Jaune perched on a tall tree overlooking the crumbling remains of Kuroyuri, the once-thriving village now consumed by ruins and silence. Beside him, Ren crouched low, his sharp gaze fixed on the broken buildings below, while Nora fidgeted impatiently, making exaggerated "grrr" sounds as Jaune's red cape flapped against her face in the wind.
"Why are you fighting my cape?" Jaune asked, shooting her a bewildered look.
"It's trying to eat me while we're trying to look cool! It's ruining the moment!" Nora snapped back, swatting at the offending fabric. After a moment, she sighed dramatically and turned her focus back to the scene below.
Her demeanor shifted quickly, her face cycling through emotions she didn't seem ready to share. Jaune caught the flicker of something deeper beneath her animated mask. Pain, anger, or maybe both. But he didn't press. Instead, he watched the remnants of the village and thought of the people who had lived there, the lives upended by Grimm.
Ren broke the silence first. "The villagers have been planning this for years," he said, lowering his binoculars. He leaned back against the trunk of the tree, his voice steady despite the weight of the subject. "If Vale hadn't been facing its own crisis, I doubt they would've gotten this far. I can't help but think... if we hadn't stopped that train, everything might've fallen apart."
Jaune nodded, his gaze fixed on the crumbling rooftops. "I'm surprised they're so eager to go through with it, considering the risks."
Nora propped her chin on her hand, her expression shifting to one of exaggerated curiosity. "Speaking of risks, fearless leader, was it really necessary to stop that train the way you did?"
Jaune rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well... let me explain it this way. Compared to a car, a train's brakes are terrible. The coefficient of friction between steel wheels and steel rails is somewhere between black ice and a greased pig. If the brakes were stronger, the wheels would lock up, slide on the rails, and damage the tracks, probably derailing the train entirely. And since it was loaded with explosives—"
"Okay, stop," Nora interrupted, waving her hands. "My brain is already freezing over. You thought that much about it?"
"Well," Jaune admitted, embarrassed, "there's no easy way to stop a hundred-ton train, especially when the brakes are already shot. Even if there were better options, I couldn't think of them at the time. The tunnels would've been breached if we didn't cut off the other cars. So yeah, it was reckless... but it had to be done."
Ren gave a quiet nod, his voice calm but firm. "It was reckless, all right. Please don't try something like that again."
Nora scoffed, crossing her arms. "Oh sure, like asking Jaune nicely to stop would've worked."
Ren glanced at her, a tiny smirk playing at his lips. "No, I didn't expect that it would."
"You're not innocent either," Nora shot back, leaning toward him. "Remember sprinting down the street chasing thieves? That wasn't exactly cautious."
"And who was with me?" Ren replied, his small smile widening ever so slightly.
"Fearless leader," Nora turned to Jaune, grinning wickedly. "He's got a point. Both of you are reckless. I mean Pyrrha's a daredevil too… wait, does this mean I'm the most responsible!?"
Jaune rolled his eyes. "Fine. We're reckless. Happy?"
"Everyone," Ren interrupted, his voice a sharp whisper. He pointed toward the ruins below.
The three of them fell silent as a hulking shadow emerged from the depths of Kuroyuri. Its horrifying form was unmistakable. Its equine main body was twisted and grotesque, with skeletal hind legs and clawed forelegs. A skinless humanoid torso fused to the horse's back, its long elastic arms ending in razor-sharp claws. The face was the worst of all. A mouth that appeared sewn shut, curved horns rising from its head, and glowing red eyes that radiated malice. Along its spine were jagged bony spikes, and embedded in its flesh were remnants of weapons from countless battles.
"Is that it?" Jaune asked, his voice low but tense.
Ren's grip on the binoculars tightened. "Yeah. That's it." His voice wavered slightly, betraying the storm of emotions simmering beneath his calm exterior.
Nora's expression softened as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Ren," she said, her voice gentler than usual. "We'll take it down. We'll make sure this ends here and now."
