Chapter 30: A Family's Battle

As always, the library is a fairly quiet place. Students are either studying, having a leisurely read, or working on some sort of project. The latter pertains to Dior Aurik, who's at the very back, in the very corner of the library so he can work in peace on Calamity. It was his fault things went the way he did. If he hadn't let himself be defeated, if he hadn't used so much Aura... he could've been there to help you. This stress reflects his progress. His hands are shaky, his mind unfocused. What he could have done in minutes has taken him almost an hour.

"You're stressed," a monotone voice speaks to him.

Dior looks through his glasses to see his leader, Onyx. As always his appearance is a surprise. He's definitely someone that's easy to miss, even when he's not using his Semblance.

"I'm w-w-w-w-worried," Dior says, instantly agitated that it took so long to say that word.

Onyx takes a seat beside his teammate, not smiling, not putting a hand on his shoulder, just sitting beside him.

"We all are. (Y/N) has been missing for a week. Some believe he's dead."

"He's n-n-n-not d-d-d..." Dior sighs, frustrated.

"I know he's not, Dior," Onyx bluntly states, his even voice never breaking. "So stop stressing yourself."

Dior rests his head in his hand, looking at Calamity's screen. He's been trying to formulate a new way for Calamity to function. As it stands, Calamity's power supply is Dior's Aura. This makes it more effective against Grimm and able to utilize more adaptive and powerful modes. It has a drawback, however, like running out of Aura and being defeated by a Mutated Deathstalker. This is why others want him to stay back. He can provide immense support with little threat to himself. Now, being on the front lines, he's injured himself and caused you to be taken.

His fist squeezes as he thinks on his failure. Onyx notices this, yet doesn't react.

"Beacon is searching for him, Dior. Let yourself rest. Be prepared for when we take him back."

"If w-w-we do."

"We will. He has too many people at his back. Besides, I believe Rogue and Ruby are more than enough."

Dior looks over at Onyx, examining him for a moment. His speech is always so bland that Dior's unsure whether his leader is trying to make a joke or not. He returns his gaze to his weapon.

"I... won't fail you again," he whispers.

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Team RWBY returns to their dorm after their mandatory classes. Ruby instantly retreats to her bed, puts her hood up, and looks to the wall. The three girls share a concerned look.

"Professor Ozpin requested to see me after classes," Blake speaks as she puts her notes down on her bed. "I'll be back later."

Weiss and Yang acknowledge Blake without speaking. The sound of the handle turning, the door opening and closing, this seems to be the loudest sound in the world due to how dreadfully quiet the room is. Weiss and Yang stand near the center of the room, both perplexed on how to handle the situation. Yang flicks her head towards the door, urging the Heiress to depart as well. Weiss does this with no fuss, repeating the process of Blake.

Yang pulls herself onto Ruby's bed and sits on the edge, giving both her and Ruby plenty of space.

"Hey..." Yang places a gentle hand on Ruby's arm. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," Ruby sniffles.

"You've said that for a week now, Rubes."

"Cause I don't want to talk."

Yang takes her hand back, placing it on her thighs. She stares across the room at her own bed, thinking of words to say.

"You can't let this break you, Ruby. You're stronger than that."

Ruby curls in on herself even more.

"How can I not, Yang. He's gone. He's gone and we can't find him and he could be hurt or... or..." Ruby shuts her eyes tight, tears starting to pour.

"You can't think like that. You have to keep a clear head and-"

"How would you know, Yang!" Ruby lashes out. "You don't know what it's like! You don't care about him like I do! You don't... you..."

"Ruby," Yang turns around to face her sister's back. "I don't want to hear that for a second. I know exactly what it's like. When you went missing at Mt. Glenn..." She sighs before laying down and pulling herself beside Ruby, arms around her little sister. "I was so scared. But I didn't let that cloud my judgment, didn't let myself fall victim to fear. I knew you were okay. You're my sister, after all. You have to know that (Y/N) will be okay. We've both seen what he can do. There's no way someone like him can be killed by this Merlot guy." Yang tightens her grip, but not enough to make her or Ruby uncomfortable. "You can't lose hope, Ruby. Because if you do... we all do."

Ruby pushes off the bed, releasing herself from Yang. She sits normally, looking into her sister's lilac eyes.

"Yang... I..."

Yang pulls Ruby in for an actual hug, instantly making tears fall from Ruby's eyes.

"It's okay Ruby, it's okay. I'm here. I'm always here for you."

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Blake exits the elevator and enters Ozpin's office. The Headmaster greets Blake with a warm smile, gesturing her to take a seat.

"Good evening, Miss Belladonna. Thank you for seeing me today."

"It's not a problem, Professor," Blake politely responds as she takes a seat.

Ozpin intertwines his fingers just under his chin.

"Well, I'm sorry to say I didn't call you here for pleasant matters. Dylan Brine. He hasn't been to class since (Y/N) was taken." Blake readjusts in her seat as Ozpin speaks. "Apart from (Y/N), I believe you are the most acquainted with Mr. Brine. I was hoping you might be able to tell me where he has gone."

"With respect, Professor, I think you both know what he's gone to do," Blake replies.

"I am well aware of what he's trying to do, Miss Belladonna. I wish to know where one of my students have been for the past week."

"I... don't know," she sighs. "He never told me. He never told anyone. He just left... but we all know what he's doing.

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"GAAAAH!" The Faunus screams, but they're instantly muffled when Dylan grabs his face, covering his mouth.

Dylan slams the Faunus into the wall, pushing his skull against the wall. The light in the room is flickering due to the battle damage. Dozens of White Fang members are strewn across the room, some face down on the floor, some resting against the wall... but none of them are breathing.

"Merlot. Where is he?" Dylan asks the same question he's posed dozens of times over.

"I... I... I-"

Dylan pulls his fist back and punches the Faunus' leg, releasing pressurized air to destroy his knee.

"GAAAAH! MY LE-"

Dylan slams him into the wall again.

"Merlot," he says with a sharper tone. "Where is he? I know he's providing the White Fang with tech. Don't bullshit me. Where is Merlot? Where is Slater?"

The Faunus whimpers in pain and fear. His entire cell was just murdered by this Faunus who used to work with them. But now his fury is raining down upon the White Fang, and nobody has an umbrella.

"I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!"

"Who meets with Merlot, then?" Dylan snarls.

"The human! The one with glasses!"

Dylan looks down, sneering.

