There was a lot that Lotus disliked about Beacon. She hated going to class, she hated being surrounded by idiots and weaklings, and she hated having to be in charge of a team. Were it up to her she wouldn't be here at all, instead out in the world working for herself. Really there were only two things that made being here worth it. The first was the money. Even as a student being a Huntsman paid more than being a mercenary, not having to split her take with a boss certainly helped.

The other was the wide selection of beautiful women that populated Beacon's halls. She didn't know what it was about this place, but every girl was supermodel pretty. There were so many girls she didn't know what to do with herself. They came in all shapes and sizes; big girls, small girls, girls with flat chests and with breasts bigger than their heads, long legged and short. It was a buffet for the eyes.

But simply looking wasn't enough for Lotus. Sure she enjoyed some eye candy, but candy she couldn't eat was worthless to her. Getting into a girl's panties was child's play for her. In a place like this, where even a simple training mission can get you killed, it didn't take much effort to get someone in your bed. No one wanted to die a virgin after all. But that was just a snack, the truly substantial meals were the unsure, the ones who knew what they wanted but were too afraid to seek it out. Those girls that needed a little push, like the girl she was working right now.

She was shy, unsure of herself, not a very outgoing person. She was exactly what Lotus liked.

Lotus placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know you don't want to spend the entire weekend in your room, why not spend it with me?"

The girl fidgeted, looking down at the floor. "I was going to go see my teammates."

"They can wait," Lotus said. She had her hands on the girl's waist and pulled her in close. "Besides, I knew I wanted you in my bed the second I saw you."

"I have a boyfriend," the girl mumbled.

"I don't. Is that what you want, some fumbling little boy who doesn't know how to take care of a lady? Has he ever gone down on you?"

The girl blushed a furious red, but shook her head.

"That's a shame and a disgrace. So you just lie back counting the cracks on the ceiling until he's done. That's no way to live. I'll get you there every time, I promise."

"But I never… with another girl."

"There's a first time for everything, right?" She leaned forward and planted a kiss on the girl's lips. "Let's get out of here."

The next moment was what Lotus lived for. The indecision slowly fading, the gears in the girl's head turning until she realized that the benefits outweighed the downsides, that last push into doing something insane. Some people called Lotus a sexual predator, she preferred the term "goal oriented".

But right when she was about to close the deal, her scroll let out a shrill ringing noise. Lotus felt a brief flash of white hot anger, but quickly set it aside. Looking at her scroll, she saw that it was Iris calling her.

"You better have a damn good reason for calling me right now," Lotus growled.

"Believe me, I wouldn't talk to you at all if I didn't have to. The headmaster wants all of us to meet him in his office. It sounded important."

That pissant, Lotus thought, hanging up her scroll. While she didn't want to do this, she knew that the headmaster would never call on her if it wasn't important, and the last thing Lotus wanted to deal with is what he would do to her if she ignored his command.

"Sorry, I have to go. Don't wander too far, okay?" she said, kissing the girl goodbye. She then angrily stomped down the hall, her anger leaving cracks in the tile floor.

It didn't take long for her to reach the headmaster's office. Ozpin sat behind his desk looking at something on the projector. Lotus ground her teeth and stomped up to him and slammed her hands on his desk.

"I was seconds away from getting laid so the whole fucking world better be on fire," Lotus said.

"Hello, Miss Chahna," Ozpin said, smiling. "And no, the world is still in one piece, though I understand catastrophes represent business opportunities for your line of work. No I called you here for a different matter, in fact they should just be arriving now."

The elevator opened with a chime, and out walked the other members of Team LILY. But behind them were also another group of students. Lotus's eyes narrowed when she saw the girls from Team RWBY walking into the office.

"Good, you're all here," Ozpin said.

"What's going on, Professor?" Ruby asked.

Ozpin pulled up a screen. "I've received some worrying reports regarding Grimm activity in the outskirts of the continent. Normally I would send merely one team, but in this case I've decided to take extra precautions. Your team will accompany Team LILY on this mission."

"Hold the fuck up," Lotus interjected, "I don't recall agreeing to this, and I certainly don't need anyone's help."

Ozpin peered at lotus over his glasses. "You're correct. I decided that it was in the best interests of both teams to cooperate on this mission. Team RWBY have proven themselves exceptionally talented among their peers, and I believe that working with them will be especially beneficial to you, Miss Chahna."

