AN: Holy shit, we've done it! We've made it to Chapter 50 of Wild Hunt. This is actually the second time a story of mine has made it to 50 chapters. It's certainly been a fun one, and I'm looking forward to more chapters. There are very few words to describe how wonderful it's been to see this story grow in popularity. Enjoy, everyone.
Chapter 50: Jormungandr
Hours earlier, Cinder Fall and her two associates had been hiding out in one of Roman Torchwick's old safehouses. The master thief may no longer be a free man, but that did not mean he still had his uses. Cinder still remembered the orders Salem had given her. "You will remain in Vale on standby, now that your injuries have healed and your mind cleared." She had said. "Once the opportunity presents itself, you will strike once more."
Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black both looked at their boss in concern. The past several weeks had not been kind to Cinder. First, she spent a significant amount of time recovering from the injuries she sustained at the hands of Hansel Kobalt, Professor Ozpin, and, most surprisingly, Ruby Rose. Even after, Cinder still sported an awful scar on her chest from where Ruby's strange power had struck her. It was a mark of great shame for the woman. Emerald and Mercury both learned early on not to mention it.
Then there was the intense mocking from Tyrian Callows and Arthur Watts, two more members of Salem's inner circle, a group known as WTCH. Cinder was a prideful woman. And their incessant taunting behind Salem's back only angered her more.
And then there was their actual boss, Salem, the monstrous woman behind it all. Salem herself did not express any dissatisfaction at Cinder's performance, which was admittedly a surprise. But she terrified both Mercury and Emerald. It felt as though Salem was choosing to be magnanimous in Cinder's failure for a very good reason, a reason known only to her. That was somehow more terrifying than her rage.
Then, the Seer–a jellyfish like Grimm that served as a method of communication between Salem and her forces–that Salem had loaned slithered up to Cinder. And the wicked voice of the wicked witch of Remnant, the queen of all Grimm, came out of it.
"I have a new assignment for you, my dear."
Cinder knelt in front of the Seer. "I am yours to command, Your Grace." She said obediently while Mercury and Emerald both shifted uncomfortably, clearly still terrified that there was actually someone out there that could command Cinder of all people.
"A spy of mine in Ozpin's inner circle has revealed to me that Pyrrha Nikos will be training in Ever After Forest today." Salem revealed. "This is the time for you to strike."
Cinder's eyes widened and immediately rose to her feet. "I will go immediately! I won't let you down!"
"I know you won't," Salem replied, "however, be warned, I am told that Glynda Goodwitch is training her today. In fact, I can only imagine quite a few students and teachers will be there to avoid arousing suspicion."
"That doesn't matter." Cinder asserted.
"It does," Salem said sharply, "You should keep in mind that the only reason you got away from her that one time was because Glynda Goodwitch, like all the Legends, is required to limit her power in populated areas. She will have no such constraints in such a wide open space."
"That is why you will be receiving some help." Salem revealed, before continuing, "Traveler, you can see her location, yes?"
Before Cinder could ask whom Salem was talking to, a portal suddenly appeared behind her. A dark-colored portal, where a man in a desert brown coat, sandy blonde hair and brown eyes strolled out with a smirk on his face. He then leisurely took a seat on a crate containing some of Roman's old shipments back when he was a free man.
"Who the hell are you?" Emerald was immediately put on guard while Mercury just folded his arms, more interested in the man's Semblance.
The man ignored Emerald and Mercury and looked at the Seer. "Worked great, Ms. Salem. It's like I told ya, as long as I can see the location, I can warp myself there."
"And I take it we will have no issues in what I am requiring of you?" Salem asked.
"It will be a bit taxing." The man yawned, "but I can do it. Just don't ask me to pick a fight with anyone afterwards and we'll call it good."
The man then turned to Cinder. "Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Desmond Travers. I'm one of Gray Jackal's Zeroes. But you may simply call me by my codename, Traveler."
"That Semblance is…" Cinder trailed off in surprise.
