Ruby XXII
The entrance to the sewer tunnel stood as tall as two men. For me it was a familiar place, the place I found Cinder half dead underneath a grimm. How could I forget it? The stench of the sewer will stay with me forever.
Twenty students gathered there at Oz's requests, four teams in total. That was the place he said the extra credit hunt would take place. The locale of the hunt was kept hidden until the day before. Suffice it to say I found the whole thing troubling.
A great host of hunters had gathered and each face left me more surprised than the last. Cinder and her team were there, as they said they would be, that much was obvious, but what was Pyrhha doing there? Not just her either, but her entire team as well. Jaune looked dower, with stubble growing on his face like overgrown grass. He seemed tense. He was doubtless the reason why his team was here in the first place. I couldn't imagine Ren, Nora, or, god forbid, Pyrhha falling behind in their studies. Despite all his efforts he's still behind the pack.
Then there was a motley group of four young men, of whom I only recognized one, Sage The Swordsman. Many hunters fought with swords, but Sage's skill set him apart from the rest. He was like iron made flesh. However, the pen and the sword are two separate matters. I suppose that's why he and the rest of his team showed up. The rumors made it seem like all four of the young men were on the same level, but I doubt it. They had a blonde faunus with a tail that I suppose belonged to a monkey, a crimson haired swashbuckler, and a boy with light blue hair and a large rifle.
"I'll try to save some grimm for you boys too, but I can't make any promises," He said to his teammates.
"That's rich, I'll take them all out before you even load that thing!" The faunus said. They seemed confident. I wish I felt the same, but experience advised caution.
The last team was what really surprised me: Coco Adel, Fox Alister, Velvet Scarlatina, and Yatsuhashi Daichi, team CFVY. They were upperclassmen from the year above ours and legends not just in Beacon, but all of Vale. Coco was said to have killed every grimm she ever fought and Fox Alister was somehow even more deadly despite being blind. He had the best sparring record of any student in his year, often winning his bouts without getting touched. Perhaps there was hope for Cardin after all, provided he made it through today and somehow managed to swallow his pride enough to ask for help. Ah yes, that's another thing I should have mentioned, I brought Cardin along with the rest of team RWBY. I suppose for a short time we were technically team CRWBY. Anyways, why the hell was CFVY participating in this? They've been at Beacon for two years. How could they be struggling?
"Do you see that?" Yang asked, pointing at team CFVY.
"No, I don't," said Cardin.
"Not you, I'm talking to the people who can still see. I know those second years over there, that's CFVY! They're all so smart, what are they doing here?"
"That's what I'd like to know," Blake and I replied in unison.
"Jynx," said Blake, "You shouldn't make a habit of copying cats,"
"Funny. That was almost a joke… almost."
"Not enough for even a chuckle, eh? I could tell you another one if you like,"
"I don't know if I'm in the mood to laugh right now,"
"Come on, Rose, why so serious? It's the little things that make life worth living, right?" Cardin forced a wide grin, his tone dry as dirt. Were it not for the chance that Blake's joke would annoy me, Cardin wouldn't care to hear it. This was just to get under my skin. He may have lost his eyes, but the sadism was still there.
"Alright, this is a very old joke told among the Fanus for centuries and it doesn't translate well from Mistali, but here goes. So a dog walks into a bar, or maybe a brothel!" She was excited to see our responses to the so-called joke, but I think the rest of the team was just as surprised as me. It wasn't just bad, it was nigh incomprehensible.
"You know, if things go wrong today that may be the last joke we ever hear," Weiss was sharpening her sword and seemed more relaxed than any of us. Even if it was said in jest though, her comments were a bit too grim.
"Am I the only one here taking this seriously? This isn't a game, you know!" I scolded them.
"My god, is that what I sound like to other people? Always nagging and raving when people are just trying to have fun?"
"Not now, Weiss." I walked away from them, from her, and went to see Cinder. I brought Cardin with me as sort of a sacrificial offering. Cinder and her team were still missing a person. Without a fourth they would be turned away by Oz and stopped from competing. Although I never promised to come along with them, I would feel bad for leaving them out in the cold. Cinder used to be a friend, my closest confidant; I dare say I even loved her, but I threw that all away. I tore a piece of my own heart out in an attempt to feel stronger. It didn't make me feel strong though, instead I just felt sick.
