She slowly stirred from a dead sleep. She'd snapped awake immediately, as per usual, she just took her time. Years of lonely vagrancy had instilled this in her, the need to be up and ready at a moment's notice in case of cops, or Grimm or worse.

So lately, she took her time getting up. Her red eyes reflected the blasted lands outside her window. She should have been used to the view after all this time, but the purple hellscape, dotted with Grimm, was still eerie.

"Up and at 'em, Rip Van Hot-stuff," came her partner's voice from the doorway.

Emerald Sustrai's curtain of jade hair whipped as she sat up and turned towards him with a sigh. One of her shoes sailed across the significantly sized bedroom, which he dodged with a smirk, teeth flashing to dim his silver hair. "Told you this room's invite only. You know I sleep in my skivvies, creep."

Mercury Black laughed. "Oh, I know."

Emerald suddenly flickered directly in front of him, slightly annoyed. He didn't react to this anymore. "I also said if you snuck in again, I'd take your next limb," she threatened.

"You also said you'd pick," he pointed out with raised brows, "so I know which one is saf—"

Emerald's mental projection faded just in time for his vision to be obscured by one of her braziers being thrown at his face. Not the one she was wearing; Emerald was somewhat slothful, her belongings strewn over the chambers. Something which wasn't an issue for the castle, as everything managed to find its way to its proper place when they were gone anyway, as if by some unseen room service maid. It was unsettling. Apart from themselves, her only servants were Grimm, and she couldn't imagine the Queen herself lifting a single pale finger that didn't directly benefit herself.

The chambers themselves were composed of the same uniform, deep violet stone that surrounded this realm. Few lived here to begin with, yet still it was huge, the curved ceiling high enough to house an Alpha Beowulf without the beast even needing to crouch. The walls were plain, but at least lined with insets like the central rotunda, and the chamber was furnished… if only in that same, eldritch driftwood material.

By the time Mercury Black had tossed aside the garment, Emerald had already tossed on her vest and was buttoning her pants. One idle whim later and a bowl of dry, peach-colored cereal was in her hands as she strode, idly tolerating her partner.

"Tch…" Mercury scoffed. "Pumpkin Pete's? You 'cereal'?"

She considered throwing the bowl at him for his pun, but settled for a groan and a full chin-to-the-sky eye-roll. "I always saw the ads as a kid, but I was an urchin. Kids never threw it out. Call it nostalgia."

That was another convenient curiosity of the castle. Again, no servants, no cooks. Yet food of any sort, of any amount however complicated would… 'manifest' with but a desire. Emerald wasn't certain this was what Cinder meant when she promised she'd never go hungry again, but she wasn't complaining. Now and again she wondered about it, suspecting any moment that she'd see past some enchantment and find out she had a bowl full of maggots instead, like some cheesy horror novel. But of all people, she ought to be able to divine truth from illusion, oughtn't she?

"See, never really got nostalgia, y'know?" he muttered. "Not so many fond childhood memories..."

"Right… So why are you here again?"

"Boss finally has something for us."

"Which Boss?"

"Either," came an odd, but familiar voice from the doorway. Both turned to see Cinder standing there, her face cipherous. "Have to take care of some 'old friends' in Mistral," she finished, though her mouth hadn't moved to form the words.

Emerald jolted to her side in a few quick strides, face alight. She looked to Cinder's neck, which wore a choker, a speaker-like device over her throat. "Watts make this? Some kind of artificial voice box?"

"Nevermind," the speaker said as Cinder's eyes became slits, sounding mostly natural, yet still dulled. "We're meeting Lionheart to snuff out the last of Ozpin's little club."

"See, it did work," Mercury drawled. In admiration or jest, Emerald couldn't tell. "And you were worried," he finished, addressing her directly.

Emerald raised her palms in defense. "Hey, I just wasn't sure they'd be that desperate or gung-ho to come all that way. Pretty meager bait, that's all."

Cinder gave her the slightest smile, as though to an ignorant child. "We've left them no other straw to grasp. Meager will do."

"Yes Ma'am," Emerald said, nodding dutifully. "Sorry, it's just... good to hear your voice ag—"

"Thank you," Cinder snipped waspishly, "I don't wish to discuss this further. Let's go."

"Right," she nearly stammered, slinging on the holsters of her dual khopesh as they made for the door.

As they stepped towards it, a split in the air wedged open to take the shape of the doorframe. On the other side lay Lionheart's office, the headmaster himself evidently not expecting it, yet clearly resigned to it.

"Wow, she's in a real hurry to send us off," Mercury commented. "What's the over/under on just which of our classmates showed?"

"We know which from Callows' report," Emerald snapped.

"Sure, you mean deciphering all the wailing and tantrums," he snarked.

Cinder's molten eyes burned. "Only one of them matters anyway."

The skies over the camp were slowly brightening, scant cirrus clouds painted red by a sun that for them had not yet risen. The twinkle of stars was steadily fading with the coming dawn. The forests were still, yet the quiet bustle in the Branwen camp was great as guardsmen took their posts on towers that were little more than scaffolding.

"Yang… you're sure about this?" Krillin asked, keeping pace as she strode up to the clearing in the center of camp, taping up her hands as she went.

"It's this, or head for Mistral and hope Ruby's there, and I can find her," Yang answered, ever so slightly irritated at answering this again. "If I lose… I won't really be much worse off than walking away."

Krillin groaned, but fell back as she approached no-man's land and stepped out into the clearing. She stretched her arms, rotating and bending them as she went, before stopping after a few feet into the arena.

"I'm ready!" she shouted, shedding her jacket entirely and tossing it to the floor, light in her orange top.