"A spatial-based one." Traveler nodded. "I can warp anywhere as long as I've either been there or someone shows me a real time image of it, like that Seer of yours. Between you and me though, it's much more precise if it's the latter. I have to mentally visualize the location otherwise and that's not always perfect."
"What exactly is a member of Gray Jackal doing here, Your Grace?" Cinder inquired.
"Insurance, my dear, in celebration of our new partnership. Someone with his Semblance is useful." Salem replied. "And it won't just be Traveler helping you."
"Who else?" Cinder narrowed her eyes, irritated at more people here to micromanage her.
The doors then suddenly opened. "That would be me, Cinder."
Everyone stared in shock as Hazel Rainhart trudged into the room. "I've already taken the liberty of informing the others of my plan today, and Hazel happened to be in the neighborhood, so he volunteered to help you."
"This amount of help is unnecessary, Your Grace." Cinder claimed.
"Your failure at the Vytal Festival says otherwise, Cinder." Salem replied, making Cinder flinch.
"Even if I accept Traveler's help though, I fail to see why Hazel has to be involved." Cinder claimed.
"I am here for one reason, and one reason only." Hazel glared at Cinder. "To make sure casualties are kept to a minimum. The only person who has to die today is Pyrrha Nikos, that's all."
Cinder glared back at Hazel. "If I see those brats who ruined everything during the Vytal Festival, you won't stop me from-"
"Might I remind you that Her Grace wants them both brought to her alive?" Hazel reminded her. Cinder flinched at this while Hazel continued, "Besides, the spy has informed us that Hansel Kobalt and Ruby Rose are currently absent, on the way back from Atlas."
Cinder scowled at this before sighing in defeat. "Very well, I shall accept your gracious help." She said through gritted teeth.
"Very good, Cinder, just trust in me and what I have planned and you will come out of this victorious, a complete Maiden." Salem assured her. "For I have a secret weapon that is on its way to the forest as we speak. It will be given to you to use as you see fit, my dear. As for Ozpin…well, our friends in Gray Jackal are already arranging for his removal."
"I have placed all the pieces necessary for your victory. Don't disappoint me."
And now, hours later, with the help of Traveler, Cinder Fall was staring Glynda Goodwitch in the face with Pyrrha Nikos close by. Flanking the perpetrator of the Vytal Festival attack was a small army of Beowolves, chomping at the bit for human flesh. "How did you get here?" Glynda demanded.
"With a little help from my friends, Professor." Cinder replied. "Did you honestly think I'd give up after a few failures?"
"I mean, you could have. We'd have all been better off for it." Glynda shot back.
Glynda then turned to Pyrrha. "Run, Ms. Nikos! Warn everyone else! Get them out of the forest!"
"I won't leave you!" Pyrrha immediately balked at the idea.
"It's you she's after. Therefore, your safety has to be prioritized!" Glynda insisted. "And I'm not giving you a choice!"
With a flick of the wrist, Pyrrha was lifted and flung out of sight, yelling for Glynda's safety. Cinder tried to fire a few fiery arrows at Pyrrha, only for Pyrrha's momentum to carry her far away from harm at the moment. "It's clear your time at Beacon was a waste, Ms. Fall. You should know I would never let you bring harm to any of my students."
"Like I said, I'm not alone." Cinder smirked, holding her arms out. "Feast, Beowolves. Perhaps devouring this one will allow you to grow and evolve to an Ancient Class Grimm!
The Beowolves all rushed Glynda at once. Glynda sighed and prepared her riding crop, The Disciplinarian. With a few flicks, Beowolves were lifted off the ground and flung towards Cinder, who was already attempting to use them as a distraction to go after Pyrrha. Cinder snarled and blasted them to cinders with her own fire.
"Another thing you clearly did not learn from your time at Beacon, Ms. Fall. 10th ranked I may be, I'm still one of the 10 Legends."