I was scared to be close to her, scared to love her, and terrified of the idea that she might love me back. Before long I would have no choice but to drop the mask. After she learned all there is to know about Ruby Rose she'd become acquainted with the real me. She'd meet the spiteful girl who nurses grudges as if they were her sons, the girl who only cries for herself, the girl who can't let go, and once she knew her she would hate me. It was best to just keep my distance. For now, loaning them Cardin was the best I could do.
"I hope you know I'm no good in a fight. I know I promised you a favor, but this is beyond the pale," Cardin had to follow me by the hand over to where Cinder was. He refused the walking stick I offered him earlier, saying it would only make him look more crippled. Even then, he remained steadfast in his refusal to accept what happened to him.
"You don't have to be any good in a fight, you just need to be there. Hell, with how secretive Oz has been about all this you may not even need to be there per se. So long as you declare that you're participating with team CME, and they accept you, there's no reason to believe that you have to go into sewers. They just need four people and if you would be that fourth then consider your debts pay,"
"And if they don't accept me?"
"Oh, they would never accept you, if you came alone. Don't say too much and you should be fine," Though that was the advice I gave to him, I was the one who said the least. Once I saw Cinder my heart dropped. I couldn't even find the strength to say hello to her. She ended up being the one to break the silence.
"Ruby?" She nearly gasped when she saw me. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" There was excitement in her voice.
"Aye, it has. Do you still need a fourth?"
"We do. I see you've got some new contraption hanging from your hip, you'll have to show us what it does, knowing you I'm sure it'll be a big help when we-"
"No, not me, him" I pointed to Cardin and immediately the stars in her eyes went dark.
"I'm afraid that won't do. We won't have him,"
"Who's your fourth then?"
"we don't have one, unfortunately," she sighed, "Beacon can be a hard place to make friends, and we've done ourselves no favors by being absent for so long,"
"Why come then?"
"I'm not sure myself. I guess we were hoping for a miracle," Cinder looked back at Emerald and she tossed her a small stone, Cinder threw it down the sewerway and it disappeared in the dark. "Have you heard the story of Malikai The Mild?" She asked.
"I have. He was appointed lord of the Atlas Dam, couldn't handle the pressure, and then abandoned his post to marry a fisher woman. Eventually though, Malakai comes back and decides to lead the men of the dam for the rest of his days, abandoning his wife in the process,"
"Impressive, Malakai's story is quite old. Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you know it, you always did like books more than people. His story has probably been retold a thousand times, but every retelling is a bit different. I guess the reason why we're here is because we hoped to see a version of Malakai's story where he didn't leave his family behind, but that would take a miracle,"
"Well here's your miracle," I shoved Cardin in their direction, "Treat him well. I'm sorry, Cinder, for everything," I ran away and didn't listen to what she had to say after, if in fact she had anything to say at all.
Once I was back with the rest of my team Weiss, of all people, apologized to me. She didn't know how concerned I was about the hunt, due in no small part to how little she knew about Oz. She had come a long way from the person she was at the beginning of the semester. Even Blake seemed pleasantly surprised.
We sat there for a terribly long time. All the while I stole glances at Cinder. Then Oz showed up. He was tailed by Professor Port and Glynda Goodwitch. Seeing the three of them together was a rarity. They were only ever in the same place if something very wrong had happened.
"Good moro to all my beloved underachievers. If you bothered to read my latest correspondence then you know why you're here. Hasty and short sighted though you may be, there is still hope for you. A terrible grimm has made its home in the sewers of Beacon, a slimy slug-like creature that crawls on its belly. Vale is the land of heroes and martyrs. This creature cannot be allowed to defile hallowed ground by continuing its march. The first team to slay the beast will be awarded special honors, straight from my desk. It moves at night so take to routing it while the sun is still out. Beware and be quick," Oz left us just as confused as we were before he arrived. Twenty hunters to take out one grimm? I fought the creature once before and although it was strong, killing it shouldn't take twenty trained hunters. Other questions lingered in the air as well. Before the teams made for the sewers a hand shot up from the crowd, it was Mercury.
"Excuse me, M'lord, but what about the extra credit? Your letter didn't mention anything about it either, so, I was wondering, with so many people here, how will it be handed out?"
"All of you will receive additional points to the course of your choosing. Simply by coming here you've demonstrated your dedication to the cause. Going into the sewers and physically subjugating the grimm in question is optional, only meant for those who seek glory beyond their regular course of study. I trust that all of you will make the correct choice,"
"So if we want to leave we can just go?" Mercury began to walk away, but Cinder grabbed him by the arm. She didn't say a word, all she did was look at him, but her gaze was like poetry, and he understood every word. She wanted the monster dead. Cinder was going to go into the sewer, team or no. And worst of all, I knew she was doing it for me.
