Volume 4 Debut – Chapter 48: Decent into VOID

The pitter-patter of the rain is all Vani-La Tawny can hear from the outside world. But inside, his hatred has festered, growing ever wilder from the few days it's been since you massacred his family. He told the police who killed his family, but you were long gone by that point. Even then, he's well aware no average police officer or even Huntsman could stand a chance against you. His family was more than a match for the average fighter, and you destroyed them without a second thought. Even now, police scour his house for evidence that's not there.

Vani sits by the back window, looking out on the falling rain. In his hand is his scroll with mountains of text that would become monotonous for some but all too interesting for him. The Tawny family had an entire section of their archive dedicated to you, detailing all the people you've trained under, weapons you've used, aspects of your Semblance and fighting style, anything they could possibly find to get even the slightest edge on you.

Vani's grip tightens on the scroll as he rests his head against the glass. "Not like it mattered... damn you, (Y/N) Slater," a soft whimper rests in his voice.

Some of the police look at him from a distance.

"Poor kid," the woman says. "Whole family killed by some crazy."

"Slater, huh? Was it, you know... that one?" The male partner asks while looking through some files.

"I don't think so. Said it was a younger one."

"Thank heavens," the man wipes his brow. "That other one, Harrier? Isn't he a 'run on sight' order?"

"Mhm," the woman nods.

The man shivers. "Glad he's not here. Let Atlas deal with him or something."

"And what would you do if he was here?" A separate voice inquires.

The police turn to the new voice, faces draining of colour when they recognize the entity before them.

The cloak, black shaded glasses, and messy slicked back hair with a short, scruffy beard now taking space on his face. Vani's body shakes upon realization of who's standing in his house.

"H-Harrier... Slater..." He's flushed with fear and anger. Anger, because he's related to the man who killed his family. Fear, because even the Tawny's were ordered to flee if they ever came in contact with the legendary Huntsman. One wrong word, even a movement out of place and Harrier Slater would cut you down with no hesitation, no regret, and no mercy.

"Y-You're, uh..." The male pulls out his handcuffs. "You're... under... arrest."

Harrier snickers. "Is that so? Do you really want me to slaughter you both?" The becomes heavy as the imposing figure's chuckle disappears. "I'll leave your entrails out in the street," he takes a step forward. "The panic that would bring," he stops right before the trembling officers. "The Grimm that would swell, the death that may occur. Is it not better to simply walk away?"

The officer slowly, as if any sudden movement would result in his immediate death, puts the cuffs away and tiptoes to the door. "W-We'll leave you be, Huntsman, sir."

The woman, not as terrified, still leaves the building. She quickly grabs her scroll and calls for backup.

"Vani-La Tawny," Harrier takes a step, very blunt in his pronunciation. "Word is that you're the last of your family. I know how that feels," he says with a somewhat friendly tone that makes Vani feel the complete opposite. "I'm one of the last Slaters, you know."

"That was your doing," Vani attempts to stand his ground, but the elder merely laughs.

"That doesn't make my point moot," the Slater approaches a fearful Tawny, his shadow casting over the boy. "(Y/N) Slater was a Tawny, and look what he's done."

"HE'S NOT ONE OF US!" Vani bursts, but quickly realizes who he's talking to and that anger becomes fleeting smoke.

Harrier rolls his eyes at the childish outburst. "So... what shall you do now?"

"Why... why do you want to know?" Vani says, taking a step back. "Are you going to stop me? Kill me!" Vani's voice raises as his deep emotions flare. "Then go ahead! Why would I care anyway?"

In a flash, Harrier's hand grasps and tightens around Vani's throat. He lifts the boy up and slams him into the wall, fracturing it. Vani instinctively claws at Harrier's arm, his nails delving into skin. He throws a punch that doesn't faze the elder. In fact, it makes him smile.

"You fight back when threatened. You're not ready to die," he turns around and throws Vani to the floor. The young Tawny scrambles to his feet, unsure whether to fight or flee. "So if you don't want to die... what do you want?"