"Damnit... Harrier..." Dylan returns his sharp gaze to the terrified man. "I'm done with you."

"W-Wait! NO! Don't! Please I-"

Dylan punches with Zephyr Shale, effectively snapping the neck of the last Faunus. He drops the limp body and turns away.

"There's no way I can beat the information out of Harrier. He'd kill me. It's clear that only the inner circle knows about Merlot's activity." Dylan slams his fist into the wall. "I'm accomplishing nothing while Slater is gone... what kind of partner am I..." He tightens his fist... then relaxes. "No... no, I'll find him. Slater wouldn't give up if the roles were reversed. There's... one option I still have." Dylan grabs his scroll out of his back pocket and starts typing a message. "Let's just hope she'll listen to me."

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Your teeth are as tight as they can be in response to the wave of electricity coursing through your body. After a few seconds, the electricity halts and your body limps. You slowly lift your head to look at the deranged doctor across the room.

You've been strung up on the wall for... however long you've been here. Sure, Merlot has fed you, kept you hydrated, but he's been far from a gracious host. From what you've gathered, you're at another of Merlot's hideouts. This one only consists of this room, but apparently, the island you're near is filled with Merlot's Mutated Grimm. This area has dozens of computers and lab equipment set up around this small room. There were only two things that have interested you – a small list of powerful Mutated Grimm that surpasses the Deathstalkers lethality, and Merlot's obsession with your family's healing semblance.

"W-What's wrong... Merlot? That was more than usual," you say with a coy smile.

"Well, I can't have your Aura recovering now, can I?" He says with a smile, turning to face you. "I'm almost done with you. Though I must admit, you are a more disappointing subject than Jet and Harrier.

"My bad... didn't mean to be more stubborn than my dead father," you speak with venom.

"Well, it's quite alright. Our time has been quite insightful. Your family's regenerative properties are astounding. Even yours, despite how... underwhelming it is compared to your elders." Merlot moves to another bench and continues working. "It's quite complex, you know. A combination of Harrier's blood and Jet's creates potent regenerative properties. Ah, did you know that Harrier's blood has been infused with your fathers? Quite interesting indeed," he monologues.

"What..? Harrier has my dad's blood in him?"

"I was as surprised as you were! No wonder he's near immortal. Thankfully I've replicated that to my Grimm. Though I must say it was difficult. Finding the right balance of blood proved more difficult than I thought. Too much of Jet or Harrier's and it ruined the healing, making it... well... it's not quite the immortality I'm looking for. But, thanks to my genius, I've found the perfect composition!"

"Whoop-dee-do- GAAAAAAAAAH!" Electricity rushes through your body once more, knocking you unconscious within seconds.

"Thank you, (Y/N) Slater. Your healing factor has aided my research, if by a small margin. Since you have helped, however, I will grant you an... honourable death."

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The moon rises and the light fades from all of Remnant. The students of Beacon are retreating to their rooms, their friends' rooms, or are getting in some last minute studying or reading at the library. Team RWBY has all returned to their dorm at this point. To Weiss and Blake's surprise, Ruby was more chipper and talkative. Not to the degree she normally is, but it's an improvement.

But even with Ruby's improved mood, the team has to get ready for bed. Blake is relaxing on her bed, reading. Ruby has already fallen asleep, Yang is stretching, and Weiss is having an evening shower. It seems like the evening will be a calm, peacfu-

"I'm checking, Kin!" A loud, female voice shouts in the hall.

"I admire your dedication, Rogue, but there's no doubt he would have seen us if he'd returned! We couldn't miss a presence like his!" A second booming voice speaks.

"No, Kin, we couldn't miss a presence like yours. (Y/N), on the other hand, will do anything to get away from me! I don't know why. I try to be as pleasant as possible with him, but-"

"I believe he's afraid of you, my dear! Don't worry, not everyone can handle your personality!"

Rogue stops, resting on her hip and facing the towering man.

"Kin... are you trying to annoy me? I'm stressed out enough as it is!"

"Perhaps a warm tea or some meditation might help! Oh, some baking! We could all reap the rewards!"

"KIN! You're not helping!"

"Because you're not letting me help, my dear Rogue!"

Yang's finally had enough. She marches out of her dorm and approaches the duo.

"Some people are trying to sleep!" Yang shouts.

Kin shifts his focus to the busty brawler in her pajamas.

"Ah, Yang, was it?" Kin greets. "My dearest apologies. Rogue has trouble keeping her voice down," he says, placing a hand on his chest and bowing his head.

"Me, I, you... gaaah," Rogue pinches the bridge of her nose. "Whatever. You're the sister of (Y/N)'s... new girlfriend," she says with disdain.

"Yeah, I am. Why?"

Rogue, for once, gives a caring smile to the blonde.

"Give her my condolences. She must be having a harder time than I am."

Yang blinks twice in astonishment.

"Oh... uh... yeah, I will. Thank you."

Rogue lets out a huff in an attempt to clear her head.

"I'm sorry for my behavior before, too. (Y/N) just... he's a touchy subject for me. Seeing him again... and being a regular idiot," she turns away, scolding, then returns her gaze to Yang with a happy smile. "Well, I'm not as bad as people say I am."

"She's right! She's worse!" Kin cheerfully comments.

"KIN!"

"It was a jest, Rogue, a jest. It's good to finally see a smile on your face. Seems I have to thank you, Yang. You're not only beautiful but charismatic too," he pats Yang's arm. "Wow, that's a strong arm. You're a fighter like me, huh? You like to let your fists do the talking."

"Yeah... that's what I do," Yang answers, still a little thrown off at Kin's... upbeat personality.

"That's fantastic! I'd love to have a duel with you one day! I'm sure we could learn a-"

"Kin! This isn't what we came here for!" Rogue cuts off.

"But Rogue, this will answer your question! Yang," Kin clears his throat. "Has (Y/N) returned?" He asks in a calmer, more serious voice.

"Not yet," Yang shakes her head. "It's got everyone on edge, obviously," she looks back towards Rogue.

"I see," Kin exhales through his nose, thinking for a moment. "Well, no need to worry when it comes to (Y/N). He's one of the strongest people I know! Not stronger than me, though," Kin exclaims with pride and energy. "When he's back we'll be sure to celebrate. Our team, (Y/N)'s team, and yours!"

"Mine?"

"Wait, what? No!" Rogue interjects.