"Well, let's get a move on then," Coco Adel led her team into the sewers without hesitation. Her weapon was a massive machine gun and it began spinning up as she entered.
"But, wait, you don't have to go! He said we already passed the test," Yang shouted.
"Oh, sure, but what hunter would pass up the chance to kill a grimm?" With that Coco set the tone of the expedition. CFVY went in first, then SSSN and Cinder's team, and the two of them were tailed by JNPR and the rest of us.
By the time we were inside CFVY and SSSN were nowhere to be found and Weiss was complaining about what the sewage was doing to her boots. The gray brackish water stank of piss and was roughly ankle deep. Small creatures swam in the dark murky fluid, water bugs or frogs perhaps who had spent their lives feasting on dung.
"What is this creature like, Ruby? You stopped it from eating Cinder alive once so you must know something about it," asked Emerald.
"It's like nothing I've ever fought before. Imagine a massive slug, black as night with half a hundred arms on its belly. Blades slide off its slimy skin, but it'll have no trouble latching onto you. If you want my advice, try to keep your distance from it. If you're lucky enough to have a gun, then shoot it," I lit a lamp of luminous dust, as it was getting darker the deeper we ventured. The other team leaders did the same. Jaune quickly began strategizing with his team upon hearing that the grimm was immune to bladed weapons. Everyone there had some means of fighting at a distance besides Jaune, and to a much lesser extent Cinder.
"With any luck CFVY will have already dealt with it and we can all go home," Mercury groaned.
"Good god, are you a man or a mouse? What kind of hunters are they training in Vale?" Cardin stumbled through the tunnel with the help of Cinder, who guided him by the hand.
"Bold words from a blind man,"
"What? Do you have any idea who you're speaking to, fool?"
"No, I don't. I have no idea who the fuck you are, or why you're still here. You'll be the first to die when a fight breaks out,"
"Mercury, don't say that! What if you were blind, huh? Would you want someone talking to you like that?" Emerald smacked him in the shoulder.
"If I was in an active war zone then, yes, I would. Why would I have a problem with someone telling me the truth? If I was a pompous moron like him, I'd love nothing more than for someone to set me straight and tell me I don't have to keep acting stupid," after Mercury said that Cardin marched towards him, surprisingly steady on his feet for a man without sight. It would have come to blows had Jaune not been there to stop it. He put a hand on Cardin's chest and told him:
"That's enough. Just go home, lad, no one will think any less of you. We're all here because of our pride, which may turn out to be the death of us, don't let it drag you down too,"
"Jaune? What a fool you are to think I would obey your orders,"
"It's not an order. I just don't think it'd be right for you to die in a sewer. Deep down I think you know that too. All you have to do is stop being stubborn and turn back the way you came,"
"Oh yeah? And what about you? What about that red haired girl you fancy? What about the rest of your comrades? Is it alright for them to risk their lives only to die drowning in shit?"
"I'll be safe, and so will Pyrrha and everyone else. Casualties aren't a part of my plan so just go home and rest. I'll see you tomorrow at the sparring yard, where you'll see that I returned from here without so much as a scratch on me. I'll bring the rest of JNPR too so that you can see how I kept them safe from harm," for a while there was nothing but silence, then Cardin laughed
"You would cross swords with a man who cannot see?"
"Of course! After all, a hunter is a hunter," Jaune and Cardin were practically cackling. For a moment I feared that the two of them had already succumbed to the pressures of a life or death situation and gone insane. Once they stopped, Cardin offered him a clumsy handshake and made for the entrance. Cinder offered to help him, but refused, opting instead to hug the sewer wall and follow that back to where he came.
The whole interaction was bizarre to say the least. Although I guess it wasn't the strangest thing that two fools would get along with each other, birds of a feather being as they are.
"You two seem awfully close," said Pyrrha.
"No, not really, it's just that I finally understand what he told me that one day, don't you remember? Now that I know what those words really meant it's hard to dismiss him as just another bully,"
"You're just full of surprises aren't you," She giggled.
We ventured through the sewers for a while and carefully marked the path we took so as not to get lost. The sewers of Beacon were labyrinthine constructs that went on for miles, almost like a maze. Were we to venture too deep it would spell certain doom.