Lotus rolled her eyes. "So, what about pay? A job like this, whole village at stake, we usually charge 20k."

"You can discuss payment once the mission is completed. Doctor Sapphire will accompany you and provide you with the details."

"Doctor Sapphire?" Yang asked. "I thought she didn't fight anymore?"

"Doctor Sapphire has stepped back from the front lines, but she is still a fully licensed huntsman and has never neglected her training. She will be a valuable asset on the mission. There is a Bullhead waiting for you in the hangar. Take a moment to gather your things and head out as soon as possible."

"Okay, Professor," Ruby said.

Lotus left the room first, not waiting for her teammates. As she went back to her room she could feel her anger fading away, a grim determination taking its place. It had been a long time since she had been on a real job. She had nearly forgotten how it felt to march off towards certain death.

She waited in the hangar for the rest of her team, having been the first to arrive. She tapped her foot impatiently, wondering how long it should take to pack for a two day job. As she was waiting, she heard the rapid approach of footsteps. It was that runt that led team RWBY. She looked up at Lotus like she was a puppy, all wide eyed and eager. It was like she was going on a field trip.

"This is so exciting!" Ruby exclaimed. "I can't believe we're going on a real mission. We'll be just like real Hunters."

Lotus rolled her eyes. "Try not to piss yourself. It's just another job."

The sound of footsteps told her that others were coming now. Lotus saw the rest of her teammates heading towards her, but her full attention was drawn towards the other members of Team RWBY. Weiss waltzed in like royalty. The way she carried herself showed how above everyone else she knew she was. Then there was Blake. She was tightly wound, crouched low like she was trying to hide herself. She was like a loaded spring, ready to fly off at a moment's notice.

And then there was Yang, swaggering in like she owned the place. She was cocky, but it was warranted. No one could touch her. She was the best and she knew it. Long blonde hair, a killer body and a pair of fists that could crush any enemy, she was the total package. Lotus couldn't decide if she wanted to beat Yang to a pulp or fuck her until she couldn't walk.

"Alright, now that everyone's here we can go over the mission."

Doctor Sapphire stood at the edge of the bullhead, motioning for the other girls to board. Once everyone was settled in, she pulled out her scroll and pulled up a map.

"Our destination is Pastel Village. They've been reporting a higher level of Grimm activity than normal. Under other circumstances we'd leave this sort of thing to the local huntsman, but the headmaster thinks this will be a good training opportunity for all of you."

"Do you think it has something to do with what happened at the bank?" Iris asked.

"It tracks. Bad news spreads out, people get stressed out, and in come the Grimm," Yang replied.

Despite Ozpin's best efforts, he couldn't control the story of what had happened in Vale that night. The White Fang quickly spread their message of the martyrs who had given their lives for the faunus people and the bodies they left in their wake. It was one thing for news like that to spread in the city deep within the walls and filled with powerful warriors, but an isolated village outside of the kingdom's protection was another story. For them, such thoughts would simply be the harbinger of their destruction.

"So I've gotta spend my weekend in the field instead of getting some pussy because a bunch of faunus got uppity?" Lotus complained. "I've been saying for years that we've been too soft on the White Fang. We should round them all up and wipe them out."

"For once you've said something I agree with," Weiss said. The heiress' icy blue eyes were locked in a cold glare. "The faunus continue to spit on our generosity, but they don't know how good they have it. If it comes to all out war they've no hope of survival."

Professor Sapphire cleared her throat loudly. "Let's get back on topic. This is a seek and destroy mission. Our objective is to wipe out as many Grimm as we can, and if possible investigate the cause of this increased activity. Before we land, we need to decide who will be the strike leader."

"I nominate Ruby!" Yang shouted, to the embarrassment of her teammates.

Ruby's face turned a deep red. "Yang, stop that. I think Lotus should be in charge. She has more experience than me after all."

"Not interested," Lotus said bluntly.

"Why not? You've done this sort of thing before haven't you?"

"For money. I'm not gonna be looking out for all of you for free. Besides I doubt you need me to wipe your ass for you if you made it into Beacon."

Iris let out a long sigh. "Just let it go, Ruby. Lotus isn't exactly a team player. We're fine with following your lead."

Ruby scratched the back of her head. "Okay, I guess."

