Chapter 27: A Minor Complication

Your improvised four-man team traverses the beautiful and dangerous grounds of the Forest of Foreverfall. You're in pairs of two with only a few feet between each group. The one ahead is you and Ruby, the other consisting of Dylan and Dior. The two at the back are alert and focused on any Grimm that might attack, along with making sure you're following the tracks. You and Ruby, on the other hand, are just barely starting up a conversation.

"You cutting that door was really cool," Ruby mentions, stirring a conversation.

"Huh? Oh, I guess. Can't you do that?" You raise your brow with a sly smirk.

Ruby immediately puffs her chest.

"O-Of course I could! I could have cut it to little pieces super quick!"

You snicker.

"I know you could."

Ruby's face drops a bit as she debates whether to bring up the topic.

"I... I can do this, you know. I'm not weak."

You huff, knowing this would come up sooner or later... though it's only been ten minutes so the gap is small.

"I know. Ever thought I don't want you here because you're too cute? You might distract me," you tease, nudging her arm.

Ruby madly blushes at your remark, but then just punches your arm.

"You better not! I'm being serious!"

You laugh at her reaction and take pride that you guessed exactly what she would do. You slide your hands into your pockets and tilt your head back to look at the sky.

"I know... I just don't have a good track record with partners, you know? But hey, I've never lost anyone on a mission! That's a positive, I guess."

"We're a team, you know that! (Y/N) and Ruby, the unstoppable duo both on the battlefield and..." Ruby pauses for a moment as she tries to think of what to say. "Dating!"

You let out a sigh of relief that she didn't say what you thought she was going to say.

"Sure, why not. But I'm obviously the one who carries this duo."

"That's not fair! My feet hurt sometimes!" Ruby pouts.

"Then you carry me once in a while!" You chuckle.

Dior and Dylan walk a few feet behind you, yet their ears can still pick up on the slightly annoying couples talk you two are spewing despite being in the middle of a mission. If anything, they have to respect your ability to defuse a potential argument and put a smile on the young girl's face. Thankfully no Grimm have shown up but you and Ruby would instantly get serious and deal with the threat. It's been some time since you've done battle with Ruby. The last time you remember is when they rescued you from the monster in the maze. You both have grown since then, so, secretly you're eager to see what she can do. If only it wasn't in such a dangerous situation with an unknown enemy and no real back up. Then again you'd trust your life with all three of your comrades. You hope they feel the same. It's important for a team to trust each other else it leads to disaster.

The four of you reach the edge of your walkway that leads to a path below with a large tree that's in the middle of some sort of shrine. Though the fact that there are a few Grimm skulking about take away from your interest in the plant. You instantly note the ones with a green tint, indicating they're mutated.

"Great, there's more of them," you sigh.

"That is a g-g-good sign, no?" Dior brings up. "We're g-going the r-r-right way?"

You nod, flashing a smile at your stuttering friend.

"That's true. Alright, lets clean up this mess and continue on our way."

Everyone nods in agreement and waits for your signal. You step in front of one of a Beowolf, taking it by surprise with a powerful back hit to its snout. The creature flies through the air and collides with a fellow Grimm, knocking them both to the ground. You, once again, step above them, unsheathing your blade and cutting through them like silk, your blade digging into the soil below. Once the two Grimm deteriorate you stand up straight and look over your shoulder to the rest of the Grimm. Three Beowolves, two Ursai, six Creeps, and two Boarbatusks. The Grimm crowd around you, growling at their new prey. They fail to notice the group of three Huntsmen behind them. Dior sets down his briefcase and opens it. There's nothing there until Dior scans his hand on the base of the compartment. The briefcase begins to transform, scanners, keypads, and all sorts of technology pop up. The state of his, yours, Ruby's, and Dylan's aura pops up on the top right corner while the scanner is in the middle. The scanner shows all the Grimm nearby and far, though it's focused on the immediate area, plus your group.

"I'm set u-u-up," Dior shouts.

Ruby and Dylan look back at the man, confused.

"T-This is my place," he affirms.

"Don't worry about him. Dior can take care of himself," you shout to your friends, flipping over a rushing Boarbatusk and holding off a powerful swing from an Ursa.

Dylan and Ruby both enter combat in different ways. Ruby jumps forward, twirling in her cape to get the speed advantage on the Ursa attacking you. She spins out of her cape, activating Crescent Rose and hooking her scythe onto the creature's stomach as she slides to a halt. Once confirmed its stuck, she pulls on her weapon and fires the gun, effectively killing the larger Grimm.