And I rose to my full potential…because you came into my life. Glynda acknowledged inwardly, picturing the face of her beloved adopted son. I wanted to do my part to create a better world for you.
Cinder scowled. "I told you, Ms. Fall," Glynda continued as several more Beowolves floated around her, flailing about "there is no way in hell I'm letting you have any of my students. And you certainly aren't going to take any sort of petty vengeance on my son."
Cinder scoffed at this. "Oh please, do you honestly expect me to buy the 'power of a mother's love for her child' schtick? That nonsense was played out for me years ago."
"If you insist on getting in my way, Goodwitch, you will die here."
Meanwhile, Pyrrha was suddenly flung into view of a very concerned Professor Greene and the rest of Team JNPR. "Pyrrha!" Jaune yelled worriedly, helping her to her feet.
"Ms. Nikos, what happened?" Ann asked. "Why did Glynda's Aura suddenly spike like there's danger!"
"Because there is!" Pyrrha yelled. "She's back! Cinder is back! She brought Beowolves…and apparently there are others running around too! Professor Goodwitch…she used her Semblance to get me to safety, told me to run!"
Ann hummed at this. "Well of course she did, as a professor of Beacon Academy, her first priority is the safety of her students."
It wasn't just that though, it's because Cinder…is after me! Pyrrha thought with a guilty expression on her face.
"Professor, what do we do?" Jaune asked, seeing the expression on Pyrrha's face.
"The answer to that is obvious, it's clear that Glynda intends to go all out, crush this threat and end it once and for all." Ann replied. "So we need to be as far away as possible."
"But what if Cinder planned for this?" Jaune asked. "Is it really alright to just abandon Professor Goodwitch and save ourselves?"
"If you want to get caught up in the path of a walking nuke, Mr. Arc, be my guest." Ann snapped. "Or do you perhaps need a reminder that at their peak, an S-Class fighter could change the landscape itself? That's how powerful they are! You have no place here except as far away as we can manage! We are retreating as far away from what is basically about to become ground zero as possible! That is an order from your teacher!"
Jaune gave Pyrrha an apologetic glance. "Now, we will move in this formation. Ms. Valkyrie, you will take the front. Mr. Arc, you will take the middle with Ms. Nikos. Keep her close to you. Mr. Ren, you will flank them. I will be at the very back, on the off chance Cinder Fall manages to slip past Glynda in the chaos."
"Come on people, move!"
Unbeknownst to everyone, Cinder had already planned ahead. Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black were currently on the other side of Ever After Forest, having snuck there with Emeralds Semblance.
"I hope this works," Emerald admitted, "Salem…it didn't sound like she was willing to accept another failure from Cinder."
"If you really think this is her last chance, you've still got a lot to learn, Em." Mercury sighed, cracking his neck. "But I'm the dumb one, right?"
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Emerald demanded.
"With how much Salem has invested in Cinder, Salem isn't just going to give up on her. The strictness, the harsh language, they're all just tools to motivate her pet. If Salem really was done with Cinder, she wouldn't waste time with words like 'don't disappoint me' and all that jazz. My old man was the same way. If he didn't say anything beyond what the job was, I knew he was at the end of his rope with me…it was how I knew it was crunch time."
"Oh good…I was getting worried about Cinder." Emerald admitted.
Mercury rolled his eyes, disgusted with Emerald's fanatical devotion to Cinder. Ever since he had joined up, it was Cinder this and Cinder that. He had been more than willing to put up with it because everything was going fine for such a long time.
However, things had been different, ever since the Vytal Festival. Cinder still had her goal of gaining the Fall Maiden's power in its entirety. But Mercury could tell she was also growing obsessed with Hansel Kobalt and Ruby Rose. The kind of obsession that caused missions to fail, and expendable peons to take the fall for it.
"Worry about us, you idiot. Cinder's not expendable, but we sure as shit are." He reminded her.
"Nobody's paying you to stay here, Merc." Emerald reminded him.