There was nary a sound for a while, the breath of the morning breeze whispering. But just as doubt crept in as to whether she'd been heard at all, the big tent's curtains parted, and Raven stepped out in full armor, blade as ever at her side. "Ready?" she asked. "Well I've no idea how you decided that…" Raven said, taking off her helmet and setting it carefully upon a nearby crate. "...but no. You're not 'ready'. I cannot say you'll be spared judgment for fleeing a fight you started, but you'd leave with most of your pride intact."

"Pride's not what I'm fighting for," Yang shot back. "How are we doing this?"

"First blood," Raven explained, drawing only a slight murmur from the bandits.

Krillin, however, found his eyes knitting and couldn't stop himself. "That just rigs the whole damn thing! Don't agree to it, Yang!"

"What?"

"Everything about her weapon and armor says she's a duelist!" Krillin explained. "She'll end the fight in one move, scratch you and call it finished!"

The murmurs of the crowd were half jeering, half angered for insulting their Leader.

"My men tell me you're a skilled fighter," Raven said at last, addressing him, "so unless my standards have slipped considerably, it's surprising to hear you're so ignorant to the shielding properties of Aura."

Krillin's brows rose. "Shielding…?"

" 'First Blood,' in this case, means exhausting your opponent's Aura, and delivering enough of a blow to draw blood. A single strike is unlikely to pull that off. And as this isn't an honor duel, if I could, I wouldn't, as I'd almost certainly cleave her in two…"

"Thanks Krillin, but I've got this," said Yang, sounding less than thankful.

"Combatants shake hands," Raven ordered, before both strode to meet the other. All watched as they found the middle of the clearing, hands extending with dispassion. Idly, Yang noted how hesitant she'd have been in accepting this gesture only a matter of hours ago. Raven's grip was firm.

"Yang… please," Raven said, out of earshot of anyone else. "If you go through with this, I have no choice but to humiliate you. I can't appear soft to my people."

Yang looked her in the eye. "You won't have to."

Raven betrayed the slightest hint of pain behind her eyes, and turned back to her apportioned space.

One of the bandits presided, rifle barrel against his shoulder as his finger looped over the trigger. "First to bleed, loses! ...Readyyyyy…!"

But all was interrupted as a pale golden set of tiny beams met between the two fighters, the dirt popping as if a firecracker had been dropped there. They all turned to the source.

Dark against the glow of pre-dawn, stood upon one of the guard scaffolds, was Vernal. Her twin weapons were smoking, beam pistols with bladed guards curved around like some manner of unfinished chakram.

"Vernal," Raven called, leering, "what are you doing?"

She didn't answer at first, instead leaping over to land hard at the edge of the clearing, weapons extended to her sides for balance. She remained kneeling, facing the dirt. "I challenge her. I want to fight for her birthright! Sole right to succeed you as Leader!"

Yang's brows rose. "Then have it, whatever."

Some of the crowd stirred. Vernal merely growled.

Yang stared back. "I wasn't interested in leading a bunch of thugs in the first place, so have it, it's yours."

"It doesn't work like that, sweetheart," Vernal spat, leaving Yang to grit her teeth, "a birthright among the Tribe can't be given, only taken."

"Vernal!" Raven shouted. "You could challenge her at any point later. Either she's weakened for your fight or for mine. You know better than anyone there's no glory conquering the weak."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Then I'll take both of you at once! I don't CARE! Whatever gets your pet to shut the hell UP."

The bandits buzzed as a whole. Vernal's mouth hung open for a second, before she laughed. "It's a wonder you're still alive, acting that cocky. Either of us can crush you, kid. I'll even go easy and restrict my more… unique talents…"

Raven and Vernal locked eyes a moment, Raven herself nodding.

"...And we'll make this thing a four way," Vernal said with a smirk, before looking pointedly towards Krillin.

Krillin's eyes went wide for a moment, pointing to himself to confirm. When nobody corrected him, he did the last thing they expected. He smirked. "Well as long as we're handicapping to keep this thing fair, I'll tone it down myself."

Vernal giggled musically at the sentiment, which Krillin's eyes only brightened at as he stepped forward. "Oh, give it a minute and you won't be laughing. Your power level's not bad, but I'm not sure you can even really use it, unlike your boss, I'm guessing."

Indeed, the smirk vanished from Vernal's face as she regarded him dangerously, only imperceptibly glancing to Raven.

"Alright, alright, enough chatter," the officiate ordered, "First Light was like, two minutes ago, let's get this show on th—"

Vernal and Yang both aimed one of their weapons casually at the man, blowing him off his feet as his Aura flickered. "Game on…" he groaned, before one-arming his rifle skyward and pulling the trigger.

With the gunshot, the fight was on. Vernal hurled one of her blades like a boomerang at Yang's shins, but the Sun Dragon merely countered by using its flat end as a step, launching herself skyward with a pair of shotgun blasts.

She arched forward, Vernal's remaining weapon trained on her as she unleashed a pair of continuous beams. Yang felt the sting a moment before using her new arm to shield against it, the material glowing with heat as she landed.

Recognizing the error, Vernal leapt back as Yang's fist pelted the ground, leaving it to tremble underfoot as she sprang into a position to press her charge as Vernal stood her ground with a smirk.

Yang fell forward as something collided with her back. Indeed, the second blade had returned to its owner, who brought both above her head in an executioner's stance.

Yang looked up, scrambling to see what she could do, and ultimately flipped onto her back blasting both barrels toward her feet from her prone position to send her rocketing between Vernal's legs and behind her as her blades struck the earth.

