Chapter 51: A Reunion onTwo Fronts

You and Neo pack up the few things you have swiftly. The room is still a mess, but you've spoken with the inn owner about it. You get everything in your pack and throw it over your shoulder.

"You know, we're gonna have to update your outfit now," you look over at her.

Neo neatly places some rations into her bag and looks over at you. She appears to be in her regular attire, completely intact, but you know she's using her Semblance to make it appear as so. She bobs her head back and forth, eventually nodding. She can't remain in these tattered clothes forever, and a new wardrobe to match yours wouldn't be a bad idea. You are her new partner, after all. But that doesn't mean she's forgotten about her old one. Cinder, Ruby, it doesn't matter. She's making both of them pay.

With everything packed and ready, you and Neo leave your room and head for the stairs. Neo keeps going towards the door while you turn to the counter.

"Hey, here it is," you place down a stack of lien – nearly all of your lien. "We're sorry for the trouble."

"Thank you. I hope you enjoyed your stay," the man says as if nothing happened.

"R-Right," you turn away and approach Neo. "You ready to keep going?"

Neo nods, opening the door for you and strolling out into the open world.

You two start down the path, unsure where your journey is going to take you. Of course, you'll be training even harder every night. Neo is definitely on board with that.

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Dylan, Blake and Sun wait as the ship pulls up to the Menagerie dock. All of the Faunus passengers file in line until the bridge is extended. Plenty of people depart the boat once they're able to, reuniting with friends or family who've waiting for them. In fact, one could say it's extremely crowded at this little docking area. The three Faunus teenagers approach the bridge and begin to walk across. Sun shows physical amazement at the sight before him, while Dylan is very discreet about it and Blake, who's very familiar with the island, is leading.

They step onto a beach and head for stone stairs right ahead of them, stalls to the right and left with patrons and chatter galore.

"I've never seen so many Faunus in one place," Sun points out, his eyes drawn to anything moving or colourful.

"This is the one place everyone can feel safe, no matter who or what they are."

Sun takes a moment to stop and look around, so the two feline Faunus pause to allow their friend some time.

"Have you been here before?" Blake glances at Dylan.

Dylan smirks, subtly taking in the sights. "Twice, maybe... and it's always been brief," Dylan closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, enjoying the sea-side air. "I've never been here as a tourist or even a resident. Never been here as just a Faunus," Brine turns to Blake and smiles. A pure smile that Blake hasn't seen from him in a long time. "I like it," he adds.

"I'm... I'm glad," Blake nods.

"Place is a bit crowded, huh," Sun says while approaching the two.

"Yes," Blake sighs. "Yes, it is. Come on, we shouldn't stand around too long."

Blake gestures for the two boys to follow her, which they quickly do. The group passes by a plethora of people and shops, all enjoying the bright, beautiful day. While Dylan thought Sun's comment was of poor taste, he certainly can see how crowded even the larger paths are. He's only been here on White Fang business, and even then it tended to be at night. The island wasn't bustling like it is now, so this realization of a space issue is a bit eye-opening. If he was still blinded by the White Fang this may have added to his pool of hatred for humans. While it doesn't paint them in the best light still, Dylan won't condemn every human for this action. Not like others would.

The three follow a path that's somewhat familiar to Dylan. Of course, if the destination is Blake's home then Dylan knows exactly where that is. But this is a main street, so plenty of people are traversing it as well or standing on the sides and chatting. Children weave through legs as they laugh and try and catch each other, workers haul boxes and product between places. All this makes it hard for the trio to stay side by side. Sun falls behind a bit while Dylan and Blake become separated, but still manage to keep pace with each other.

"Is it always so... cramped," Sun complains, slipping through some people to keep up.

"It's the middle of the day, Sun," Dylan remarks. "Everyone is out."

"Yeah, but... aren't there more places to be?"

Dylan and Blake share a look.

"Not... really," Dylan looks ahead. "All the Faunus were put here, Sun. Some never left. The majority of our species is here."

"And with this island being two-thirds desert with no room to expand, well, there's not much to do about it."

"What? You guys have that much more space?" He gets to the other side of Blake, still walking. "Why waste it? A little desert never hurt anyone."

"It's not like the desert in Vacuo, Sun," Blake replies. "The wildlife here is more dangerous than most of the regions."

"Which always made me wonder why the White Fang never attempted to expand," Dylan remarks. "All this manpower fighting humans... who knows how much space we could've cultivated."

The three approach stairs leading towards the left pathway, thankfully less crowded than the street.

"We've made do with what we have," Blake assures.

They all reach the top of the stairs, looking over a massive landscape of buildings, trees, and even mountains far back. It's colourful, it's lively, and it's home for many Faunus.

"This is Kuo Kuana," she presents to Sun.

Dylan also appreciates the view, though he's not as awestruck as Sun. There's something different about seeing it with life, rather than in the darkness of night.

"It's... beautiful," Sun compliments, starstruck. "I take it all back. This place looks great! Why would anyone ever wanna leave?"

"That's not the point, Sun!" Blake frowns. "We asked to be equal, to be treated just like everyone else. Instead, we were given an island and told to make do. So we did the best we could. We came together and made a home where any Faunus could feel welcome. But... this island, this town," Blake's frustration begins to seep into her speech. "It'll always be a reminder that we're still not equal. That we're still second-class citizens," she says, downcast.

Before Dylan can comment, Sun places a hand on Blake's shoulder to comfort her. "Well, hey, this Faunus is feeling pretty at home."

Both Blake and Dylan smile. As annoying as Sun can be to Dylan, he has his moments. Dylan doubts that he could've said anything better in this situation.

"So, are we going?" Dylan starts walking, but the two raise a brow. "Your home. It's right down there."

"You know?" Blake's eyes widen.

"Of course I do," Dylan chuckles. "Blake Belladonna. You think I wouldn't recognize the name? I've known the whole time."

"He knows what? Which house is yours?" Sun questions while Dylan keeps marching ahead.

"Well..." Blake sighs. "It's... that one," she points to the largest house at the center.

"You... it..." Sun's at a loss for words. "Whoa..."

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The three approach the Belladonna residence, now all together. The two boys let Blake approach the door first. She raises a hand to grab the knocker, but she pauses.

"What's wrong?" Sun asks.

"It's just... it's been a long time since I've seen my parents."

"Well, you came all this way," Sun states.

"And I doubt us knocking would be as effective," Dylan adds.

Blake takes a deep breath, both to prepare herself and dismiss the thought of the two boys knocking for her. Blake grabs the door knocker and slams it once, the sound menacingly echoing.

"A bit over the top," Dylan points out, arms crossed. "Your parents are both felines. Their hearing is sharp."

"Yeah... good for intimidation, though," Sun nervously chuckles.

Blake steps back, her heart racing at the thought of seeing her parents once again. She doesn't have much time to dwell on it as her door opens, A woman slightly shorter than Blake but definitely older, pokes her head out from behind the door. As soon as Blake's presence clicks she opens it completely, revealing herself.

All in all, she resembles Blake both in looks and colour scheme. The biggest difference, aside from clothes and age, are the woman's far larger ears.

"Blake?" She asks to make sure she isn't seeing things.

"Hi... mom," Blake nervously waves, her ears flattening as her voice shakes.

The woman slowly approaches before wrapping her arms around Blake, surprising the young Faunus.

"My baby girl," the mother lovingly hugs her daughter.

Blake takes a moment before she returns the hug. Dylan and Sun keep back, smiling at the small reunion.

"Kali! Who is it?" A deep voice questions from inside.

The group focus on the man approaching, a tall and imposing figure cocks his head to the side, curious, but it all slips away when his eyes land on Blake. He smiles at her, happy to see his child safe and sound. Blake returns the gesture, momentarily looking over at Dylan and Sun, who're merely happy to see this family reunion.

"Blake... hurry, please, come in," the man takes a few steps closer.

The group enters the building, Kali closing the door behind her, while Blake's father wraps his arms around his daughter.

"And you two are?" kali inquisitively asks.

"Sun Wukong!" Sun proudly states.

"Dylan Brine," he bows his head. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Kali. And you too," he turns towards Blake and her father. "Ghira."

"Dylan Brine," Ghira greets. "You're here..."

"For Blake," he smiles. "No other reasons."

"Why don't I make us some tea?" Kali offers. "Ghira, could you bring them to the table?"

"Of course."

"Can I... Can I help?" Blake requests.

Kali smiles brightly at the offering of help. "Of course."

Kali and Blake leave deeper into the house while Dylan and Sun remain with the towering Chieftain.

"Please, follow me. I'm sure they'll be ready soon," Ghira gestures for the two to follow.

"You know," he begins speaking again. "I was surprised to see you, Dylan. I had thought you were here on White Fang business."

"That's fair to think," Dylan nods. "But I left the White Fang some time ago."

