The group stood at the edge of the ruined settlement, the wind tugging at them as the distant howls of Grimm echoed through the crumbling buildings. The sky above was an oppressive gray, casting a cold shadow over the desolation that once was a thriving Faunus settlement.
Weiss narrowed her eyes, focusing on the unnatural figures moving among the ruins. Sleek, metallic frames glinted in the dim light—Androids emblazoned with the letter 'M' on their chests. They moved with eerie precision, issuing silent commands to the Grimm that skulked through the streets. But it wasn't the machines that unsettled her the most.
It was the Hounds. Faunus turned Grimm.
They stood like men, but that's where the similarity ended. Their spines were jagged, riddled with sharp, Dust crystals that pulsed with a fiery glow. Their eyes burned with the same crimson fire, flickering unnaturally, as though barely contained.
Jaune tightened his grip on Crocea Mors, the weight of the blade grounding him. His eyes didn't leave the Hounds as he studied them, noting how they moved, how they seemed to direct the lesser Grimm like shepherds to their flock.
"They're not just mindless beasts," Jaune murmured. "They're really coordinating."
"That's… not supposed to happen," Ruby whispered, Crescent Rose held tight in her hands.
"They're more than Grimm now," Weiss added, voice strained. "They're something else entirely."
Jaune exhaled slowly. "Whatever they are, they need to be dealt with. If we're going to hold this area for Atlas to land their forces, we need to clear it out. The terrain is defensible, and this settlement is the closest landing zone. It's the best shot we have."
Autumn, perched calmly on Juniper's back, regarded Jaune with a tilt of her head. Her silver eyes seemed to see through him. "And how do you plan to deal with all of this? Kill them all?"
Jaune glanced at her, recognizing the quiet judgment in her tone. He didn't flinch. "If that's what it takes. No need to make it complicated."
Autumn let out a soft laugh, almost pitying. "Oh, you kids. Charging headfirst into slaughter."
Her tone was gentle, but there was something sharp beneath it, something hard-earned and deadly.
"What would you suggest, then?" Jaune asked, not defensively but genuinely curious.
"None," Autumn's eyes narrowed. "I'll thin them out. You handle the rest. That's what you called me here for, right?""
Without another word, Autumn's body dissolved into a swirl of multi-colored petals, vanishing from sight.
"Wait—Autumn!" Ruby called after her, but she was already gone.
Seconds later, a blinding flash of silver light erupted from the heart of the settlement. The Hounds, twenty of them, staggered as their monstrous forms began to turn to stone, their grotesque bodies cracking and crumbling. The effect was instant, merciless.
Then came the sound of steel. Autumn, now among them, moved like a blur. Sundered Rose tore through the stone flesh of the petrified Hounds, cleaving them in two with graceful, brutal efficiency.
But not all of them fell.
Several Hounds, faster and more resilient than the others, howled in fury, their guttural roars shaking the very air. Their cries weren't just noise. They were a summons. From the shadows of the broken buildings, more Grimm surged forward, drawn to the call.
Jaune's grip tightened on his sword. "Damn it. That's our cue."
"We need to move, now!" Pyrrha barked, drawing her spear.
Jaune turned to the others. "We keep the Grimm away from Autumn and clear this place out. Ren, mask us until we strike. Weiss, focus on locking down choke points. Ruby, Pyrrha, with me. Nora…"
Nora cracked her knuckles. "I smash."
"Exactly."
Ren's Semblance washed over them, masking their presence as they darted into the settlement. The air was thick with the scent of ash and decay. They saw the dead. Torn to shreds and vomited on the corner like puke.
Jaune led the charge, his sword flashing as he cut down a rushing Beowolf in a single stroke. Pyrrha followed in perfect sync, her Milo lancing through another Grimm. Ruby blurred past them, a flurry of rose petals as started carving through the Grimm with Crescent Rose.
Weiss raised Myrtenaster, summoning a wall of ice that split the street in two, funneling the Grimm into tighter paths where they could be picked off.