Before Vernal could recover, Yang planted her fists into the ground beneath her in an inverse push up, blasting with both guns again as she shoved up to telegraph into a front flip, one leg raising nearly to her head before she struck a flying hammer-kick…

...Which Vernal caught by the ankle, leaving her to dangle as the petite punk hefted her entire bodyweight, one-handed. "Ah ah, don't go between my legs if your heart's not in it," she quipped, priming one of her blades.

The expression on Yang's face spoke of annoyance at the pun, distaste at its sentiment… but most of all, a cold rage as her luxuriant locks trailed in the dirt.

With a roar she flung her hands back before slamming them forward, twin concussion rounds exploding in Vernal's face.

Yang managed to land on her feet as Vernal let her go in surprise, staggering back. Yang stormed forward as Vernal recovered, readying her weapons with a growl.

Meanwhile, Raven and Krillin squared off, circling as the two women battled.

"You've got everyone else fooled, but not me," Krillin told her, scanning her every feature.

"Oh?" Raven answered curiously. "How do you mean?"

"You're stronger than you seem, aren't you? A lot stronger."

Raven smirked dangerously. "And how strong do I seem?"

Krillin considered. "Everyone I've run into here has been way less powerful than they should be. I can feel each and every one of them, energy flowing unrestrained, undirected, undisciplined. Even your second in command over there is as lit-up in the heat of combat as she was just standing around, and not a smidge more than that either."

Raven gave the slightest pout, looking him over. "I think you'll find Vernal has quite a lot left in store."

Krillin shook his head. "No. She doesn't. Not the way I'm talking about. Not like you do."

Raven leered, a nerve finally touched. "Just who are you, little man?"

Two of Krillin's fingers curled as his stance opened, arm raised in front of him and the other tucked at his side. "Just your everyday retired monk."

Raven drew her sword in a flash, its immense length apparent as its blood red blade carved a curve in the dirt in front of her, kicking up sparks. She began walking towards him, sword aloft.

Krillin sidestepped as she closed the distance in an instant. If he had hair, it would be ruffling from the passing gust the blade left.

Raven locked eyes with him for a heartbeat, before the action began anew, steel cleaving air as Krillin found himself in ever more specific contortions to evade it. She finished her flurry upon seeing him trace her crosswise slash, his finger touching the flat of her blade as he floated sideways over it.

She adjusted with a flick of her wrist for an upward slice, but Krillin twisted in midair and curtained seemingly out of existence. Raven only truly responded, eyebrows raised, when she realized without looking that he was back to back with her.

"Alright," Raven offered, one side of her mouth pulling up appreciatively, "so you're fast. Very fast."

Krillin laughed. "Maybe compared to a lot of your crew."

"Consider yourself fortunate Vernal's not the one making that observation," she remarked, eyes closed as she sheathed her blade. "She takes herself pretty seriously, but she's not above being a shade juvenile."

Krillin looked over to the pair, who were making the very bounds of the camp their battleground. A brutal uppercut in Yang's pursuit upturned a picnic table as Vernal's beams scorched and bisected it, the persistent pugilist simply passing through the gap to deliver a surprise shotgun-powered punch direct to center-mass, sending Vernal flying.

She recovered, however, in time to throw one of her blades beneath the point on the exterior wall of sharpened logs and land uneasily upon its broad surface, hand braced against the wall for balance. "I'm…!" she began, crouching and leveraging her foot against the wall to pry the blade out, "...gonna kick… your… ASS!" she exclaimed, as she extracted it, landing in a wide stance.

"Yep, I can see it," Krillin remarked as the women vaulted at each other anew.

Raven's techno-sheath shifted before she slowly drew the odachi again, this time with a blade of deep blue. She examined it carefully. "So, how long have you known my daughter?"

Krillin nearly lost his cool. "I… uh… Honestly, we only met yesterday."

"Really?" Raven plunged her blade to her side and behind her, the tip piercing the ground beneath Krillin and bursting into blossoming ice, overtaking all but the top of his head in an instant. A look of surprise was glued to his face.

Raven turned with a grin, only to be caught by an air of unease. She looked past the figure in ice… only to see Krillin standing a dozen feet away. Evidently, he had leapt out through the top before becoming entirely encased.

"Well, yeah. Really," Krillin answered.

Raven let herself be ever so slightly impressed, walking past the white sculpture. "Then what are your…" she paused, the odachi zipping through the air as the likeness' head was shorn off its shoulders, "...intentions?"

Krillin's lips thinned as his eyes widened dramatically, before literally stepping to his back foot. " 'Intentions…?' Look, we just sorta ran into each other, I'm not really—"

Raven pressed the assault again in an instant, but this time Krillin had prepared, golden energy shining over his arms as he blocked her flurry of swings. They wound their way through the main path of camp, bandits scattering as they traced the pair's movements up until Krillin found himself back against the great wooden entrance doors.

Raven plunged her blade through the door as Krillin nudged its path away from him, preparing a counter until the point of impact once again bloomed into ice.

This time, he was properly encased, and Raven wasted little time in extracting her blade.

She made a great swing, but the ice exploded in a flare of power as Krillin freed himself, fist lunging to meet the odachi's blade. Shards of ice Dust mixed with the real thing. Raven betrayed surprise as his other fist planted itself in her gut, blasting her backwards into some of the crowd.

The first few bandits simply fell back with her, but those behind them managed to shove them all back onto their feet, like the elastic rope of a wrestling match. She turned to glare at them. "I'm fine, worry about yourselves," she ordered, examining the ice blade that was little more than dagger-length now. "It's almost a shame there's nothing between you two. Strong as you are, I might very well have approved."

Krillin's reddening face very nearly distracted him from the bit of blue-blade-turned-throwing-dagger as she whirled her hilt and released it. The bit did little more than shatter, but Raven wasn't finished. Replacing her hilt in its sheath, she drew a gleaming yellow blade into an overhead swing that left rippling arcs of lightning to expand towards Krillin.