Vani tries to focus through his heavy breathing and wild emotions. "I want..." His mind thinks to his sister, his family, his father. "I'm a Tawny... we work for Salem!" Harrier rolls his eyes, something hidden from Vani. "And Salem wants (Y/N) Slater dead-"

"I didn't ask what Salem wants, boy," Harrier reprimands. "What. Do. YOU. Want?" His voice shakes the boy's body.

Vani clenches his fist before him, tears streaming down his face. "I want to kill (Y/N) Slater!"

"Well," Harrier releases Vani, letting the boy nearly fall to the ground. "At least you have your own goal. More than your father could say."

"What?" Vani coughs.

"Don't worry about the dead, boy," Harrier walks past him. "Worry about yourself. Right now, you're no match for (Y/N)."

"But-"

"Are you questioning me?" Harrier stops and looks over his shoulder. "I know how you fight. You're a novice. (Y/N) has already defeated you once before, no? And he's far stronger now."

Vani breaks eye contact and grinds his teeth. "Then... I'll get stronger."

"That's the spirit," Harrier bluntly says. "And I'll be your teacher."

"What?" The Tawny looks back at him, genuinely baffled.

"You're not deaf, Vani. I'll help you get stronger. Salem will crush you otherwise, and I'd rather not bring paste to her doorstep."

"Salem..." Vani whispers. "I'll... meet her..?"

"Eventually, yes. After I toughen you up a bit, get you a better weapon... perhaps you can find some friends to accompany you? Form a little team," he ends with a snicker.

"Team? I have nobody left! My family is gone!"

"You have no friends?" Harrier turns back to face Vani. "(Y/N) is surrounded by them. You're not going to beat him alone. Even with that interesting Semblance of yours. We'll work on that too," he nods.

"Tsk... friends... I can think of some. But the weapon..." Flashes of you cutting down his family with your sword cross his mind. "I want something like this... I want to beat him with his own weapon. Humiliate him!"

Harrier chuckles at the pathetic motivation, but it's motivation nonetheless. "Very well. I'll handle that," Harrier turns back to the door and approaches it. "In the meantime, find your allies. We'll meet again once you've completed that. I'll have your sword, don't worry." His gaze wanders for a moment. "Oh, and don't promise them any training. I will aid you and you alone."

"R-Right," he hesitantly nods. "Okay... okay..." Vani heads for the door as well. "I can think of some people. They'll help me. I will kill (Y/N) Slater."

Before Vani reaches the door Harrier places a hand on his chest. "You'd be best to take another way out."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

Harrier opens the door and bears witness to a battalion of Mistral's police force. Ships in the air, troops on the ground. A spotlight hits the cloaked man before he's spoken to.

"Harrier Slater! You're an enemy of Remnant and will be taken in, by force if necessary. Do you comply?" A woman says from the ship.

"This is a bad idea," the male cop from earlier quivers.

"We'll be fine," his partner reassures.

"I'm sorry," Harrier closes his eyes and smirks, though none of them notice. "I can't hear the pleas of insects."

Harrier marches forward, uncaring of the people in front of him.

"He's hostile! Open fire!"

All the guns light up, unleashing every bullet they have. Some are normal, some are enhanced with Dust, yet none of them faze Harrier Slater. The bullets rip through his cloak, his pants, even destroy his glasses, but the man continues to walk forward. Eventually, his cloak falls off to reveal his torn pants and sabre, Uragiri. Harrier pays no attention to the police force, despite getting closer and closer. They, however, begin to become fearful. They back up, panic, struggle to reload their weapons. But Harrier, even when reaching their line, does not attack. He merely presses forward, as there's nothing here that's worth caring about.

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Mistral, despite having a beautiful upper city, is plagued with crime and disgust below. In an alleyway, a man desperately crawls for his life. A bone is protruding from his leg, black spots all over his body, and a clear blood trail from where he's desperately attempted to escape. Anyone witnessing this would believe this grueling scene is ripped straight out of a horror movie.. He grabs at broken bottles, warped cans, anything to throw back at his attacker.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" He cries out. "PLEASE! PLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME- AAAAAAAAARGH!"