The rest of the flight was filled with idle chatter about nothing, and in time they arrived at their destination. The village was small, mostly filled with homes and a small shop in the center. They landed near a larger building that looked to be where the village's mayor lived. Professor Sapphire stepped off of the ship first and greeted the elderly man that had come out to meet them.

"Hello. We are the hunters from Beacon that you requested. I'm Professor Star Sapphire, and these are my students. Now then, can you tell us a bit about your problem?

"Thank you so much for coming," the old man replied. "We've been dealing with more Grimm than usual lately, and it's getting to be more than we can deal with. We usually get the occasional beowulf that wanders too far from its pack, nothing like the hordes we've been seeing. We're on the verge of being overrun."

"Don't worry," Ruby said. "We'll take care of those Grimm for you."

"And when we're done we can talk money," Lotus added.

XxX

The huntresses walked deep into the forest, until they found a clearing that looked like a battlefield. Deep gouges scarred the ground, the earth was littered with arrows and broken weapons. They could tell that many people had fought here, and died here.

"It looks like this is the furthest the Grimm made it to the village," Professor Sapphire said.

Lotus felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "I can feel it. That's a lot of Grimm." Lotus turned towards her teammate. "Lala, what can you see?"

Lala closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temple. She felt the endless hunger and appetite for destruction that signified the Grimm, but the signal was scattered, spread out. There were far too many for her to get an accurate reading, but she felt one, stronger than all the others. It was like a gaping maw, ever hungry for blood and conquest. Just connecting with its mind made her feel like she was starving. It had to be the leader.

However, instead of telling anyone what she had found, Lala instead sprinted full speed towards what she had felt, leaving her team behind.

"God Dammit!" Lotus shouted, coughing as she was caught up in the cloud of dust Lala left behind. "I'm not chasing after her."

Yasmin looked as though she was going to chase after Lala, but before she could Blake sprinted off in pursuit. her swift legs were the only thing that could match Lala's speed when gripped in the throes of her madness.

"Alright," Ruby shouted. "Looks like we're gonna have to get Lala. Everyone break off into groups and kill any Grimm you find along the way."

Ruby sped off into the forest, with Lotus and the professor right on her heels. Yang and Iris went down another path, while Weiss and Yasmin went off in their own direction. Each team had the same goal; to exterminate the enemy, but by the end of this mission they would understand the true scope of what they had signed up for.

XxX

Blake ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Despite her sprinting at top speed she wasn't any closer to finding Lala. She wondered who someone human could run so fast, especially one so wrapped up in the throes of mental anguish as her. She brushed it aside as yet another human idiosyncrasy and kept running. In time she found Lala in a clearing surrounded by grim. They looked like large cats, with oversized fangs that jutted out from their skulls. Each one was tight like a spring, their muscles rippling beneath their pitch black fur, and glowing red eyes turned to slits as they readied to attack. Lala on the other hand looked as though she was taking a leisurely stroll through the park. She held her spear loosely and swayed back and forth staring off into space. Blake gripped her sword, ready to jump the the girl's defense, but the Grimm were faster. The one leapt forward, jaws wide and ready to rend the flesh from Lala's body.. Lala leaned back and raised her spear, sending the pointed edge right down the Grimm's throat. Impaled, the Grimm jerked to a stop and slowly dissolved intro nothing. The rest of the beasts attacked at once. Blake unsheathed her sword and leapt into battle.

Blake gripped her cleaver, her body becoming a blur as she charged straight at a Grimm. It opened its mouth wide, expecting to sink its fangs into the young huntress' body. Instead Blake stepped to the side, narrowly avoiding its jaws as she sank her blade into the monster's side. She dragged it through the thick flesh and bone, until the Grimm was mortally wounded. As the first Grimm slowly dissolved she moved on to the next one.

The Grimm moved faster than Blake had anticipated, swiping for her head with its massive paws. The beast's large claws dug into her neck and sent her head rolling across the forest floor, but just as quickly as the attack happened, Blake vanished and appeared overhead. She slashed downwards, sending a large arc of energy directly through the beast. She looked over and saw Lala, swaying back and forth as two Grimm circled around her. Her eyes were unfocused, and she was drooling. Her mind was in a million different places, but not on the battle before her. Blake barely had time to react before the Grimm attacked.