He leapt up and sideways to the spike wall as the shockwave blasted the twin doors open, leaving a neat trail in the dirt and slicing off numerous branches in the forest beyond.

Krillin glimpsed the damage and decided. Pure defense isn't enough… she's not tiring out…

He leapt towards her.

Yang had to admit as she ran sideways upon the wall of camp, struggling to parry the well-timed boomeranging blades… she was having some trouble.

One finally caught her by the leg, tripping her spectacularly as she flipped into and against the wooden logs into a heap on the dirt. One benefit to Aura: splinters were pretty rare.

Vernal was on her before she could even properly stand, swooping in like a falcon.

Yang caught Vernal's hands as both weapons sliced towards her, the pair now wrestling for control as Yang kneeled. Vernal could feel that Yang's grip was stronger as she made to disarm her entirely, but chuckled as her thumbs moved into position.

Yang was caught off guard as the twin beam cannons opened up point blank at her chest. She shrieked, but her Aura held… for how long she wasn't certain.

It was enough, as her eyes burned red, the burgeoning glow surrounding her as she slowly lifted her opponent's arms up, the beams scorching the wooden logs behind her as Vernal's eyes saucered.

Yang gave a firm flex and planted the twin blades deep in the logs behind her head. A quick sweep of her legs and Vernal was on the way down.

Her fist followed, pinning Vernal into the ground and causing the girl to belch air as she cratered the earth. The logs forming the fence around them clattered as they fell, uprooted.

As the dust settled, Yang's red eyes returning to lilac, she heard Vernal cough with laughter as she stared into them. Yang found both Vernal's hands gripping her landed fist. When did she have time to block?

"You're tough, give you that for free," Vernal admitted, before tugging Yang's arm down, a free arm springing her back to her knees as she flung Yang around and into a tent, which promptly collapsed, deflating like a balloon. Yang flipped back onto her feet to find Vernal hefting one of the sharpened logs upon her shoulder. "But you're not that tough!"

She launched the log at Yang like a gigantic javelin, spearing the ground at an angle as Yang leapt back and out of the way. Vernal reached for another as Yang used the previous projectile as a ramp, but both were staggered as Raven and Krillin rocketed between them as a blur. Yang barely noticed the bit of log she stood upon had been sheared off until she began falling, tumbling into a roll as she hit the ground and owning it as she charged straight into the baseball swing of her opponent.

Meanwhile, Krillin was finding the fight ever more interesting as Raven matched the power of his blows, though that power still plateaued, and he was quickly starting to overwhelm her. And yet… she wasn't tiring. This was beyond just having a pool of stamina. Why would she hold back? Didn't she want her followers to know she was strong?

Krillin didn't complain, as he neatly deflected the ball lightning shot from the tip of Raven's blade. He was airborne, a flagpole's height up. The lightning had been a distraction as she leapt up to meet him. His superior speed was more than enough to flit above her and deliver an elbow smash to send her toppling down end over end.

Raven managed to pull out of it and land safely by her tent, glaring at him as he touched down as well. She glanced to her people, awash with confusion and concern. Who was this monk? How could he fight like this? He was above her advertised level. She looked at her helmet, still set upon the crate.

No choice.

Krillin watched as Raven strode over to her helmet, eyes fixed on him. She donned the piece once more, turning to face him.

"I don't mean to tell you your business," he said with a wry smile, "but dulling all your senses like that is a poor tradeoff for some head protection."

Raven didn't answer, remaining silent as Krillin slowly felt a breeze kick higher and higher, leaves swirling around the swordstress.

"Oh…"

Krillin braced as she burst forward, much faster than befo—

Krillin felt a searing pain as her palm heel smashed into the front of his face. His nose would be broken… if he had one.

He reeled back through the air, tumbling over the earth and pancaking another pair of tents. He rolled to face the sky only to see Raven pressing the attack, directly above him. He dashed above her as her blade delivered an upward slash, digging a trench in the ground, dirt spraying everywhere...

"Aww, how about that?" Vernal jeered, glimpsing the parallel fight in the distance. "Looked like a valiant effort, to be sure… but your pal's still coming up short. Bet I can still punch your clock before Boss catches up though."

Yang only squared off as Vernal spread her arms to go on the attack again. For much the same reasons, Yang needed to get the pressure off. Despite her bluster, two opponents of this caliber were too many. She needed a quick way to take Vernal down. If her mother did beat Krillin, she'd be in no condition to fight if she was too worn from the preamble. But all she had to use were logs, tents, furniture…

And then she saw it.

Yang leapt back as Vernal's blades swept in front of her. Yang retaliated as she flew with alternating shotgun blasts, to which Vernal only laughed.

"When are you gonna learn this won't work? I have the range advantage, dummy! Or is it just too risky to be up close like you want?"

Yang didn't answer, only gaining more distance as Vernal finally gave chase. "Fine."

Vernal stormed as Yang finally stood her ground, taking aim and blasting her beams again. Yang's prosthetic arm blocked them as if shielding her eyes from light, her other firing as she approached. The material glowed orange with heat. Vernal stopped firing only to swipe at her, but Yang leapt back, hunched forward with her burning hand in the dirt. She passed a covered mound, shaking her half extinguished limb of fire.

Vernal leapt forward again, and Yang once more rolled out of reach. "Is this your only strategy? Fight, damn it!"

Yang stopped, standing up straight and absent any defensive posture. Infuriating enough, she smiled. "Why? It's over."

Vernal stared, about to ask what she meant… but felt her blood run cold as she heard a sizzling noise.