Ren nodded, exhaling slowly. "Let's head back and make sure the plan's ready."
The trek back to the settlers' camp was quiet, the weight of their mission pressing down on all of them. When they arrived, the villagers were bustling with activity, making last-minute adjustments to the traps and equipment they'd spent weeks preparing. Nets, spike launchers, and reinforced barriers lined the perimeter, each tool carefully positioned to funnel the Nuckelavee into a kill zone.
Ren took the lead, briefing the settlers on the creature's location and ensuring that everyone knew their roles. The villagers listened intently, their faces etched with a mix of determination and fear.
Jaune studied the setup with a critical eye. The villagers had done impressive work, and the traps seemed well-designed, but a nagging thought lingered in his mind. This creature wasn't just any Grimm — it was cunning, vicious, and unrelenting. Would the traps be enough?
Then he gave a look at the traps, then letting it be. They planned this, and it means that they just had to do what they need to do.
"We've got this," Nora said, her voice cutting through his thoughts. She gave him a confident grin, though her grip on Magnhild was a little tighter than usual.
Jaune nodded, forcing a smile in return. "Yeah. Let's make this count."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the team and the villagers took their positions, blending into the shadows of the forest. The air grew colder, the silence stretching unbearably as they waited for their prey.
The memories came unbidden as Jaune waited silently in position, crouched behind the remains of an old wall in the ruins of Kuroyuri. His thoughts wandered back to the days when his master trained him. Outside the boundaries of the kingdoms, they roamed the wilderness, approaching small villages and settlements. Their purpose was to offer their services to hunt down Grimm that threatened the fragile peace of those isolated communities that didn't have the protection of the Kingdoms nor ever wanted one.
Jaune vividly recalled his very first Grimm hunt. A Sabyr, its feline-like body sleek and deadly, had been terrorizing the outskirts of a village whose name had long faded from his memory. Back then, his master had deemed it his solo trial. The weight of responsibility had been daunting, yet it hadn't stopped him from doing what was required. He could remember crouching through the tall grass, every step measured, his breaths carefully timed to be as silent as possible.
Those were formative days. He'd felt like time itself stretched endlessly during his training, a sensation made all the more confusing by his time in the Everafter. Days, years he couldn't be sure how much time had passed, only that his head sometimes felt as though he'd lived for decades, even though his body remained young. The streaks of white in his blonde hair were the only signs of age, but that was that.
His master had said little about the strange things in the Everafter, but Jaune often wondered if something there had changed him. Yet when he looked in the mirror, he was still him — physically unchanged, though the experiences and trials etched deeper lines of determination into his features.
He had emerged from the Everafter with skills capable of taking down the most fearsome Grimm. Yet, he'd come to realize something after joining his team and getting into Beacon. Skill alone wasn't enough. He had been stagnant, a sword honed to a fine edge but unused for far too long. His time with his friends at Beacon had broken through that stillness, reminding him that fighting wasn't just about strength, but was also about protecting and connecting with others. After all, wasn't that why he wanted to learn in the first place?
To protect?
To help people?
But even now, with all his training and newfound experience, there were moments he felt untested. Reckless. Nora had been right about his impulsive decision to stop the train with the way he did, even if he stood by his choice. He could take down monsters, but solving the larger problems of the world required more than a sword.
And this hunt wasn't about him.
Jaune adjusted his stance, his cape barely shifting in the still air as he turned his gaze toward the shadowed remains of Kuroyuri. Ren crouched nearby, his posture stiff and focused as he observed the looming figure of the Nuckelavee entering the village square. Beside them, Nora fidgeted, her usual energy subdued but not extinguished. Jaune could see the quiet resolve in her eyes, a determination to see this through, for Ren's sake… and maybe hers as well.
The settlers had set their traps meticulously, with nets, spikes, and launchers hidden throughout the ruins. This plan was their chance. Not just to reclaim their home, but to exorcise the fear and trauma that had lingered since the Nuckelavee's first attack.