"Don't be a downer, Rogue! These are (Y/N)'s friends, like us! It would bring us together," he says, wrapping his arm around each girls' neck and brings them closer. "See? You're not burning alive being close!"

The two girls struggle, but Kin's brute strength keeps them from escaping. The man lets the two girls go, then places his hands on his hips to stand proudly.

"Well, we should be going back to our dorm, Rogue. I'm sure we interrupted enough sleep this night. I thank you for this conversation, Yang. I do hope we can have another in the near future. I'll be sure to bring at least you. I can't bear being away from such a beautiful woman."

Yang rolls her eyes despite having a smile.

"Whatever you say, big guy."

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Dylan paces back and forth under the glow of the broken moon. Once again he's here to meet someone who he never wished to see again... or at least not in a civil manner. His cat ears twitch as he hears footsteps coming from behind him. He turns that way to face Aza Brine. She comes to a halt just beside a tree and stares down her brother.

"I thought we had our final goodbyes," she calmly says.

"You're the one who agreed to come," Dylan retorts.

"Hmph, fair enough. What do you want, Dylan?"

"Merlot. I want to know where he is."

Aza's brow raises.

"Merlot? The one that Slater meets with?" She says with disgust.

"The same. I need to know where he hides. He deals with the White Fang-"

"He deals with the humans," Aza quickly corrects. "Well... to my knowledge, he used to. The humans gathered... well, it's none of your business what we have, seeing as you're no longer with us."

"I'm not here to debate morals, Aza," Dylan says, his frustrations growing. "Just tell me what I want to know or leave."

Aza crosses her arms and snickers.

"You've gotten bolder, little brother. I'd be proud if you weren't a traitor."

"Aza..."

"Very well," Aza uncrosses her arms and starts walking towards Dylan. "As I said, Merlot's usefulness has run out. I don't think anyone will miss him." Aza stops in front of Dylan and takes out her scroll. She presses a few buttons then puts it away. "I don't know exactly where he is, but Harrier would always travel to the islands around Vale in this area. That's all I can give you."

Dylan nods.

"Thank you, Aza."

"Don't mention it. Now get out of here before I decide to punish you in the name of the White Fang."

Dylan snickers.

"Which White Fang? The Faunus' or the one being strung along by humans?"

Aza's body flares.

"Hold your tongue, Dylan! I just helped you!"

"And I'm hoping I can help you. Perhaps returning to Sienna will... keep you out of this fight."

Aza proudly places a hand on her chest.

"We're doing Sienna's work here. Adam has assured that she is aware of-"

Dylan turns away, shaking her head.

"If you say so, Aza. But, if I recall, you were sent here to be Sienna's eye. Have you even reported back?"

"There's no need to."

Dylan stops at the tree line and looks over his shoulder.

"I suppose you're right. Stay safe, sister."

Aza sighs.

"You too, brother."

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On a platform of water, Dylan lands where Bullheads would normally rest. He takes in the scenery of Beacon Academy, that which he hasn't seen in some time. It'll be a welcome change to rest in a warm bed rather than a cot or the floor. At least he isn't returning empty handed. He has information on where you might be, but he's not dumb enough to charge in alone like... well, you would. No doubt Ozpin would employ at least two fully trained Huntsmen to rescue you from scum like Merlot. He has to bring this information to Ozpin right away.

The young Brine sprints ahead, following the paths leading to Ozpin's tower. Going full throttle, Dylan sprints through Beacon's grounds. His footsteps range from stamping on concrete to sinking in the soil. The dim light poles give the concrete some colour, but it matters little thanks to Dylan's Faunus eyes. He just hopes Ozpin is still in his office. He has no idea where he would be otherwise.

Dylan reaches Ozpin's tower and heads straight to the elevator. After a short ride, the door opens. Ozpin stands directly in front of Dylan, clearly surprised at the young man's appearance.

"Mr. Brine. Glad to see you've returned," he greets.

"I know where (Y/N) is," Dylan states, getting straight to the point.

Ozpin smiles.

"It seems we have much to talk about. Take a seat. I'll have to contact some Huntsmen in the field."

"I'm going," Dylan declares with conviction.

"Of course," Ozpin says passively as he returns to his chair. "More than you, Mr. Brine, more than you."

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RWBY, JNPR, and almost a hundred other teams gather in the courtyard. Every student attending Beacon is gathered here. Ozpin stands on a stage with every other teacher and Dylan. Ozpin approaches the mic and clears his throat to gain everyone's attention.

"As you all know, one week ago one of our own was taken by Dr. Merlot. Some of you may recognize that name... some may not. Nevertheless, we cannot stand idly by while any of our students are taken. Each and every one of you is important to our staff, to all of your fellow students. (Y/N) Slater is one of those students. We have all felt the sorrow of his disappearance... but now is the time to rectify that. Thanks to one of our own, Dylan Brine," Ozpin gestures to the young Faunus beside him. "We have the location of Dr. Merlot's base," this stirs the massive crowd. "I see you already know what I'm going to say. Well, I won't waste your time anymore. Bullheads are ready to bring us to Merlot's location. Those who decide to come... I will see you there."

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Your eyes flicker open as your mind comes to life. The shining sun is a welcome, yet difficult change to the dull indoors that you've been used to for the past week. You come to realize your body is no longer restrained by shackles. You push onto your feet and start stretching and working your muscles. While moving, you examine your surroundings. You're located at the edge of a forest that leads to a beach. You can clearly see where the flora and sand come together for just a moment before going their separate ways. The ocean is gleaming thanks to the rays of the sun. It would be a place you could sit and relax if not for the fact that you know you're in the middle of Merlot's scheme.

"I have what I want from you, (Y/N) Slater. Now you fight another of my champions. It'll take care of you," Merlot's voice speaks through unseen speakers.

"Heh, of course. Why didn't you let me recover completely, then?" You cheekily remark.

"Hmph, that confidence will be washed away soon enough while your corpse is devoured!"

You gauge your Aura as you roll your shoulders. You have enough to keep you safe for some time and to step in an immediate area, but you're unsure whether you can reach the mainland. Your brief concentration is interrupted by a sound coming from the forest. You roll forward just in time to dodge whatever has come for you. You get to your feet and spin around to face the Mutated King Taijitu slithering forward. Much like the Deathstalker, this is at least twice as large as its common variant. Green veins are present through the whole thing along with the same glowing green spikes protruding from both the white and black head.

You wrap your left hand around your sheath and tighten your muscles.

