"Prepare yourselves!" One of the hunters yelled out.
Everyone had their weapons at the ready. In the distance, there was a faint noise. Beyond Yang's view in the horizon, she could see Grimm with massive wings soaring closer to them.
Below the ground, there were distant cries and growls. A battle between different types of Grimm and Ironwood's soldiers. They fought tirelessly, defending against the deadliest ones they could, but were no match for the numbers that were coming. Many barged past them, heading to the academy and towards the town.
Yang knew Ozpin's predictions was right, but the amount of furious monsters they had to fight off was insane. Salem wanted to destroy all of Ozpin's hard work, killing the students and Ruby, who had silver eyes. When Beacon Academy would fall, she could then extinguish Ozpin once and for all. So that she would gain more power, the Maidens' abilities, and have complete ruling over everything. Then, and only then, could she take her revenge on the gods.
With a defenning cry, the Grimm burst through the trees, destroying much of the forest in the process. Yang didn't know how the Ironwood soldiers fared against them, but she knew they had to be killed.
Hunters and huntresses charged towards them with battle cries, brandishing their weapons.
They collided, echoing sounds of warfare. Many Grimm instantly fell, being sliced and defeated by the students. Teachers and other hunters across the area were called to assist in the fight. Their knowledge and skill helped to better manage the number of Grimm that were swarming the Academy's grounds.
A roar sounded to Yang's right. A Grimm hunched over a huntress. She lay on her back, with scratches across her chest. With precise speed and skill, Yang leapt towards the distracted Grimm and sliced its head off. It crumbled to the ground.
Yang huffed and looked at the huntress, getting down on her knees. "Are you alright?" Yang asked.
The girl was about to speak, but stopped. Her eyes widened and she tried to reach for her weapon, which had been thrown a couple of metres away.
Yang spun around, rigid with sudden fear. A Grimm jumped towards Yang at an incredible speed. Time seemed to slow down as Yang stared into the dead eyes of the beast. Its movements were too fast for her to even respond. With just a second left before the Grimm would slice her, Ruby cut through it, a swirl of roses and red following her.
The monster disappeared, and Ruby turned to Yang with a look of worry but determination. "Is she alright?" Ruby nudged her head in the direction of the other huntress.
The girl replied, "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." She stood, her shirt hanging in different places; so she pulled it off. Wearing a black undershirt.
Yang nodded in encouragement and pulled up her gauntlets. Other Grimm were heading towards them, their mouths dripping with black venom. To the left and right, the monsters ran towards the town, and skilled students defended them off. Others headed towards the docks. Soaring through the sky, the grimm clawed their way to the top of the Academy. Hunters with long-distance rifles fired endlessly at the incoming targets.
Yang knew this was going to be a long battle, but what she was really waiting for was the chance to see Yin. She had questions, and she needed answers. After that, Yang would defeat him.
Smoke filled Yang's lungs, yet she continued onwards. The walls were burning hot, sizzling her skin. Thousands of houses caught on fire, the Grimm causing complete destruction. Many of the townsfolk were evacuated to safer locations, but some became trapped in the burning houses. Students like Weiss and a few other ice users worked endlessly, slowly putting out each fire. But it would still take a bit before they would be able to reach where Yang was.
Yang stumbled forward, but managed to catch herself. She closed her eyes briefly, stung by tears. Her vision didn't clear when she looked around.
With the air she could breathe, Yang called out to anyone, looking for survivors.
"Yang! I've found two!" Blake called from the other room.
Yang pushed through the stiff door ahead, and went to where Blake was kneeling on the ground. Two kids were curled together on the floor, unconscious.
Blake coughed widely and looked up, saying, "We need to get out!"
Yang shook her head. "I still need to check upstairs! You take them, and I'll meet you in the clearing!"
Blake looked hesitant, but rose with the unconscious children in her arms. She turned and ran outside, heading to the medics.
With one hand on her mouth, Yang proceeded upwards. The stairs creaked and crumbled under her weight, so she had to jump up high and catch herself before the stairs could take her down.
She couldn't risk using her gauntlets, as their aggressive power might destroy the already crumbling walls and ceiling. Yang continued calling for any survivors, but found there were none in the top rooms.
Yang looked out the window and broke the glass with her weapon. It shattered in the air, sending shards to the ground. She was about to climb through and jump to the ground, but a sudden burst of flame erupted from the window.
"Argh!" Yang fell back and quickly turned, regaining her footing. Another heat blast engulfed the couch next to her. The fire was devouring the house, and Yang had nowhere to go. With eyes pure of red fury, she aimed her left arm at the wall, figuring her best chance was to get out with as much push as possible.
A crack sounded above her; before she had a chance to look up, the roof fell down.
Everything went black.
A numbness covered Yang's body. She felt peaceful, like she was being lifted towards a better place. Her eyes slowly opened, but they couldn't focus on anything. Yang realised that she was being lifted and carried away.
Strong arms surrounded her, guiding her out of town and into a clearing of dark grass with an endless black sky.
Yang coughed, trying to get her feet on the ground. The arms around her tightened, giving a silent warning.
"Yang." The voice spoke softly.
She froze, slowly lifting her head. Yang's purple eyes met his golden ones, their stark contrast more pronounced in the dark night.
Yang took a deep breath, finally clearing her lunges. "Yin."