"Look out!" Blake shouted, rushing over to rescue the girl. Lala didn't even look at the Grimm leaping towards her with its mouth opened wide. Instead she flicked her spear upward, angling the tip so that it would impale the Grimm upon landing. The spear pierced through the Grimm's skull and jutted out the top of its head. Lala tried to wrench her weapon free, but found it stuck. While she was busy with her weapon, the other Grimm attacked, unleashing its claws and swiping at her head. Without even looking, Lala stepped outside the range of the attack, and without missing a beat stomped the ground and punched at the Grimm's body. There was a moment of silence, before the Grimm warped and inflated before exploding.

"Wonderful," Lala said, still staring up at the sky.

Blake ran up to the girl. "Hey, are you alright? Why did you run off like that? You could have been hurt."

Lala ignored Blake and just stared off into the distance. She laughed softly to herself, but no one else could see what was so amusing.

"Hey!" Blake shouted, grabbing Lala's shoulder. In that instant her mind was assaulted with images. Bodies strewn across the ground, a home in flames, a young girl staring up at a man readying a sword to end her life. Blake yanked her hand away like she had been burned. At that moment Lala was looking directly at her, and her eyes were sharp and focused.

"God," Blake said, her voice no louder than a whisper.

The two girls stood there in silence, until Lala bowed her head.

"Please forgive me, I lost myself for a moment. Come now, let us rejoin the others."

XxX

Yasmin ground her teeth as she sliced through the Grimm that attacked her. She wanted to find Lala, she needed to be there by her side, but these creatures insisted on getting in her way. Her chest burned with anger at the vile things keeping her from seeing her friend, but even more than that was her anger at being forced to work with Weiss. She admitted that the Schnee girl was skilled as she cut down the monsters with all the grace and elegance that her namesake implied. Every attack flowed into the next one, each strike perfectly placed. There were no wasted movements, nothing about her fighting was superfluous. It was precise, calculated, exactly what one would expect from a Schnee.

But something was bothering Yasmin. It was the Grimm. They were reptilian, with large mouths filled with rows of razor sharp teeth. Their tails were almost twice the length of their bodies, and their fingers and toes ended with large claws. She could recall seeing them in a book, but something about them felt off. There was something she was missing, something important, but when she saw the horde of Grimm closing in on her and Weiss she knew that she didn't have time to think things over.

Feeling impatient, the Grimm all attacked at once. The two girls disappeared in a storm of teeth and claws. Weiss stabbed at the ground, impaling the nearest group with spikes of ice. The remaining Grimm tore through their comrades to get to the two girls. Yasmin swung her sword and sent out a wave of energy that sliced to Grimm in half. Weiss conjured a large ball of flame and engulfed two more. The two girls continued their attack like this, each one attacking in turn and giving no chance for the enemy to recover. Without saying a word, the two girls were in perfect sync. They covered each others' blind spots, their attacks were perfectly timed for maximum effect. They moved as one as they cut down the Grimm surrounding them.

But their formation wasn't perfect. A Grimm had managed to sneak up on Yasmin and swiped at her with its tail. Her back felt like it had been torn open as she was sent flying into a tree. Her vision swam, she barely made out the the Grimm as it closed in on her. It leapt into the air, mouth open wide. Weiss formed a symbol with her fingers, and her body began to glow. And then, like a blur, she sped across the forest and sliced through the Grimm's neck.

Yasmin shook the stars from her eyes and grabbed her sword. She looked up and saw Weiss extending a hand towards her.

"That was the last of them."

Without a word, Yasmin stood up on her own and sheathed her sword. Weiss looked down at the ground, clearly hurt at being rebuffed.

Yasmin sighed. "Thank you. Please forgive my impropriety. Such actions are beneath my station."

"It's okay," Weiss replied. "You're quite skilled with that sword. You were able to match my tempo with ease."

"A servant of the Lamb family must be prepared for any eventuality. Part of my training was studying many different combat styles. Of course that included the Schnee fencing arts. You perform it admirably."

"Thank you," Weiss said, smiling slightly.

Suddenly, the there was a sound like an explosion. The ground shook as a large plume of dust floated into the sky.

Weiss put a hand on her sword's hilt. "What was that?"

"I wouldn't concern myself with that, that's just Iris," Yasmin replied. She ignored the disturbance and continued her search for Lala.

XxX

"I wanna go home," Iris whined. That was all she could think about as she saw the Grimm preparing to charge at her. The quadruped Grimm lowered its head and launched itself forward, gouging the forest floor as it charged. Iris raised her axe above her head and waited.