She whipped around to find it, seeing the black trail of Yang's flaming hand from a moment before, and tracing it to…

No…

The sizzling was coming from a chunk of fire Dust about to go critical, grazed by Yang's burning arm as she passed. And around it? The entire pile of surplus Dust from the past night's entertainment.

She made to jump, run, something, but only got as far as twisting her body away before a chain reaction overtook her entirely.

With the force of a bomb and the chaos of a burning fireworks factory, Dust crystals popped off and crackled to ignition at the rate of a heavy machine cannon. Clouds of ice, fire bursts, electrical arcs and sparks, even showers of stone and blasts of wind attempted to occupy the same small space.

Even Krillin and Raven had momentarily paused to look over at the carnage they had taken no part in.

But after ten long seconds, the last few pops of the dregs fizzled out of existence. All that remained was a nasty mist that shrouded the area. But moments later they could hear a shuffle of feet.

A dark shape staggered forth, and Yang saw Vernal looking bedraggled and drunk. She dropped her blades as her hands reached up to support her wobbling head. Her Aura, the same color as her beam weapons, flickered and went out as she stumbled. Entirely by chance, Vernal bumped straight into her, toppling back without any sense of balance.

Yang grabbed her by the choker, barely preventing her fall as she leaned freely back. Yang raised her fist…

Krillin, turned spectator, very nearly called after her, but instead Yang simply extended her thumb.

A mere swipe of her nail along the punk's cheek drew blood with only a mild groan, and Yang released her to fall into the arms of the other bandits who rushed to the lieutenant's aid.

"Vernal… is… eliminated…" the ref called out, his expression blank alongside his fellows. "The match continues, two on one."

The silence rang until Raven took an overhead swipe at Krillin. This was getting a little too close.

Krillin vanished above her and made to belt her in the back of the head, but her wrist rose to meet his. Her force had risen tremendously, matching and overpowering his own as he was pushed back.

He barely avoided the next slash, landing sideways against one of the steel scaffold rails, bowing the entire structure inward as the guard manning it was catapulted over the perimeter wall. Raven missed, passing over the wall herself and skidding to a stop on the other side. He landed upright upon the still rattling steel.

So she wasn't as fast… but he could feel it: she was far stronger. His power output wasn't high enough. He still couldn't detect her power somehow, but he knew to match her he'd have to glow like a furnace to anyone that could detect power levels.

"Gotta make this fast," Krillin decided, as she stormed towards him again, winding through trees that cloaked her approach. He widened his stance, right foot back at a perpendicular angle as he shifted his weight to it. He snapped his palms forward, fingers curled.

He brought both hands back to his side as those fingers clawed. "Kaaameeeeeeee…!"

Even as the bandits watched on, uncertain, Raven had leapt suddenly from the undergrowth vertically up the fence. She swung up at him, but he rolled back, then kicking ever higher into the sky above the camp. She followed, his hands still adjoined at his side. Her sword thrusted at him, sizzling the sky with a lightning bolt that for him seemed immense compared to before. He shifted aside from it almost effortlessly, but moments later she met him in the air, preparing to strike.

"Haaameeeeeeee…!"

Even in her backswing, Raven received a foot in her back as he vanished again. And then faster than she could respond to, blows from one side… the other side… above. It had all taken less than a second.

As he dove for the ground, Krillin silently thanked his lucky stars that he had been right: in spite of Raven's power, her speed was still superficial. She just couldn't keep up. And given her position, that was about to bite her like she'd not soon forget, as the space between his palms suddenly gurgled with a brilliant blue strobe of power.

His hands aimed up at her, the world going still as the power compressed.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAA…!"

Krillin was nearly shoved towards the ground as the light of the red dawn was instantly overtaken by the azure supernova that ensued. Raven had only to stare down as a monstrous blast, a plume of furious power fountained towards her, ragged like fire but looking terribly solid. Out of options, she sheathed her blade, willing the device to cycle as never before.

The blood red blade tore reality below her, and the Kamehameha Wave vanished through the black abyss of the portal as it passed.

Yang fell flat on her back as the other portal tore open before her. Her eyes dilated, both from the blinding light and her terrifying proximity to the beam that sizzled the air before her. All eyes were on the meter wide blast as it ploughed through yet another section of the perimeter wall and beyond. It finally struck ground, carving a channel through the earth as it passed the treeline.

At last, the ground shook as the remainder of the beam thinned and joined the point of impact, the energy detonating as a white hot cloud filled a small section of forest. Trees were buffeted, swinging violently as the air burst. The tops of a few trees were blown off, twigs and needles scattering with the obscuring dirt, the rest of them outright incinerated. The glowing blue-hot cloud seemed to burst as the glow vanished and it turned to brown smoke, pluming into the sky. The shockwave struck as the noise hit them, a ringing wail that increased in pitch as it faded out. All that remained was the dust and pine needles showering the area, and the great conical trench molded from the beam. The only sound was a slight rumbling from the trees and the cries of terrified birds as they fled the scene.

"What the hell…" Yang whispered inadequately, looking up to double check Krillin as the source of the freakishly destructive power. Was this the true power of this ki business?

The bald warrior himself looked between Raven and his attack. That had been close. Too close. He didn't doubt Raven's aim, but regardless he'd just spent a great deal of energy. Not only was she still standing —metaphorically— but she hadn't even taken any damage. His next move would need to be his last. He couldn't afford another blunder like that.

Meanwhile, Raven beheld the damage with reserved awe. That was far more than she expected of him. Too much more. The gloves were coming off. Vernal was meant to be stronger than even her, but fell to her daughter. She couldn't afford to be seen losing to some random nobody, however freakish their ability. This was no longer just about spending the summer with her daughter. If she lost the Tribe's confidence, then she was as good as mutinied.