Dylan, on the other hand, gently hops off the ledge and walks towards the Grimm. Zephyr Shale lights up and extends as he gets closer. The Mutated Grimm are separated from the group you and Ruby are focused on, which leaves Dylan to deal with the few ones left. He knows they explode so distance is key in this skirmish. Luckily Dylan has a variety of ranged attacks, including his semblance. Lucky for him the Grimm decide to make the decision for him. One of the Mutated ones rush Dylan, thus forcing him to send a pressurized wave of air at the Grimm, barreling it into the others and causing them all to explode. He deactivates his weapons and sighs.

"You don't need to be flashy to get the job done."

Keeping his weapons activated, Dylan jogs around the tree to see if you two need any help. On that side of the tree you and Ruby are battling the Grimm that surround you. Ruby has Crescent Rose pinned to the ground as she fires at the ones in front of her. You're covering her back, stepping from Grimm to Grimm as you cut them down quickly and efficiently. The difference between you two makes Dylan chuckle. Ruby blows them apart with her gun while you cut them in half. A smooth approach versus a messy one. Hard for him to believe that you're the smooth one.

A Beowolf catches Ruby offguard, leaping over her shot, with its claws ready to sink into the hooded Huntress-in-Training. Ruby catches this and pulls out the blade from the ground then fires her sniper. The force pushes the small bodied girl out of harm's way. Before she can touch the ground she spins Cresecent Rose to aim behind her and fires the gun again. This redirects her towards the vulnerable Beowolf and allows her to cut the beast in two with her deadly scythe. She twirls the weapon around her so fast that it's moderately difficult for Dylan to follow. This, of course, is for her to buy time and see which direction she should move herself to counter her foe.

"D-D-Dylan, be careful! More Grimm a-are on the way!" Dior's voice speaks through his scroll.

"How did you gain access to my scroll?" Dylan shouts, turning away from Ruby's show to spot any other oncoming Grimm.

"I have access to all y-y-your scrolls. It's what I do," he sheepily states. "I-I'm sorry for n-n-not telling you. But I can see there are more Beowolves and... something e-else."

"Something else? What kind of something else?"

"I th-think it has the s-s-same signature as the Mutated ones."

"And it's different from these?" Dylan inquires.

"D-Definitely."

Ruby twirls through the pack of Grimm as a mere flash of red with the sound of gunfire to compliment it. The Grimm are facing her red wrath, though they never think to not attack her. She swings her weapon around and drags it through the ground to slow herself down. The Grimm are coming from all around her, all consisting of Beowolves now that you and her have killed all the others. She takes the moment to take a breather. Using her semblance this much along with the constant fighting is slightly tiring, but she's nowhere near out of stamina. Unlike a certain boyfriend she has, she can't move from place to place instantaneously.

You, on the other hand, have no need for a breather. You're well aware of the incoming Grimm, your scroll being connected to Dior's prior to this. That means you're also aware of the new Mutated Grimm coming as the special guest. You'll make sure to get a hold of it first. You don't want it getting close to Dylan, Dior, and especially Ruby. You've been stepping over to her crowd every now and then to subtly thin her crowd. She doesn't need your help, but your feelings get the better of you in this regard. You want her to be in the least amount of danger as possible.

Noting her short break, you step to her side and rest a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Little Red?"

"Yep, just making sure I have my back against the wall so none can get me," she says, flicking her head towards the natural wall behind you both.

Her hair falls back into place as her eyes count every Grimm in front of her.

"More a-a-are coming. Please, be caref-ful," Dior alerts everyone.

You tap your fingers on your hilt as you think.

"Why are they all focusing here? Dior, is there any sort of other technology in the area?"

Dior, without responding, start typing into his keyboard while his eyes watch the scanner and data popping up.

"Yes! A few miles away there seems to be some sort of camp!" Dior responds.

"Any idea what's there?" Dylan chimes in, keeping the Grimm at bay.

Dior rubs his chin with one hand and keeps typing with the other.

"I ca-an't be sure... B-But there are Grimm th-there."

"Then that's where we're going. We have to push through the Grimm! Keep together, watch each other's backs, and let's take them down!" You command.

"Got it!" Dior and Dylan both respond.