"Really?" Ghira opens a door to a circular room, nicely decorated with hanging plants and paintings, and a small table in the center. "I always thought you and your sister had unshakable devotion," the man grabs five pillows from a stack and lays them around the table. "Would you two mind sitting side by side?"

Dylan and Sun share a glance, a small spark of rivalry winding between them.

"It's fine."

"Of course, who wouldn't want to sit with this guy?" Sun points at his friend.

"Perfect," Ghira sits a the head of the table while Dylan and Sun take their place to the right of him – Dylan being closer to Ghira. "If you don't mind me asking, how is your sister?"

Dylan's ears fall as he thinks of a way to answer. "I'm not sure. I haven't seen her for some time. We weren't on the greatest terms."

"Didn't you two fight at Beacon? When you did that super huge water wave?" Sun points out.

"Yes, Sun. Yes, she was," he sighs.

"You were at Beacon?" Ghira seems taken back.

"Hm, yes," Dylan smirks. "Part of the reason I left the White Fang. A... well, an idiot human convinced me to stay."

Sun laughs. "I swear, you never have anything nice to say about your teammate."

"I feel like the same applies to you if I asked your team."

Sun squints at his fellow Faunus, eliciting a confident smirk from Dylan.

"I must say, I'm surprised," Ghira rests his hands on his knees. "You and your sister always seemed... well, I mean no offence, but humans never sounded like a positive topic."

"They weren't," Dylan shakes his head. "But... I suppose that changed over time. In truth, (Y/N) was the reason."

"Didn't you fight the first time you met?" Sun points out.

"First two times, actually," Dylan chuckles.

"So you have a human friend? That's good to hear," Ghira smiles at the young boy, happy to see that such a White Fang fanatic and human hater has found peace between species. "Too many White Fang nowadays cannot find it in themselves to befriend humans."

"I know," Dylan nods. "And... well, you can't tell him, but I think this human is my best friend."

"I'm definitely telling hi-"

Dylan forms a small bit of water in front of Sun and throws it against his lips, locking them shut. "I'm sorry, you were saying?" He says before breaking out into laughter.

His Faunus friend makes up the silence with over the top gestures, which even entertains Ghira. When the door soon opens and the two women enter, Dylan releases Sun from his torment.

"You're getting along? Not giving them an intimidating speech, I hope?" Kali teases her husband while she sets down the tea.

"Of course not," Ghira shakes his head. "Merely having a simple conversation. It's been a long time since I've seen Dylan and... well, Sun Wukong is a very interesting character."

"You can say that," Blake nods while taking a seat.

Kali fills up the cups and hands them out for everyone. "So, were all of you at Beacon when... everything happened?" She grabs her own cup and looks at the kids.

All of them nod, taking their own drink.

"That's horrible... we were horrified when we heard the news. The Kingdom of Vale wasn't perfect but it certainly didn't deserve what happened. We were both so worried," Kali goes on, mostly focusing on her daughter the whole time.

"Please," Ghira laughs and crosses his arms. "I knew she'd be fine."

"That isn't the slightest bit true," Kali waves a hand at him while Ghira brushes it off with confidence. "You should've seen him pacing."

"You guys have nothing to worry about," Sun speaks up. "I've seen your daughter in action before, and trust me, she's got some moves," he finger guns towards Blake while she's wide-eyed.

Dylan pinches the bridge of his nose. "Don't say it like that you idiot," he says under his breath.

"And what exactly do you mean by that Mr. Wukong?" Ghira says with a tone that shakes Sun to his core.

Sun slowly looks over at Ghira, feeling an overwhelming parental pressure that Dylan, too, has to share since he's between the two.

"Well, I, uh-"

"He means combat," Dylan slaps his hand over Sun's mouth. "Since we both spent a lot of time at Beacon we were able to appreciate your daughter's immense combat prowess," he looks over at Sun. "Right?"

Sun looks back to Ghira and nods. "Mhm," he muffles through Dylan's hand.

Dylan lowers his arm only for Sun to open his mouth again.

"He's totally right. We've both tussled with your daughter before."

Blake covers her face in embarrassment while Dylan sighs heavily.

"You son of a-"

A loud knock echoes through the house, familiar from when the young Faunus first arrived.

"Darn it, I completely forgot about the meeting," Ghira heavily rests his fist on the table.

"Ghira," Kali slides her hand over his.

"Give me a moment," he says before standing and walking out of the room.

"Is everything okay?" Blake turns to her mother.

"Yes dear, just poor timing," she tilts her head and smiles. "He can reschedule. It's just been hard dealing with them lately."

"Dealing with who?" Blake inquires further.

"Hm?" Kali finishes her drink. "The White Fang."

"WHAT?" Sun and Blake almost jump to their feet while Dylan is more confused at their reaction.

The two sprint out of the room to support Ghira while Blake is left with Kali.

"Did I say something wrong?" Kali lifts her hand to her face.

"No," Dylan gets to his feet. "Don't worry, Ms. Belladonna, everything's okay."

Dylan casually approaches, coming in sight of the door while everyone is talking.

"This is Corsac and Fennec Albain. They represent the White Fang here in Menagerie now."

Corsac and Fennec, names Dylan know quite well. He also knows it's not good if they're here. They're even dressed how he remembers, over the top red hoods, black and white garbs, and holding their hands together as if they're holy. They're very similar looking, save for Fennec who has large fox ears and Corsac who has a fox tail and is a decent bit taller than his brother.

"Those psycho's are here too?" Sun exclaims.

"Of course they are, Sun," Dylan says, getting everyone's attention as he stops to the right of Sun. "We talked about this on the boat. You think the White Fang wouldn't be on Menagerie?"

"Dylan Brine," Fennec says with feigned pleasure. "It's wonderful to see you here and healthy."

"I doubt it," he replies, crossing his arms. "None of the White Fang I saw before seemed happy to see me. Especially at Beacon."

"Beacon?" This gets Ghira's attention. "What're you talking about?"

At this point, Kali approaches, remaining silent when Blake begins to talk.

"The White Fang," Blake starts, clenching her fists. "Was at the fall of Beacon. They attacked innocent civilians and released Grimm into the school."

This information is a shock to both Kali and Ghira, but both process it differently. Ghira remains silent and in thought while Kali is more horrified at the news.

"Is this true?" Ghira adopts the same oppressive tone he did with Sun.

"Sadly, your grace, it is," Fennec replies with an attempt at regret.

"Don't act like you're s-"

"That's enough," Ghira cuts off Blake, raising his hand before her. "Explain yourselves."

The brothers share a glance before Corsac takes the lead. "Though it pains us to admit, it has become apparent that the Vale branch of the White Fang is no longer operating under the orders of High Leader Khan. Rather, they've elected to follow the rule of one Adam Taurus."

Dylan snickers. "Don't act like you've only heard the name. I know you've spoken with him before. Also," Dylan continues. "As someone who once followed Adam, I can say that Beacon wasn't the only terrorist act they performed."

"And yet here you are," Corsac gestures.

"Making up for it," Dylan furrows his brow.

"Either way," Fennec takes over. "The High Council has always suspected of a splinter group, but they could prove nothing until the latest incident."

Dylan has nothing to retort with this time. Everyone in Vale followed Adam religiously, so it was unlikely they ever reported him. The ones who defected were often killed or simply wanted to run away entirely. With contemplation, it's possible the White Fang could've intervened if Dylan or Blake has attempted to contact another branch, but putting all that blame on themselves isn't healthy, and it's something Dylan will keep to himself.

"Incident?" Blake replies with offence. "People are dead!"

"And it is a tragedy," Corsac responds.

"Your grace, we came to assure you that brother Taurus and his followers do not represent the will of the White Fang," Fennec declares with passion.

"And how can I be sure of that?" Ghira asks.

"We understand if you bear any skepticism towards these claims," Corsac bows his head. "The White Fang's tactics are admittedly more aggressive since you stepped down as High Leader and became Chieftain of Menagerie. But this... this is no way to make our message heard."

"We have ample documentation from the council meeting as well as several strategies to apprehend and punish these strays if you'd care to review them."

"I will, but another day. I'd like some time to reconnect with my daughter," he looks down at Blake.

"But of course, your grace," Corsac bows.

"We completely understand. It was a pleasure to see you again, young Blake, and you too, Dylan. Your departures from the White Fang will certainly be missed."

"I'm sure," Dylan remarks.

"Goodbye, gentlemen," Ghira moves ahead, grabbing the two doors and closing them.

He steps back and turns around, seeing Blake hastily walk away from everyone. Dylan can't blame her, after everything that's happened.

"It's what we expected, right?" He looks at Sun. "And why we shouldn't leave."

"Especially with creepy guys like that around," he places his hands on his hips.

"Dylan, you said they have had contact with Adam before?" Ghira ignores Sun completely.

"Yes," he nods. "When I was part of Adam's group, I've heard him speak with them before. I even met with them a few times when representing Vale's group."

Ghira crosses his arms and thinks for a moment.

