Ashen slowed down and descended to the base of the mountain, where, by the entrance to the Sumire Mines, the rest of their team was already waiting - or rather, watching the destruction that was unleashed upon the town. Firre, Yche, the other Rangers, the Faunus - all of their reactions were the same. Shock, horror, a tinge of fear, and hatred towards the Mantlean fleets mindlessly destroying hundreds of lives in their path while at the same time being helpless to stop it. The full size of the Mantlean mothership emerged from the clouds - even from this distance, they all could tell that it was enormous, as large as the Royal Palace of Vale, except floating, soaring forward, and equipped with enough artillery to flatten a city.

Firre grit his teeth. How... how did they even manage to build something like this? The prince couldn't have even imagined a weapon of mass destruction like this. Mantle was always at the forefront of technology and engineering, and most people knew that the northern kingdom had recently introduced the technology of flight to Remnant, but to think that they were able to create something this massive...? How do you even take down that thing? Tnless you have enough firepower, you can't - and they had nothing of the sort here.

Of course, the far greater concern was not lost on them either. With their eyes, they were witnessing the end of fragile peace on Remnant - and of all people who could have been in Sumire at this exact moment, to be thrown into the first meatgrinder of the first war in generations, it had to be them. That was bitter in of itself.

As soon as Ashen landed on the ground, Reza turned to the town below and held onto her friend, arms wrapped around neck, while staring at the fires and destruction. Large swathes of the town had already been destroyed, and even more shells were falling from the sky, targeting any congregations of civilians and suspected Valean Ranger formations. Hundreds were dying, and they all were just... so... helpless...

"No..." she whispered, her voice shaking, on the verge of breaking down. "That's... That's it. There's no other recourse left. They've started a war." The news is going to reach Vale... and then the mere mention of the massacres will drive everyone to war fever. Instantly.

Gritting his teeth, Firre stepped forward, already grabbing onto the grip of his sword - right as he was about to walk past the Rangers and then descend into the town, Ashen held out her arm to stop him.

"No, Firre, there's no point," she said. "Even if you run in there, guns blazing, you won't be able to reach the Mantlean ships, much less stop them." Her voice was cold and to the point, even if Firre could notice a very faint undertone of fear behind it. He waited for a second, as if expecting her to step back, but removed his hand from the sword's grip and stood down once it became clear that she was not. Yche asked:

"But... what do we do now, then? We-we can't just watch!"

Firre's eyes moved towards the airships floating above. If we can't fight them, then...

"All that's left is to ensure that as few innocent people die as possible," he stated. "We have to evacuate, and fast."

"How?" Reza replied, baffled and frightened at the same time. "They... they will see us from above if we try to leave this mine's premises. And even if their shells aren't pin-point accurate, they're still deadly enough to kill if they land close - and we won't be able to stop every single one..."

"You're right... if they can see us."

Reza blinked and let go of Ashen. "What are you planning now..."

"If you have any idea how to avoid turning this into a death march, we should make sure to head to Altar's direction," Yche suddenly joined in, pointing towards the forests. "It's the closest town to here, and if we're going to be escorting refugees, we can't return to our base - we simply won't have the room to house and feed them all. Altar should be for some time, though."

"Your home village?" Ashen answered. "Are you sure you want to put it in danger like this? They could pursue us."

"I-" Yche was about to respond, but the words got stuck in her throat. After thinking how to rationalize her decision for a few seconds, she finally continued with a sigh. "If Mantle is heading to war, they'll come to Altar anyway, and I... well, I'll at least be able to warn everyone to find shelter before they experience the same catastrophe..."

"Altar is the plan, then," Firre said, and began to explain before Reza or anyone else questioned him. "Try to gather as many of the people fleeing the town as possible, before even more of them die. I am going to use my Semblance to cover the way, and you will have to lead everyone else to Altar as fast as possible."

Already, he made a step forward. A faint thud of a falling shell echoed in the distance.

"Wait, what do you mean-" Reza was about to ask, but paused when she recalled what Firre had told them before. If they can see us. And if he's using his Semblance, then... "You're nuts, Firre. You won't be able to summon so many trees at your current strength!"

The prince went down on one knee, placing his hand on the ground. The occasional shell from the skies would detonate with enough force to send faint vibrations all the way to the base of the mountain - and their targets were inching closer and closer. The Mantlean fleet had already swept through the town centre and was now targeting the suburbs. "Yeah, you're probably right... and the Invulnerable sapped a bit of my reserves, too, so even trying to summon more than a group of trees could knock me out..."