Ruby looks up at you, admiring how easily you've taken upon the role of a leader. Being one herself it's different to take orders, but your tone, the way you speak makes it easy for her to listen to what you say.

"Little Red, you wanna take these ones out together?" You flash a smirk. She eagerly nods, to which you chuckle at. "Alright, we'll make short work of them!"

The Beowolves all start to flood in from every direction like a wave of black and white death. Dior keeps to the sidelines, a countermeasure always in effect incase something comes to attack him.

"Dylan, lets meet together. Form a circle to have each other's backs. Dior, I want you in the middle of that!" You shout as you run towards your enemy.

You slide past a Beowolf, cutting it diagonally, then spinning around and slicing through two more. Ruby rushes to your blindside, hooking onto a Beowolf and looping onto its back. She pulls the trigger, effectively cutting the Beowolf in two and giving her the high ground, if only for a second. Ruby switches her weapon to rifle mode and starts firing at the Beowolves below, the force behind each shot keeping her in the air for a little longer. Noticing that the heads of the beasts are being blown off, you take the opportunity to get out of the crowd and land beside Dior, who's already set up with Dylan. The Faunus is blowing back all Grimm on his side, eviscerating some while merely hindering others.

"T-The big signal is a-a-almost here," Dior informs everyone.

Everyone silently acknowledges his warning as they deal with the waves of Grimm. From every direction the soulless beasts attack with intent on dimming the four souls before them. Ruby fires at all Grimm coming at her, unhinging the scythe and attacking whenever they get too close. Dylan punches a Beowolf away then condenses water to catch it and slam it into another Beowolf. He creates a water barrier to his side, looking to that side as a Beowolf's claw gets stuck into the liquid. He grabs some lighting dust and slams it into both gems, then releases some into that water, frying the Grimm. He takes control of that same water and splashes it over the Grimm in his area. He connects his two pieces of Zephyr Shale and channels a large attack into the now completed gem. A large burst of wing and lighting spreads over his area, pushing all the Beowolves back and electrocuting them. Dylan winces as he creates a small barrier of water behind them to act as a net. It successfully catches the Grimm who aren't killed and locks them into the full force of Dylan's massive attack. He splits his weapons apart once more and huffs. Only seconds later more Grimm rush in from every direction towards the young man. He sighs, raising his fists for more action.

Ruby begins simply speed blitzing the Grimm around her, moving from one to the next with rose pedals fluttering behind her. She twists her entire body and cuts a Grimm down, following up by firing Crescent Rose to speed her to the left and decapitate a Grimm from below. She then uses that momentum to aim at another and blow it in half. She hears a Beowolf coming from behind her but a certain someone appears out of shadow to cut him down then disappear, all in a second.

Your job is likely the simplest given that you have the most flexible semblance out of the four. Any who get too close to the middle or who get the drop on an ally is instantly cut down by your blade. But you will get overwhelmed if this continues. There's just too many Grimm in such a small area and not enough room for you to really shine. Even if you used your blood the sheer volume of Grimm would drain your blood too fast. You need an escape plan, at least until you can stop them from coming. Perhaps if you kill the larger target the others would scatter.

"Dior! Where's this Mutated Grimm leading them all?" You shout, sliding across the ground after killing a Grimm.

Not a second later a thunderous howl blankets the area, giving even the Beowolves pause. Your team looks towards the direction of the howl.

"That's it..." You whisper. "I'll deal with this thing! You keep the Beowolves back!"

You leap to a higher ledge only to immediately have your head grabbed by the Grimm. It leaps off the ledge. You shout into the Grimm's hand, attempt to kick the back of its head but it slams the back of your head into the ground. The Grimm lifts you off the ground and throws you against the massive tree in the middle of the area. You crash through the trunk, knocking the entire tree forward and crashing on multiple Grimm.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screams, rushing to your side.

Dior and Dylan stare at the new Grimm. Dior grabs an attachment from his briefcase and scans the Grimm. His screens instantly come up with an answer.

"A Beringel... A M-Mutated one..."

Beringel's are already uncommon as they are, but this one is far different. It's usual red eyes and red burns are glowing green. Mutated green spikes pultrude from his thick forearms and upper back. Not only that, but the Beringel is nearly double the size of a regular one.

Ruby helps lift you up from the ground, standing under your armpit to support you.

"Thanks Little Red... but you should stay away from that thing. It's strong."

"So are we," Ruby argues. "We'll have to beat him together."