I won't be able to get away with this thing on me. If I didn't have to heal my muscles then I might have more Aura to play with. I'll have to find a way to... what?

Three more Mutated King Taijitu emerge from the forest, surrounding you completely. You take a few steps back to get whatever distance you can.

Great... one of those things will be hard enough... I'll have to find a way to separate them. It's my only chance!

You can feel the gentle waves crashing against the back of your shoe, the few drops of sweat sliding down your face, the warming handle of your blade as you tighten the grip. Your arm is ready to unsheathe your blade and defend yourself at a moment's notice.

Suddenly three tendrils zoom past your head, wrapping around each of the Grimm and pulling them towards you.

"Whoa!" You jump over the one directly in front of you and land facing the ocean, just catching a glimpse as they are dragged into the sea. "The hell was that?" You exclaim.

"Your enemy," Merlot proudly answers.

The water begins bubbling as something approaches. You hop back three times, reaching the edge of the forest. The beast slowly emerges from the water, revealing it's ugly head... and another head... and another head. Eight Mutated Taijitu heads emerge from the water as the massive body they're connected to follows. The size of the beast outdoes every building at Beacon Academy, save the main tower. The eight heads all look down at their prey – that being you. Their intimidating eyes send shivers down your spine whilst they hiss and show their tongues for no more than a second.

"A beautiful beast, for sure. A Grimm that can absorb all others! You can't beat him! Now, (Y/N) Slater, you will die!"

The Mutated Hydra rushes at you, forcing a hasty retreat. You turn around and jump forward, landing on a branch and springing off. The Hydra topples or crushes every tree in its way as each head attempts to gobble you up. You jump from tree to tree as fast as you can to get some distance but it's useless. The beast, despite its size, is insanely fast. There's no way you'll outrun it conventionally.

Suddenly a head comes around from the left, mouth open to swallow you whole. You land on the next branch and jump straight up to avoid the mouth. The moment you pass the tree line another head is there to attack. It rams into your stomach, knocking you over its eyes and forcing you to roll over its long neck. You grab your blade and drive it into its neck, slowing yourself down as you cut it open. You look up at your attack and see that your attack is healing as fast as you're dealing it.

So he was right. It's healing ridiculously fast.

You pull your blade out of its hide and start running down its neck. The other heads are hunting you, taking up most of the airspace around you. One of them opens its mouth and comes down on you, disregarding its sibling's health. You can feel the warmth of its mouth as you slide to avoid it. The fleshy insides nearly touch you as they clamp down on its hide, missing you.

"Damnit, this is way too clo-"

You're caught off guard by a head smacking you from the side, sending you spinning through the air. You don't even have the time to recover as another head drives itself into your stomach and towards the island. You scream the entire way until you collide with the ground - your voice instantly silences as the wind is knocked out of you. A small explosion of dirt, rock, and wood erupts from the collision zone. The head pulls back, leaving you in a small crater. Your Aura is softening the blows, but with attacks this heavy your low supply won't last for much longer. Your movements are sporadic as you lift your body onto your elbows. You don't even have a moment to think as the same serpent closes in on you.

You step to the side just before it crashes into your location, appearing in a standing position facing the crater. You push off your foot and go for an attack, but a separate snake rushes at you from behind, crushing you between its mouth and the others neck. With you stuck, it flicks its head up which sends you spinning higher and higher into the clear sky. . You spot three more serpent heads zooming to swallow you whole. With a quick thought, you step to the nearest one and plant your blade into its skull. With this, you use all your strength to redirect the serpent head into another one, the two colossal beings crashing into one another. You pull out your blade and jump onto that head, then run down its neck, flailing your sword at its hide as if you're marking each step you take. Though each cut heals almost instantly, making your work worth nothing.

The sea of serpent heads surrounds you as you shift from running to sliding down the skin. Most of the sky around you is plagued by black, white, and green colours. At the center is you, a single teenager with your black blade. An ant against a monster. Your eyes flicker back and forth, tracking every head and its course.

There's gotta be a way around its healing. I have to figure it out before this thing overwhelms me.

You jump off the skin and fly towards the center of the eight heads. You quickly cut your hand and let the blood flow to your blade. You have an idea on how to at least pin this thing down. One by one the serpents chase their prey, all having their mouths open to welcome you into their gullet. You flip over the first head, landing on its neck to jump over the second. You swerve past the third, push off the fourth, roll over the sixth, then spring up to avoid the last two. You bring your blade down, extending its reach with your blood, and stab through all eight necks. This abruptly forces all eight heads to crash into the earth, resulting in multiple dust clouds. You stand at the center, holding your blade with both hands as each snake flails for freedom.

"I can... hold you here," you say through your clenched teeth.

The overwhelming strength of these eight snakes is far more challenging than you thought. On top of that, you're using blood to hoist yourself to the ground. This isn't a solution, clearly, but you have no idea how to beat this thing otherwise. A Grimm that exceeds you in size and power is one thing, but that it instantly heals adds an entirely new obstacle for you to overcome. But if you can find a way to put this thing down for good then maybe you can defeat Harrier when you face him again.

The snakes, desperately struggling for freedom, start tearing their own hides. Soon enough they tear themselves away from your blade, immediately healing the damage they caused to themselves. You feel all the necks slithering away, including the one you're standing on. The sudden movement makes you topple backward. You fall completely off the Hydra, slamming on the ground as the Hydra moves away from you. It slithers towards the middle of the island, but due to its size, it's still relatively close to you. Though its body is moving away, one of the heads capitalizes on your temporary position and rushes you. With its mouth wide open and you unable to move, the snake swallows you in one fell swoop. However, it's unable to close its mouth as the head returns to a resting position with the others. You have Crimson Blade piercing its tongue while your sheath pushes against the roof of its mouth. You're desperately pushing against both to keep yourself alive. Your muscles are bulging, your face is bright red. You feel like you're pushing against two mountains just to survive.

"I'm not getting eaten alive!" You tighten your body. "To hell..." Your course is set, your movements planned. "WITH THAT!" You throw yourself forward, bringing both your blade and sheath with you. With not a millisecond to spare, you free yourself from the snake's mouth before it can clamp down. The Hydra, however, doesn't let you get off easy. The head rams into your back, circles around, and tosses you to the sealine. This sudden attack makes your drop your weapons, the two objects landing along the shore. You scream the whole way before crashing into the water. Your body slowly sinks farther and farther into the darkness. With you gone, the Mutated Hydra begins his growing process.