"I'm sorry for putting more stress on you, considering your position," Dylan says. "If you don't mind, I'd ask if both Sun and I can stay here with Blake for a time."

"Yeah!" Sun nods. "Knowing the White Fang are around, there's no way I can just leave Blake to fight them off herself!"

While Ghira finds him annoying, he and Kali see that he does have good intentions to protect their daughter. If what Dylan is saying is true, then the White Fang on Menagerie may not be as peaceful as the Chieftain hoped.

"Of course," Kali answers. "Friends of Blake are always welcome to stay!"

"Indeed," Ghira nods.

"If you don't mind," Dylan furthers. "When you get to see those plans, I'd like to look over them as well. I know you're very knowledgeable on the White Fang, but it's been some time since you've stepped down and it may help to have an extra pair of eyes."

"Let me look over them first before I decide," Ghira replies. "But I can see you're not quite detached from the White Fang just yet."

"No," Dylan crosses his arms and looks away. "After Beacon... after everything. I can't just leave it as it is. Not anymore."

"Hey," Sun nudges the teen. "Maybe we should check on Blake."

"Yeah," Dylan lets his body relax. "Thank you, both of you, for allowing us to say," he bows his head slightly.

"Yes," Sun claps his hands together and bows, being over the top as usual. "It's an absolute honour good-"

Dylan grabs Sun's shoulder and drags him away. "Come on, before they change their mind."

The adults watch as the two leave, waiting for the door to close before speaking again.

"I like them," Kali smiles.

"I don't like the blond one."

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A small group enters the bustling town of Higanbana, lead by the ever-observant Tyrian with a long brown coat on.

"Same as always, children," he spins around, addressing team VOID. "Find some clues to our clueless friend so we can find him. We must warn him of the trouble he's in," Tyrian ends with a laugh before walking off on his own.

"I get it's all in code, but everything he says unnerves me," Chess scratches her neck.

"Thought you woulda been used to it by now, sis," Dolph walks ahead of her, his arms swinging from side to side without a care in the world. "You have your moments too," he says with a coy smile.

"Not like him," she shakes her head then starts passing up her other two teammates. "I'm going to stay with my brother. Make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble."

"Got it. We'll find our own clues," Vani looks to his friend, crossing his arms. "Where do you want to start?"

Osiris, who watched Tyrian enter the tavern while the siblings went further down the street. "Well, there is an inn. He may have stayed here for a night. Unless he slept in the forest, that place should've seen him."

"I was thinking the same," Vani nods, his arms falling back to his sides. "Come on, then, let's ask."

The two men approach the inn, holding the door open for a young woman with a red cape.

"Thank you!" She cheerily says while passing by.

Osiris courteously smiles at her before entering behind Vani, his movement more fluid and happier than his friend.

"Welcome! Will you be needing a room?" A man inquires.

"No," Vani shakes his head, stopping just before the desk. "I'm looking for family, actually. He was supposed to meet me here. (Y/N) Slater? He has-"

"Ah, yes," the man nods. "I remember that man. Unfortunately, if you're looking for him, he departed some hours ago."

Vani's eyes light up, but not in a joyful way. Like his prey has been sighted and the kill is close.

"What way did he go?" His voice is more urgent than before.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know," the man bows his head.

"Tsk, fine," Vani turns away. "We know he was here. We just need to find out where he was going."

Vani swiftly marches out of the building, Osiris having to speed himself up a bit to keep up.

"What direction could he be going? Back to Mistral?"

"Why would he do that?" Osiris questions. "There are two other directions he could've gone."

"And he still could've just teleported wherever he pleased."

Tyrian exits the tavern, happier than ever.

"He was here," Vani informs.

"I know. He stirred this pot right up. Wish I was here to add some... spice," he giggles even more.

"Do you know where he went?"

"No..." His chuckles turn into a deep growl.

"Then we keep looking. Maybe Chess and Dolph found something," Osiris proposes.

"And found something, we have!" Dolph's arms are open with a wide, proud smile on his face, not bothering to keep his voice down."Didn't take long. People here are chatty even without their limbs broken."

Chess comes around the corner, back first. "Thank you very much. We'll find our friend soon," she smiles, turns away, and drops the disgusting "good girl" persona. "Girl was asking the guards where he went. Apparently, she was quite fond of (Y/N). We overheard it and, well," she stops in front of her group. "It's not hard when asking about your friend."

"So, where's he going?"

"Towards Mistral," Dolph answers. "Back to the stomping ground. Almost feels too soon," he pushes his lower lip out.

"Why go back there?" Osiris ponders. "What's there? Why not just teleport? We're decently close..."

"Doesn't matter," Vani walks past everyone towards the correct path. "He's only a few hours away. Come on!" He shouts before running.

The others follow suit, not noticing a blonde boy leaving the tavern, hands filled with rations.

"No way...(Y/N)? I've got to tell the others!" He goes into a full sprint, dropping everything he had.

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After hours of walking, the sun's warm gaze has been stolen by clouds. You look up at the rather dreary overcast and sigh.

"Hope it doesn't rain. Looks like we'll be sleeping in the forest tonight. Which at least means we'll get some training done."

Neo looks up at you with a wide smile and nods.

While you keep trekking down the stone path, you're surprised when a walled off settlement comes into view.

"That's odd. I thought they said the next town was farther than this," you point out while approaching.

You can see that some of the buildings don't have walls, yet none of them look destroyed. It's hard to tell from so far away so you reserve judgement until you get closer. After all, there's no reason not to investigate.

You and Neo casually enter through a circular hole in the wall, which you assume is an intentional entry way and not just a random hole, and take in the clearly unfinished village. Some buildings are missing left or right walls, the majority lack roofs, half of them don't have doors – you fail to see even one building so far that's finished.

"Huh," you cross your arms, slowly turning in place to take it all in. "Doesn't look like it was attacked. Just... abandoned," you say with a shrug. You look further down the main road into another section of the village. To its credit, it's a lot bigger than you expected. "Keep an eye out, just in case," you shout to Neo, who's already waiting beside a circular hole in the wall allowing access between this area and the next.

Whilst catching up with Neo, you pass by a wooden sign with a title on it.

"Oniyuri, huh?" You read the title. "People come up with all sorts of names."

Neo pushes off the wall and follows you into the next section of Oniyuri. There's more unfinished buildings, a circular centerpiece with nothing on it, and a way to leave ahead. With no reason to linger, you and Neo head straight for the exit.

Only seconds after you pass by the stone centerpiece, an unknown figure flips over a building to your right, over you both, and lands on your left. Tyrian smiles at his prey, activating his two wrist mounted weapons before dashing at you. With an unimpressed gaze, you merely stand stilland watch the man as he comes in for an attack. Time seems to slow as you watch his bracer-attached blades inch closer to you. Right as it's about to graze your Aura, you disappear into shadow and reappear right behind him, kicking him in the back of his head which sends him flying through a stone wall. You land back in the same spot and huff.

"I guess this was a raider boobytrap? Not a very good one. You jumped right in front of me."

Tyrian hops out of the dust, keeping his body low and smiles wide.

"So is this really you or do you just be creepy to unnerve people?" You nonchalantly ask, practically insulting him that by acting like you're uninterested. "Do you want him?" You offer to Neo while casual pointing at your opponent.

Tyrian darts at you, making Neo casually stroll over to a curb and take a seat. She places her umbrella beside her and spins it around while you dodge, weave, and parry Tyrian's endless onslaught of momentum-fueled attacks. She'll let you have a little more fun this time around. Been a while since you've been able to test the fruits of your training. The next fool to attack you along your travels, however, will certainly be hers.

Tyrian spins around, going for a slice with his blades, but you duck under his attack and hop back to get some distance. The man pursues you, noting that you're now drawing the legendary blade. He leaps in the air and drops down on you with both weapons, halted by your own. He lands on the ground and uses all his might to push against you, but you're able to keep him at bay. Your eyes lock together, another sort of struggle taking place. Tyrian becomes even more excited for this bout. So many times he's been sent to deal with people who're barely worth his time. This time it's not some child unable to even land a hit or a pathetic huntsman that barely lives up to the name.

You overpower him, forcing him on the back foot before slashing at his side. He flips over your blade aiming the barrels at your face and firing. You step above him, with your sword above your head, and come down upon him with immense force. Tyrian barely manages to leap back, feeling the shockwave from when your blade hits the ground – rupturing the stone. You lock onto him and follow up, coming around from the left side to slice from left to right, both being blocked by the crazed combatant. With your blade now at his left, Tyrian attempts to slash you with his right arm while firing at your blade. You drop Crimson Blaze entirely, weaving under Tyrian's attack only to follow up with a spinning kick to the back of his head. Tyrian falls forward, seeing your foot land on the ground before the heel zooms to his face. He flips back, laughing and shooting at you. You quickly slide your foot under Crimson Blaze and kick it up off the ground. Your hand swiftly catches the blade and you begin deflecting all his shots.