A metal bat slams against his legs once more, increasing the immense pain he's already feeling.

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions," a younger, happier voice speaks. The figure jumps in front of the crawling man and kneels down.

It's a man, considering the voice a lean body type. Short, bleach blonde hair that messily covers his forehead but stopping just short of reaching his eyebrows. The only part of his face that's truly visible are his emerald eyes that stare psychotically at his prey. His mouth is covered by a bandana with a cartoon fanged smile design. He also has a black hoodie with his hood raised. The hoodie is unzipped with no shirt underneath, so his torso is completely visible. The only thing even slightly covering it is a satchel's strap that goes around his left shoulder while the satchel dangles off his right hip. His outfit is complete with dark blue jeans, which appear black in the darkness, and sturdy shoes for mobility.

He rests his baseball bat over his right shoulder and looks down at the crying, fear-stricken man.

"Y-You already took my money! What more do you want?" The injured man shrieks in terror.

"And your Lien is very nice, very, very nice," the masked one nods. "But money keeps me alive... but this," he stands up and slaps the bat against his other hand. "This makes me feel alive."

He swings the bat around to his back and down on the other's head. He does this again and again, his iris' shrinking with twisted pleasure as his laughs echo through the alley and trickle out to the surrounding area.

"Aaah," he wipes his sweaty brow and smiles. "That really makes my day."

"You could at least do it quieter, Dolph," a woman speaks from the edge of the alley.

A woman with brown hair that's somewhat bushy at the top but braided down her back. Her eyes, emerald, like the man's, stare intently down the alley. She's physically fit, evidenced by her complimenting dress. It's a two-toned purple dress, the darker tone taking over her corset, save for the front, and a diagonal pattern on the skirt. The lighter tone shines bright everywhere else, even cutting through the diagonal pattern of the skirt. Her legs are completely exposed down to her light purple boots with blue tongues that hold tight to her feet. The woman also holds a baseball bat, though this one share's her same colour scheme.

Dolph looks to the source of the voice, already knowing who it is. "My dear sweet sister, you know I can't resist the beautiful melody of a rat screaming."

"Rat is right," she rolls her eyes. "But we don't need the attention."

"Nobody cares down here, Lila-"

"Chess," she quickly corrects.

"Right," he nods. "My bad, Chess. But you should know that nobody is left down here that cares," he tosses his baseball bat over his shoulder and relaxes. "So why should I?"

"I never said you should. Everyone in this city deserves a bat to their throat," Chess remarks with a certain pleasure at the thought. "But that's not the point. We should get back home. I heard the police were gathering for something big."

"Can we join it?" Dolph starts chuckling. "I have some presents for the pigs," he shakes his satchel.

"That would be fun," Chess nods. "But we should make sure we're not caught."

The elder brother pulls down his mask and frowns. "Fine..."

The two siblings, Dolph Anaph and Chess Vamor, leave the alley and walk down the filthy streets of Mistral. People begging for money, men and women offering themselves for mere food, and confident men who believe they own the district. It made the two sick to their stomach. No matter how many of them they've killed, they keep coming back. It's admirable, in a sense, as the two, mostly Dolph, has been on death's door one too many times but always comes back. That's the rule of this place. You persevere or you die. And these siblings are very good at persevering.

The two manage to find their way back to an old, rundown house surrounded by stone. There's no backyard, the only window is beside the door. A mailbox is broken beside it, the name scratched out. Chess enters first while Dolph takes one last look to assure they aren't being followed before entering. While the house itself is very old and not well taken care of, the objects inside juxtapose that. Fresh furniture, an oddity of high-quality art, and piles of loose Lien. Clearly, it's a choice to keep the exterior looking rugged and run down. These two have money, they have items. Yet still, they search for more.

While Dolph goes to the couch and plops down, polishing his bat to pass some time, Chess takes a seat at a chess table in the corner of the room. Once she sits, she takes a deep breath. Sitting with this set is one of the few things that put her at ease. She looks down the edge of the table, looking at the engraving made.

