LOCATION: Unknown - Ruin Area
Fragmented memories of the fall began to surface as Weiss slowly regained her senses. She could feel the relentless pull of gravity dragging her down through the inky blackness, each moment stretching into eternity as she spiraled deeper into the abyss. The chilling sensation of the water enveloping her was overwhelming, and just as her vision blurred and consciousness slipped away, she recalled the eerie silence that accompanied her descent. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself in a dimly lit, ancient chamber, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and decay. Despite the disorienting experience, she felt a strange sense of vitality coursing through her, as if the depths had somehow revitalized her spirit.
Weiss's heart raced when the chill of the rocky floor echoed in her skull. She began to assess her surroundings with a newfound clarity. She turned sharply, her breath hitching at the sight of Yang and Blake, motionless and vulnerable, sprawled on the uneven ground. Panic surged through her as she scanned the ominous landscape around them. Above, the sky was a tumultuous swirl of dark clouds, tinged with an unsettling blue glow, casting eerie shadows over the ancient ruins that loomed around them. The air was thick with smoke, mingling with the scent of decay, and Weiss felt a shiver run down her spine.
This place, with its crumbling brick walls and jagged rocks, felt like a sinister echo of her deepest fears, a nightmare made real that threatened to swallow them whole. The longer Weiss sat there, the more unnatural the realm seemed to become. Hidden beast howled in the smoke. Silhouettes of immense creatures, as big as airships, flew through the sky. She even heard a faint, distant bellow of a Goliath somewhere in the new realm. Desperation clawed at her throat as she fought to gather her thoughts, determined to awaken her friends and escape this haunting new world before it consumed them.
"Blake? Blake, wake up," Weiss called, gently shaking her teammate. Weiss repeated herself a bit louder when Blake didn't respond.
This seemed to work as Weiss heard a groan while also seeing the latter fluttering her amber eyes open. Weiss left Blake alone and headed over to Yang, repeating the same process she did with said latter. This took time as the same fatigue that had come over to Weiss was now on them; she waited for it to wear off on them, and once the pair was fully awake, Yang immediately stood upright when the last remnant of her memories emerged.
"Ruby?" Yang called, assessing her surroundings frantically. "Ruby?!"
"Shh," Weiss hissed. "Keep it down. I'm sure Ruby is fine, but we won't be if you continue to scream."
Yang rounded on Weiss. Parting her mouth to say something, until she paused. She retrieved her scroll, checking to see if it would be able to pick up anyone else's signal. She blinked in surprise when the device suddenly rang and the caller was Ruby. She tapped her thumb on the screen, answering the call.
"Ruby...?" Yang anticipated a response.
"YANG!" Ruby shrilled in response over the scroll. "YOU'RE ALIVE?! WHERE ARE YOU?! I CAN'T FIND-"
"Sssshhhh..." Yang hissed. "We're not...in a safe place..."
"Obviously…" Weiss muttered under her breath.
"...Where are we?" Ruby asked, meekly. "I-Is Weiss and Blake..?"
"Yeah," Yang replied, turning her gaze toward Weiss and Blake. "They're with me. But I don't know where the others are."
Blake pulled out her scroll. She began tapping her thumb on numbers before bringing the device up to her ear. Weiss emulated her teammate's actions and brought her scroll up to her ear. The pair waited for a moment until their call was answered.
"Izuku?" Blake called, worry lacing her tone. "Are you—"
"I'M HERE!" Izuku replied through a cry. "I CAN'T TALK RIGHT—GAH—NOW! I'M MARKING A WAYPOINT ON THE COMPASS ON YOUR SCROLLS! MEET ME AND AMBER THERE!"
The call ends abruptly. Not long after it ended, Weiss's call was also answered.
"PYRRHA, WATCH OU—GAH!" Jaune cried during the call. "HELLO, WEISS?!"