The Grimm kept moving forwards, supremely confident in its chances. It would impale the girl on its horn and eat her. With its weight, speed, and durability, there was nothing she could do to defend herself. It closed the gap in the blink of an eye.

Iris sucked in a breath and brought her axe down on the Grimm's head. Or rather, through the Grimm's head. Everything in her way was obliterated, from the Grimm to the ground beneath her feet. Iris disappeared in a cloud of dust and debris, and when it cleared all that was left was a large crater.

Iris coughed into her arm. "I've got dirt all over my clothes."

She looked up at the sound of gunfire. Yang punched away at the Grimm's side, but her fists weren't enough to break through the thick plates of armor surrounding its body. Iris knew that Yang could break through eventually, but they didn't have time. The other Grimm were already begging to close in. Iris decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Look out!" Iris shouted.

Yang looked up and jumped out of the way before Iris' axe tore the Grimm in half. It kept spinning through the air and destroyed a tree before finally hitting the ground.

"You could have warned me, you know", Yang complained.

"I said look out."

Yang rolled her eyes and went to retrieve Iris' weapon. She wrapped a hand around the handle and pulled. The axe didn't budge. She grabbed it with both hands and pulled with all her might. It still didn't move.

"This thing made of lead?" Yang groaned, feeling her fingers and arms burning as she struggled to lift the weapon. But despite her efforts the axe refused to budge. It sat there, almost mocking Yang for her weakness.

"Let me get that," iris said, lightly grasping the weapon's handle. With one hand she hoisted the weapon over her shoulder like it was as light as a pillow.

Yang stared blankly at Iris.

"What?" Iris said.

"How in the world are you able to carry that thing? It weighs more than my bike and you're swinging it around like a stick."

Iris blushed slightly. "It's kind of embarrassing, but I've been really strong since I was a kid. When I started training to become a Hunteress I wound up breaking every weapon I tried, so my daddy made me this. it's made of some kind of special metal, and it doesn't bend or break no matter how hard I swing it!"

Iris hoisted the weapon proudly, smiling wide as she showed it off. Yang walked away without a word.

"Wait up!" Iris shouted. she ran to catch up to Yang, who had found herself surrounded by another group of the same horned Grimm.

"More of these things," Yang grumbled. she cocked her gauntlets and prepared to charge in, but felt Iris grabbing her.

"Wait. the armor on their sides is too thick for you to punch through. their weak point is their stomachs. you just have to get them in the air."

"Easy for you to say, but not everyone can bench press a semi truck."

The first of the Grimm charged at them. Iris put her hands in front of her, and her body glowed purple. her feet sank into the forest ground, and Yang realized that Iris had activated her semblance. The Grimm charged right into Iris, and was destroyed on impact. Iris' body was like an iron pillar. not even the charging Grimm could make her yield. The Grimm's horns shattered when it collided with Iris, along with most of its skull. it fell over and started to dissolve.

Without missing a beat, Iris leapt into the air, landing next to another Grimm. she wrapped her arms around the Grimm's tail, squeezing so tightly that her fingers gouged the monster's flesh. with a grunt, she lifted it into the air and began to swing it around in a circle. faster and faster she spun, but her grip never faltered for a second. the other Grimm were dumbfounded by the display. slowly, they inched towards Iris, but then Iris released her grip. the Grimm went flying through the air, right into another of its number. the beasts collided with a deafening boom, and when the smoke cleared both had perished. Without stopping, Iris ran at the remaining Grimm and grabbed it by the horns. her arms bulged, and she slowly lifted it up off the ground. its legs flailed helplessly in the air as it was raised higher and higher. eventually it was raised high enough that its underside was completely exposed. Yang realized what was happening and seized the opportunity. She shot forward like a rocket, burying her fist in the Grimm's stomach. Yang's blow tore a chunk out of the Grimm's body, causing its entrails to spill out. its black blood stained the ground as it faded away.

"Ew, this is so gross," Iris complained, stepping back so none of the blood got on her.

"That was pretty cool," Yang said. 'How'd you know how to kill those Grimm? I've never seen those types before."

"They're in the Grimm Studies book, I just read ahead. But now that you mention it, something's been bothering me. Let's try and find the others, I'm pretty sure one of them has realized it too."