"For Lila Icair, my greatest pupil and honoured friend."

- Ji Vamor

Chess drags her fingers along the engravings while staring at the words. Whenever she focuses on this, her mind wanders off to a far better ti-

"Hey, sis! We still got food?" Dolph shouts.

"Yeah! Got that same boy to get them for me."

"He ask you out yet?"

"No, Dolph," she says without playing into his games. "You're not allowed to break his legs."

Dolph snaps. "Damnit. He looks so frail," he caresses the bat, Homewrecker. "I wish I knew where he lived."

"We need him for deliveries, Dolph. Though, he is quite annoying," she adjusts in place and looks to the board. "If we find someone more suitable we'll dispose of the kid."

"Yes," the boy flips off the couch and heads for the fridge. "I bet he'll squeal. I know it, in fact. You can see it in his eyes."

"Yep," Chess agrees without hesitation as she begins her game. "Now, let me play."

Dolph opens the fridge and rolls his neck. "I get ya, chess time is Chess time," he chuckles to himself.

Dolph grabs a drink and a fruit before returning to the couch. "Bunch'a cops gathering above, huh? Wonder who did that? Better not try to one-up me," the man says with a thrilling challenge. "I'll blow up the damn school! I don't care! I am the top dog around-"

Knock Knock Knock

Both Chess and Dolph's eyes lock with one another before grabbing their bats and readying for anything. The door opens on its own as Vani-La Tawny enters the building. He sees the two siblings and stops in his tracks.

"Oh, you're here," Vani says with a pleased tone. "I was worried I'd have to wait."

"Vani," the two smile at him.

"How are you," Dolph runs up and gives him a hug.

Vani lazily reciprocates the hug. "Not... very good."

"Do we need to kill someone?" Dolph shifts back to look Vani in the eyes.

"It's not always about killing someone."

"This time it is," Vani remarks with a slight chuckle. "I need your help. Both of you."

"Anything, man," Dolph says with enthusiasm. "You're like a brother."

"Good... cause I don't have any left," he says with a downcast face. "Someone... someone killed the Tawnys. All of them. I..." Vani takes a second to collect himself. Chess and Dolph, despite being heartless killers, still feel for their long-time friend. "I want to get my revenge."

"We're with you," Chess steps closer. "Whoever it is, we'll tear them apart."

"I'm always down with that," Dolph says, hopping in place a bit. "But I prefer mushy bits over torn bodies. That just me?" He smiles at the two.

Vani smirks. "I'm... I'm thankful," he looks back at them with a hardened heart. "But this will take us away from Mistral for some time. Are you okay with that?"

Dolph shrugs. "For you? A little travelling would be fun. I know Mistral will miss me."

"That's a word for it," Chess snickers.

Dolph squints at his sister. "It... WILL! And we're not up to anything, so why not look for someone to kill?

"It's been a while since we saw each other, anyway," Chess adds with a friendly smile, something she hasn't shown in quite some time. "It'll be great to travel again... and get out of this hell hole," he ends with an all too happy tone.

"You're both too good to me," Vani grabs both and pulls them into a hug, enjoying the temporary feeling of companionship. "We'll have to find someone else, though. Not someone who we hurt," he quickly clarifies, to which Dolph snaps his fingers. "Unfortunately, I don't know exactly where he is."

"A hunt, huh? I love those," the soft sound of his hands rubbing together blends with the room. "First time I won't kill the target, though," Dolph says, perplexed with his arms crossed. "But that's fine," he shrugs and lets his hands fall. "Let me grab a few extra... things," he turns away with a coy smile. "And I'll be ready."

"Same here," Chess turns toward the chess table again. "I need a few things."

"Of course," Vani nods.

Chess grabs a single chess piece, the queen, that has engravings on the bottom – "L. I." Chess may despise that name now, but she would never get rid of these mementos. They mean the world to her. Dolph, on the other hand, is packing his satchel full of small orbs. Nothing sentimental about it. Just for his own amusement.