Jaune's voice was low and steady as he spoke to Ren and Nora. "This is your fight. Your victory. I'll help where I'm needed, but I won't take this from you. You'll get the killing blow, I promised."
Ren met his gaze, understanding flickering in his calm expression. "Thank you, Jaune."
With a nod, Jaune stepped away from the group, moving silently into the open square. Ren's Semblance had cloaked the others, shrouding their presence as Jaune prepared to act as bait.
The Nuckelavee's grotesque form emerged fully into the square, its hulking, equine body glistening under the dimmed sun. The humanoid torso on its back swiveled unnaturally, its stitched mouth curling into a silent snarl. The creature froze, its glowing red eyes narrowing as it fixated on Jaune.
Jaune amplified his aura, his Semblance allowing it to radiate outward in a golden light. To the Grimm, it must have been like a blazing beacon suddenly appeared — one it couldn't ignore. The Nuckelavee let out a guttural roar, its long, sinewy arms scraping the ground as it charged toward him with terrifying speed.
Jaune stood firm, Crocea Mors ready in his hands. His grip tightened as the beast closed in.
"Now!" he shouted, his voice carrying over the roar of the Nuckelavee.
In an instant, the settlers' traps sprang into action. Spikes and nets shot out from hidden launchers, entangling the beast's limbs and halting its momentum. The Nuckelavee thrashed violently, its claws rending through some of the restraints, but it wasn't fast enough to avoid the next blow.
Nora burst from her hiding spot with a battle cry, her aura blazing as she brought Magnhild down on the Nuckelavee's hind leg. The strike connected with a sickening crunch, bending the limb at an unnatural angle. Sparks of pink electricity danced across her hammer as she prepared for another strike.
Ren followed swiftly, his movements precise and calculated. With an aura-infused palm strike, he shattered one of the beast's front legs, his expression unwavering despite the chaos around him.
The Nuckelavee roared in pain, its long arms stretching toward Nora, but Jaune was already moving. His sword blurred in a wide arc, severing one of the claws with a clean cut. As the creature staggered, Jaune slammed his shield into its back, forcing it onto its knees.
"Keep going!" Jaune barked, his voice steady. "Don't let up!"
Nora blurred forward, her hammer crashing into another limb. Ren's strikes were relentless, each blow further crippling the beast's grotesque frame. The settlers joined in, their volleys of fire raining down on the Nuckelavee and adding to its torment.
Finally, as the creature sagged under the weight of its injuries, Jaune stepped back, his gaze shifting to Ren. This was his moment.
Ren stepped forward, a small dagger clutched tightly in his hand. His expression was unreadable, his emotions held carefully in check. But Jaune could see it.
The fire burning in his teammate's eyes, the culmination of years of pain, fear, and anger.
The Nuckelavee let out a low, guttural growl, its stitched mouth quivering as though it sensed its end was near. Ren stopped just short of the beast's head, his grip on the dagger firm.
"You're a monster.. I had wished to end," Ren said quietly, his voice cold and steady. "And this is for everyone… goodbye."
He drove the dagger forward with a single, decisive motion, piercing the Nuckelavee's forehead. The creature's body shuddered violently, its grotesque form writhing as its death throes consumed it. Black flakes began to rise from its body, disintegrating into the air and leaving nothing but silence in its wake.
For a moment, no one moved. The air was heavy with the weight of what they had just accomplished. The settlers began to emerge cautiously from their hiding spots, their expressions a mixture of relief and disbelief.
Nora broke the silence first, letting out a triumphant cheer as she hoisted Magnhild onto her shoulder. "That's how we do it!" she declared, her grin wide and infectious.
Ren stepped back from the fading remains of the Nuckelavee, his shoulders relaxing as he let out a long, slow breath. He turned to Jaune, his eyes meeting his leader's.
"Thank you," Ren said simply, his voice filled with quiet gratitude.
Jaune nodded, his expression softening. "You did it, Ren. You and Nora both."
Nora grinned as she then hollered at the villagers and started throwing Ren into the air.