"Jaune!" Weiss returned, glancing up at the dark sky upon seeing a Nevermore soaring nearby. "Where are you?!"
"I don't know! We're in a wide space area, and there's Grimm everywhere," Jaune replied. "My team and I are holding them off, but we could use some assistance!"
"Okay, can you send us a location?" Yang inquired, determination set in her narrow eyes.
"Yeah, sending it to you now!" Jaune shouted.
The trio looked down at their screens. The map revealed the image of the world they were in being displayed. In the background was a small but wide area, which the girls deduced was where they were standing. They could see two objects pulsing on the screen with names written neatly on top of them. One had Team JNPR and the other was Midoriya's primary location for all of them to regroup in.
"I'm not too far from you guys! We'll find you as fast as we can. Just hang in there!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Gah—We'll tr—Nora! Get down!" Jaune cried.
Jaune's cry was the last thing they heard before the call ended.
A sudden roar from behind alarmed the girls. Yang turned around to find the source, only to backflip out of the way of a massive claw swipe. Two Ursai charged toward the trio; one charged after her, and the other sped toward Weiss and Blake. Yang rolled to the side as the second Ursa swung for her head, quickly activating her Ember Celica, and stared her opponents down. She dodged underneath another claw swipe, sending a punch into the Ursa's chest.
A shotgun blast from her gauntlet accompanied the punch. Three more were beaten into the Grimm, forcing it to stumble backward on its hind legs. Another Ursai attempted to pounce the blonde girl from behind, but she back-flipped over the creature, landing behind the beast and shooting forward with fiery speed. She buried her fist into the first one's stomach, following up with a relentless barrage of punches, shotgun blasts, and kicks. The ursa was dead before it even hit the ground.
The trio pressed their backs against each other as they scanned their surroundings. Finding themselves surrounded by another pair of Ursa and a small pack of Beowolves.
They assume their battle stance in preparation for a fight.
LOCATION: Unknown - East side - Hallway
Ruby Rose rounded a corner and sprinted forward. Her heart raced as she navigated the terrifying landscape. She felt as though she was trapped in a nightmare, a far cry from the thrilling adventures she had envisioned as a future Huntress. Instead of vibrant and exciting places, she found herself surrounded by the ominous presence of Grimm, their haunting forms lurking in the shadows. The weight of this harsh reality pressed down on her, threatening to crush her spirit and make her want to curl up and hide from it all.
Yet, deep within her, a flicker of determination ignited. She knew she had to stay strong, not just for her own sake but for the sake of her friends who depended on her courage in this dark world. With each step, Ruby reminded herself of her purpose, fueling her resolve to fight back against the nightmares that threatened to engulf them all.
Ruby blinked. She glanced up in time to see a Beowolf leap off a cliff, descending towards her with its right claw raised above its head. Followed by a roar that shook the young huntress in training. She dodged the Beowolf's claw by leaping backward as the creature landed on the ground with a thud. Cracking said ground into a spiderweb.
Ruby quickly ran up from the Grimm's wrist, up to its arm and jumped high in the air. Using the momentum, Ruby reached down the grip of Crescent Rose and rolled around midair. The hybrid weapon mechanically transformed by extension before she aimed and fired. Half of the Alpha Beowolf's head exploded as its legs trembled. Its body fell lifelessly on the floor.
Upon landing another Beowolf crawled towards her down the narrow hall and pounced. Ruby casually jumped over the Grimm and pumped a round onto the Beowolf's back then straightened herself to cock the chamber back. Another round shoots through the barrel of Crescent Rose, piercing through a Beowolf's hip. Ripping chunks off of said hip, the Grimm fell to the ground as life withered away.
Ruby landed on her back, rolled up on one knee, turned to her right, and fired. The shot powerfully kicked her back, sending her flying five feet away from the Beowolves. She rolled back onto her feet and began spinning her Crescent Rose. The hybrid weapon once again shifted and extended. Transforming into a giant war scythe.