Vani crosses his arms and thinks on his final ally. "Osiris... you were searching for those mazes underground. South-East of Beacon... there's no way you're that far already. But by the time we catch up..." Vani grinds his teeth in frustration. "And we may run into Slater," he says the name with disgust as if it was blasphemous for it to even cross his mind. "Harrier is gone, so I'll have to find Osiris myself."

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The Legendary Huntsman approaches a small hut – it's no bigger than an outhouse and in even worse condition. After being shot, stabbed, blown up, and even an attempted capture, Harrier's clothes are in tatters. Thankfully, he has this little hideout just in case. Harrier enters the hut and kneels down, ripping off the floorboard to reveal a small box. He pulls it out of its coffin and opens it up, swiftly grabbing the extra set of clothes within. The pants are the first to be put on, and socks are always easy. The lack of two pinky toes makes them easier to slip on. Shoes are next, followed by a potential shirt that he never wears. In his experience, shirts just rip apart too easily. Though the rest of his attire follows that same rule, people tend to stab his chest or cut off his head. Nobody tends to go for the legs. That does ruin his cloak, but he's not very picky with those. Here is a dark brown one that's somewhat tattered. Harrier puts it on anyway, knowing it'll work. Harrier slides the box back into the hole with his foot and does the same with the wooden plank.

"I'll have to remember to restock," he says before looking to a small glass jar with a toe in it. "I still have one backup," the man says before watching that small flesh fade into dust. "Now," Harrier assures his weapon is attached to his belt and everything fits properly. With that done, he's ready for a small journey. "There's only one place I trust for blades."

Harrier leaves the hut and spots a Beowolf, boney and older. He's well aware that if there's one Beowolf here then there's a pack nearby. But, like they always do, the creature scurries away. All Grimm fear Harrier Slater, and none even dare combat him. If only humanity would learn to do the same.

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Unlike Vani, who's unsure where to go, Harrier has an exact destination in mind. While he cares little for the Tawny family, he's well aware of what it's like to be one of the last in a lineage. Besides, if Vani wants any chance of contending with you using a similar blade, he'll have to have one forged by the same man.

Harrier stops in front of a large, hollowed-out tree. He's genuinely surprised at how lush and vibrant the flora is, even after all this time. Carved out windows show dim light coming from within the bark, so he knows the owner is still there. That, or another has moved in. The Huntsman approaches the door and politely knocks, quickly hearing the rumblings from within. It takes longer than necessary for the owner to open the door, but it's of no consequence to Harrier. Considering the man he's looking down on, he doesn't quite mind the wait. The man before him, barely five feet now, is extremely elderly. His body is sagging, his hair thinning, his stature faltering.

"Can I help you?" He says, shakily holding onto the cane.

"It's good to see you again, Muramasa," Harrier kneels down. "My name is Harrier Slater. You've made a blade for me decades ago," Harrier unveils his sword and holds it before the swordsmith. "Uragiri."

Muramasa drags his land along the blade, nodding and smiling. "Yes... I remember this blade. Unique... beautiful. Harrier Slater, I remember you. You came with Jet Slater, the one I forged a masterpiece," Muramasa places both hands on his cane. "The Savior on Spilled Blood."

Harrier snickers. "Kyūseishu... Jet called it Crimson Blaze."

"Bah," the elder waves his hands. "The foolishness of young people. How is he?"

"He's no longer among us," Harrier answers honestly... while omitting the cause. "Your sword is in the hands of his son."

"And what does he call it?"

"It's best you don't know," he pats the old man's shoulder before sheathing his blade and standing up. "But I wish to make another order from you if you still make blades."

Muramasa turns around, waving at the Slater to follow him. "I haven't made a blade for someone in years... but..."

Harrier notes all the swords, axes, lances, all weapons that have no second feature. Muramasa is a classical blacksmith, disgusted by the trend of mixing a weapon and projectile. His weapons are completely whole, unbreakable, pure. That's what Harrier likes. That's what Jet wished for. Now, that's what Harrier wishes for Vani – a blade that can hold up to Jet's. Muramasa is the only person who can make that. An absolute legend in the field with a Semblance tailored for this work.