Tyrian stops right in front of a shot you deflected back at him. He stares at the bullet hole in the ground before laughing. "It's so nice to see what the infamous (Y/N) Slater can do."

You raise your brow, wondering why he's now talking instead of pressing an assault.

"You know me... you're not just some bandit, huh?" You twirl your blade a few times.

Tyrian places a hand on his chest, insulted. "Do I look like the common rabble that festers here? No, no, my dear boy my name is Tyrian. I'm here for some... holy work," he sadistically chuckles while his fingers wiggle.

"Sorry, haven't been going to church lately. Guess you pastors take it personally," you banter.

"You can see for yourself," his eyes shrink. "Our goddess wants you... and I will deliver."

"Goddess?" You tilt your head to the side, confused. "Look, whatever you're selling, I'm not buying. You should work on your marketing. Well, I guess giving people near-death experiences could turn them. Just a little aggressive, no?"

Tyrian busts into laughter. Something you're not used to when chatting with opponents. "You're just as he described! Oh how much more fun you are than Harrier!"

The mention of that name cuts all fun out of this you were trying to have. Tyrian knows Harrier, which means he may know Cinder and Salem as well. Your opponent notices the shift in mood and laughs.

"You figured it out! So why not come with me?"

"I'll pass," you raise your sword at him. "Instead... you're going to tell me where to find your boss."

"Oh, I don't think that will do," Tyrian grabs at his coat and throws it away, revealing a large scorpion tail that now droops behind him. "Aggressive methods and all."

"Touché."

Without moving a muscle, you step beside the failed priest, not attacking until you know he sees you. Tyrian's tail attempts to find its mark, going for your chest. You step in front of him, going for an attack which he tries to block. However, you again step, this time behind him, and cut down his back, followed up by grabbing his ponytail and throwing him overhead, towards a house to your right. Tyrian flips around, landing on the wall like a spider then dashes off with such force that it shatters the wall. He zooms at you, guns blazing which forces you to block until he reaches you. He spins around, attempting a kick, you duck under it and see his tail coming at you with full force. You barely manage to tilt your head out of the way, but the tail wraps around your neck while Tyrian lands. He lifts you up and slams you against the ground, dragging you across the stone to his front.

He laughs, about to slash at you when you step out of his grasp entirely – an act that Tyrian isn't expecting, His momentary surprise allows you to appear beside him and slam your fist right into his left cheek, sending him spiralling into the far wall. You step behind him, blade wound up for a slash. Tyrian pierces the ground with his tail to slow himself, waiting till he's close to spring up high, dodging your attack, and coming down on you with two consecutive attacks, both you manage to parry. Tyrian flips back and zooms towards you, laughing the whole time while he ceaselessly attacks you.

Tyrian was taken by surprise when you teleported out of his grasp before. He was told that you can't teleport just yourself while others are touching you. It's a mistake that won't be repeated.

You're now on the defensive, but you're not pressured. You're keeping up with Tyrian's attacks fairly well, dodging or blocking his tail and pincer-like blades. You duck under his swipe, spinning and swinging at his stomach only for his tail to shield it. It slithers around your sword and towards your arm. Thankfully, your blade is sleek enough for you to pull it back and jump away, but Tyrian predicts this and speeds behind you, slamming his right weapon into your face. You twirl away bouncing across the ground before stepping behind him, still sideways, and try to kick his temple. Tyrian's smile widens as he notices your attempts. As soon as he tries to retaliate, you step in front of him, bringing your knee to his chin before spinning around and kicking him away.

Tyrian stumbles back, growling at the fact you're managing to do this to him. But, it's not unanticipated. You're faster than Tyrian was told and, to be expected, your Semblance makes it difficult to keep up with you. But, as Tyrian was also told, you aren't using it to its maximum potential. The tragedy of the Tawny's makes that clear.

You and Tyrian rush at each other once more, meeting a short distance from the middle stone placement. The sound of your blades echo throughout the village as they clash once more. You pressure Tyrian more than before, but he begins to smile. You don't understand until you hear something behind you. Swiftly, you grab your sheath and pivot yourself, blocking an airborne Chess.

"Hey there, stranger."

Feeling you're about to retaliate, she pushes off your sheath and lands a short distance away. She leans on her hip, hoisting the bat on her shoulder while confidently smiling at you. With your attention divided, Tyrian takes the opportunity to wrap his tail around your foot and throw you towards the far inner wall. You recover mid-air and land, facing your now two opponents.

Two of them, great. Well, it shouldn't be a problem.

You look over at Neo, who's giving you a thumbs up. You bet she saw this new girl coming and just wanted to see how you'd react. Neo, however, is more acute now. She stands up and keeps her ears open. She only thought there was one opponent and now another has appeared. There may be more incoming, and depending on how powerful they are it may prove challenging. At least, that's Neo's worst-case scenario. But until it's clear that you're at a disadvantage, she won't interfere. Not yet.

Chess nonchalantly swings her bat towards the ground and drags it as if she's drawing a line. "I've heard a whole lot about you. You do look pretty mean."

"I don't plan on being too nice to people who work with Salem," you calmly reply.

"What a shame. I wanted to hear some quips."

With the flash of a smile, a strange mist suddenly engulfs you from behind, extending towards Tyrian and Chess. You dash towards them, attempting to land a blow but they're no longer there.

Mist? Was this one of their Semblances? Tyrian wasn't doing anything, the woman dragged her bat along the-

A blunt object suddenly slams in the back of your head, nearly knocking you over. After regaining your footing, you spin around and slash, but nothing is there except mist.

Damnit, I can't see anything but fog. I can't just step out. I have to leap.

You close your eyes and attempt to focus but a slithery tail suddenly wraps around your leg and pulls back, causing you to fall forward and face-first into a blunt object again. As you're knocked back, Tyrian's tail flicks up and slams you back on the ground, followed by a blade that, somehow, cuts your side. You shake your head and slash your legs, forcing him away while you roll over your shoulder and get back on your feet. You look down at your ribs – the coat is cut but your vest armour held strong.

That was definitely Tyrian, which means he can go through my Aura. I can't get hit by him again. That also means this mist was the girl. Alright, I have their Semblances. Now I have to work around them.

You can't even manage to hear anything through the thick fog. It's a maddening silence that makes your breathing sound like an orchestra. Not wanting to remain standing the entire time, you start swinging in every direction, stepping back while doing so. When your right foot hits the ground for the second time, a burst of purple lighting envelops you, draining your aura and paralyzing you.

Without time to try and break free, two blunt objects slam into your face, sending you twirling into the air, out of the fog and through a stone house. Neo watches you get knocked into the building, and soon after the fog disappears revealing... three people.

Dolph pats his bat with pride. Different from when he was travelling, he's now wearing a bandanna with a fanged smile print covering his lower face.

"Confusing, isn't it?" He shouts. "Big Slater doesn't seem so tou-"

You fire out of the building like a bullet, slamming both heels into his face. The hooded man slams against the ground, grinding to a halt beside Chess.

"Really, Dolph?" Chess helps her brother off the ground then focuses on you.

Tyrian begins laughing for no discernible reason. Now, you see three opponents before you, making this slightly more complicated.

If he was here before, he may be the one who made the fog? Or perhaps he entered the fray once she made it. But that lightning trap on the ground...

It's been some time since you've faced experienced fighters who you've never encountered before. Considering one can negate your Semblance, one can lay traps, and the other can go right through your Aura, you need to make sure you have the most information possible. You can't get caught off guard here.

"I didn't wait all this time to stand around," Dolph raises his bat to cheers with Chess. "Let's see what you got, Slater!"

You remain silent, focused, as he runs ahead of his allies. Chess and Tyrian wait a moment, allowing for space and time to react, before following. You jump off your elevated position, knocking away Dolph's wild swing, but something strange happens. The moment your blade connects with his metal bat, purple electricity tunnels through his weapon and into yours. The same sensation runs through your body as the violet coloured lightning leaves you stunned. Tyrian takes this chance to jump over you, spin, and slash you down towards the ground.

"Your turn for a home run, sis!" Dolph shouts, winding up a swing and hitting you spot on, in the gut, redirecting you towards the girl.

Chess tightens her grip on the bat, readying to attack. You've recovered at this point and shifted your feet towards her, connecting with her chest and using her body as a springboard to jump in the air while also slamming her on the ground.

His bat erupted the same purple lightning as the trap... but he also tapped it with the girl's. Without knowing how the mist is formed, I can't tell which one of them does what. The tapping could've been just to keep me guessing, or maybe the girl is the one with the lightning. Damnit, I still don't know.

You turn around, spotting, just in time, Tyrian beaming towards you. You block both his heavy slashes and spin around his tail towards his back and attack. He instinctively ducks, opting to wrap his tail around your torso and barreling down to the ground, bringing you along with him. You notice that a familiar mist has taken over where Tyrian is trying to lead you.