Krillin landed, howling as he let white flame erupt over him and sprung back at Raven, who dove, fist radiating her curious power.

Both met somewhat higher than the middle given Krillin's superior speed, fists glancing off each other as either opponent struck the other in the face. The impact could be felt on the ground, an explosive gale erupting from the impacts as free dust, tents and even people were swept off the floor and piled against the walls in heaps.

Raven banked from the hit, skidding along the ground as she crashed, Krillin doing likewise a hundred yards away after taking somewhat longer to touch down.

Both struggled to stand, but Raven managed with a slight stagger, leaning upon her blade. Krillin rubbed his face… and then stared down at the trickle of red wetting his palm. "You've got to be kidding me…" he lamented.

"The wildcard is ELIMINATED!" cried the bandit referee, sounding more than slightly relieved. "It is now ONE on one! The fight continues!"

Yang turned as Raven stepped steadily forward, ever so evidently disheveled. "So you bested Vernal? I'll admit, I was uncertain whether I'd get my turn. If nothing else, you've proven your ability. That makes what's about to happen far less compromising."

"If you're trying to distract me, it won't work," Yang told her, stepping forward.

Krillin peered into Yang's power. She still had plenty left in the tank, but he just couldn't know if he'd worn Raven down enough.

Raven leered. "I don't need to distract you," she told her, before the odachi launched out of its sheath like a rocket.

Yang staggered as the hilt struck her full in the face, Raven skating to catch it, then spinning on the spot for a savage strike. Yang let the sword fall upon her steely arm, which spat sparks on impact. Cold fingers curled around the blunt curve of the blade as she held it fast. Her other arm threw a punch, which Raven's hand caught, and in moments their fingers interwove as they vied with each other.

"Bad move," Raven chided, working to bend Yang's wrist back, "Don't enter a test of strength with an enemy you're not certain you can overpower…!"

"...M-maybe don't act so sure," Yang began, "when the other girl's got a new weapon!"

It was mostly a bluff, but Raven was nevertheless startled as Ember Celica —including the arm gun— gave a noisy 'pop,' as a few dozen spent shells ejected at once like oversized confetti. Raven released her hand in surprise, and Yang didn't hesitate to slug her helmet clear off. As it clattered heavily among the red shells, the bandits hissed and cowered as their leader's blood red eyes emerged once more. She raised her sword in threat, and the chase began.

It wasn't long as they exchanged blows before Raven began coupling her offensive swings with her semblance, opening portals between strikes and jabbing whatever she liked from wherever she liked.

But even as they clashed, blade crossing with the segmented guard of Celica or her replacement, Yang… found no fire fueling her own attacks. Raven was gaining ground. She was finally facing her like Yang wanted… but she didn't want it anymore. She didn't hate Raven. She felt a lot of things, but hate wasn't among them. Not like before.

Why was she here? Why was she fighting? She couldn't lose, but… why?

And then that face filled her mind's eye. Her red hair mussed from days in bed, impeccable smile marred by innocence lost. The shine of old tears still trailed.

'I love you…' she'd said, after Yang snapped at her without warrant, the ugliness of self pity taking her, wanting nothing of her optimism or determination. She'd done nothing to deserve the neglect her big sister had dropped on her, as if she weren't also shouldering the greatest loss since Summer. They ought to have done this together. Of course Ruby wouldn't let the world hold her down.

That's right… this wasn't about Raven. This was for Ruby. She couldn't be stuck here while her sister faced it all. What if she never found her? What if she was too late? What if the last real conversation she had with the most important person in her world had basically been, 'life sucks, now get lost?'

She was getting knocked around as Raven kept up a brutal offensive, wincing as she nearly literally suffered a death of a thousand cuts, the blade chipping at her Aura bit by bit.

Unbidden, her mind saw her sister's silver eyes, little more than dull gray. Blank, facedown in a ditch somewhere, crimson pooling around her. Her purse strings loosened and emptied… the rest of her discarded. Abandoned. Unmourned.

Unloved.

"No…" she groaned, inaudibly. Her gilded fist caught the odachi's blade once more, utterly still as Raven stared into searing red eyes.

"NO!"

She twisted the blade in her hand, splintering the red steel as she delivered a punishing left cross that left Raven stumbling backwards. Yang quite literally pounced, fists crashing on both sides of Raven's head, further disorienting her. She followed up with a boot to the chest that sent Raven skidding back, feet still firmly planted.

She reached into her tiny satchels and tossed up belts of new shells, a well practiced flick of her arms seating them for a proper reload. She fired a pair of concussion rounds, which screamed towards Raven. In a flash, both were caught and angled on the flat of her stumpy blade, redirected behind her and into the sky like flares.

Yang used the moment to blast towards her, arm cocked for a mighty swing.

"Predictable!" Raven declared, sheathing her sword and readying a green blade.

But as she passed, Yang's cocked arm fired early. Instead of throwing a punch, she was sent spiraling from head to toe, and Raven's preemptive slash hit less than air.

Raven barely pulled her odachi before Yang's extended leg struck her forearm below the wrist with the force of her charge amplified by the torque of her spin. Her arm was smashed into her sternum, and her hand released the blade instinctively as her Aura broke all at once, flashing red as it went out.

Yang came to a graceful landing on Raven's other side, eyes returned to normal, and Raven herself turned to face her. Yang's left arm made to fire the final shot, but with a thought Raven's sheath blasted a great white blade as a projectile. Yang winced as it struck her heavily in the shoulder, and again as Raven capitalized on it, grabbing the blunt edge and thrusting it hard enough to shatter it, and Yang's golden aura at once.