Nora, powered by Jaune's Aura amplification, was a force of nature. Her hammer shattered the ground, sending shockwaves that toppled the advancing Grimm.
Ren moved like a shadow, his strikes precise, his semblance cloaking them from Grimm's attention until it was too late.
But the Hounds were relentless.
One lunged at Jaune, faster than any Beowolf. Jaune barely raised his shield in time, the impact sending him skidding backward. The creature's eyes burned into him.
Jaune grunted, planting his feet. "These things don't go down easy!"
Pyrrha hurled her shield, striking the Hound in the side, but it barely flinched. No, it didn't feel any pain at all.
"They're resistant to normal attacks!" Weiss shouted. "Aim for the crystals!"
Jaune adjusted his grip. "Got it!"
He charged, sidestepping the Hound's swipe and driving Crocea Mors deep into the crystalline growth on its spine. The blade bit through, and the creature let out a shriek before collapsing.
Jaune yanked his sword free, exhaling steadily. "One down."
But more were coming.
Autumn appeared again in the distance, cutting through Grimm with swift, merciless strikes. She seems tireless.
"They just keep coming!" Ruby yelled, slicing through another wave.
"They're stalling us!" Jaune realized. "We need to end this now!"
He glanced at Autumn, who locked eyes with him and gave a brief nod. Understanding passed between them.
"Ruby, Pyrrha, cover me!" Jaune called.
He sprinted forward, Aura flaring, making himself a beacon. The Hounds turned, sensing the threat. Jaune leaped, slamming his shield into the nearest Hound, violently knocking it to the ground.
Autumn appeared behind another, her silver eyes flashing, turning it to stone before slicing it apart.
But it wasn't enough.
The largest Hound, towering above the others, snarled, its body covered in jagged crimson crystals.
"That's the alpha," Autumn said grimly.
Jaune squared his shoulders. "Then we take it down."
They moved together, Jaune and Autumn, a coordinated assault. Jaune drew its attention, slashing and blocking its savage strikes while Autumn weaved in, her blade carving through its defenses.
It roared, slamming Jaune aside. He grunted, rolling to his feet.
"Ruby! Now!" Jaune shouted.
Ruby lunged, Crescent Rose gleaming, slicing through the alpha's leg. It staggered.
Pyrrha's Milo followed, driving into its chest.
Autumn closed in, her silver eyes flashing one last time. The creature froze, then shattered into dust.
Silence fell.
The remaining Grimm, without their leaders, scattered or fell to the team's blades.
Jaune lowered his sword, catching his breath.
"It's done," Autumn said softly.
Jaune looked around. The settlement was theirs.
"For now," Jaune muttered. "Let's take a look."
The group regrouped in smoldering ruins of the settlement, the bitter scent of scorched earth and burnt flesh lingering in the air. The silence that followed the battle was unnerving, broken only by the crackling of dying fires and the distant growls of retreating Grimm.
Weiss, catching her breath, turned sharply towards Autumn, her eyes narrowed with frustration.
"Why did you rush in like that?" she demanded, her voice sharp with restrained anger.
Autumn, still poised and composed, leaned Sundered Rose on her shoulder. Her silver eyes glinted in the dim light as she regarded Weiss coolly.
"Because I'm strong," she replied simply, her tone carrying a quiet confidence. "And because it's easier that way."
Weiss's grip tightened on Myrtenaster. "Easier? Charging headfirst into those things could've gotten you killed!"
Autumn smiled faintly, unbothered by the scolding. "No offense, but I have more experience dealing with Grimm like these than any of you. Don't worry, princess, I won't risk you kids."
Pyrrha, still catching her breath, looked up with a furrowed brow. "You're familiar with the Hounds?"
Autumn's gaze softened slightly. "Not these ones, no. But I've faced Hounds before. But they're all the same in the end. They fall to Silver Eyes."
Ruby's eyes widened, glancing between Autumn and Weiss. "So… could I learn to do that too?"