You lift your arm off Ruby and huff. You can hear Dylan's weapon's going off and the Beringel howling. All the Beowolves clear out at the area out of fear for the monstrous Grimm.

"Well, we have to help Dylan. He's not gonna beat it on his own. You ready for a surprise attack?" You wink.

Ruby happily nods, determination written on her face.

Dior jumps back, holding his briefcase tightly as he avoids a large boulder thrown by the Beringel. He needs a spot to set up, but the Grimm's speed and power is too overwhelming for both Dior and Dylan to handle. Dylan leaps at it from behind and throws a punch at the Beringel. It turns around and grabs his wrist before Dylan's weapon can activate. He slams the young man against the floor then throws him at Dior. The two crash together, rolling along the ground, stunned.

The Beringel beats its chest before leaping at the two students for a punishing blow. As its mid-jump you and Ruby appear close by. Your hands are wrapped around one of Ruby's so you can spin and throw the young woman. Her semblance kicks in, rose pedals flying towards you as she passes by the Beringel, hooking her scythe around it and leading it off course. She grinds her teeth trying to overpower the Grimm for as long as possible. As planned, you appear at their landing-zone, both hands on your hilt. You grip it tightly, waiting for the perfect moment for unleash the blade diagonally slice it's face. Ruby transforms her scythe, allowing her to break away from the Beringel and bounce off the nearby stone wall. The Beringel twirls over you and smashes into the wall behind you. Not missing a beat, it turns around and throws its spiked arm at you. Dylan fires his weapon, pushing the attack of course to miss and giving you a chance to get some distance. Dylan gets back on his feet and takes a stance to battle this powerful Grimm.

You're in front, top right, Dylan is to the left. The Beringel beats its chest and runs toward you and Ruby, being closest together. Ruby lodges her scythe into the ground and fires her gun at the ape. It doesn't affect him in the slightest, each bullet being like a small rock thrown at him. You sprint towards the beast with intent to step behind him.

"Dylan! Get to Ruby and fire along with her shots! Dior, try to find this thing's weak point!" You shout out orders before stepping above the Beringel and falling atop his head, pushing the Beringel right to the ground. Ruby's cloak covers her as she speeds into the air and dives down, her weapon straightened to pierce its back. You unsheathe your blade, twist your torso, and drive your blade into its spine alongside Ruby's weapon.

"No! GET AWAY!" Dior shouts from a short distance away.

You and Ruby look at Dior, not clearly hearing what he said. This gives the Beringel enough time to charge energy through the spikes and let out an explosion, sending you both in different directions. You instinctively step behind Ruby and wrap your arms around her. You take the brunt of the hit as you both slam into the wall then fall to the ground. Ruby, not being hurt thanks to you, lifts herself off you and stays at your side.

"You okay?" You snicker, getting back to your feet.

"Are you? You... didn't have to do that..."

You crack your neck quickly then russle her hair.

"Don't worry about it. Besides, can't let your hood get ruined."

"Could you help?!" Dylan shouts before the Beringel violently grabs his head and crushes it against the ground.

"Right, right, coming!" You respond, stepping away from Ruby to join the battle.

Ruby blushes at your "heroic" actions in saving her. But hearing you and Dylan shouting at each other as you battle the Beringel brings her back to reality.

Dylan keeps hammering punch after punch to try and suppress its movements while you wait for Dior's information. The two wounds you and Ruby inflicted don't seem to be hindering its performance in the slightest, and its even starting to overpower Dylan's immense air pressure. Dylan combines Zephyr Shale and blasts it with everything he's got, using what's left of the lighting dust he added earlier. Dior is heavily researching any weaknesses from the Mutated Beringels actions.

The Beringel isn't pushed back by Dylan's attack at all. The lightning trailing through the wind is absorbed into his crystals, rendering it ineffective. The only thing Dylan's doing is being a hindrance to the Beringel, and it decides to be rid of him. It grabs ahold of the large tree that had broken earlier and uses it like a bat, slamming Dylan between the wall and the wood. You hop on the trunk and run across it to close in on the green monstrosity. Seeing you coming at him, Beringel leaps into the air and slams his two fists down on your position. You flip out of the way, your feet crushing the grass beneath them, then spin and rush the monster with your blade. It turns around and knocks away your initial thrust but you circle your blade around and cut it's stomach. You bring your blade overtop and bring it down upon the Grimm, but it blocks your sword with one arm and delivers a gut wrenching punch to your stomach. Ruby zooms in to help, firing her gun behind her to help her speed then jumping forward, her scythe straightened out to stab the Beringel. It spots the young girl's attack and easily counters it, grabbing the end of her weapon and slamming Ruby onto the ground three times before throwing her away like nothing.