In a second both had resorted to grappling, Raven gripping Yang's wrists and keeping the gauntlet guns pointed away. At this point, both of them were slick with perspiration, their breath heavy.

"Y-you're tapped out, daughter," Raven groaned, pushing ever further back. "Like I said before, this only works if you're stronger…!"

"Y-yeah… well…" Yang retorted, before her limb burst like a rocket, disengaging their lock as Raven's left arm was forced back under her shoulder. Yang spun counterclockwise into her, between her arms until she was back to chest with her, good arm gripping Raven's left wrist. Her stump reached out and made itself whole again with a hiss, and she pressed the muzzle next to her arm. "...strength isn't everything."

Raven winced, the rest of the crowd quaking as the gun went off. It echoed in absolute silence as Yang lowered her weapons with a sigh. A dark stain formed upon her already crimson sleeve. Raven reached a digit of the same limb to, coming back with glistening red on her quivering fingertip.

"The winner…" the officiate muttered, as gobsmacked as the rest, "Yang Branwen."

There was nothing at this announcement, Krillin alone beating a fist into his palm before pumping it, beaming with his teeth on full display. Vernal was only just regaining her faculties to stare drunkenly at the two fighters, her lip and nostril up in a bewildered sneer.

Raven was a statue, but softened almost immediately as Yang turned around, wrapped her arms around her back and leaned her head into the older woman's cheek. Yang took several huge, deep breaths as she rested her weight upon her mother's frame.

"I… forgive you," Yang muttered. Her mother gently hugged her back.

"Please," she whispered, "don't go."

Yang was silent for a moment. "Mom… come with me."

Raven shook her head, gripping her only child tighter. "Please…"

Yang stood back, staring into her glassy eyes. "I have to find Ruby. She needs my help. I need to be there for her."

Raven's lips thinned, and she stared past her… but gave the smallest, sharpest nod.

They disentangled, and Raven saw the gaze of her people, dark mutters from those she couldn't see. "The fight is ended. You all have work to do. This camp is in tatters, and I expect it ordered by sundown."

There was a moment's hesitation before the bandits filed out, sifting through the blasted camp. Some went about their business like it was any other day. Others glowered, still more were plastered with shock. Raven kept catching stares every time she turned around, only for them to flit back to their task. She gave one more look to her daughter, who had found a nearby log from the fence and sank down onto it.

"Hey, no hard feelings," the bald monk said just outside her vision. Raven turned to find him extending his hand. "It was a good fight."

She took it. "Far better than I expected… clearly. I don't think I caught your name, little man."

"Krillin," he answered with a smile.

She nodded. "You heard all I said before. She's walking a dangerous path."

"Right. I'll be honest, didn't quite take your boogeyman seriously, but after that fight… if she's a threat to you, may have to. Can't know how long we'll be on the same road, but I'll watch her back while I can."

Raven shut her eyes. "Thank you."

Raven watched the man stroll over to Yang, greeting her in clear congratulations as she sprawled back over the log in relaxation and laughter.

It had been a while since Raven had felt so conflicted… but she couldn't shake the swelling pride she felt for Yang. If only it hadn't taken losing so much for herself...

Somewhere in the chaotic landfill the camp had become, Yang was able to find Bumblebee. It would need some buffing out… Raven reloaded her sheath as well, and before anyone was prepared, her red blade zipped through the air, ripping reality asunder.

Krillin walked behind Yang as she rolled the bike forward, preparing for the long awaited trip. She passed by Raven.

"Yang…" she called quietly, unable to look at her. "If you're going to do this… remember what I said. And… keep Summer's girl safe."

Yang nodded, but turned to her just before they made the jump. "This is only goodbye if you let it be, y'know?"

Raven sighed. "Thank you."

Yang was swallowed by the scarlet void faster than Krillin had prepared for, and he found several eyes staring at him as he awkwardly took the plunge himself. Moments later, it was over. Raven found the eyes that had beheld Krillin now fall to her. Piercing. Tension clogged the air. She walked towards her tent as if she hadn't noticed, but she knew things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

The pair emerged on the other side, under a cutout of craggy stone shaped into an archway and bridge. The portal vanished almost as soon as they'd fully passed it. The first thing Krillin noticed was an old dumpy woman in a nearby noodle parlour, looking at them as though frozen, a fried egg slowly slithering off her spatula. The rest of the innumerable crowd had evidently not noticed their entrance.

"So… we in the right place?" Krillin asked, casually being bumped by a passing child, tearing through the streets after his friend in glee.

Yang walked Bumblebee a few feet further, eyes adjusting as they left the dark arch, and both finally saw the high cliffs and sprawling architecture of—

"Yep," Yang said, busting out her shades with a grin, "Mistral… Hallelujah."

"Man alive," Krillin sighed. "Don't see much like this anymore. So what about your uncle? Gotta be nearby, right?"

"Yeah… UNCLE QROOOOOW!" she called, using her hands like a bullhorn. A number of passersby glared at her. "Okay, yeah, not doing that again," she hummed. "Damn, we must have just missed him. You can 'sense' crap, right? He'd be around my Mom's strength, I think."

"Yeah, I'm gonna say that's unlikely," Krillin muttered. "Might just be I used up a scosche too much juice back there, but if he's around, he's masked by all the people here. It's hard to pick any single person out."

"Oh right, that blue super-beam thing," Yang said, eyes lit up, "I'd been meaning to ask about that… What?!"

They walked off through the streets, as the man himself with the sword-scythe strode over the archway a level above, red eyes gazing over the crowds curiously. "Hello? Who said that?"