Small black tendrils fire out of the body and grab other Mutated Grimm around the island you haven't encountered yet. Beowolves, Ursai, Creeps, and even a Deathstalker are caught by these extensions. Once the prey is secured, the tendrils retract, absorbing the Grimm into itself.

"Yes! Yes! It grows stronger and stronger!" Merlot screams with pride.

Dozens of Mutated Grimm are assimilated into the monstrous Hydra, increasing its size, power, and mutations. The beasts eight heads flail and hiss as power overwhelms it.

You've lost sight of the Grimm as you fall further into the sea.

How... am I gonna do this? I... don't have any Aura left... that thing is growing even stronger...

Faces start appearing in the water as you fall.

Mom... Dad... Dylan... Ozpin... Ruby... Everyone...

You reach out to the faces fading away in the darkness. Your fist clutches with passion.

I won't give up! I can't! This isn't the way my tale ends! I won't let it!

The Hydra's heads are drawn to a sudden eruption in the water. You burst forth from the liquid grave, eyes set on your massive foe. It's even bigger than you thought now. It rivals Ozpin's tower whilst taking up over a third of the island's surface. It's taken over the majority of the forest, leaving only some around the outskirts before the sand. You land, bending your knees to absorb the impact but also to retrieve your weapon and sheath.

"I'm not going down that easily, Merlot. I'll kill this thing somehow!"

If I don't have my Aura I'll have to rely on my blood. It's my only shot.

You switch your blade to your left hand then slide your hand across the edge. Once done, you toss the blade then grab it with your right, allowing the blood to flow.

"Get ready, you mutated bastard!"

The Hydra's heads all come at once, some faster than the others. You leap to the right, dodging the first head. While dashing, you spin around and slash at the air, releasing a red sonic wave – one enhanced with your blood. The head slides back, barely dodging your wave. You flip backward, dodging a snake coming from your right, then leap straight up the second your feet touch the ground.

It's been a while since I only had to rely on my blood. I'll have to do as much as I can fast or I'll end up killing myself.

You swing your blade in seven different directions, releasing the red waves at each head. Most miss their target, but two collide with the necks of the snakes, injuring them. The eight head, which was the first one to attack you, slithers up from behind. You manipulate your blood to form under your feet, giving you a small platform to use. You push yourself backward, sliding over the snake's mouth and landing between its eyes. It instantly flings its head side to side in an attempt to throw you off. At first, it works, but you use the same blood platforms to spring right back towards its face, impaling your sword between its eyes and cutting further down its neck. Your blade grinds to a halt a quarter of the way down the enormous Hydra's neck. When you look back at your attack... it's still there. The wound is wide open with red electricity surging through it.

"What the?"

You can see the wound healing, but it's clearly at a rate that pales in comparison to before. You unsheathe your blade from the serpent's hide and jump off, flying through the air towards another serpent head.

Did my blood do that? Or...

You stop the flow of blood to your sword as you approach your next target. The snake's pattern is unclear as it moves in all directions to keep you guessing. You catch onto its plan once you hear another head swiftly approaches you from behind. You instantly spin around, slicing snake's mouth. Before it can get too far away you attract your sheath to your hand then throw it down to your feet. You pull it back towards you, making it slam against your heels. You jump off the sheath towards the snake, slashing through its cheek and into its neck. You twist yourself and spring off the hide of the snake. You spin around midair to see your damage. There's no red electricity this time, but the regeneration is still far slower than before.

How could...

"Wait!" You exclaim. "The blood composition! The balance between my father's blood and uncle's is off! It can't heal like Harrier!" You victoriously claim. "Hear that, Merlot! Your creature's strength is actually its weakness!"

"No! I thought I calculated for this! How?" Merlot whines. "Still, you're weak, (Y/N) Slater! You can never beat my beautiful Hydra!"

Your ears start ringing more than you've ever heard before. Its clear Merlot is influencing the Hydra at this point, which means it'll become even more dangerous. All of its attention – all of its wrath – will be focused on you. To its advantage, you're suspended in midair without your blood. The eight Hydra heads surround you, all preparing an attack that you've never seen. Each of the heads opens their mouth and release an unrelenting barrage of spikes. Despite your best efforts, you're unable to deflect all of them. Dozens of spikes graze your body, leaving cuts, destroying what's left of your pants, and some even pierce your right leg and left shoulder. Your screams of agony fill the air as pain overcomes your body. One of the heads stop spewing spikes and instead smacks you down to the sandy shores below. You crash into the sand, grinding across the ground to increase the pain. Your blade lands beside you, hilting itself in the sand.

You can feel the green spikes pulsing in your body – the mutations slowly poisoning every muscle. You push yourself up with your right arm, the one not impaled. Slowly and surely you get to your feet, despite the constant shaking of your leg and arm. You open your left palm and attract your lost sheath. The moment it gets close enough it attaches to your hip. You extend your arm to grab your blade, though you use it as support rather than a weapon. Your breathing is as heavy as your body feels. The spikes are still impaled in you, but if you remove them there's a real chance you'll simply bleed out.

"Heh... pushed into a corner again... I won't whine this time," you shift your grip to one fit for battle. "Come on then, beast. I'm not dying here."

The Hydra's heads race towards you whilst you prepare an attack. Your eyes are open, your mind is clear – you're not afraid of what might happen. Something else attacks the Hydra's heads before they can reach you. Missiles cruise through the air and explode on contacts, releasing small dark clouds in the air. Your entire persona lightens once you see this development.

"I... didn't do that... did I? Did I?" You repeat with a more excited tone.

Your hopes are immediately shot down when you see Bullheads begin to circle the island, releasing more missiles at the massive Grimm.

"Oh... well, that's cool too, I guess," you react with disappointment.

Suddenly dozens of people rain from the sky, landing on the beach all around the island, most out of your line of sight. The sand kicks up from the impact, hiding familiar faces. ORKD, SSSN, CRDL, CFVY, JNPR, RWBY, and so many more teams arrive on the scene. Even the teachers make their entrances known to you. Your smile widens as you see all the students, both from your school and not, all arriving to... help you.

Most of their looks all change to worry as they notice the two green spikes impaled into your body.

"(Y/N)!" A young voice screams as a burst of rose pedals dance along the shoreline.

Ruby stops before you, horrified at the sight of your injuries. All you can do is weakly smile at the young woman despite the constant pain.

"More people... alright... I'm done..."

