quickly turned sour.

He sensed their mood. Shifting their grips and gazes while watching the north.

A few familiar faces looked up to the giant. Kad didn't react, looking back. Waiting for the Grimm to make their move. His two teammates walked up.

Alicia tugged on his sleeve, "Kad? What happened?"

He brushed her hand away, "Later, Are you two all right?"

She nodded, Co'Balt did to. More distant howls crashed over them. The flying Grimm circled back, drifting in patterns over where he assumed the front runners were massing.

His mind raced through possibilities.

The first attack wouldn't be much, relatively. There wouldn't be many past the wall yet, just the ones that had appeared, somehow.

"We've gotta get out of here!"

A shiver ran through him when Kad heard those faint words.

One trainee, Kad didn't know who. Turned to rush back into the stadium, pushing his peers,

Running away.

Murmurs whispered, people looked in fear to their friends beside them.

"Hold your fucking ground!"

Kad pointed his sword directly at the coward. His small hand frozen on a door handle. The force of those words making him stumble to his knees, captured by the force in the words of the giant at the head of the crowd.

He looked over them all. So many faces. He could practically taste their fear.

No one was coming to save them.

No one needed to save them.

They needed to fight.

Kad shifted his feet. Standing tall.

"You will lead them…" Cinder had told him.

This was his moment…

The legion roared and raised their blades, wordlessly shaking their fists and weapons as he pointed out towards the alien horde. Slamming their pikes into the ground as he motioned them into battle.

Kad took a breath, his deep voice echoed out. In the air, in their heads.

"What are you all doing here?"

He didn't expect an answer to his unexpected question, nor did he get one as people shuffled shifting their attention to his tall form.

More words came to his mind and mouth, "My friends… My brothers, my sisters… I could tell you a-lot right now. Talk about duty, honor, glory and the spirit I know burns in all of you."

He shifted his sword, resting Ignis up on his shoulder. The Dust blade's tip pointing toward the sky, "I don't need to, whatever fear grips your hearts… All the complicated things reminding you of home and a thousand other things. Listen to me… They don't matter."

He swept his blade down pointing at each student in turn,

"It's simple…" Kad told them, "Here we are, right here, right now, look inside yourselves and you'll know. Right now there are only four things in the world."

Kad turned his sword, "You…"

He aimed a little lower, at the many weapons held by them all, "That steel in your hands…"

He raised Ignis up to the stadium lined with the faces of the people, "Those people looking to you. And the monsters coming to kill them all…"

They all shifted as his words took hold.

"You know it… I know it… What are you here for?!"

Kad brought his arms up and out, his pose demanding an answer, "Are you Huntsmen? Are you Huntresses?"

He felt it now. Watched his words work on their minds. It started with just a few voices. Shouts of affirmation. A slow rumbled of weapons beating into hands, into their chests.

"This is our time! Our first step!... Will you fight?!"

Now hundreds of students shouted with one voice. A single scream of defiance and certainty. And for a moment their roar drowned out the Daemon horde drawing closer and closer.

"Are you with me?!"

The brief silence in the wake of their shouts was filled with the steady dull thud of everyone hammering into their hands and chests with their weapons again. Together like a single great heartbeat.

"I want these fucking monsters to feel it in their bones! Come on!" Kad demanded,

He swept his hand up beckoning them to scream more. The force all roared again, and the Primarch screamed to the sky with them. Breathing on the flame of defiance kindled by his heart felt words, burning away the last of their doubt and fear.

This was his time… This was their time.

Kad looked down, recognizing several eager team leaders nearly next to him, waiting for command. He quickly started throwing out orders, "I want a solid line right behind me. More brawlers, and fewer shooters. Anyone with range hang back, get elevation and thin out the Grimm."

His voice reached every ear that was listening, the trainee force sorting themselves out according to his plan. Alicia walked up close.

"Pretty good Kad," She said with a smile. He huffed just once.

"Yeah… Do you have any spare Burn Dust?" She nodded, Kad turned back to the north and stuck Ignis out low in front of her.

Alicia sensed his intent. Pulling out a little canister with a glowing red meter from her coat which she twisted open and emptied out close to the fanged cross guard on Ignis.

Fingers of deep red fire ran along the blade. Flickering up from the touch of his aura. Kad swung his sword back up in a circle. Testing the balance just one last time, and nodding thanks to his partner who stepped back into the fighting line.

His sensitive ears heard a single howl.

Then another.

And more after that.

Pitches and length shifting and growing. Gathering the Grimm. The ground shook, he saw a hundred little rocks and pebbles bouncing and rolling on the ground before the first Grimm even appeared. But they didn't take long to come into view. Lone Beowolves, Ursa, Creeps, other species collecting up the road he and team SSSN had just run down.

He knew the weapons all his peers used. He knew their average effective range. A distance that the first Grimm had just come into.

"Gunners!" Kad called out.

The first volley from the Hunters lashed out, Grimm after Grimm were scythed down. Grenades arced up and then down, blasting the monsters to pieces.

But the Daemons barely even slowed. Death Stalkers and bigger Ursa scuttled up to the front, their large frames barely even flinching from the bullets crashing into them. Only the luckiest shots even made them stagger.

The smaller Grimm crowded close behind the large creatures, snapping and howling for blood.

Time seemed to slow.

Kad swung Ignis back up over his head, the red blade blazing and smoking. He stepped and swung the sword down into the ground at his feet.

A wave of fire rolled forward and ignited the first line of Grimm. Creatures howled and fell as they burned, swept under the claws of the ones behind.

All the Hunters Kad brought forward yelled with him one last time against the Daemons. Their hundred different weapons swept up and met the white bone talons reaching for their lives.

And Kad stepped forward swinging the blade of fire in his hand.

The battle for Vale had begun.