Another Beowolf charged at Ruby with a roar. Ruby spun her scythe around and brought the curved blade over the wolf's back. The Grimm snapped its gaze at Ruby. Determination set in Ruby's narrowed eyes as she flexed her finger on the trigger and brought the blade down hard. Slicing through half of its body in two.
Ruby snapped her gaze up in time to see yet another Beowolf. However, this one was bigger—an alpha, speeding towards her with a growl. Ruby yelped and stabbed the tip of Crescent Rose on the ground. The blade plunged to said ground with enough force to crack open mini-size debris. She followed up by spinning around at the last second by outstretching her legs, kicking the alpha Beowolf on its snout, and sending it flying. The creature collided its back on the wall, cracking the wall so hard that spider-web across it from the impact.
Ruby pulled the blade out from the ground as she landed on her feet. She discharged a round to grant herself additional speed. With a scythe poised for the neck, she propelled herself towards the alpha. Colliding with the bird with an immense force, firmly planting her feet into the cliff face. Wasting no, she activated her semblance, propelling herself upwards along the wall in a flurry of rose petals, steadily increasing her velocity.
Ruby effortlessly hauled the alpha up a sheer cliff wall, utilizing the recoil from her weapon to aid in the ascent. The alpha futilely struggled as they reached the summit. Firmly grasping the shaft of Crescent Rose, Ruby swung her weapon and severed its head in a gushing fountain of black blood. With a breathless landing, she turned to observe the remnants of the alpha tumbling on the rocky floor.
Multiple barks and howls echoed from down the hall. Ruby turned to her left and saw a pack of beowolves charging towards her. She leaped into the air, enveloped in a mesmerizing vortex of spinning rose petals with remarkable agility, and propelled herself toward the speeding pack. She slashed all of them in half from the waist with effortless ease, landing on one knee with her head lowered.
Ruby quickly scanned her surroundings. Once she saw there weren't any more Grimm, she let out a collective sigh. She proceeded to sprint down the winding hall, rounding corner after corner, until she looked ahead and saw the end of the hallway a few meters beyond. She planted her heel on the ground and staggered to a stop at the edge cliff face. She looked down and saw Jaune and his teammates nearly sixty feet below. The team was surrounded by Beowolves and Ursa stalking towards them.
Ruby leaped off the cliff with a yelp. She aimed Crescent Rose at her targets, firing each one at the head, knocking them back a couple of feet away from Team JNPR. The creatures landed on their backs and withered away in black dust. She shot a round below her feet to soften her landing as she landed beside Jaune. The latter turned his gaze towards her. Surprise to see her appearing out of nowhere.
"Ruby!" Jaune was surprised.
"Made it just in time," Ruby said, glancing at Jaune. "Are you guys okay?"
"Yeah, we're good," Jaune replied, nodding his head.
"Heads up, guys!" Nora announced, pointing her finger.
Ruby and Jaune faced forward. They saw more Beowolves and Ursa charging towards them at full speed.
The group assumed their battle stances and waited for the fast-approaching Grimm.
LOCATION: Unknown - South side - Unknown Area
Midoriya Izuku's fist punched through the winged Beowolf's head. As the punch created an explosion of black mist, he followed up by activating the seventh user's Float quirk and flew above the pack. He stared down at them with narrowed eyes before outstretching his arms, discharging tendrils of Blackwhip toward the Beowolves, coiling around all of them tightly. Izuku lifted them in the air and spun around in an emerald vortex, then released his grip on them. Sending them flying fast until his targets collided hard on the walls and rocky pillars, exploding in a black mist on impact.
Izuku landed back on the ground, looked over his shoulder, and found himself facing a giant Ursa that lashed out its claws at him. He dodged from one slash to another, sliding under its legs while gracefully and carefully pulling the still-unconscious Fall Maiden with him. He subconsciously shoots out a dark tendril at the creature's leg to trip it up. Izuku leaped high in the air, slamming a Manchester Smash down onto its back while it was stunned, causing it to roar in pain before jumping into the air again to deliver a Texas Smash to its skull, shattering it and killing the beast. Izuku lands on the ground while gently laying Amber back on the ground. He immediately approaches her and crouches down to one knee.