Of course, you step out of his grasp and land a few feet away from the mist, watching fall him into the thick fog. You look back over at Neo, who's still watching, but you notice her eyes now trail off in a few other directions.

She's scouting. Yeah, it's possible there's more of them. But why wait? What's the point? They clearly know who I am so it can't be to study my movements.

There's an old-style standoff between you and this fog. You know both Tyrian and the woman have to be in there. So the masked man is either within the mist too, or he's trying to attack from behind. It's also possible Tyrian has slipped around the back and could flank you. You keep your focus on sounds, thanking the months of lightning training for your acute hearing and reflexes.

Against what you expect, superheated spikes begin firing out from the mist. You strafe to the right, then start flipping and twirling through the spikes, watching them pass by your face or feel the brief increase of heat as they breeze past your clothes and lodge into doors and walls behind you. It isn't until, mid flip, you notice a ball roll along the floor near your face. It's crudely painted yellow with black marks that make a smiley face. Without hesitation, you step away right as the ball explodes, scaring all the nearby birds away and making a very clear beacon to where you are.

You appear a few feet away taking a breath only to spin around and block a sabre slice from above. It's heavy, fueled by intense rage that only makes his strike heavier.

"Osiris?" You look up at his hovering form.

His face is tight, teeth trembling under pressure. He looks so angry for a reason you can't deduce. With your momentary bewilderment, Osiris slaps your forearm with his free hand, your Auras lighting up for a brief moment before he pushes off your sword and lands behind you. He immediately flicks his wrist, a second sabre forming out of his bracer.

Now four stand ready before you as if they're waiting for something. Osiris, however, seems far too angry to want to remain still.

"What are you doing here, Osiris? Why're you with these bastards?" You shout with a wave of anger you weren't expecting. You stop, reflecting on what brought that emotion. You soon feel the burning presence of the Curse Mark etch onto your skin. You quickly raise your hand to cover it, wincing as a blood curdles around it.

Why? Is it because of him? No... I... feel this anger. What's happening?

"Because he's my friend, (Y/N)," a familiar voice answers.

Vani dives off the nearby building and lands in front of his team and associate, showing off his new appearance to you.

"Vani," your breathy voice is fueled with emotion, matched with your clench your fist. Given that he's with Tyrian, who basically confirmed he's with Harrier and Salem, you deduce Vani has followed his family's footsteps and is now working for Salem. "I thought I told you-"

"Why would I ever listen to the man who murdered my family like it was nothing?" He spits back. "Do you even think on it with regret? Or do you smile?"

"Doesn't bother me much," you bluntly reply. "More ticked off that I let you live. Thought you'd be smarter than this."

"Smarter than you? I'm sorry, are you not the one who's failed to get his revenge on Harrier?" Vani begins unsheathing his brilliant blade from his back. "At least I'll be able to avenge my family," he finishes with a cocky smirk. "Then again, it looks like familicide runs in Slater blood."

With your anger already bubbling, that comment was all you needed to attack. In a flash, your blades collide, sparks flying off the two Muramasa blades. The pressure from your attack releases a massive volume of air that rushes around his allies, pushing them back a bit.

Neo watches as you dash straight into the five of them, all ready to attack. She does spot, however, that Osiris seems far angrier than any of the others. His body and face mirroring what yours appear to be right now. But what's inciting his anger? And why's that lingering onto you?

"Osiris," Chess looks to her ally. "You did it, right?"

"I... did," he nods, eyes locked on the fight while his body is itching for battle.

"Then remember what we planned. You won't be much help if you're so blinded by anger."

"I want to fight him! To avenge his family!"

"Listen, buddy," Dolph adds. "We don't need you smacking our own team. That's my job," he confidently says. "Just find a place and keep him angry or whatever. Don't know how that'll help, but if that's what we do then that's what we do."

As Vani struggles to hold you back, he notices a mark on your face. He hasn't seen it on you before, but he certainly recognizes the design from Salem herself and even on some trinkets from his house. Why it's on your face is unknown to him, but he can't let that distract him. This is the moment he's built towards for months. He can have all the questions in the world after you're bleeding on the floor.

You manage to flick Vani's sword to the right, jump and kick him away. Seeing that, Osiris ignores his allies and charges in, spinning around and slashing with both swords. You notice and block both blades simultaneously, stabilizing your blade with your free hand.

"Fun's finally starting," Tyrian hollers, dashing in behind him.

Dolph shrugs at Osiris' involvement. To him, the more the merrier. "I'm not missing out!" Dolph follows up.

You see everyone else approach and know you have to get some space. You step behind Osiris and elbow him in the back of his head, knocking him a few feet away. Tyrian keeps his body low, sliding beside you and attacking with his tail. You bob to the right, duck under to the left and step towards the Faunus. He immediately uppercuts with his blades, which forces you to flip back, the sharp steel just passing your chin as you backflip. Midway, you see Osiris already coming back, both weapons ready to stab you. Vani is right behind him, watching to see what your next move's gonna be.

You get as low to the ground as you can before pushing off, going high into the air feet first. You eye everyone staring at you... but Vani's gone. The second you realize that he appears in front of you and slashes you back down to the ground as a spiralling bullet. Your impact zone breaks the concrete, shrapnel erupting like fireworks and dust clouds everyone's vision.

How did he get the drop on me? I didn't even see him move!

You quickly step away right as a baseball bat slams down, shaking when hitting the concrete.

"GAH! I hate that feeling," Dolph's voice vibrates with his body and bat.

You appear behind him, quickly taking in your surroundings. Dolph is in front of you, Chess is a short distance behind, Vani is above, while Tyrian and Osiris are beyond Dolph. Using your sword, you fluidly sweep Dolph off his feet and go for an elbow. The Curse Mark, however, interrupts you, burning brightly like hot coal on your skin. You wince, stepping back a moment to try and recover. Dolph ends up just falling onto the ground, not really bothered, and slams his weapon against your shins. While you fumble, Tyrian dives towards you, soaring over Dolph and tackling you to the ground, laughing maniacally as he readies to beat you down with his blades. You step a few feet away, resulting in one of Tyrian's blades digging into the stoney floor. As you appear, you immediately sense someone behind you.

You slide your blade along your back, blocking Vani's sudden lunge. You push his sword away, turn around, and cross blades once again.

How did he get behind me? He wasn't there when I stepped.

Vani starts to apply pressure on you, forcing you to lean back while all his allies rush your position. You purposely fall on your back, pull in your legs and slam your heels right into Vani's chin. Gritting his teeth, Vani's sent flipping into the air while you quickly get on your feet and face your other opponents. By the time you see them, a mist has already taken form. You sheathe your sword, take a deep breath, and unleash a massive sonic wave that blows away the mist, carries Dolph away through an unfinished window, and cleanly cuts through the stone wall like butter.

Damn the mark... I can feel so much anger bubbling. Why? I'm not angry? Vani's idiotic decision annoys me, but it shouldn't incite the mark to this degree... even if Osiris is angry, one person shouldn't be able to fuel it this much. It has to be me... I don't want to be angry, but I can't shake the emotion. Why? What's happening to me?

Osiris, Chess, and Tyrian, who weren't throwing away by your attack, all focus in on you, splitting apart and attacking from three sides. You raise your sword, eyes switching between the three as they approach, and double-checking that Vani is still above you. Osiris is the first to attack, vaulting forward to come from above. Right as you're about to riposte, Vani's sword carves down your back.

He got behind me? How? If his Semblance is teleportation too, then he'd have to recognize where I was and what I was doing in that instant. Are his senses just that keen? Or is it a speed Semblance?

Neo's taken back by this too. Every time Vani has attacked it reminds her of you. He's in one place and all of a sudden he's somewhere completely different. Unlike you, there's no visible feedback of teleportation. No smoke, no sound, no flash, nothing. He just appears somewhere else in the blink of an eye.

Your vulnerable state allows Osiris to whirlwind slash you, landing in front of you, close to the ground, and cut up. You falter into the air for a moment, allowing Vani to deliver a powerful kick to the shoulder. You leap a few feet away to get some breathing room, but the second you appear Vani is before you, sword ready to attack. You duck under his sword and lodge your elbow into his stomach, quickly twirling and connecting your foot into his neck. The boy spins around momentarily while Chess comes in from the side. You block her first wild swing, strafe the next, redirect the following attack then grab her batting arm whilst kick the midair Vani far away. Chess' bat skims across the ground, lighting up for a moment.

Tyrian lunges in, so you simply throw Chess at him. He merely slaps her out of the way with his tail and focuses on you. Throwing his arms as if to pounce on you again. You back dodge, forcing him to land on his hands and spin around, attacking with his feet and tail. You knock away the latter while being far enough away to avoid the former, but he raises one hand to shoot at you. Deflecting the bullets handily, you notice Dolph approaching from the side.

"Don't forget about me!" He laughs, clearly enjoying himself as much as Tyrian is.