"I'm getting paid in the fact that I'm still alive and will have a place at the table once Salem's endgame takes effect, whatever the hell that is." Mercury replied. "If anything, I'm here for a better reason than you are. I'm here because I want to live and I actually want to be at the top of the food chain for once. You're here because you're an idiot who's deluded herself into thinking her mother/sister figure gives a shit about her."
Emerald glared at Mercury. "Touch a nerve, Em? You can bury your head in the sand all you want, it doesn't change the fact that it's true. Cinder's every bit the piece of shit my dad was. Manipulative, power-hungry and indifferent to people."
"Then why are you still here?" Emerald demanded. "Last time I checked, you hated your old man! That's why you killed him! If Cinder's just like he was, then why are you still around?"
"You clearly haven't been listening. I'm here because I want to live and be something for once, and not just my dad's punching bag." Mercury reminded her. "Like I said, Em, I'm here for way better reasons than yours. I'm being practical. I'm looking at the bigger picture. You're just delusional."
Emerald turned away from Mercury, no longer willing to look him in the eye. "Merc, I will seriously pay you to shut up." She snarled.
"So you've told me." Mercury sighed as the two resumed guard duty.
Meanwhile, Hazel Rainhart casually stepped over the unconscious form of Harold Mulberry. He gazed at the frightened expressions on Team CRDL's face, "Do not be alarmed, he is not dead." Hazel assured them. "In fact, you have no reason to fear me. Only one person has to die today."
"Cardin, what is this guy talking about?" Russel Thrush asked his leader and friend.
"The hell if I know!" Cardin Winchester replied.
"Pyrrha Nikos, tell me where she is, and we will go our separate ways." Hazel promised.
"The hell? Why would he want to know Nikos' location?" Sky Lark wondered.
Hazel sighed. "No, I suppose it doesn't make sense that you would know her location. Forgive me, it seems I've wasted both of our time. I'll be on my way."
Hazel turned away from Team CRDL. "Cardin, we should retreat." Dove Bronzewing suggested. "I mean, the guy one-shotted Professor Mulberry. We should retreat and try to get some help."
"Yeah, he's definitely out of our league, and I can't deny that Nikos getting knocked down a peg or ten would be pretty damn satisfying." Cardin narrowed his eyes. "But straight up murder? That's a bridge too far."
"And besides, this guy's being a real jerk about the whole thing. So let's kick his ass!" Cardin declared as he readied his mace, The Executioner, which suddenly lit on fire.
Cardin Winchester's Semblance: Immolation. He can set non-living material on fire with direct touch and manipulate the flames. However, the only way to create the fire is through direct physical contact and channeling Aura.
"Take this!" Cardin yelled, swinging The Executioner like a baseball bat and launching a fireball at Hazel like a fastball.
Hazel looked over his shoulder and sighed. "Fool." He muttered as the fireball made contact with him, exploding upon impact.
"Rush him!" Cardin yelled to his team.
Team CRDL yelled as they bravely–and recklessly–charged Hazel Rainhart. As the fire began to let up, the four boys swung their weapons simultaneously. The weapons made contact, only to suddenly bounce off harmlessly. The force of the attacks instead were reflected into their own arms, drawing cries of pain from all four of them.
Cardin, however, was quick to recover and swung The Executioner right into Hazel's jaw, only for the results to repeat themselves. Hazel sighed, not even bothered by the blow to the jaw. In fact, he had not budged in the slightest ever since the fireball.
"It seems that Ozpin is still quite good at teaching children to throw their lives away against an opponent they cannot beat. How despicable." Hazel scowled.
"And what do you know about him?" Cardin demanded.
"More than you, boy." Hazel claimed, only to receive another blow from The Executioner that was barely even noticed. Hazel was shrugging off all these attacks with the ease of a fly landing gently on someone.
"Now then, since you were all clearly cursed with terrible teachers, allow me to offer you a free lesson instead." Hazel offered.