Autumn turned her attention to Ruby, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "You can. All Silver-Eyed Warriors have the potential. But it's not something you just learn. It's something you discover. It's driven by a strong desire to protect life. That's where the power comes from. But some… learns it from pain."
Ruby's grip tightened on Crescent Rose, nodding slowly.
"Why can't we just flash them into stone?" Nora genuinely asked.
"But," Autumn laughed a little, "I can't go around blasting everything. Menagerie is crawling with Grimm. I need to conserve my strength."
Blake, standing off to the side, pulled herself together and began setting up the beacons they had brought. Small, portable communication devices to reach Sienna Khan. Trifa and Yuma landed the airship nearby, stepping off cautiously.
Blake spoke into the beacon, her voice steady despite the chaos around them. "This is Blake Belladonna. If anyone can hear me, respond."
Static.
She tried again. And again. But the only response was silence.
Jaune stepped forward. "Anything?"
Blake shook her head slowly. "Only a few weak signals, but… nothing promising."
It was then that one of the faunus villagers approached cautiously, face pale with exhaustion. Behind the faunus was a small group. "There's… something you need to see."
Jaune exchanged wary glances with Pyrrha, Weiss, and the others. Weapons drawn, they followed the villager to a large warehouse, its heavy double doors ominously closed. The villager hesitated, hand trembling as he pushed the doors open.
The stench hit them first.
Inside was a slaughterhouse.
Bodies. Faunus bodies. Torn apart and discarded like refuse, stacked carelessly atop one another. Blood soaked the wooden floorboards, congealing into dark pools. Claw marks raked the walls, and the air was thick with the iron scent of death.
Blake froze, her hand covering her mouth in horror. Ruby gagged, turning away as Weiss stumbled back, her complexion pale as she bent over and vomited onto the ground. Even Nora and Ren, hardened by their own experiences before Beacon, looked deeply disturbed.
Jaune stood still, his expression grim but controlled. His grip tightened on Crocea Mors, his knuckles white.
"These…" Blake's voice was barely a whisper. "These were the ones who… failed."
Weiss looked up sharply, wiping her mouth. "Failed?"
Blake's shoulders trembled. "Failed to become Hounds."
The realization hit them like a hammer. These were once people. Faunus who had been experimented on. Twisted into monsters. And those who couldn't be turned were slaughtered.
Autumn stood quietly near the doorway, eyes shadowed with sorrow. "We need to burn them," she said softly. "Or bury them. Let them rest."
Trifa and Yuma, standing behind them, looked on in silent horror. Trifa's usual somewhat smug demeanor faltered, and Yuma clenched his fists.
"We'll mark the place," Yuma muttered, voice heavy.
Jaune lowered himself to one knee beside Pyrrha, his armor groaning with the movement. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I shouldn't have brought you here. Seeing things like these."
Pyrrha, though pale, slowly shook her head. "We… wanted to be Huntsmen. This is what we signed up for."
Jaune's shoulders slumped, guilt gnawing at him. He stared at the carnage, feeling the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. "Still… I doubted your bravery. And that's on me."
Pyrrha placed her hand on his, her grip firm. "It's fine, Jaune. It's something we have to witness. Though I doubt I'd be able to slee as nice after this."
Jaune exhaled slowly, grounding himself.
Autumn, watching the exchange, finally spoke. "Mourn later. We need to finish this."
Weiss slowly straightened, her face pale but resolute. "She's right. We have to move forward."
Blake wiped her eyes, her voice steady despite the tremor. "I'll contact Sienna."
Jaune stood, Crocea Mors resting heavily on his shoulder. "And we need to secure this place. The longer we wait, the higher the risk."
Autumn's silver eyes gleamed. "Then let's not wait. I'll take Juniper around for a patrol. That okay?"
"Please be careful," Jaune urged, his voice steady but filled with concern.
Autumn offered a faint, wistful smile. "Take care of your friends, Jaune," she said softly. "You never know what you can lose in the blink of an eye."
Jaune hesitated, noticing the weight behind her words. He nodded slowly, uncertain how to respond to her tone.