Firre paused for a second, then, as if he hadn't just questioned his own plan, he suddenly began pouring as much energy as he could into the soil. Roots, snaking through the ground faster than a speeding bullet, extended outwards, all while trees sprouted one after another, first surrounding the entrance to the mine, then throughout all of Sumire as well. Soon, the rays of the sun were blotted out as far as the Rangers could see, instead replaced by a green-tinted shade not unlike the one you'd see in a dense urban park, or a remarkably clean forest.

Just as predicted, the bombardment of the town ceased. Soldiers staffing the Mantlean ships and tasked with the targeting of their intricate aerial artillery batteries now saw a layer of green foliage obscuring everything on the surface. A few rooftops sticked out from the leaves here and there, but there was no point in bombing them and wasting ammunition if they could not confirm the presence of Valean troops inside.

Firre removed his hand from the ground, breathing heavily.

I'll see you all in Altar...

Suddenly, his body collapsed to the ground.

"Firre!" Ashen yelled - she and Yche ran up to the prince immediately. He wasn't moving, and Yche pulling him out of the dirt by his shoulders did not get him to even twitch.

"Heart's still beating, just seems that he spent everything he had," she confirmed. "I didn't think he was actually gonna go through with this..."

Reza's eyes briefly looked over the tree tops looming over them, then back to the rest of their "team". Gods damned reckless idiot... This was the second time he endangered his life against the explicit recommendation of his comrades today - but, at least this time it was not literally committing a crime, or hastening the start of a war, so, it was... moderately better? She knew she had a lot to rip Firre over once they're done with this. With a sigh, Reza raised her hand to bring attention to her, and yelled:

"We have about three hours, everyone! That's how long Firre's tree constructs last before they disintegrate back into Aura. Once that happens, we'll be in the Mantleans' sights once again," Her hand pointed to Firre. "Yche! Grab Firre and lead the way! Ashen, go back to town and search for survivors! Just... don't get in danger, there might still be some Mistralian stragglers itching for a fight."

Or that Invulnerable... wherever he is.

"Got it!" Ashen answered with a yell and a brief salute. "I'll get out of dodge if I see anyone suspicious!"

Yche pulled Firre's body over her shoulder - this may have not been the time for Reza to make such an observation, but seeing him hanging on the tall woman's shoulder like a towel was at least a little amusing. "On foot, it'll take us the whole evening and night to get to Altar from here, we should only be able to reach it by early morning - but as soon as we leave town, we should be able to slip into the forest and so be relatively safe. Except for Grimm, of course."

"At least that's something. We'll... well..."

Reza's eyes turned to the Faunus and the other rangers behind her. As if she didn't have enough horrors and worries weighing down on her mind, another one crossed her once she took a look at the weary, frightened faces. If we don't get out of here and find shelter quick, this entire group is going to become a magnet for the Grimm. Could there be an easier source of negative emotions, the entire spectrum from fear to hatred, than a town being blasted, bombarded, and witnessing hundreds die in minutes?

And what's worse, the worry over being targets for the Grimm was, in of itself, going to make her a target for the Grimm. Reza shook her head, trying to shake off the concern. Childhood lessons briefly popped into her mind. It felt horrible to rely on them once more, and yet... Steel yourself. Emotion is a weakness. Just act, and do what you need to do. At a moment like this, she needed something to rely on.

Reza closed her eyes and took a breath through her nose, before speaking in a calmer, more sedated voice:

"You are all going to be fine. Just do what you need to do."


Silva tossed the last scraps of the makeshift mask aside - much like the guard uniform, it dropped from the branch of the tree and gently fell on the thin grass below. It's done its job - back to the slim leather jacket and dark pants for now.

She raised her eyes, now seeing nothing but a thick layer of trees where the bombed and burning town was a second ago, while a giant flotilla of Mantlean ships hovered above, as if waiting for an opening in the greenery to fire once more. Once she managed to get rid of that Ranger tailing her - her name was... Reza, wasn't it? - and escaped out of town, the Valeans' reaction was lost to her, but she assumed that the forest suddenly sprouting throughout the entire settlement was the prince's doing. However way Vale would learn of this, though, she was certain that they would not take this lying down. Their people will demand, cry and beg for war, until their King relents - and then, thousands, if not millions of humans will throw themselves at one another, perishing in such a petty slight. Their power will disintegrate, their capability to maintain order will follow - as long as the war lasts, all four kingdoms will eventually be engulfed by revolution, and the Faunus, sensing the opportunity to finally break free, will rise up, overthrow their masters and create a kingdom of Faunus and for Faunus.