He turns his attention back to where you're supposed to be... but there's nothing there. You appear next to Dylan, kicking the large trunk away from your ally and letting it roll.

"You okay, Dylan?" Dylan nods his head. "Good. I need you to distract him. I'm gonna use your momentum to attack."

"Hm... smart. Well, smart for you. Alright!"

Dylan runs away from you, throwing punches to attract the Mutated Beringel's attention.

"Dior, any weaknesses?" You shout, rushing to Ruby's side as she struggles to get on her hands and knees.

"Its more durable than a regular Beringel, but I think if you used your blood it might be enough," Dior responds, his fingers moving at insane speeds while his brain processes the information on his screen.

"Got it!"

You slide beside Ruby, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby, are you okay?"

Ruby nods, her arms shaking from the damage.

"Just stay down. I'll handle him."

"(Y/N)..."

"Don't worry. I won't let him hurt any of you anymore!"

Dylan keeps his barrage up but the Beringel is tanking every attack with little difficulty. He inches closer and closer to the young Faunus, making him nervous. All of a sudden you jump infront of Dylan's attack, using it as momentum to charge forward and lodge your blade into the Beringel's stomach. The Beringel huffs, looking down at you as you awkwardly look up at him.

"I feel like this was a mistake."

Beringel grabs your torso, squeezing it tightly, then jumps into the air and readies to slam you down.

"DEFINIETLY A MISTAKE!" You frantically shout.

"(Y/N)!" Dior and Dylan scream, Ruby just getting around the corner to see what's happening.

You keep your hands on your blade, watching as you close in on the ground. The second you're about to hit you step a meter up, flipping the direction so you're on top and the Beringel is towards the ground. You slam into the ground, dust flying up from the impact. Though a break in the dust occurs when you jump into the air, letting go of your hilt to wrap your hand around the blade. Your blood seeps onto the black steel and quickly covers the entire surface of the blade. You grab the hilt once more and point the blade at the Beringel. Your blood flow speeds up as the blade grows even larger than Yatsuhashi's. You grab the hilt with both hands and throw yourself down, your legs bent and spread for the impact of the ground. You enter the dust once more, slamming the larger blade into the same entry point you originally made. Adding more blood to the mix, two extra blade sprout from just below the hilt, piercing it's lower stomach and head. The blood circulates through the Mutated Beringel, taking the form of small needles. Once filled with them, you expand all those small needles into daggers, tearing apart the Beringel from the inside.

When the dust clears you're kneeling, breathing heavily with one hand still on your sword while the other is against the ground. Dylan and Ruby approach you; Ruby slides to a halt, getting lower to be right beside you.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

Her eyes look to the blade and notice the pool of blood where the Beringel once was.

"I took care of it... Just a little tiring, you know?" You give her a smile.

"You don't have to push yourself. We could have done it as a team," Dylan scolds, deactivating Zephyr Shale.

You look to the pool of blood, a smile still on your face.

"I know... I guess I just wanted to make sure it didn't hurt any of you. Besides," you push off the ground and pull Crimson Blaze out of the ground, sheathing it. "I'll get that blood back. Can't replace you guys as easily."

Ruby stands up as well, still right at your side.

"So what's our next move?" She inquires.

You look over her head to the golden boy.

"Dior?"

"Well... I m-managed to t-t-trace that Grimm's tra-avel pattern. It came from th-the same direction where I'm picking u-up a large signature."

"Grimm?" Dylan guesses.

Dior shakes his head.

"M-M-Man made."

You breathe a sigh of relief that you have a lead.

"Alright, lets take a second to regroup then we'll head out."

You take a seat against the all, keeping your eyes on your team while they relax.

"How many Mutated Grimm do you think there are?" Ruby pipes up. You all glance at Ruby for an explanation. "Well... there were a lot of those ones that explode. What if there are more Beringels? Or Beowolves? Ursai?"

"We did have trouble with that one. If there are more..." Dylan crosses his arms and thinks.

You can tell the morale is slightly shaken. You are just students going against Grimm that are far more powerful than normal ones.