Hazel shrugged off a blow to the abs. "The reason your attacks are doing nothing against me is quite simple. My Aura is simply that superior to your attacks. Anything you throw at me has no hope of making me budge, or even harming me for that matter. We can stand here all day, and I can just allow you to attack me like such, and you'd all be nowhere close to stopping me."
"Unfortunately, I cannot simply stand here." With that, Hazel threw a punch outwards that struck Sky in the jaw, sending him flying into a tree.
Sky slumped to the ground, unconscious. He did not even make a single sound of pain. Hazel had knocked him out before his mind could even register what had happened. "Sky!" Dove yelled before Hazel drove him into the ground with a karate chop to the back of the head. Dove was left lying there, much like his comrade.
"Damn!" Russel yelled as he began swinging his blades wildly at Hazel, desperately trying to find some kind of weak point.
However, the blowback from the attacks quickly became too much and Russel dropped his blades. Hazel then planted his foot right into Russel's chest, sending him flying backwards. Cardin, for his part, could only watch in utter horror as his teammates were all utterly decimated in one blow after another.
The terror turned to reckless courage once more as Cardin threw another swing at Hazel's jaw. He could only yell in pain as the force of the attack was turned on him. "This is not courage, boy." Hazel warned him. "This is utter foolishness. But I'd expect nothing less from students taught by a man who sends children to their deaths."
Hazel then punched Cardin in the stomach, making him slump over, vomiting up his lunch in the process. "Now then, perhaps consider thinking about your futures here. Worry not, you will not lose your lives today."
"Only one person has to die today, and I intend to make sure of that."
With that, Hazel began to walk away once more. Cardin's vision started to blur slightly from the pain from that single jab to the stomach. Fuck that! Do you really think that I'm just gonna let you walk away after pulling that shit? Cardin's rage actually managed to unblur his vision.
Suddenly, a memory of a meeting with a certain combat professor came to mind.
"Am I in trouble?" Cardin asked as he took a seat across Hansel Kobalt.
"I call you into my office and that's the first thing you ask me? You must have quite the guilty conscience, Winchester." Hansel mused.
"No, you're not in trouble." Hansel promised. "Rather, I just want to take a moment to lay down the law with you before the second semester ends and your second year here at Beacon begins."
Cardin was very confused by what Hansel was talking about. This was a few days before Hansel would leave for Atlas with Team RWBY. "I've been taking the opportunity to review the files of the students here. And I wanted to speak with you about yours, as the leader of Team CRDL, and as Cardin Winchester."
"Look, whatever's in my file-"
Hansel was quick to cut him off. "I'm not interested in any bullshit, Winchester. Do you think I don't know bullies when I see them? And then there's your record of exactly that. Practically the entirety of Team JNPR, especially Arc, Scarlatina, every known Faunus student in this school. You've built up quite the rap sheet. The fact that Professor Ozpin hasn't expelled you and your team yet astounds me."
"Who the fuck do you think you are calling me out on that?" Cardin demanded, slamming his hands on the table. "What about the shit you pulled on Rose on your first day here, huh? If that's not bullying, what is?"
Hansel's expression changed at the mention of that. Cardin smirked, thinking he had gotten Hansel with that comment. Then, Hansel took a deep breath. "I have never once tried to run from that mistake." He revealed. "I lost my temper and took it out on someone who didn't deserve it. I freely acknowledge that."
"What I did was childish, and frankly, seriously fucked up. I won't deny otherwise. I fucked up, and I hurt someone who I shouldn't have. Because of that, I'm trying to do better now." Hansel acknowledged.
Hansel then narrowed his eyes at Cardin. "The difference between us, Winchester, is that I've acknowledged my mistakes. I'm not trying to run from them or make excuses. I'm learning from them, and trying to be better from now on."
"You, on the other hand, don't seem interested in that." Hansel's rough expression became a full-on glare.
Cardin was now sweating under the collar, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Does it make you feel like a man, acting bigger than everyone else and lording over them all?" Hansel demanded.