Yang nodded in agreement and began to head deeper into the forest. as she walked, she stopped and turned back towards Iris. "Um, a bit of advice. If you're gonna wear a skirt like that you really should wear shorts underneath."

Iris stood silent for a moment before crossing her arms and turning away from Yang. "There's nothing wrong with a little service."

Xxx

Lotus took the lead as she searched for Lala, with Ruby and Professor Sapphire following behind. The older woman smiled as she watched Ruby dart around like an overexcited puppy. The young girl was enamored with the professor's weapon and bombarded the woman with questions.

"So it's a shield and a flail at the same time? That's so cool. Why a shield? Did you build it yourself? Where do you keep the dust? How long is that chain really?"

The Professor let out a soft laugh. "One question at a time, please. I didn't quite build it myself. I gave the schematics to a smith and they made it for me. I chose a shield because I'm a protector rather than a warrior. Not everyone understands that distinction, but it is an important one."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "That's so amazing!"

Lotus sighed loudly. "Can we please focus on the job? Bad enough I've got Lala to worry about."

Ruby grinned. "No need to worry about me. I'm ready for anything."

"You could relax a little," Doctor Sapphire said. "I understand that you're worried about Lala, but I'm sure she's alright. If you stress yourself out too much it will affect your performance."

"I'm not worried about Lala, just that her dying will make me look bad. And save that psychoanalyst bullshit for someone who cares."

"I'm just offering some advice. You don't have to take it if you don't want to."

Lotus was about to retort when she heard something off in the distance. It was a sound so faint that anyone else wouldn't have heard it at all. But to Lotus, no sound was beneath her notice. Even something as slight as a creaking branch could mean impending disaster.

"Both of you stop," Lotus suddenly ordered, her voice filled with authority.

Ruby and the doctor both stopped in their tracks and watched as Lotus placed an ear against the ground. The two girls looked at each other but didn't say a word.

Lotus closed her eyes and focused. She could hear it, the deep rumbling of footsteps off in the distance. They were heavy, and their steady movements were like the beating of a large drum. The steps suddenly picked up in pace and grew louder. Whatever it was was getting closer by the second.

"Get ready," Lotus said.

Ruby and the doctor both readied their weapons right as the treeline broke apart and a towering Grimm appeared. Its massive jaws were filled with sharp looking teeth, its legs were like tree trunks, and it had a long, thick tail jutted with spikes.

Ruby gasped. "That is so cool! What kind of Grimm is that?"

"The dead kind," Lotus replied.

The fight wasn't even worth describing. The Grimm were outdated, their bodies too unwieldy for combat. Their giant mouths just made their attacks easier to avoid, and their stubby little arms were useless in battle. The beasts stood no chance against the three huntresses. It was over before it even began.

"Is it just me or was that a little too easy?" Ruby asked.

"You're not wrong," Lotus replied. "I have an idea, but we should wait until we regroup with the rest of them."

It didn't take much longer for the rest of the girls to rejoin them. In no time at all the clearing was filled with students.

Yasmin rushed over to Lala as soon as she saw her. "Are you alright? You're not hurt anywhere are you?" Yasmin looked over every inch of Lala searching for the slightest imperfection.

"I am quite alright. Blake protected me."

Lala smiled and waved at Blake. Blake returned the wave, though the feeling was awkward.

"Looks like you all finally made it," Lotus said. "Up ahead is the center of the forest. If my hunch is right, we might find the nest, or another one of these outdated Grimm."

"Outdated?" Ruby asked.

"I know exactly what you mean," Iris interjected. "These Grimm are ancient. I recognized them from our Grimm Studies book. It said that the kinds of Grimm we fought haven't been seen for nearly a hundred years."

"But we just fought a bunch of them didn't we?" Yang said.

"You're right. I think we're only seeing part of the picture. Maybe when we're finished things will be more clear."

The sound of thundering footsteps cut the discussion short. Trees cracked apart and crashed to the ground as the steps grew closer and closer, and suddenly the area was as dark as night. What looked like a massive black tree went upwards into more darkness. The girls fell back, and came face to face with the largest Grimm any of them had ever seen. It was like a mountain with legs. It became clear very quickly that the only reason the village was still intact was because this creature had yet to make its move.

"I think we found what's been attracting all the Grimm," Ruby said, readying her weapon. "Let's take this thing out before it reaches the village."