"Well, let them come," you speak. "We took down that one. As long as we stay together and work together there's nothing that'll stop us. Besides, I don't think you two realize how helpful my good friend Dior is." Dior shrinks in on himself at your compliment. "So we'll beat anything that comes at us... worst comes to worst we run away," you casually shrug.

Dylan snickers at your comment.

"You mean you'd tell us to run away?"

You guiltily shrug.

"Hey, what can I say?"

Dylan shakes his head and walks away, looking to the path leading ahead. Your joyous face slowly descends into a blank one as your mind delves into deep thought.

The power those Mutated Grimm have are insane. I've fought Beringels before but none were like that. If what Ruby said was true and there are more of them, plus Beowolves and Ursai... I don't know how we'll handle them... how I'll get everyone out of there.

You shake your head and smile.

Well, I better think of something. I'm the team leader... I'm the one who protects everyone.

You get to your feet and dust off your pants.

"Everyone ready to move out?"

The trio looks to you and nods. You smile at their answer.

"Alright. Dior, any Grimm nearby?"

He shakes his head.

"N-No, they fl-fled when the Bering-gel came. There may be s-stragglers though."

"We'll be able to handle them. Lets get going, then. We won't accomplish anything standing around."

Dior and Dylan walk ahead of you, knowing you're waiting for Ruby to walk with. Ruby catches up with you and you start actually walking.

"You... you won't actually send us away, right?" She says with a stern look on your face.

You let out a single laugh.

"I'd have more luck putting the moon together than splitting us apart during a battle."

Ruby smiles at your comment. You're absolutely right in that matter. She gets even closer to you, almost making you trip from the lack of space.

"Nope," she cutely says.

"Exactly."

Dylan looks over his shoulder to the two of you smiling together. He returns his gaze forward to the path. As you all climb the incline Dylan and notes the train tracks looming in the distance. As fate would have it, a train passes by in a flash.

"You saw that?" Dylan asks.

"I d-d-did," Dior confirms.

"Likely will lead to the signature you found. Guess that means you were right."

"Never doubt Dior," you shout from behind. "He's yet to be wrong."

"You p-pressure me."

"TEAM!" A voice shouts through all your scrolls, scaring the lot of you. "What's your status?" Oobleck inquires.

"We're following tracks to a signature Dior picked up. But sir, there's a lot of powerful Grimm around here. We encountered a Beringel."

"The existence of such a Grimm is disturbing. Considering the fact you're speaking to me I gather you defeated it?"

"We managed, yeah."

"Excellent. Be on your guard, students! If whoever's behind this could manipulate a Beringel then we can't underestimate them!"

You crack your neck.

"Yeah, we got that. We'll report in when we find something," you answer, cutting the line between the Doctor and your team.

"Alright, lets get a move on!" You take charge.

You leave Ruby's side and start running along the path, passing Dior and Dylan. Ruby is the first to chase after you, Dylan being next and Dior following last. You all sprint forward, jumping off a ledge and continuing on with no Grimm to stand in your way. You all cover the distance in a short time, reaching a bridge and crossing it in seconds, pairs of feet touching stones that haven't felt human touch in years. You pass into a large area with a tunnel leading through the small mountains. You all land in the larger area, taking a moment to give Dior a break. He's definitely the least physically fit person that you know despite the aid of his aura. He really fits the mold of a poorly built genius.

You turn around and look to Dior who's breathing heavily, contrary to everyone else who's not even breaking a sweat.

"You're alright, Dior?"

He nods, taking a knee and opening his briefcase.

"I-I won't slow you d-down."

He hits a button and sets the box down. Dylan and Ruby take a gander out of curiosity. The briefcase quickly begins to morph, taking on a form of a hover board.

"That's new," you note. "You've given it more forms?"

Dior steps on the board as he gives you his attention.

"I have. It n-n-no longer only serves for c-combat."

"Whoa!" Ruby ogles, rushing up to the boy. "Your weapon can morph? What can it be? What can it be?"

"Oh... I-I... well-"

You step behind Ruby and place a hand on her shoulder.

"Dior's briefcase has... what, five hundred forms?" You look to him for confirmation.

"S-S-Six hundred now," he corrects.

"Haha, even I haven't seen the original five hundred. But becareful, Dior. Little Red might pick it apart out of curiosity," you joke.

The look in Ruby's eye confirms your statement which makes Dior a tad bit worried that his life's work would be taken apart.