Finally, Qrow found no one in the sea of people, shaking his head. "Ehhh… hearing stuff. Okay, so next on the list… 'Heather Shields…' Gotta pan out sooner or later…"

Leo Lionheart gasped for air, clutching at the tendrils around his throat as he kneeled.

"Failure," she spat from the other side.

"Ma'am, I BEG your... your...!" he choked, but the Seer's limbs only gripped tighter. "I didn't know...! He... must have suspected...!"

"Leo, make no mistake... if I discover the slightest hint that you conspired against me with our Huntsman friend... well... I believe I'll have little choice but to assure Mistral's collateral damage is a bit more... mmm... total..." Salem threatened. "Our accord had terms. If you cannot keep to them..."

Lionheart's eyes slammed shut as his fist met the lacquered floor. "Kill me then...! It's no less than I deserve...!"

"Interesting," Salem began, evidently amused, "is that nerve I'm hearing, Leo?"

"We can't acquiesce to that just yet, Professor," Cinder's artificial voice said somewhere above him. "We'll have need of you to arrange our little appointment."

"Yes," Watts said lowly from Salem's side, "their only other correspondent at Haven has been myself, and Qrow was less than trusting of me."

"It's the mustache," Emerald suggested, pointing to her own upper lip as Mercury glanced over the office bookshelves.

Watts spluttered to form a response, but all went silent as Salem raised her hand.

"All the same... Tyrian's report leaves much in doubt. I'm afraid this means Mister Branwen will require... encouragement to present our answer regarding the true location of the Spring Maiden."

Lionheart shook his head. "Qrow is Ozpin's man through and through! He'd never submit under torture, what can even be done?!"

"Y'know you really lack imagination," Mercury told him.

"Right," Emerald agreed, "that was already on the table, now we just take two prisoners."

Lionheart blanched. "W-what do you...?"

Salem sighed. "Humans are so wonderfully predictable. He won't talk to spare his own life... but his beloved niece..."

Leonardo felt himself begin to sweat. "Your grace... please... why... why does the child of Summer Rose need to die...?"

"I don't appreciate your playing dumb..." Salem told him, her red eyes glowing. "You've seen yourself... already she's maimed one of my strongest lieutenants. I'd rather the Rose were put out of the way before she can become a thorn in my side."

"B-but she could be of use! You'd know as well as anyone!"

"Enough," Salem breathed firmly. "Cinder, your timetable has been moved up. I want the maiden's location by day's end... and the lot of them terminated..."

A/N: Things are starting to heat up!

More or less the first REAL fight of the story with stakes, and I hope it was a good one. Won't deny that Yang and Vernal only have so much to work with in terms of their fighting styles. Again, Vernal was never much of a character in the first place apart from being a positioned decoy and red herring for Raven… which was a twist I didn't see coming in Volume 5… but she really only ever existed for the sake of that twist. Her name MEANS freaking Spring for crying out loud!

So yeah, Krillin gets off the first Kamehameha of the story! Actually, come to think, he's been the ONLY one among them to use named techniques so far… And as usual he manages to miss the shot. Not his fault forgetting Raven could open portals at will, but yeah, I'd prefer to see things go his way now and then. I really DO respect the hell out of Krillin as a character. Arguably he's the bravest of all the Z Warriors, a normal home grown human being, warring against his own limitations as he's constantly surrounded by freaks of nature.

...And it breaks my HEART to make him lose here, but I couldn't have the guy swoop in and solve Yang's problems FOR her. At least this time he gets to play the mysterious stranger with astonishing powers who knows things he shouldn't realistically know. And he only lost due to the technicality of the first-blood stipulation. Krillin was suppressing his power so he didn't draw Frieza's attention and tried ONLY to use enough to match and defeat her. It should go without saying, but in a fight to the finish Krillin would have dominated over Raven. But even so, he did enough in wearing Raven out so Yang actually stood a chance.

Oh, and as Ozpin pointed out in the previous chapter, Raven only managed what she did in the first place because of the magic of her Maiden powers, closing a great deal of the gap between them.

And we finally see Cinder's classic duo in one room, being their casually quasi-childish and antagonizing selves, with the faintest air of menace underneath. Cinder can finally speak properly… I never liked how Volume 5 just suddenly gave her voice back after a year of rasping like she has black lung, so the voice box feels a proper compromise. I heavily considered leaving her largely mute, but realized that reading her face and body language (which made her sorta fascinating in Volume 4) was only really something that worked because of the visual medium. If I needed to focus on mute Cinder in a scene, I'd probably just end up describing her thoughts anyway, so what's the difference? I remember in Fallout New Vegas: Blood Money trying to decipher the subtitled gestures for Veronica in my head and just giving up to let the Courier translate… I'm not going to make my readers suffer that crap. At any rate I like the image of Cinder with this tinny, slightly-off version of her voice, just STARING at you as her lips remain firmly shut. It's kinda creepy.

Lastly, full steam to Chapter 9! Finally we're going to see what Blake, Sun and Bulma are getting up to, with some Weiss and 'Getes for good measure (no, they don't meet up, don't misunderstand me) and believe me, it's an eventful outing. What, you say? Blake's boring arc in Menagerie? EVENTFUL? Well yes! If you recall, this time around Blake and Sun are being proactive. They know Adam is going to murder Sienna Khan, and they're going to try and stop him! Because unlike in Volume 5, the White Fang Headquarters (which I've dubbed "Lower Shambhala") is located on the desert coast of Menagerie instead of somewhere Mistral, so they're actually close enough to DO things instead of handing out pamphlets and making ineffectual press conferences! Because THAT'S what you want to see in an action series about FIGHTING, RIGHT?!

Hehe… still salty.

...that was not MEANT to be a pun…

G'night, folks! Enjoy!