"Amber! Amber, please, wake up," Izuku called, placing his hand on her shoulder and gently nudging her.
Amber's eyelids twitch. Her eyes fluttered open and gazed up at Izuku. The latter smiled in relief.
"Thank goodness," Izuku said softly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Amber propped herself up. She sat on her rear, massaging her temples as her eyes closed. As she opened her eyes, she scanned her surroundings and blinked in surprise.
"Izuku… are we?" Amber asked, turning her gaze back to her guardian. Izuku nodded his head.
"Yeah," Izuku replied.
Izuku extended his hand toward her. She took it as the young hero lifted her on her feet.
"I've already pinpointed where the others are," Izuku began, his countenance twisting from soft to serious. "Jaune and his team are dealing with a horde of Grimm as we speak, and Ruby is assisting them. Yang, Blake, and Weiss are also dealing with Grimm on their end and we need to go and help them."
Amber narrowed her eyes with determination set in them.
"Then let's not waste any more time," Amber said.
Izuku nodded in agreement. He turned around with his back facing Amber, then jabbed his thumb over his back.
"H-Hop on my back," Izuku said, looking at Amber over his shoulder.
Amber blinked in confusion. She stepped closer to him with a sudden burst of courage, encircling her arms around his neck, feeling the warmth radiating from his body. Izuku went stiff, his mind racing with the realization that a girl was now riding on his back, her breath warm against his ear. The unexpected closeness sent his thoughts spiraling, but he shook off the distraction, forcing himself to concentrate on the moment. He could feel the weight of her trust, and it ignited a determination within him.
"A-Are you on tight?" Izuku asked. Amber nodded. "Okay, now I have to warn you. What are you about to see is gonna look... weird."
Amber looked at him with bewilderment washing their countenance. Dark tendrils of BlackWhip emerged from his hips. Amber perked up, a bit surprised as she watched each tendril wrapping all around her. Another tendril slowly coiled around her waist for extra precaution.
"Woah, what is this?" Amber wondered aloud.
Izuku glanced at Amber over his shoulder.
"This is a fifth of one of my Quirks: Blackwhip," Izuku explained. "It is a top-grade Quirk; It's useful for capturing enemies, and increasing one's mobility by grabbing onto objects. It grants the user the ability to produce energy tendrils from any part of their body and command them at will. This Quirk is also powered by emotions, primarily anger, meaning the greater the anger, the stronger the Quirk becomes."
Amber absorbed the information quietly. She continued to stare at the tendrils, enraptured by their movements.
"Are you ready?" Izuku queried.
"Yeah," Amber responded quickly, gazing back at him with a nod.
Izuku ascended into the air with a great leap. The wind whipped the trio's faces as they rose to the clear sky. Ascending higher and higher.
"Okay, hang on tight," Izuku cautioned before pulling his arms behind him.
Bright red veins appeared over Izuku's person. Said veins danced around his body in loops, reaching up to his forehead and ending in a cross. They disappeared in a flash as crackles of emerald energy shrouded his body. He charges the power of One for All by flexing both of his fingers, all the while facing forward.
'One for All: Full Cowling... 15%!' He mentally shouted as he flicked his fingers, propelling himself forward with incredible speed.
Air whooshed around them as they sped forward a bit. Said air was thin and cool, black clouds swirled above them, and the only sound they heard was that of the wind. After a few minutes, Amber perked up when she saw something in the far distance.
"There, I see them!" Amber pointed with her finger.
Izuku peered ahead in the direction Amber was pointing. He can see the trio from afar below; Yang, Blake, and Weiss battling against a group of Ursa and a small pack of Beowolves.