"Come on, we have to hurry if we want to find that train's stop," you egg on, beginning to run into the cave once more.

The rest follow suite. Dior makes sure not to go too fast and abandon you all like he could. Then again you and Ruby could likely keep up easily with your semblances, and possibly even Dylan if he let his water carry him. Though none of that matters. Dior is just someone who tends to overthink and overanalyze things. It's part of his shtick. A thinker, not a fighter.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You all pour out of the tunnel at full speed, preemptively jumping ahead to pass over the ledge ahead and continue onwards without any Grimm in your way, something that is suspicious to all of you. You know the Grimm cleared out when the Beringel came but the fact that there are no Grimm at all makes little sense. Though it's convenient that you don't have to stop and battle them. However now there's a new problem.

The four of you come to a stop when you're met with three stone doors to the left, right, and directly in front of you.

"The tracks aren't around... but this is close that signature you picked up, right?" You state, looking over your shoulder at the now grounded Dior, holding his briefcase.

"Indeed."

You look to the three doors and shrug. You unsheathe Crimson Blaze and approach the door in the middle.

"Middle tends to be the right way," you say, stopping a short distance away from the door.

You pull your arm back and unleash a powerful sonic wave that cuts through the door completely. The stone falls apart, dust scattering from the collision. You sheathe your blade and turn around, pointing towards it.

"You guys go ahead, I can catch up in an instant."

The three nod, passing by as you go the right while they go deeper into the ruin. As they enter you leap onto the other side of the right door and proceed. The first thing the trio notices is that there's a plethora of boxes that Dylan knows too well. It's the same boxes that had Grimm imprisoned, yet these ones have been shattered. Dylan activates Zephyr Shale just in case. Ruby and Dior notice this, also becoming prepared. Ruby takes out her weapon and prepares for any danger. The ruin leads to a large arena with more broken containers, glass scattered almost everywhere. Lucky for them it's not a closed space. There's an opening that leads back outside. Thus, the trio takes it.

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You appear on the other side of the door and suddenly pause. For some reason you're head begins to pound. A strange, almost silent buzzing is ringing in your brain that, for some reason, isn't foreign to you. It's like you've felt this same buzzing before somewhere... yet this is slightly different from those vague memories. You pull out your scroll and activate the comm link.

"Anyone else hear a buzzing sound?" You speak.

"No, nothing. You okay, Slater?" Dylan responds.

You shake your head and slide your hand down your face.

"Yeah... maybe I found something. What about you three?" You question, sauntering forward.

Before Dylan answers you spot a large ship coming into a docking area to the left. The same area your teammates would be going.

"Yeah, we found what looks like a dock, but... there isn't much... wait, a ship!"

"I see it too! I'll contact Oobleck, you three be careful!"

You disconnect the call and contact Oobleck.

"Professor!"

"Doctor!" He firmly corrects.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'm sending a picture to you," you state, taking a picture as you talk.

You give Oobleck a moment to receive and identify the picture.

"Oh my... that is an active Merlot Industries ship. I'm informing Ozpin, you examine the ship but be careful! We don't know what security measures are in place. Merlot is dangerous, if he is indeed still alive."

The line disconnects and you're left alone once more. Considering the ship is most important you decide to abandon this route and regroup with your friends. You close your eyes and lock onto the area your team should be in. You leap into the ruins, just before the exit that your friends took. That buzzing in your head gets louder. It doesn't hinder your abilities or anything, but it's like a fly constantly buzzing around your ears that's just quiet enough to not make you insane. You slide your hand into your pockets and slowly follow along with where you assume your allies went. You leave the ruin and circle through a small path that leads to the docks.

However the moment your eyes land on the docking area they widen with fear. Ruby is rolling along the floor, her weapon not even with her. You step right beside her and catch her rolling body. The moment you catch her you feel an incoming body from your right so you jump forward to dodge it. You slide across the ground and turn to see what exactly attacked you. As you turn your eyes catch dozens of other figures standing along the crates. They're all Grimm, they're all Mutated, and you're getting worried. Mutated Beowolves and Beringel watch you from the high ground, growling and huffing at your mere presence. You're holding Ruby defensively to protect her unconscious form.

If Ruby's here... where is Dylan and Dior?