He swings at you, but you roll over his shoulder to avoid it, then move your blade in front of you to block Tyrian's arm. You push it away and spin towards Dolph, slashing Tyrian's tail away while also forcing the masked one to block. He flicks your sword up and starts swinging with a power, speed and ferocity that reminds you of a wild animal. Left, right, bottom left, left, above, above, above.

I thought he can make lightning? Why isn't he trying to stun me?

You duck under his bat and slide to a halt, close to where you tangled with Chess and Vani. Your foot stops right above a purple spark, inciting the trap to take over again.

What? He never touched this spot!

"I got you now!" He shouts, his smiling mask likely mirroring what's underneath.

As he swings with his right arm, his left reaches into his satchel. Unable to move, you simply watch as his bat approaches your skull from the right while he pulls out the small ball that you instantly recognize.

"Time to smile, Slater!" He tosses the ball towards the left side of your head and grabs the bat with both hands, making the attack stronger. His weapon collides with your head pushing it against the bomb and finally connecting with the ground. The second the bomb cushions the blow between your head and the ground, it explodes. Dolph is blown back, but Tyrian catches him before he goes too far. You, on the other hand, are flung high into the air where Vani appears out of thin air next to you and swiftly kicks your ribs, repaying you for earlier.

"Chess!"

On cue, Chess jumps towards the building you're heading towards, then springboard off it. She slightly twists the handle to her bet, summoning purple coloured spikes around the body to enhance her strikes. You recover, spinning around to block but, again, Vani appears right beside you, blocking your blade from connecting with Chess. This gives her ample time to swing the bat right into your chest. You cough up saliva as you're propelled towards the ground. Osiris, not caring that Tyrian and Dolph are waiting where you'd land, jumps towards you. You spin around, clashing blades with him while sliding right over his shoulder. You land beside Dolph, who immediately starts swinging.

"You aren't simple prey in this world, huh? I'd like you if I didn't have to break your bones."

"I don't care."

You block three of Dolph's swings then strafe pass another. He pulls another bomb out of his satchel and thrusts it towards your face, catching you off guard. Your eyes shrink as it erupts in an explosion, sending Dolph tumbling while you're flung towards a warehouse. You slam through the wall, dust falling around you while the wooden planks above shake.

"Dolph!" Chess runs to her brother, who's coughing through his mask. "You big dolt, what were you thinking?"

"That I'd hit him," he chuckles, getting to his feet.

While the siblings regroup, the remaining fighters pursue you. Tyrian and Osiris make a full sprint while Vani merely disappears entirely.

You keep coughing as you push some loose lumber off you and stand up, rubbing your neck. "Didn't expect him to hurt himself like-"

Vani's blade connects with the hand on your neck and flings you towards the back end of the warehouse. If not for your Aura, you'd be dead. Recovering quickly, your feet land against the wall and springboard off it. You whiz across the room and slash at where Vani used to be. He's now behind you, mid stab. You completely blitz him, turning around and parrying his attack.

So that Semblance isn't a speed one... okay, so without it I still have an advantage. Which makes me wonder how he manages to catch all of my teleports. Well, it doesn't matter. I'll put him down like this fam- damnit, no! Focus!

With Vani's blade flicked up, you bring your sword down across where his chest was. You keep the momentum, turning around dropping down to avoid Vani's horizontal slash. You quickly bring your blade up, landing the hit this time. Vani's body flips back before seemingly resetting itself – body now moving towards you and his weapon ready to attack. While that catches you off guard, you still manage to block it, taking steps back while his blade dances around you. But you know this routine well enough to keep up. As you step back, your foot lands on a short wooden rectangle. You kick it straight into Vani's chin, knocking him off balance so you can thrust your blade into him.

Mid-movement, you hear creaking from the wood above. You abandon your attack and dash to the side, back hitting the wall, and see Tyrian staring at you with hungry purple eyes. You barely manage to push off the wall when Tyrian's tail fires at you, piercing through the stone. You stop in front of him, quickly remembering Vani is behind you. You attract your sheath and cross your arms to block both Tyrian and Vani. Your arms shake as the opposing forces aim to crush you between them. On cue, Osiris comes through your hole in the wall. Seeing he's coming head on, you step behind Vani and kick him into Tyrian. You then turn to Osiris, blocking his powerful double strike. He pushes you towards the wall, so you jump and let your feet land on the wall. Using the surface as leverage, you push off it and knock the dual wielder on the floor. He snarls at you as he tries his best to push you off.

Tyrian throws Vani aside and rushes in once more with an insane laugh. You twirl off Osiris and deflect some of Tyrian's bullets midair. He keeps firing until he's close enough to spin and slash. You duck under him, your forcefully grasp his neck before slamming him against the stone wall. You instantly step a few feet back to evade Osiris' attack. As soon as you reappear, you slide your sword behind your neck to block Vani.

"Just die already!" The Tawny shouts.

"You first," you say with heavy breath.

You twirl around, putting yourself behind Vani, then kick him towards the oncoming Osiris. In his maddened state, Osiris merely weaves out of the way and jumps forward, pupils shrinking. You deflect the attack and drive your heel into his belly. As Tyrian slides in beside you, your leg shifts right and forces Osiris upon the Faunus. With Tyrian taking the impact of the wall, Osiris merely shakes it off and attacks again. You take a few steps back, blocking more of his attacks. You know you're getting closer to the wall. You step behind Osiris and slam your fist into the back of his head, forcing him to collide with the wall. Your grit your teeth as you grab his head and slam it against the wall over and over.

"Just. Stay. Down. You idiot"

I don't get it. Why is Osiris like this now? Is this just how he is in battle? Then maybe I should just kill him now befor- No! Damnit, this mark... but my problems would go away if they just DIED!

Vani shakes his head, a little dizzy from the precious attack. He sees your actions and hears your words, immediately becoming scared for his friend.

"Osiris!"

Almost instantly, you appear beside Vani, just in his peripherals. His eyes shakily shift to see your intense glare, the Curse Mark lighting up for just that moment. Before he can flinch, your blade connects with his head, flinging him through the entryway and back outside. You jump forward, spin, and kick Osiris' head through the concrete, leaving him dangling for a moment. You then pivot, drop Crimson Blaze and catch Tyrian's tail with your sword hand. You kick the sword back up with enough force to match a strike. It slices across Tyrian's tail, doing major damage to his Aura.

"Laugh now," your scowl compliments the Curse Mark, at least for Tyrian.

You grab Tyrian's tail with both hands and turn around, readying to slam him into the ground.

Vani dashes in, passing by you while his blade cuts across your stomach. The attack loosens your grip, letting Tyrian wrap his trail around your arm and throw you into the wall. He roars as he points his guns at you, unloading everything he has. The first few hit you before you step above. You catch Crimson Blaze as it falls down, then drop down upon the man, who's eyes are following you with a sadistic smile. Vani leaps in the air to combat you and stop you from reaching Tyrian. His body moves up as you fall down, your eyes lock onto another in a stare down. You both push against each other, sending you to the opposite sides of the building.

At this point, Osiris manages to gain his bearings and free his head from the stone captivity whilst you and Vani hit the walls and slowly fall. While Vani has no worries, you're quickly met by Tyrian and Osiris. Just as you're about to fight back, Vani appears above you and slams his blade into your back. Osiris thrusts both his sabres up while Tyrian's glowing hands go for your neck. The two friend's attacks hit – making you once again indebted to your Aura. Knowing what Tyrian can do, you manage to push both his weapons to the side and headbutt him, completely halting his momentum.

Noting this, Osiris and Vani flick you towards the entrance, watching you tumble to a halt. You slowly get to your feet, Aura flickering. You still have enough to fight, but it's taken more of a beating than you thought. In a blind rage, you sheath your blade and menacingly stare at your opponents.

"Let's see how you handle this!" You shout.

From the outside, Neo, Dolph, and Chess hear fighting going on inside. None are ready for a massive sonic wave that, once it passes through the building, shatters the entire structure to bits. You huff, waiting to see if that had an affect, but Vani's sudden kick from the side catches you off guard. You spiral through the air until you hit the stone centerpiece. Right as you pass by, you step atop it and watch your opponents.

Vani holds his stomach, panting. He clearly got hit by the full force of the attack. Tyrian and Osiris push broken wood and the stone's dust off of them, taking some time to recover. You roll your eyes at their state. You had hoped they'd be down for the count, but it seems they have enough Aura to keep going. Though, by experience, if they have a general Aura pool then they should be running low on steam.

The group soon take position before you, preparing to engage once again. Some do notice that Neo has ceased sitting on the sidelines and is approaching the battle. She's seen enough to get a grasp on what they can do, and knows you won't be able to win on your own.

Damnit, these bastards. I'll tear them apa- no. No, I'm getting frustrated. I don't understand why? Am I really that angry with Vani? That's when...

A moment flashes through your mind, to when you first felt this rising emotion.