"I-" Cardin began.
"What, did you think that you could be a Huntsman because of that kind of attitude? Did you think that it would make you even more of a man and you could lord over other people?"
"I-" Cardin was sputtering now. For the first time in a long time, he was left feeling much smaller than the person in front of him. It scared him. Especially since he knew there was no way he could escape from Hansel when he was on the verbal warpath. No one could escape him.
"Someone with your attitude has no hope of becoming a Huntsman, Winchester. If it were up to me, I'd expel you and the three stooges who cling to you and help you in your bullshit." Hansel bluntly told him. "But, the fact that you're still here means that Professor Ozpin sees something in you that I certainly don't, so I suggest you shape up."
Hansel then looked Cardin dead in the eye. "If that's not enough for you, then let me offer you a piece of advice about our line of work. The world of professional Huntsmen is for real men."
"Not for guys who think they're men."
As the memory flashed through Cardin's mind, the Beacon student snarled with rage as he rose to his feet. You know what, Teach? With all due respect, go fuck yourself. I only think I'm a man, huh?
Well, piss on you, because I ain't letting anyone outdo me, not Nikos, not Jaune, and certainly not a crazy son of a bitch like you! You want me to try and act like what you think defines a real man? Bring it on, asshole! Challenge! Fucking! Accepted!
As Cardin thought about it, he realized that Hansel had not actually defined the concept of a real man. So, Cardin was forced to come up with his own definition based on his experiences with Hansel.
A real man is willing to admit his mistakes. A real man doesn't lord his power over people weaker than him. A real man doesn't give up against bad guys like the guy who was turning his back on Cardin.
Most importantly, a real man is tough in the face of adversity, even if the odds are stacked against him.
Ironically, leaving things vague may have very well been Hansel's intention. Alas, the world may never know, considering Hansel has admitted to not being the deepest of thinkers with multi-layered plans.
The flames on Cardin's Executioner danced as they grew to greater sizes than before. Cardin grit his teeth as he poured every ounce of what was left of his Aura into one final attack. "Got something for ya, asshole!" Cardin screamed, swinging The Executioner one more time and launching a fireball the size of a two story house.
Hazel looked back and glowered at the giant fireball that towered over even him. The impact created an explosion the size of a building larger than two stories, but no bigger than ten.
Meanwhile, Team CFVY and Professor Peach suddenly had their attention drawn to the fireball. "The hell is that?" Coco Adel exclaimed.
"Trouble," Peach noted. "Let's head there. Our first priority should be evacuating the underclassmen."
Back at ground zero, Cardin panted as he glowered at the forest fire he created with Hazel at the center of it all. "How was that, huh Teach?" He wondered out loud. "Was that…manly…enough…for ya…"
Cardin collapsed, completely drained of his Aura. Much like his teammates, he was unconscious before he hit the floor. Unbeknownst to Cardin, a sudden pressure of Aura quickly suffocated the flames, putting them out. Hazel Rainhart stood unharmed.
"Hmph, that actually made me take a step back." He mused, looking at his right leg, which had indeed been moved a foot back from the impact of the explosion.
Hazel then took note of the unconscious Cardin. "Such a pity," he lamented, "you don't know that your last, desperate blast, did absolutely nothing to me."
"I suppose that's preferable. Slip into unconsciousness believing you made a difference, boy." Hazel told Cardin before turning to walk away once more, this time, no one would be following.
Hazel would not take their lives, just as promised. Only one person needed to die today, and as much as it bothered Hazel that the one necessary death was a child, it was a necessary step to take in the ultimate defeat of Ozpin. The REAL villain of this story.
Back with Glynda, the Witch of Beacon was still effortlessly flinging the Beowolves back at Cinder, effectively keeping the Half-Maiden pinned in place. Damn it, she's not trying to win at the moment…she's trying to buy the girl as much time as possible to flee. Cinder quickly realized.
The weapon…Her Grace's secret weapon, if it could just show up at any time now that would be great!