Your eyes sporadically switch from Grimm to Grimm as you slowly turn around and realize that you're completely surrounded by these Mutated Grimm. But, when you face the ship, you see something foreign to you. Two large, red, humanoid androids stand prominently; one is holding Dior and Dylan by the throat, both unconscious as well, while the other carries Ruby's Crescent Rose and Dior's briefcase, Calamity. Knowing all your friends were defeated by these mysterious androids and Grimm gets your blood boiling. You want to leap out of there to get Ruby to safety but leaving behind Dior and Dylan doesn't sit right with you. At the same time if you had so much trouble as a team against one Beringel, how well can you fair against dozens of Mutated Beringels and Beowolves alone?

Having their objectives, the androids disappear into a blue bubble, taking the weapons and your friends with them. A second later they're replaced with new ones ready to face you.

"NO!"

As if the order was given to both Grimm and the androids, everything leaps towards you to kill. Unfortunately you don't have enough time to leap far away so you'll have to fight your way out and keep Ruby safe. A Beringel leaps off the container and slams its fists down on you. You slide forward into the android's attack, which you're forced to backflip onto the Beringel's shoulders then jump towards the vulnerable machines. You spin around and drive your heel into the right one's face, then step behind the left one and kick it to the ground. You land, feet on either side of the grounded android, and spot all the incoming Grimm. You jump back towards the ship, giving yourself more time to think but, unknown to you, three more androids exit the ship and approach you from behind. One charges up and slams your back, catching you completely off guard and sending you forward.

Due to the attack you accidentally release Ruby and let her roll across the stone floor. While you're in midair a Beringel grabs your head, burying your face in its palm, and slams you into the ground, stones shooting up from the impact. In retaliation you pull your body towards his arm and wrap your legs around it. You push down as hard as you can, bringing the Beringel to its knees. You quickly grab your sword and bury it into the Beringel's arm. This loosens its grip on your face, allowing you to escape. Instantly you look for Ruby who is now in the arms of one of the androids.

Anger circulates through you – you can't think straight.

"LET HER GO!" You scream, charging towards the android.

Unfortunately your rage has a side effect: tunnel vision. You're so focused on saving Ruby you don't think to use your semblance, you don't think to use your blood, and you don't even think to pay attention to the enemies around you. Because of that, a Beowolf's claws cut you off, damaging your aura. You fall onto your back and almost instantly have your leg grabbed by a Beringel that slams you into the nearest container then throws you into another one. Your impact tips it into the water below, leaving you lying along the edge.

You shakily get to your feet, nothing else on your mind but saving Ruby. You get back on your feet and look for the android holding your girlfriend hostage... but its gone. She's gone. All that's left is a small army of the Mutated Beringel and Beowolves, three androids, and now regular Beowolves are crawling out of the woodwork around you. You grip your sword hard enough that any standard blade would fold under the pressure. There's white, black, and green for as far as the eye can see, all hungry for you. Having nothing to lose you slide your hand to the blade and let your blood flow, amplifying its effects immensely. You return your hand to the hilt and sprint towards the group, shouting at the top of your lungs.

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"Students! Students report in!" Oobleck frantically calls out over your scrolls. "Students, what's happened? Where are you?" Oobleck stares at the scroll in his hand, a lump in his throat at the possibilities. He lowers his hand and stares at the ground. "Oh dear... Ozpin's not going to like this..."

Hey! Look! Crimson Shadow has an update! Imagine that! Yeah, I know my updates for this have been slow and I apologize. Actually I'm going to have to do it again in a moment. Crimson Shadow probably won't be updated again until August. I know, that's a long time but I want to fully dedicate my time to Project's Past and get those six chapters done by my three year anniversary! It is my fist story, after all, so its fitting to end it the day it started. So I apologize but Crimson Shadow is on a small hiatus until August. After Project's Past is done I will give my full attention to Crimson Shadow for a while before I start up a new story. I know I'm leaving it on a cliff hanger too, but... actually, I didn't really mean to leave it like this, but, what can you do?

So Grimm Eclipse is getting close to done. Honestly the most interesting parts will be coming in the next chapters. I'm glad to finally be getting to the meat of the story... in two months... whatever, c'est la vie. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless and look forward to the next update. I'll truly try to finish PP ASAP and return to this, but I can only write so much so fast.

Thank you for all the continued support you've given this story. It means a lot to me, truly. I hope you stick around for the next update. I promise it'll be like the old times come August where this is updated two or three times a month. Anyway, I'll see you all next time!