However, as we progressed a question lingered, silently, in the air: where was CFVY? As grim as it may sound, most of the hunters in attendance had already considered the possibility that the first year team SSSN had been thoroughly routed by the slug, but what of CFVY? Between the four of them they had more experience than RWBY, JNPR, and CME combined. If they were missing then something had to have gone wrong.
That was when Nora let out a ghastly scream, "Ren!" I turned around to see what was wrong only to find that her friend was being swallowed by the slug. It was in the process of eating him, holding Ren in place with its many arms. The creature opted to devour him head first. It had already gotten down to the boy's waist, making not a sound as it chewed.
Jaune and I gave the order to fire on it, but as soon as bullets began to fly Nora jumped in the way. Firing ceased as she pleaded for us to pull her friend from the monster's jaws before shooting. Ren's aura was broken, it was obvious by the blood that poured down the grimm's mouth. If he were shot he would be done for, provided he was still alive. The boy was clearly long dead, but Nora, the poor thing, couldn't accept that. I didn't know how to tell her. In the heat of the moment my mouth struggled to find the words. However, Jaune decided to eschew words entirely.
A beam of light shot from his hand, hit Nora, and she collapsed. The slug threw Ren's half eaten corpse aside and lunged at Nora with its many hands. Jaune ran to protect her with his shield and narrowly blocked the blow. The technique he used to subdue Nora was similar to what I did to Cardin, only more gentle.
A dozen wiry hands smacked Jaune's shield as he ordered us to fire. Bullets were more effective than blades, but the grim proved more resilient than expected. Our Rounds may have made contact, but they caused little harm. The grim used its dozens of arms to throw itself at our backline. Everyone managed to dodge, except Mercury. It caught his ankle as he lept. The grimm threw him into the muck and slammed its body on top of him. It did it again and again. Mercury tried to kick it, but that did nothing. The full weight of its ebon form fell on his leg and crushed it.
I pointed Crescent Rose behind me and fired. The recoil sent me flying forward and the behemoth slug was caught in the scythe's blade. I fired it again and it pushed me even further. To my disappointment I couldn't couldn't seem to cut the grimm in half. Its slimy form only strained and stretched as my blade pushed against it with increasing force. I fired Crescent Rose again and again. The two of us flew down the sewer at breakneck speed, but nothing changed. The threat of being left alone with such a creature became more real by the second.
With the grimm caught on my blade, I spun and threw the grim back towards the others.
"Do it now!" On my command the rest of team RWBY attacked. Blake fired a dozen rounds into its belly. As it fell towards them, Yang uppercutted the slug, and Weiss threw a core of ice dust, freezing it to the ceiling.
We regrouped and discussed what to do, but the exchange quickly turned into an argument. Jaune wanted to mount a full retreat so as to get Nora some help, and bury Ren as well. Now that he was out of the grimm's mouth the extent of the damage became clear. The boy was completely gone from the waist up. He was unrecognizable. Meanwhile, Cinder wanted to pool together our resources and attack the slug while it was frozen and I agreed for the most part.
"A lot of us are wounded, plus we're clearly outmatched. We have to go now," Pyrrha was on the side of Jaune and insisted on fleeing. If the remains of team JNPR were to flee that would be fine, the problem was they didn't want to flee alone. Pyrrha and Jaune both agreed that the best course of action was for all of us to run.
"If we run, that thing will thaw and chase us. The ice won't hold forever. Once it melts he'll come and start to pick us off again," said Cinder.
"All the more reason to start moving," said Pyrrha, short of patience.
"We don't have time to run! That thing has to die,"
"One of your men is critically wounded and this is how you're acting? Making life or death decisions without any care for who gets hurt; gambling with your comrades lives like they were debased coins" Pyrhha pointed at Mercury and said, "Does he look like he's in any condition to fight?"
"What's your name, girl?"
"Did you listen to a word I just said?"
"Tell me your name,"
"It's Pyrrha Nikkos," Pyrrha was baffled but she complied nonetheless. Truth be told, I had no idea what Cinder was getting at. Even still, I was worried. I saw her get angry once, but this wasn't anger. This was something darker, perhaps malice, or maybe resent.
"I'll remember that. Mercury's legs are fake, they're made of metal so he's not in any urgent need of help. Though he's definitely more vulnerable now with only one of them. If you want to carry the dead and wounded to safety then go ahead, but don't expect me to follow you. Us leaving now would only create more bodies. It caught us by surprise once and it can happen again. It knows these tunnels well and moves without making a sound. We take our eyes off it again and we're dead," after she said that Mercury tried to stand, but having only one leg he began to stumble. Emerald caught him before he fell and helped him stand.