You fall on your back, pushing the spikes slightly out of your body. This temporarily increases the pain you're feeling, causing you to wince. Ruby falls to her knees and places a hand on your chest.

"You... you're hurt."

"You don't say," you tease, but this makes Ruby frown at you. "Sorry, just... happy to see a familiar face after so long. Heh... you trimmed your hair a bit."

Ruby nods whilst keeping in tears.

"Y-Yeah... I did."

The rest of RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and Dylan, along with Ozpin and Glynda, surround you. Their concerned eyes all looking down upon you, the light of the sun complimenting all of them.

"Heh... glad you could all join the fun."

"Looked like you needed help," Dylan remarks.

"Nah... I had it."

"You did no-"

Kin covers Rogues mouth before she can say anymore.

"It's good to see you alive and... breathing, (Y/N)!" Kin greets.

"Yeah... glad you could all make it. Ozpin, Glynda," you look up to the older ones. "I messed up my mission. I'm sorry."

Glynda adamantly shakes her head.

"You will not apologize. You did nothing wrong, (Y/N)."

By Ozpin's command, a small team of medics reach your location. Everyone makes way for them so they can get to work.

"We'll have to get him out of here," the man states.

You shake your head.

"No. I'm staying. Just patch me up."

"But-"

"Listen to him," Ozpin interjects.

"Yes, sir," the woman nods. "Let's get these... things out of him. We'll have to bandage him immediately to stop the bleeding."

"Students, I want everyone to be careful. We've never faced a Grimm of this scale before. Stay in your teams, probe it for weaknesses. Nobody is a hero, here. Stay safe," Ozpin speaks to all students through their scrolls.

The hundreds of students and Huntsmen all follow the Headmaster's commands. They engage the Grimm, diverting its attention from the temporary Bullhead attack. RWBY, JNPR, ORKD, and Dylan remain at your side. They know you the best and want to make sure you're okay. With precision and experience, the medics unsheathe the spikes from your body and quickly bandage you up. Without a proper medical facility, there's little more they can do. Your bandages turn red while they're wrapped around you.

"He's already healing," the man notes.

"Not enough to save him."

"Heh, thanks, dad," you whisper to yourself. "I'll be fine, don't worry. I just need to recover some Aura. Dior," you look to your friend. "I want you to patch me into everyone here."

Dior smiles and nods before setting up. He sets his briefcase down and connects everyone's scroll to yours. You grab your device and get to your feet with the help of the medics.

"Alright everyone, I see you want to take my spotlight so let me help you a bit. This thing can regenerate as I'm sure some of you have noticed. It actually healed almost instantly but... well, I stopped that," you say, telling a white lie. "It's vulnerable. So here's the plan: everyone who uses guns, bows, grenades, any ranged weapons I want you to surround the Hydra. Hit it from every angle at all times. Don't give it a second to breathe! Anyone who considers themselves a heavy hitter, I want you to rendezvous with Dylan Brine. Dylan," you turn to him. "You're going to bring all of them into the air with your water thingies. Everyone will focus on damaging and incapacitating the heads. Everyone else, I want you to keep attacking. Support those who need it and keep the pressure on this thing!"

Ozpin places his hand on your shoulder, grabbing your attention.

"That was quite calculated."

"I'm surprised he doesn't want to do it himself," Glynda remarks, passing you on the opposite side.

You look between Ozpin and Glynda... two people who have been there for you. People who you would consider your family, your parents. Your eyes trail to the other teams ahead of you, and even to those battling in the distance. An uncontrollable feeling bubbles out from within you. One of comfort, safety, and happiness. These feelings force a smile on your face despite the resonating pain. You bring your scroll back to your face and speak.

"Let's show this Mutated monstrosity that he's no match for Beacon! For family!"

Glynda leads the remaining teams into battle, leaving you, Dylan, Ozpin, Dior, and the medics behind.

"What's wrong?" You ask Dylan.

The Faunus walks up to you, his face stone cold. He stares into your confused eyes for a moment before relenting in his intimidation.

"After this battle... we watch each other's backs, okay? We're a team. We're... family, like you said. And-"

"I love you too, Dylan."

"What? No! You idiot, I'm trying to be serious!" He retorts.

You chuckle at his reaction.

"I get it, Dylan, don't worry. Go on and kill this thing for me."

Dylan shakes his head at your words... but he smiles.

"I will."

The young Faunus runs off into the forest. Your plan is in motion – there's no way Beacon can be beaten by this thing.

"Well, I guess I should get started too," you moan, freeing yourself from the grip of the medics to limp towards a stationed Dior. "I'll try to recover as much Aura as possible. Dior, do you-"

"I'm t-t-tracking everyone's position and Aura. I-If something happens I'll contact others."

"You're a mind reader, Dior," you compliment as you take a seat beside him. "Ozpin... Dior... I gotta thank all of you for coming."

"I w-w-would never abandon you," Dior declares.

"I agree with Mr. Aurik. You are my son, after all."

"Heh... yeah... plus I don't think anyone would have believed a story about a massive Hydra. Well, I'll be gone for a bit. I leave everything to you."

You close your eyes and exhale. Your mind is calm, focused, and alert. It may take some time, but you Aura will recover quicker this way.

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Onyx, the infamous leader of team ORKD, is on his own. He's taken position by the north-east side of the island, and, unfortunately for him, one of the Hydra heads has made him his target. The young man leaps from tree to tree, seamlessly letting loose three arrows from his bow during each jump. The arrows stack one after another in the hide of the Hydra head. Its neck slithers through the trees, knocking them down as it chases its prey. Onyx grabs hold of Dust infused arrows, firing one in each of the Hydra's eyes and the final down its open mouth. Once the arrows are set loose, Onyx stops on the next branch and launches himself over the head of the best. He fires five more explosive arrows at the neck. After the final shot, he pulls on each end of Witherbrand, extending the bow and activating the two blades on either side. He spins the double-edged sword around his body then plunges it into the creature's neck. The Hydra riles in pain, throwing its head to the sky. This sudden momentum tosses Onyx off the hide and into the sky.

Luckily a hand grabs hold of him and pulls the young man onto a water pad. Yatsuhashi from team CFVY looks back at the leader of ORKD. They say nothing, only an exchange of glances that reassure each is okay. This small distraction allows the same Hydra head to attack the platform, threatening to swallow the two men whole. However, a body of water shoots in from the side, forming into a pole and holding the mouth wide open. Yatsuhashi jumps into the air whilst Onyx unleashes half a dozen explosive arrows right into the beast's mouth. Once they explode Yatsuhashi comes down with a crushing blow, forcing the head down at a rapid pace.