Izuku deepened his narrowed eyes and began ascending fast towards them.
Yang's fierce battle cry echoed through the battlefield as she charged forward at the Ursa. Each punch landed with precise ferocity against the Ursa, causing the creature to stagger under the relentless assault. Its growls were drowned out by the thunderous shotgun blasts that Yang unleashed, followed by powerful kicks that sent the Ursa sprawling to the ground, lifeless. Blake sprinted along the barrel of her weapon, her agility on full display as she leaped into the air.
With Gambol Shroud spinning gracefully from its ribbon, she expertly sliced through the Beowolves that lunged at her, their shadows flickering against the ground as they fell. Just as the Ursa bore down on Yang, it was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of Blake, whose ribbon snaked around its throat. With a swift tug, the secretive cat Faunus yanked the massive creature backward, sending it crashing onto its back with a resounding thud, the ground trembling beneath the impact.
Weiss sprinted toward the Ursa, her heart racing with adrenaline as she leaped into the air. In a split second, she conjured a black Glyph midair, her focus unwavering. With a powerful thrust, she propelled herself downward, driving her weapon deep into the underbelly of the downed Grimm, ending its threat instantly. As she landed gracefully, the ground shook beneath her from the ferocious roar of a Boarbatusk charging at her.
Quick on her feet, she rolled aside just in time to evade its razor-sharp tusk, watching as the creature pivoted to confront her again. Suddenly, two more Boarbatusks joined the fray, flanking their companion. Just as Weiss and Yang prepared to strategize their next move, two energized dark tendrils shot forth, weaving through the chaos to latch onto nearby rocks, creating a makeshift barrier against the impending onslaught of the Boarbatusk trio.
Izuku launched himself past Yang and Weiss. Planting both of his feet on the first Boarbatusk's face, and kicked it with enough power to send it crashing into a rock, much to the other two creature's shock. He landed on one knee, placing his hand on the ground to balance himself. He looked over his shoulder as he saw the Boarbatusk went on the attack. He sidestepped in the nick of time, then kicked it hard on the side of its face. The force of his kick sent the Grimm flying before exploding in a black mist.
The only remaining Boarbatusk roared with rage for its fallen pack members. The creature rolled into a ball and spun toward Izuku at high speed. However, Weiss conjured a Glyph to break its advance, knocking it on its back. But before the heiress conjured another Glyph, the Grimm was suddenly engulfed in flames. Weiss retreated backward in shock as she watched Boarbatusk flailing its limbs in agony. The creature proceeded to shriek in pain before disintegrating into black particles.
"Sorry, we're late."
Weiss, Yang, and Blake turned their gaze toward the voice. Amber approached them with her staff in hand, smiling at the trio. The girls smiled back at their friend in return.
"No, you came just in time," Blake assured her.
A roar from a Beowolf drew them out of their conversation. They snapped their heads toward the source and saw a giant Beowolf charging at them. Izuku and Yang exchanged glances before shifting their gaze back at the beast. Izuku sprinted toward the charging Grimm, while Yang trailed behind in speed. The young hero set one foot forward and the other retreated backwards. Kicking off faster with his heel, he slams both feet into the ground creating a small crater, which is quickly followed by lunging forward with incredible speed. He reached towards Grimm first, swung his fist emerald energy crackling around it, and punched the creature square in its chest.
The Beowolf roared in pain as the force of Izuku's punch sent it flying. Followed by wind pressure that expanded outward in a ring, causing everything to rattle and shake by its powerful force. Izuku landed on the ground, anchored his arm behind him, and discharged a tendril of Blackwhip that found leveraged in Yang's grasp. Izuku pulled hard with a grunt, throwing the blonde brawler towards her target with incredible fiery speed. Yang's lilac eyes flashed in scarlet, her hair ignited in flames, and she clamped her fist that contained the potency of all the blows she received from her assailants. Yang released a battle cry as she buried said fist into the same spot where the former had struck.