"I'm staying. Cinder's right, it's now or never," He looked awfully gallant for a man covered in sewage. Black fluid stained his clothes and dripped from his hair as well. Though even with his right leg gone he refused to yield. Gods be good, man. Why not yield? Haven't you done enough? I wanted to tell him to flee, but the look in his eyes forbade me.
"That's brave of you, but be careful not to get yourself killed for the sake of your captain's pride. She's eager to impress a certain someone, even if it takes your life to do it," Pyrrha looked at me and seemed disappointed, almost sad.
Jaune grabbed her by the shoulder and the two of them made off with Nora and what remained of Ren. The blonde young man looked like a ghost, he was devastated at the loss of his friend. I didn't know Ren at all, but seeing how his death affected JNPR wasn't easy to watch. After they left the rest of us got into position and surrounded the grimm.
"What's the plan?" Weiss asked, "It took all of the ice dust I had just to hold it in place,"
"We're going to hit it again, except this time try to do damage,"
"That's it?"
"Yes,"
"I'm sure you still have some tricks up your sleeves, My Lady," I said, subtly urging her to quit bullshiting and take this more seriously.
"You two are insufferable," Weiss summoned her dragon beneath the grimm. The dragon blasted it with its icy breath, thickening the frost that held it in place. Mercury kicked the air and clouds of thick white mist came from his boot, joining with the dragon's breath. I fired at the grimm's frozen head and so did Blake and Yang. Bullets pierced the ice and punched through its blobby skull. Meanwhile, Emerald shot at its tail and Cinder cut its head off.
The head of the grimm came falling from its body. That was when all of us began to breathe again. However, the celebration was premature. Before it could hit the ground the grimm's body broke free of the ice. It grabbed its own head with its deformed hands and reattached it. As the grimm fell it bent backwards, crushing the body of Weiss's dragon between its slimy head and ebon tail. The dragon fizzled into nothing but snow. The snow sank into the muck, and our hearts along with it.
It made a huge splash as it landed on its back and flailed its arms to flip itself around, ripping bricks from the sewer walls as it did so. We spread out and continued to fire on it, but Yang got caught by one of the hands and went flying. The same happened to Emerald, only she hit a wall and her aura was broken in an instant. I saw my friends getting battered by a monster and there was nothing I could do. I fired round after round at its exposed belly, but they did next to nothing.
One after another everyone was hit: Emerald, Blake, Mercury, Emerald, Cinder, and finally Weiss. The grimm was upright again and it seemed all hope was lost. If it could reattach any part of its body then there were only two options: either I slice it to bits and play keep away with every part of its body or I destroy it in a single blow. Neither of the paths ahead of me seemed plausible.
I pulled the blade of Crescent Rose from the ground and used the recoil to fall back. Narrowly avoiding its strikes, I continued to fire. After going through eight magazines the monster finally managed to touch me. It was just a finger or two, but each of those fingers hit harder than Cardin. When I pulled myself from the muck I was spitting sewage. Hacking and damn near vomiting, I rolled away from the ten hands that reached for me. For a while I used my semblance to maneuver around it, but that only delayed the inevitable. As I flew I picked up Weiss and the others, subsuming them in my cloud of petals. However, as I stared into the face of the beast, still dripping with black blood from its wounds, reality began to set in. I could carry everyone with my semblance, but only for a short distance. By my guess I could carry two people from here to the entrance. Shame on me to say this, but the two in question popped into my head immediately: Weiss and Cinder.
Yang was probably thrown out of the sewer entirely so recovering her would be no issue, I hoped, and although I cared deeply for Mercury and Emerald I couldn't find it in myself to save them when Weiss and Cinder were right in front of me. Then there was Blake; The Masked God should damn me if I were to let her die in a place like this. She believed me when no one else did, even if I was wrong.
How sad it was, I thought, for hunters to die with neither pomp or circumstance; drowning in dung. When you first decide to study aura and become a hunter no one ever tells you about all the young acolytes who die mangled and nameless. What they do tell you, however, are the stories of heroes who engraved their names in history with nothing but a blade and a dream: Rought The Pigmy, Amber Singe, and Summer Rose to name a few. They fill our heads with dreams only to lead us to devastation. And our names, if they'll even be remembered, will no doubt be used to lure another generation of rubes to their untimely deaths.