Cinder then cut a Beowolf thrown directly at her in half. "Mangy, useless dingos." She growled under her breath.
Then, before Cinder could react, she was suddenly lifted into the air and pinned against a tree by Glynda herself. "This little game is over, Cinder." Glynda revealed. "I couldn't stop you in the city, but I will certainly take you down here."
"It's such a pity, isn't it?" Cinder smirked. "If you people were just willing to make a few necessary sacrifices here and there, you might've been able to stop the Vytal Festival Incident before it even started."
"'Necessary sacrifices'." Glynda scoffed. "Do you know what the thing about 'necessary sacrifices' is, Ms. Fall? The ones who preach and extol them are never the ones who actually sacrifice a damn thing of value. Sacrifice is being forced to put down someone you love before they hurt anyone else."
"Sacrifice is something you decide that affects you, not others. Sacrificing people who have no say in the process isn't sacrifice at all, it's just pure selfishness, and the result of lunatics and dictators on power trips."
Glynda smirked. "Now that I think of it, I guess you would take that attitude."
Cinder glared at Glynda. "I told you to keep those FUCKING platitudes to yourself!" She yelled as the flames around her eye flared up.
Glynda responded by increasing the pressure on her Semblance, pushing Cinder harder against the trunk to the point where it was actually starting to crack. "There are only two ways this ends, Ms. Fall." Glynda told her. "I can either press down harder until you pop, or I can lift up something to crush you flat against that tree. I see a couple big rocks nearby that could turn you into paste."
"You'd really kill me? Not gonna interrogate me?" Cinder smirked.
Glynda sighed. "I suppose you are too intelligent for a bluff like that. No, you will be taken alive so that your powers can be transferred to Ms. Nikos." Glynda's glare returned. "But make no mistake, I can make you pass out in some very painful ways. After what you've done, that's the least you deserved."
"This is where it ends, Ms. Fall. No more Maiden powers, no more terrorist acts, and no more attempts on the lives of our students. You're done."
At that moment, Cinder sensed it. It was here. She started laughing. It was a cruel, but also very amused laugh; enough to actually unnerve even Glynda. "Done? I've only just gotten started!" Cinder declared.
"Now look at who's trying to bluff." Glynda regained her composure. "You cannot beat me, Ms. Fall, not with only half of the Fall Maiden's powers."
"I know that I can't beat you, Professor Goodwitch. Why do you think I've tried to avoid entanglements with you and Ozpin?" Cinder smirked. "But that's just the thing, I never had to beat you, I just had to stall you long enough for my help to arrive."
At that moment, the ground began to shake, Glynda was taken off guard by the suddenness and lost her concentration. Cinder calmly landed on her feet, laughing as a fissure opened between the two of them. Glynda's eyes widened. No…this is…
Suddenly something with the width equalling a super stretch limousine's length (30 feet) shot out of the ground. Glynda watched in horror as it just kept going higher and higher and higher, to the point where it probably reached 500 feet into the sky. The monstrous Grimm then let out an unearthly hiss as it bared two fangs down at the lone Huntress.
"Now, remind me again, what is the main duty of one of the 10 Legends?" Cinder mocked. "Oh, that's right, hunting Ancient-Class Grimm! Oh, and what luck! Here's one now!"
Damn it, I miscalculated. I should've realized that Salem would go to lengths like these to get Cinder the full power of Fall! Glynda lamented.
"Allow me to introduce the legendary Ancient Grimm, the World Serpent!" Cinder declared. "Jormungandr!"
AN: How do you make Grimm intimidating? By creating a Grimm named for the World Serpent of Norse mythos: Jormungandr.
And, as promised, we've got the first of many chapters of Hazel being a freaking juggernaut. Also some genuine character development from Cardin of all people.
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter 50 milestone of Wild Hunt. I'll see you all next time. Check out my original content on Amazon, the RWBY: Wild Hunt TV Tropes page.