A blast of wind pressure and fire from her Ember Celica accompanied the punch. She followed up with a relentless barrage of punches and shotgun blasts. The Beowolf exploded in black mist as Yang landed by rolling on the ground, then quickly stood up to watch the creature's remnants fade away over her shoulder. A satisfactory grin graced the blonde brawler's face. She rolled her body around in time to see Izuku, Weiss, and Blake approaching her. Black particles of the remaining Grimm the pair were fighting earlier being whisked away by the wind.
"Thanks for the assist," Yang said, smiling at the young hero.
"Same to you," Izuku replied, nodding his head.
"Alright, let's get going and help our friends," Amber said, looking between Weiss, Blake, and Yang. She shifted her gaze back at Izuku. "Izuku, take us up."
"Okay," Izuku responded, nodding his head.
Izuku rolled his body as Amber stepped forward. Her arms gracefully encircled his neck, a gesture of trust and connection. From his hips, dark tendrils of BlackWhip emerged, slithering like shadows in the dim light, each one wrapped tightly around her, creating a protective barrier. The air crackled with energy as another tendril extended toward Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Its slow, deliberate motion coils around their waists, binding them together in this moment of unity and strength.
"Oookay, this isn't weird at all," Yang sarcastically said under her breath.
"Hang on!" Izuku warned his friends.
Izuku soared into the sky with an exhilarating leap. The familiar sensation of One for All ignited within him as vibrant emerald energy enveloped his form. The wind rushed past, a fierce gale that whipped at the faces of his companions, their expressions a mix of awe and exhilaration as they ascended into the vast, star-speckled blackness above. Higher and higher they climbed, reaching a breathtaking height of a hundred feet, where the world below shrank into a tapestry of colors.
With a determined flick of his fingers, Izuku propelled himself forward, the air whooshing past them, a symphony of speed and freedom that filled his lungs with a sense of boundless possibility. The thrill of the moment surged through him, each heartbeat syncing with the rhythm of their flight, as they raced through the sky like shooting stars.
Their battle was far from over.
It was just beginning.
A deep rumbling growl erupted from the slumbering creature. Its rumble reverberated through the cavern walls, causing some of the Beowolves, Ursa, and many others to wake from their sleep. The rhythmic sound of its breathing ceased abruptly, replaced by the eerie flicker of ghostly eyes piercing the darkness. The massive form of the leviathan stirred in its bed of stone, its bright, burning red eyes slowly rising to a height of three hundred and fifty-four feet, illuminating the shadows around it. With a powerful, deliberate motion, the leviathan began to stomp down the long, winding tunnel, each step echoing like thunder.
As it emerged from the cave, the creature paused, its colossal body towering over the landscape, as it carefully surveyed the area, nostrils flaring to catch the scents of the night. The air was thick with anticipation, as if the world itself held its breath, waiting for the leviathan to make its next move. The ground trembled beneath its weight, and the silence was shattered by the distant calls of nocturnal creatures, all acutely aware of the formidable presence that had just awoken.
The leviathan growled and took a step forward.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this twenty-one chapter of today's story! This is just a taste of what this arc has to offer, so we haven't even gone deeper into the rabbit hole yet. I'm glad I was able to get this done since today is the last day of 2024. I'm hoping everyone here has enjoyed this year throughout your days of living, and if not, then hopefully 2025 will be better than the former year. There were things in 2024 I wish I was able to do, but due to procrastination, lack of actually putting effort into the work, and lack of consistency it didn't happen. I also want to thank all of you for the huge support you guys have for this story despite its mishaps and grammatical errors, as well as other stories that I haven't touched throughout this year. Hopefully, 2025 will be a lot better for me; and I hope it'll be better for everyone else as well.
With all of that said, I'll be taking my leave. See you in the next chapter, young readers!
And I hope you have a happy new year!