The slug threw bricks and dirt at me while I flew around it trying to find Weiss. Some of the things it threw caught me, but were immediately subsumed into my amorphous form. Once they were part of the roses they could do no harm. I briefly debated absorbing the grimm himself into my petals, but, once again, experience advised caution. The last time I tried, I wasn't able to carry it far.
I managed to find Weiss and flew away with her. The grimm slammed at the spot where I was mere seconds ago. The both of us would be dead had I still been there. We made our escape in a cloud of white petals. I saw Cinder lying in the muck, but as I descended to grab her something began to go wrong. My semblance semblance dispelled and I fell to the ground with Weiss clasped tight between my arms. Cinder opened her eyes dimly when I crashed down next to her.
"We should have ran," she said faintly.
"Aye, it seems great minds think alike. Don't worry. I'm gonna get you out of here,"
"The others," She groaned, "save the others,"
"I can't! It's you or them. I can take one more person with me. We can go and find help. We can come back for them. With any luck Oz is still at the entrance and we can tell him what happened. We can tell him that this is too much. He'll come with the rest of the professors and put an end to this thing,"
"He won't, Ruby, he won't. He never saves anyone. Ozma only thinks of himself,"
"Who the hell is Ozma? Forget it, that doesn't matter. We have to go!" as I grabbed her the grimm began to strike. I was low on aura and couldn't use my semblance.
An impossibly loud sound, like fire escaping a volcanic dome, came from behind us. Swathes of bright flames soared towards the grimm. From the fire came a golden fist that nearly turned its head to mush and in the blazing vortex of red and gold I saw my sister. Her body was like a yellow sea of flames that churned with orange fire.
Her fist sent it flying down the tunnel. She landed by us and offered me a hand to get up. I took it, but when I clasped her hand in mine it hurt, it burned. Yang's body was as hot as molten gold and she glowed like it as well.
"Don't look surprised. I said I wasn't gonna leave you alone didn't I?" I nearly cried when she said that. However, before we knew it the grimm was upon us again. Flames were dancing on its body as it scuttled towards us. The stench could be noticed even from where I was. That gave me an idea. There would be no more running. His grave was here, in the sewers, and Yang was his executioner.
The slug tried to lunge at Yang again, but she punched its maw and sent it hurdling deeper into the tunnel. Were it not for the flames burning on its body I would have assumed it had been lost to the labyrinth. The sound of Ember Celica mashing against the grimm's skin awoke the others. One by one they rose, roused by the ring of hope's bell. "What's the plan, Ruby?" Yang looked back at me, her face nearly as bright as the sun. I struggled to look at her because she was so bright. Fire shot from her hair in ribbons and weaved through the air. In this dank little tunnel she was our angel, our only hope.
"You, my dear sister. You are the plan. When next that things comes near you, hit it, but not as hard. Pull your punches so that you don't send it flying. We want to burn it, not push it," She nodded and with that our counteroffensive was underway. I shouted to the others, "Switch to incendiary rounds if you have them!"
The slug swung at Yang with a dozen fists, but she parried every blow. Her speed was unlike anything I had ever seen, even I probably couldn't dodge the attacks she was throwing. After that she hit its head again, setting it ablaze along with the creature's underbelly. It laid in the sewage to try and put out the fire, but the flames instead spread across the rest of its body.
"Hammer it!" Mercury yelled. He kicked great balls of fire at it from his one good leg, ostensibly his weapon was in his boot. Weiss sent waves of heat rippling over the grimm, while Blake and Emerald shot red hot rounds at its charred back. The grimm writhed in agony and with every inch it moved the flames that threatened to swallow it whole grew taller and brighter.
The grimm tried to stand up and get away from the burning sewage. Its head fell off and left tendrils of molten flesh stuck to its neck. It tried to grab its head and put it back on, but Yang was too quick. She threw a jab down the creature's neck which essentially turned its innards into a fireplace. Before long the abomination was nothing but smoke and ash.
Once the fight was over I surveyed the damage and, to my surprise, no one had died. Both teams had made it out without losing anyone and most of us were still in decent shape. Sure, Mercury would need help being escorted out of the tunnel, but besides him we were fine. I was so overjoyed I couldn't help but laugh. At first everyone looked at me queerly, but I couldn't stop. Eventually my laughter proved contagious and one by one the others joined.