It wasn't when Vani arrived. It was when Osiris did. When he touched me and our Auras flashed! He's so angry, and I can feel that flowing through me. He doesn't have an offensive Semblance! He must be able to share that emotion with anyone he touches. That's why he's angry too!

Even with that realization, you place a hand over the curse mark.

Still, it's hard to keep myself composed. I can't let him get the better of me.

"Osiris!" You shout. "I don't know why you're doing it, but you have to stop this. Whatever anger you're sharing with me won't help!"

"Why would he listen to you?" Vani scoffs.

"Cause it'll get everyone here killed, you idiot!" You scream back, again, losing composure. "You have to know this mark is Salem's! If it gets out of control I'll-"

"Hey!" A new voice shouts.

You turn around and witness Ruby, Jaune, Ren, and Nora all run in through this sections entrance. They all look a bit different from the last time you saw them, but not enough to be unrecognizable. Ruby's eyes shiver as they meet yours.

To you, this raises your anxiety and, consequently, your anger. The fact that she's not home, safe, the fact that she's blindly rushing into a fight that none of them have a chance at winning, and the fact the Curse Mark is surging so much with them nearby. It puts them in all danger!

Ruby's emotions, on the other hand, are running wild, unsure how to respond to your presence. You're here, you're alive, and she's overwhelmed with joy at that. But you also abandoned her, made everyone worry about you. She hates that, hates whatever reason you have for it. But, even to Ruby, it's clear you're in trouble and they need to help. Her eyes land first on a familiar woman...

"Neo!" She frowns. "RNJR, we have to help!"

Neo hears Ruby's voice and turns around, her eyes changing to white as she remembers fighting the hooded girl atop a ship... where Roman died. Neo's brow furrows, but it's Ruby who fires at her first.

Vani smiles at the scene before him. He was momentarily worried that their strategy would be foiled if Neo and RNJR interfered, but if they fight each other it gives VOID a perfect opportunity to take you down, especially if you're distracted with them.

"Wait, Ruby-" Vani appears behind you again, slashing through a shadow.

You appear above him and bring your sword down on nothing but stone, slicing it in half. Vani attacks from behind, you step to his right and cut, then keep the momentum and collide with his blade again.

"Get out of my way Vani!"

"Tasting your own medicine is bitter, isn't it?" He smirks.

Your body tenses up, ready to counter, but Vani's form instantly disappears for Dolph's heated spikes to pepper your front. Your cousin appears above and cuts you down, barreling towards the ground. You brace yourself, hands landing against the concrete which shatters it below you.

You push yourself back up, feet burying into Vani's stomach before you step back to the ground. A mist quickly surrounds you, preventing you from interrupting Neo and Ruby.

"Get the hell outta my way already!" You howl, slicing your hand and fueling your Crimson Blaze with blood. You swing around you, spinning all the way around to clear the mist away. This time Dolph's comes from above to attack, not being caught by your counter a second time.

"Stop blowing my mist away! It's not fun when things are clear! We have to be shrouded, unsure!"

Doesn't matter. I'll kill you no matter your Semblance!

"Damn it, Dolph, we weren't supposed to make it obvious. Oh well," Chess shakes her head before fueling her bat with purple lightning. She holds it towards you, inciting lightning she imbued in you last hit. You're pulled by some sort of force towards her, robbing Dolph of his fun. A small bit of flashing lightning is clearly tying you together, forcing you towards her while she winds up a swing. Right as she initiates, you manage to block the strike with your blade.

"I'm done playing with you all!" Your voice laced in anger, despite your previous notions against it. The blood from your sword slithers across your clothes into your other hand, forming a second, identical blade made entirely of blood. You knock Chess' bat, releasing all the stored up lightning towards a faraway building, then slapping her away with the extended blade. The pull between you stops, allowing you to move freely again. Tyrian slips in from behind, going for an attack on your neck. The blood sword changes itself to a reverse grip, letting you turn and thrust it against Tyrian's chest. The blood latches onto his body letting you pull him in front of you and cut at his own neck with your blade. You quickly follow up with an upward kick that sends him into the air, then turn around and block Osiris' barrage. Having two blades like him – your blood one shifting back to a normal grip – you keep his blades at bay. Vani rushes in from the side, trying to slash at your ribs but you step above him, legs pulled in and slam down on him.

He quickly appears beside you and attacks, but you've already stepped above Osiris and slammed him against the ground. You quickly raise Crimson Blaze towards Vani, extending the bloodied blade at him. It hits his chest, pushing him far through a wall and out of the fight.

You turn around, seeing Ruby and your friends fighting Neo.

Neo weaves through Jaune's attacks, tripping him with her umbrella before opening it to block Nora's grenades. Nora frowns, quickly switching to her hammer and leaping towards the girl. As the hammer connects, it shatters Neo's form into glass. The colourful girl lands on Nora, heel twirling into her back as if Neo's taking pleasure in it. When seeing Ren approach, she backflips, throwing Nora's body at him. Ren catches it, only to see Neo dart in front of them and slam the handle of her umbrella into Nora, the pressure sending them both away and onto the ground.

Neo quickly brings her umbrella up to block Ruby's sniper shots while the small girl quickly approaches. Ruby changes to her scythe and starts swinging at Neo, yet unable to land a blow. Not that Ruby was a challenge to her before, but the training she's done with you makes the scythe-wielder's attacks an absolute joke. Neo's umbrella blade comes out as she starts to bring it down on Ruby, but you step between them kicking Ruby's chest so she's out of the way.

"H-Hey!" Ruby holds her chest and looks to you, hurt that you'd hit her.

"What the hell are you two doing?" You chastise. "This isn't the time to be fighting each othe-"

"Don't ignore me!" Vani appears at your side and attacks.

Your blade just manages to catch his, so you push him towards his allies. "Vani, I'm getting tired of you!" You burst towards him, leaving the two girls in the dust.

With a barrage of both your swords Vani's defense begins faltering at your attacks. He disappears and attacks you from the side, but you step above him and attack. The pattern of you both disappearing and attacking repeats across the entire village, shattering rooftops and breaking the floor, until you both meet in the center, high in the air. You both push against each other with such force that you're sent flying in your own directions – Vani goes up while you plunge down.

You manage to land handily, noticing Chess and Dolph swinging at you from behind. To their surprise, Neo darts behind you, her umbrella catching both bats.

"What in the tom hell is this?" Dolph complains, pushing harder against the umbrella. Neo closes her umbrella, slipping between the two siblings, who're now off-balance, then backflips to kick Dolph in the chin and land on Chess. She smiles at her work, stepping off the girl and takes a stance between them and the rest of the fight.

"Alright, lady, you just signed your death wish!" Dolph shouts, erupting into mist.

Neo looks over her shoulder and winks at you.

"You can handle that then," you nod.

Neo stands firm as the mist surrounds her. She's been observing the fight this entire time, and even if she couldn't see inside the mist she could gather what's happening. Even taking these two out of play will help you immensely. She's seen their strategy and is ready to counter.

The moment a bat hits Neo's body it shatters while the real Neo counters from behind. She may not be able to see where they are, but they'll have to get close to attack, and that leaves them wide open. Neo flips forward, both heels hitting between the attacker's shoulder and neck, then sweeps their leg with her umbrella and kicks them away. A second bat hits her right after, also shattering her body to glass. She charges from in front, hitting their stomach then head with the tip of her weapon, spinning it around and crushing their knee, then kicking them upwards.

Meanwhile, you jump toward, clashing blades with Osiris. You slide behind him, ducking under Vani's incoming attack then slipping your blood sword across your back to catch Osiris'. Tyrian zooms in, laughing all the while. He brings both arms down on you, which you catch with Crimson Blaze. He sees his goddess' mark glowing brighter on your face, small bits of blood beginning to pour out. He laughs even more, knowing that soon true enlightenment will be upon everyone. He pushes your sword away and punches forward, the blade slicing through your aura and drawing blood across your cheek. You grind your teeth and headbutt him again, swiftly going to slash him but Vani and Osiris hold down both of your blades with all their strength, Osiris using his free one to thrust at your throat. You stumble back, instantly weaving through Osiris' follow up attack.

"We have to help him!" Jaune shouts, coming to Ruby's side with the rest of his team.

"NO!" You roar, stepping above Osiris, cutting him down, then blocking both Tyrian and Vani. "You stay out of this! You won't be of any help!"

"He's... angrier than usual," Ren notes.

"That mark," Ruby's voice shivers. "I recognize it. That was the thing Harrier put on him. It made him angry."

"He's not one to get angry very easily. But it looks like that other person is similarly enraged," Ren points out Osiris who is already back on his feet and fighting alongside Vani and Tyrian.

Ruby shakes her head. "I can't just sit here and watch!" She shouts, grabbing Crescent Rose and bursting into petals. On cue, Qrow shifts from a bird into his human form and lands atop a building, taking in the situation before joining. Five enemies, two are combatting Neo while three are on you. Even from here, he can see Salem's mark activating... and he can see Osiris' emotional state.