From below, Yang uppercuts the head with all her might, firing her gauntlets as she does. She moves her sights to another target, knowing there are others to battle that one. Yang can see the dozens of students from Beacon and other schools – most having axes, hammers, claymores, or just their fists. It would be quite the spectacle if their lives weren't in danger, but that could make it all the more thrilling. She fires off projectiles at the next Hydra head that's attempting to chomp down on Nora. The hyper hammer user is laughing as her platform maneuvers around the head, firing grenades at the Hydra.

"Nora!" She calls out, zooming past the girl.

Yang fires a few more shots, getting the attention of the beast. More students, most of which were unknown to Nora and Yang, gather around as well. Five more students, both from Beacon and not, are also circling the head, slashing and hitting away at the beast.

"Yang! Wanna hit it together?"

"You bet!"

Yang fires her gauntlets towards the ground, giving her a boost in the air. The two meet at the same point, smiling at each other. They dive back towards the head, which is preoccupied with the others attacking it.

"SMASH!" Nora yells as her hammer and Yang's fist collide with the tip of its head.

The entire length of the snake crashes to the island, just missing the Schnee Heiress. Weiss slides across her glyphs, coming to a halt and firing some Dust projectiles at the downed Grimm. Unfortunately, that specific head is far from defeated. It slithers towards the lone girl, eager to make her its next meal. Weiss prepares a glyph to amp her speed, but the serpent suddenly stops. Weiss notices a sai stuck in its eye, but the blade is attached to some sort of rope. From a short distance away, Rogue holds the beasts in place with the help of two other girls stabilizing her. Those two other girls... are more Rogues. The appearance of three Rogues confuses Weiss, but the redhead doesn't allow the Heiress to hypothesize.

"Don't just stand there! Attack or run!" The three shout, clearly struggling.

Suddenly a water platform swoops down to attack. Kin, now in a black gi rather than his suit, charges a hammerfist. It collides with the beast, sending it back into the air.

"Nice job, Kin!" The Rogue on his platform shouts.

Kin moves onto another beast that Sage, Arslan, and others are combatting. Without a second thought, Kin leaps off his platform towards the beasts open mouth, screaming with pride and power the whole way. His arms change from their regular complexion to a metallic tone. He connects a devastating right hook to the creature, then grabs its inner cheek with his left hand. He swings himself into the creature's mouth, holding it open with one hand as he slams his fist into whatever he can – still laughing.

"Come on! This is what a true battle is!" He screams as he punches.

"Goddamnit, Kin!" Rogue curses as she hilts one of her sais into the water.

She pulls on it first, assuring its stability. Seeing its good, Rogue ties the string around herself, locking it in place with the blade, then dives towards the mouth of the beast. At the point, the sheer force of the Hydra head is beginning to overwhelm Kin. None of the other students dare attack the head, fearing they may doom a fellow student, thus they all focus on the vast neck until Kin is safe. Rogue dives into the mouth, wraps one arm around her teammate, then tugs on her string to retract them out of the beast's mouth.

"You can't be so hasty, Kin!" Rogue scolds. "This isn't just a training exercise!"

Kin takes a few breaths, allowing the adrenaline to settle. He's well aware he gets caught up in the heat of the battle, doubly so when it's as intense as this.

"You're right, Rogue. Thank you."

From afar, Dylan watches over everyone. It's taxing to keep all these platforms together and moving, along with expending extra water for protection. His Aura is draining rather quickly due to constant usage, but he'll push himself to the max. Everyone is relying on him right now. In a way, it's nice to see all these people fighting together. Never before has he seen this many humans and Faunus come together and battle something on this scale. Seeing them protect each other, respect each other... it's what he wanted all along. It's a step towards true equality for his people. Odd how he finds such a thing in a life or death situation, but that's usually how it is.

Not only are the students battling, but the teachers too. Glynda Goodwitch wards off a rain of spikes from hitting a group of students which includes Jaune, Ren, Ruby, and many others. She turns them back around and fires them off at the closest two heads.

"Keep moving, students. Don't let it catch you standing still!" Glynda commands.

Ruby responds by speeding off whilst Ren jumps into the trees. Jaune looks to his sides where his friends once were, then sighs.

"Man..."

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Merlot vigorously types away on his keyboard. The sudden reinforcements and fact that his creation can no longer heal properly is boding ill for the doctor. Though under stress, he has a plan brewing in his brain. He has a collection of Grimm that suffers from an imbalance of blood. They cannot heal like the Deathstalker or the original Hydra. However, these faults, if calculated properly, could rectify this mistake. All he needs is the proper combination to completely eliminate Beacon Academy.

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The Hydra is completely overwhelmed by the amount of damage being dealt. Though it may be healing gradually, the amount of damage received is outweighing how much it can heal. With constant explosions popping in the air, the Hydra heads whipping around, and the water platforms littering the sky, it's a true sight to see.

Dior is monitoring the island and communications. From what he's hearing, everything is going well. The creature is slowing down – victory is soon approaching. However, something new appears on his screen. More signatures are popping up around the island. Instantly he recognizes it as more Mutated Grimm.

"T-T-There are Grimm appearing on the island!" Dior reports to the students.

Your eyes shoot open when you hear those words.

"Are they Mutated?" You ask with urgency.

Dior looks at you and nods. You rush to Dior's side and grab his scroll.

"Listen, let the Hydra absorb the Grimm! It'll disturb its balance completely and we can kill it!"

Without any resistance from its opponents, the Hydra's tendrils sprout from its body and wrap themselves around the new Grimm. All the Huntsmen and Huntsmen-in-Training watch as these Grimm are absorbed into the massive beast, increasing its size and ferocity. You, along with every other person on the island, watch as the beast grows and grows, a sight all too familiar for you. The Hydra grows larger and larger, almost taking up the entire island. The men and women on the ground are pushed to the edges of the forest and the sand, gawking at the largest Grimm they've ever seen. Even Ozpin is surprised at Merlot's monstrosity. Surprised... and disgusted.

You smile at the fact it's growing. A bigger target with less healing.

"Okay, go now! It should be as vulnerable as any Grimm!"