Yet, if she has allowed Faunuskind to take their first step towards revolution... how come she couldn't make herself feel happy seeing it?

The bombardment... the flames, they kept popping back into her mind. The pained cries, the screams, the suffering of so many people which filled her mind with concern and disgust even though they were... human!

That's not what Miss Jurata would want her to think. Silva gave both of her cheeks a wake-up slap.

Just because I didn't get to see what crimes these humans have personally committed doesn't mean they deserve sympathy. They all were part of the same oppressive structure, and there was no reason to feel any different about their deaths. Yet, telling this to herself... simply didn't feel right.

So, she shook her head and ran away from those thoughts. What else...? She needs to figure out how to get back to Vale, for one. Now that the Frontier has become a war zone, hitching a ride on a train was not going to happen - and once the Mantlean fleet leaves Sumire and advances further, she will need to make sure she gets out of their way. Those disgusting slavers will kill me on sight if I dare to get in their way. I should probably move, and fast.

Silva jumped off the tree with an acrobatic leap, grabbed a branch along the way, spinning a few times, then threw herself to the ground. Despite the height and speed, she gracefully landed on her feet.

But... where?

She didn't know where to go. She was, for all intents and purposes, in the middle of nowhere, far away from civilization - nor was that civilization all that inviting to someone like her. Desperate to get somewhere, Silva ran deeper into the forest, soon leaping off the ground and hopping from one tree trunk to another to accelerate herself. What remained of the town was now well behind her, and the forest turned denser, more uneven, and filled with moss and greenery. She assumed that she had slipped out from the "fake" forest that had been summoned some time ago and into the real forests which surrounded the town.

Silva landed back on the ground and let out a frustrated breath. Intrusive thoughts kept flooding her mind. It's no use. I'll just get more and more lost, and even if I find any house of village, they'll simply expel me. I threw myself into this without any plan, I'm just going to die here, it's really no surprise, I've been-

"This way!" a distant shout came. The Faunus girl yelped and hopped up the nearest tree on instinct, then, once she pulled herself onto the tallest branch, she looked down below to observe what was going on.

A large caravan of people was making their way through the forest. From this distance, it was foolish to try to identify individual faces, yet the mesh of dark green uniforms at the front of the group got Silva to assume that was the Rangers. More than just them, though - a large mass of people was following them. Not just humans, fleeing the destruction of their town, but also many, many Faunus. Those rags her eyes could barely identify - they were the ones worn by Velinn's slaves.

The Rangers were rescuing them all, and from what she just heard, it also seemed that...

They're leading them somewhere.

Keeping her distance from the caravan, but also making sure to not let them out of her sight, Silva hopped from one tree to another. Her mind was still hesitant. Even if the Rangers know a village somewhere near from here, she won't be able to step foot in it anyway. Except in secret, to steal food, perhaps. But... perhaps they'll head to Vale next from there.

From her vantage point, she could see a lot more than just the refugee caravan. On the other corner of her vision, far enough away that nobody in the caravan could see it yet, a Beowolf Grimm was slowly trekking through the forest. It stuck its nose to the air, as if sniffing, then hastened its approach. Slowly, carefully, Silva gripped her pungi, then jumped off. She pulled her sword out the instrument in mid-air and stabbed the creature in its skull mask, piercing through its head. After pulling it out and landing gracefully on her feet, she sent a few more slashes, all while avoiding the Grimm's flailing claws. Soon, the damage dealt was enough to make it disintegrate.

Silva slammed her weapon back into the pungi as if it were a sheath. For a second, she glanced back to where she last saw the caravan, and her mind wandered to regret, at least briefly, before she drove it away. They won't know who kept the Grimm away from her fellow Faunus, but they'd probably kill her if they saw her face, or so she thought.


A fresh report was in General Betula's hands.

220 shells were fired during the bombardment of Sumire, which lasted 14 and a half minutes before a Semblance made it impossible to target the city. 968 deaths were registered, which amounts to an average kill rate of 4.4.

Betula raised her eyes from the paper and handed it back to the officer. "We can still be more efficient. Send the data back to Mantle for study." The officer bowed and departed, so she leaned back to her seat, calmly watching the setting sun through the windows of the control room.

On objective grounds, the operation was a success, even if the unexpected appearance of an entire forest of trees throughout Sumire caught them off guard at the very end. Without being retaliated against even once, they were able to utterly annihilate the defenses of the Valean forces in the town - and, she assumed, a good fraction of what Vale had deployed in the Frontier with them. It was so easy that she couldn't help but search for something she hasn't accounted for. This can't have been so easy.