"That kid doesn't know what he's doing!" Qrow sneers, immediately joining the fight.

Ruby attempts to slash at Tyrian, but the man blocks her with his tail.

"Hello there, little girl," he deviously smiles.

"Ruby!" You're distracted by her enough for Vani to grab your head and slam it into the ground.

The rest of RNJR join the young girl, hoping to distract this one opponent while you keep fighting. Tyrian merely laughs as he slaps Ruby away with his tail, quickly focusing on Jaune's obviously horizontal slash that he leans under then flings back, headbutting the blonde. He kicks Jaune away, twirling around Nora's heavy hammer strike to land a left then spinning right slash, his latter arm blocking Ren's starting attack. His tail slithers around Nora's leg, swinging the girl towards her partner. The two land on the ground, Nora sprawled atop Ren. Tyrian jumps over them, coming down with purple eyes and a tail prepared to lunge. Jaune manages to get into position, blocking Tyrian's attack with his shield. The warrior falls to one knee, the cement below him cracking. Tyrian slams his hand against Jaune's shield spinning around while firing at Ruby and you.

Ruby manages to barely deflect them all before rushing in, slashing above Jaune's shield. Tyrian pushes off the shield and lands behind Ruby, which forces the girl to immediately turn around and slash. Tyrian ducks under it then swiftly knocks her weapon away, slashing down her chest twice followed by a devastating uppercut.

You're unable to help RNJR, being locked in combat with Osiris and Vani. Every time you knock one away, the other appears. You weave under Vani's attack and slash Osiris, quickly raising your blood blade to block Vani's follow up.. Tyrian's bullets are unexpected, so you stumble which gives Vani a clean downward slash. You both hear Ruby's squeal of pain. Gathering that she's important to you, he smirks and decides to pay you back. He disappears and reappears alongside Tyrian, their blades going for Ruby's chest.

You turn towards the sight, eyes shrinking with anger. Tyrian's hands are glowing with Aura, which means he'll cut right through Ruby's defenses. She's mid-air, completely unable to do anything. This second of your guard being down incites Osiris to attack, but Qrow swiftly collides swords with him, the momentum pushing them both into a nearby building. You don't see this, being so focused on Ruby. You reach out with the blood sword, wanting to stop them. A flash of the past takes forefront in your mind. Pyrrha standing before Cinder – turning to dust. Your parents standing before you – cut down by Harrier. Now Ruby is before you, completely vulnerable to...

This new wave of rage allows the mark to break through for a moment. Blood flows from your cheek straight to that arm, expanding the simple sword into an extension of your hand. It slithers through the air, splitting into two hands that wrap around both mens' necks and slams then against the ground.

Your mind immediately flashes back to Beacon, to what you did to Cinder. You stumble back clawing at your face in a fruitless attempt to stop the mark.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby weakly shouts.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Qrow and Osiris crash into a building, the younger one immediately trying to fight back against the unknown opponent.

"Kid! KID!" Qrow shouts. "Calm down!"

The voice stops Osiris' flailing. "Qrow?" He looks up at the Huntsman.

He's met with this elusive Huntsman before. Qrow once saved him from a dire situation involving some alpha Grimm that Osiris wasn't ready for a few years ago. He's a familiar face, and someone Osiris has come to respect. He's even had brief conversations with him over the years when they happen to meet at the same inn. Osiris knows Qrow is a good person.

"Listen, I'll save the questions for later. Your Semblance, you're using it on (Y/N), right? You need to stop!"

"What?" Osiris' anger begins to simmer down a bit. "Why? I was told to-"

"Told to?" Qrow looks out, seeing Tyrian and Vani get snatched up by blood hands. "Tsk, look, if you keep egging on his anger everyone here will die. I don't know who told you to do this, but you're going to bring up something that took down someone far stronger than you!"

Osiris correlates Qrow's words with past memories. He knows the Huntsman wouldn't lie for the sake of it, and Harrier even mentioned how you took down Cinder and could've killed him. He recalls Cinder's state when they arrived at Salem's throne, thinks how devious Salem herself seemed to be. He doesn't care for the pale woman, he's just here for Vani. But if inciting this anger only helps her and puts his not only Vani in danger but Dolph and Chess, people he considers friends after the months they spent together, He'd rather preserve his friends' lives than win this fight.

Osiris closes his eyes, releases you from the tie of his Aura. On top of that, his own anger has diminished thanks to this conversation. In truth, it was difficult even maintaining that anger. The only thing keeping it going was battle fury and seeing his friends being hurt by you. Angry isn't something he likes to feel too much.

Seeing Osiris release it, Qrow takes a sigh of relief. The Curse Mark taking over is the last thing that needs to happen right now. Still, the fact that Osiris is attacking you with some unknowns is disturbing. Then again, Qrow is well aware that the Tawnys work for Salem. Vani being here is a big hint that this is all for Salem. Coupling that with Osiris being told to fuel the Curse Mark and that basically confirms it for him.

"Osiris," he starts. "if you're working with Salem... stop. She wants nothing but the death of everyone," he looks over at the young fighter. "Just keep that in mind, kid. Make sure you know which side you're on."

"And your side?"

"The one that doesn't want everyone to die," Qrow retorts before jumping out of the building.

As you stumble back, trying to fight the Curse Mark, all of the anger you were feeling washes away. The mark disappears and your mind is free from the hazy influence of rage. Taking deep breaths, you shake your head, feeling as light as you did when the fight first started.

"(Y/N)?" Ruby slowly approaches, voice trembling with fear and hesitation.

You quickly get to her side, lightly pushing her behind you. "You're who I'm worried about. Make sure the others are okay."

"They're okay. We're tough too, you know," She says, getting her weapon ready.

Vani and Tyrian get up – the younger one seeing his two bat-wielding friends get finessed and knocked away by Neo. The two slowly get up, a few feet away from Vani. Osiris exits the building alone, quickly getting to his friend's side.

"Vani, I think we should leave."

"What? But-"

"Look. There's way too many of them for our strategy to work," Osiris points out.

With Neo in play, along with the arrival of RNJR and Qrow, Vani's aware that they're completely outnumbered.

"Tyrian, we have to go," Vani echoes his friend's sentiment, though regrettably.

Despite his attitude, Tyrian isn't an idiot. He, too, knew what the strategy was and it doesn't work with all these people here, especially with Neo and Qrow – the former showing off her immense skill and the latter being renowned for his interference with Salem's plans. Plus, everyone's Aura is relatively low, and these new fighters are fresh.

You and Ruby are surprised to see Qrow show up, but both of you conclude it's best to keep the powerful demeanour you have established.

"Vani, I gave you a chance before. You've already made me regret it. This is the last time I'll tell you to give up on your revenge."

"That's rich. Giving up vengeance when you're ever so determined to kill Harrier."

"Hehe," you smirk. "I guess I am a hypocrite, huh? Well, if you're gonna keep trying to kill me at least don't do it under Salem's orders."

Your laughter disgusts Vani to his core. He sees that as you taking massive pride in killing his family. He won't listen to you, he will avenge his family. Your choice of words are interesting to him. It echoes Harrier's sentiment. But now isn't the time to think too deeply.

"Think of your friends," you continue. "For their sake, just leave... or else I will kill you all." Both your eyes and the tone of your voice suddenly become ice cold as you point your sword towards him.

RNJR and Qrow are a bit taken back by the threat. RNJR hopes that it's just an intimidation tactic, but Qrow feels like there's a little more to it.

"We're going for round two... right?" Dolph shimmies to his friend, limping a bit.

"No. VOID, we're leaving," Vani turns away, trying to hide his frustration. His clenched fists give it away. "Tyrian, you stay and die if you want."

Once Vani jumps towards a building then jumps far out of town, the rest of his team follows.

Tyrian growls. "Failure... we failed... she won't be happy. She won't be!" He quickly follows their trail with nobody following.

You step forward, turning around to face everyone. To their surprise, save Neo, you're clearly disappointed. She walks past them and stands by your side, an act that admittedly aggravates Ruby.

But at least you're all together. After so long, RNJR knows you're here, safe, and fighting. With you, maybe they have a better chance at-

"What are you even doing here?" You frown and return Crimson Blaze to it's scabbard with a loud clank.

Well, a reunion finally happens! And guess what? You're gonna have to wait! Yep! I'm writing Limitless now so you're just gonna have to hold onto that cliff edge until I come back. Hehe... please don't stop reading.

But, well, we're finally here. You may be able to tell from this chapter (though I assume between me writing this outro and actually publishing it that I've changed up a few things half a dozen times) that the reunion isn't going to go how everyone hoped. I can imagine most people wanted Slater to be super happy and welcoming to see Ruby and his friends again but... well, maybe that'll happen. Who knows. You'll just have to see.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! And, hey, if you're looking for something to read in the meantime why not check out Limitless! I have a ton of fun writing that (probably cause I don't have to focus on RWBY too much).

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