You and Dior watch from the shoreline as the small army attacks the raging beast. Immediately you notice it's increased speed, but that shouldn't matter to the sheer numbers your side has. You toss Dior his scroll and rest on the sand.

"Heh, looks like they didn't need my help," you say with a coy smile. "I guess leaving things to others is nice."

"I'm just glad you're safe, (Y/N). It's also interesting to see how many allies you've made."

You raise your brow at your friend.

"What's that?"

"We didn't have to come. Your headmaster let us choose, and everyone came. We all wanted to rescue you."

You look past the treeline at the battle.

"Is that so?" You rest yourself against the sand and smile. "I guess I'm just a likable guy," you smugly say.

And I guess... I guess Beacon really is my family.

As you retreat to your mind's sanctum, Dior continues to monitor the battle. To his surprise, the increase of the Hydra has made things more difficult than predicted.

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Ruby zooms around the beast's tail and max speed, trying to avoid the tendrils that have now gone on the offensive. This new attack has put pressure on every ground combatant. The sheer amount of them coupled with the mutated spikes raining down is causing trouble for even the fastest Huntress. Unfortunately, Ruby's leg is caught by one of the tendrils and slammed onto the ground. Her Aura absorbs the entirety of the damage, but it doesn't save her from the incoming spikes. Weiss steps in, unleashing a barrage of blasts to destroy or divert the spikes from the immobile Ruby.

She turns her attention to her leader, activating a glyph to keep her in place as she frees her. Weiss dashes to her leader and impales the tendril just before Ruby's foot. As she pulls out her blade she sees... no wound.

"What?"

"Weiss, look out!"

Half a dozen tendrils race towards the girl, but all are stopped by a wall of water. Instantly they know who assisted them. Weiss and Ruby both stab it in different spots, but once again it doesn't do anything.

"It's... healing?" Weiss points out.

Without being noticed, the tendrils manage to break through the liquid defense, pummeling Weiss and sending her away. With Weiss distracted, the glyph holding Ruby disappears. She's dragged across the ground then slammed into some trees, helpless.

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Dylan, on one knee, holds his hand towards the Hydra. His Aura is running on fumes now that the Hydra's power has increased, Dylan's Semblance is in overdrive. From keeping everyone in the air, protecting those people, and defending the ones on the ground. Weiss and Ruby, Pyrrha, dozens of students are all being overrun. Dylan's platforms are slowly shrinking, the water raining down on the island.

"Damn... I can't..."

All the platforms slowly descend to the ground, including Dylan's. He lands beside Dior, panting. Dior's face is filled with worry as his fingers dance along the keys.

"E-E-Everyone's Aura is f-f-failing!"

You're staring at Dior's data, teeth clenched.

"It's healing again... no... how?" You hiss.

"You let this happen, (Y/N) Slater," Merlot's voice echoes across the island. "You allowed it to rebalance the blood. You've sealed Beacon's fate!"

You push off your knee and get to your feet.

"Fine... I guess I'll have to do something."

"What?" Dylan huffs.

You look back and smile at him.

"Something stupid. Dior, hook my scroll up to everyone's again!" You say before sprinting forward.

You grab your scroll and hold it close to your mouth.

"Alright, I have an idea! Everyone stay back until I give the word! We're gonna finish this thing in one attack!"

You leap into the air, high above the island.

"Hey, up here!" You scream.

This attracts the attention of all eight heads... exactly like you planned.

Alright, alright, I can do this. It fixed its composition of blood so all I have to do is mess it up again.

You slip your scroll in your pocket, unsheathe your blade, and dive towards the Hydra. All of the students watch, waiting for the signal to attack and theorizing what this plan of yours is. The eight heads all attack, their mouths open to ingest you. You spin to the right, passing the first one, then lean to the left, just passing the mouth of another, and drive your blade into his side. Your blade drags through the beast for a few feet before you jump off the snake and head for another.

I have to get to the base!

One of the heads catches you by surprise, appearing from behind. Everyone watches as you're swallowed by the Hydra.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby screeches.

"Ruby, there," Yang interjects, pointing higher to the sky.

You appear out of a shadow, diving down at a faster rate.

"I got my own surprise for you, Merlot!" You shout, rotating forward and positioning your blade down. You land on the Hydra's hide, at the base of all eight heads. Your black blade sinks deep into the Hydra, but that won't kill it. You grab the blade with both hands, slicing your palms to allow the blood flow. A small torrent of blood floods out of your hands, down the blade, and into the Hydra. You drop to one knee as your body weakens, but your hands remain as tight as they can be.

"DO IT! ATTACK IT NOW!" You holler louder than you ever have before.

Even without the scroll, everyone can hear you. Putting their faith in your plan, every single student who can still fight leaps towards the hulking Hydra. The blades dance around the body and neck. Nora, Yang, Kin, and other heavy hitters manage to smack the heads closer to the ground, then proceed to pummel them. Each blow leaves a lasting effect on the Hydra – it's healing factor is nonexistent. With a combination of fists, axes, hammers, swords, arrows, Dust, and more... the Hydra is finally overwhelmed. Its heads lay on the ground, writhing for escape from the fatal blows being dealt.

All this is from you, a simple boy standing on the very Hydra that's made of his family's genes. This power is taking a toll on you, too. Your body is turning pale, your grip is loosening, your eyes losing light. You can't stop until the beast turns to ash. The sounds of slashing, crashing, wailing and screeching. Soon enough it all stops and your body falls. You're consumed by the black fog of the deceased Grimm as you fall to the flattened terrain below. You fall on your back, your blade lands beside you.

"I told you... my tale... doesn't end here... Harrier... you're..."

Your eyes finally close, blocking out all light from the sun. You're left in the middle of a destroyed forest, pale as a ghost and a smirk resting on your lips.

So this chapter took a while. I don't like that it took so long, but it did. Despite everything, I really like the way it turned out. I've had the Hydra Grimm (which, if you didn't know, is from the Manga) in my head for a long time. Actually, since chapter 10. It was one of the ideas I had for a battle, but the Grimm Minotaur won that internal debate. But I kept that idea in my head and decided it would be the final boss for Grimm Eclipse. I hope you all enjoyed. I put a lot of work into this one. I kinda wanted a Volume 3 feel where you see what everyone is doing, but you don't follow them. I didn't want to make this chapter unnecessarily long by including EVERY character and what they're doing in the fight.

Still, I'm happy with the chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it! Another chapter will be out before the end of the month (hopefully) after Limitless. So, I'll see you then!

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