The General placed her chin on her fingertips, losing herself in thought, trying to imagine what Ozymandias would be doing right now with the knowledge he probably had. He must have a back-up plan, and a back-up plan for it, too. Perhaps the fact that we received no retaliation to our attack is a part of one? Is he keeping his forces in Vale itself, readying a counterattack? The old man could be anywhere. Hell, he could even be right here, at this moment, using his otherworldly power to-

"General Betula!"

Another officer called to her, approaching. The sudden yell briefly made her muscles tense up, but she took a breath to steady herself.

"Yes?"

"The strike teams we sent down to the town have returned. As we anticipated, the area has been vacated. While some inhabitants, mostly Mistralian, have remained, we found no surviving Rangers anywhere."

"As expected," the General answered. "This forest was created by a Semblance as a means of cover for their retreat."

"Yes, the Statistician Corps came to this conclusion as well - however..." the officer shuffled the papers in her hand, turning a new one. "Analysis of the situation on the ground prior to bombardment, as well as study of the number of corpses found by the strike teams in the town streets afterwards, indicates that Ranger presence in the town was not significant. The Corps thus does not recommend going on a hunt after the retreating troops with our fleet, as they do not pose a military threat of any significance."

She placed her hand on her chin, briefly mulling it over. "Thank you for your recommendation, but I will overrule it. We must not allow Valean troops to retreat and reorganize while we still hold momentum."

The soldiers were not privy to the real reason why she wanted to continue hunting for the retreating Rangers, but they did not need to be. Once an order was given from their commanding officer, they will fall in line.

"Understood. We also found our contact with the Invulnerables in the town, and brought him up to the mothership. It appears he wants to talk to you - what answer should we give?"

Ah, it's about time...

The General waved her hand. "Bring him in - and order everyone to vacate this command room at once. Including yourself."

The order got the officer a little confused, but he merely answered with a salute and walked away. A few strict yells to leave followed, getting all the engineers and soldiers shuffling around and operating the machines to follow. They marched out through a wide double door behind the General's seat in an orderly, harmonious unison - which was followed by heavy bronze boots banging against the metallic floor and a loud yell:

"Frigga!"

The doors behind Argo closed, and the armored warrior wandered around the room, as if ignoring the woman sitting on the immobile throne in the centre.

"I have to say, your troops have given me their fair share of cold greetings, but this has to have been the most bitter by far," he began. "I don't think I even did that much to warrant it this time."

Frigga's reaction was hardly any more enthused than that of her men. Her eyes followed Argo as he walked from window to window, briefly tapped a few of the levers installed, without pulling them, and finally turned his face to the General. "Argo Nikos, did you confront the son of Oz and capture him?" He paused in response, raised his hands defensively and answered:

"Capture? Sadly not, the kid came with a posse of friends, and he put on a bit of a struggle than I initially thought. Oz must have been training him personally - no real experience, but quite a bit of skill behind those swings."

"What color were his eyes?"

"Eyes? What do you mean?"

Frigga's fingers impatiently tapped on the armrest. "Yes, Argo, the eyes. She wants to know."

"Oh, uh..." Argo scratched the back of his head. It did not pop into his mind to look, so he had to try to recall how the prince looked at first. "...Blue, I believe. Bit of a weird shade, if I remember well - I don't think I've seen anyone's eyes looking so sharp before."

"Blue?" Frigga repeated and placed her finger on her chin, immersing herself in thought. Interesting... either we were wrong, or that's a clever move from him. And knowing him, I am not sure if I should bet on the former...

Argo, on the other hand, turned around and returned back to the window, looking down at the forested Frontier from above and grinning under his breath with excitement. "So, what next? That kid's friend got a lucky shot right as I was about to break him, I can't just let that slide-"

"What happened to Velinn Flare?"

"Eh?" Frigga's question briefly surprised the Mistralian, but he waved it off with his hand. "Ah, he's dead."

The aloof reaction got the General to raise her voice. "Wait, he's dead? What?"

"Yeah, seemingly shot by the kid himself - if anything, I have to give him props for going through with it. He has some guts. But it's whatever, not a shame. Velinn did what we needed him to do."

"...Right..." Frigga muttered, then sighed. "Yes, then we must pursue the Prince - and I will also communicate with Jurata so the operation in Vale can proceed. If you desire to confront Oz's spawn a second time, I shall give you the opportunity to do so. But..."

Argo was about to depart from the room, when the hanging 'but' got him to stop. "...But what?" Frigga raised her finger, pointing it between her eyes, and answered:

"But make sure to target him in the eyes. I need to be certain."