"But you haven't stopped making weapons."

"It's all I have to do," the elder wheezes. "I can make a blade for you, Harrier. But I would ask you to do something for me."

"Very well," Harrier nods. "It's only fair."

"A Grimm has been stalking this area, getting close to my home. Please, be rid of it," Muramasa turns around and smiles. "What would you like?"

"A sword, similar to Jet's blade, please."

"Mm..." Muramasa turns to his forge. "I'll start now."

"Thank you, Muramasa," Harrier bows his head and turns to the door.

A Grimm is no issue for Harrier, no matter what it is. The Huntsman leaves the tree and begins marching through the forest. Any signs of broken branches, footprints, even tufted fur. Anything that'll give Harrier a lead onto the Grimm will work. Generally, he doesn't hunt Grimm. It's difficult since they inherently run from him thanks to his eyes.

"Stalking... it must be an animal, then. If it's in the forest I doubt it's a Nevermore, Griffon, or any other airborne ones. I can only imagine it being a Beowolf or-"

Harrier's voice stops as he feels rumbling beneath his feet. The Huntsman kneels down and places a hand on the ground, getting a feel for how heavy this Grimm might be.

"This isn't a pack... a single-"

Out of the ground, a massive mouth bursts forth from Harrier's position. This worm-like creature dons the classic look of a Grimm with a black hide, white accents, and... green glowing eyes and mouth. The beast spirals out of the hole, showing off its massive width which mirrors an average building. It has a glowing green eye on either side of it as the Grimm looks down at Harrier, it's massive outer teeth and small inner teeth move as it locks onto its prey. Harrier returns the gaze, unfazed. Even being this big and fast, Harrier was easily able to get out of the way when it attacked.

"A Blind Worm, huh? That's not quite the 'stalking' type," Harrier remarks. "I shouldn't bother asking why such a large one is here. One of Merlot's disgusting creations no doubt running free now that they're no longer monitored. Which means my blade doesn't matter. Not that I would've used it," Harrier reveals one of his arms and reaches for his glasses.

The Blind Worm spins itself around and dashes toward the Huntsman. Harrier removes his glasses and looks up, seeing the worm surround his body. Its mouth completely enveloping him. Before the beast can return to the dirt, a massive white flash turns the beast to ashes... and leaves Harrier Slater standing in the center of it all.

"Hmph... considering its size... that could have been over one hundred feet long," Harrier returns his glasses to their place and turns back toward the tree. "I suppose you should be thanking me, (Y/N). I doubt that battle would've been much easier than the Hydra," Harrier continues his slow pace, allowing Muramasa more time. He knows the blacksmith won't be done by the time he arrives, but that's inconsequential. Vani needs as much time as he can get, and Harrier isn't a stranger to patiently waiting. "I do wonder, sometimes, if you were at full strength... would you have beaten the Hydra? Could you have beaten this? I wonder, sometimes, what the extent of others are. Or, perhaps, my ceiling is so high that I can no longer comprehend the struggles of someone who could barely deal with an Ursa. But you, nephew... I commend you for even bringing down the Wyvern, if only momentarily. That's more than Jet and I did, admittedly. I'll give you this, (Y/N) Slater, you're more powerful than I was in Beacon. Perhaps... you're even stronger than Jet was when I defeated him. No, I'm certain of that," he comes to a halt before Muramasa's door. "Which is why... if Vani wants to match you, I'll make him stronger than my brother. How strange," Harrier takes a deep breath. "Jet... you were one of the strongest of our generation. How odd that the young ones catch up so quickly."

Harrier opens the door and enters the house, noting that he's just gathering the materials now.

"This will take some time, Harrier. Blades like Kyūseishu and Uragiri are not made in a day. I had hoped that Grimm-"

"I can wait. Don't worry about a thing while I'm here, Muramasa."

"Mmm," the elder begins stoking the flames of his forge.

"Would you like some tea?"

"Mmm, please," he answers with enthusiasm.

Harrier knows he will be here for some time, which grants Vani even more of a window to find his team. Soon, everything will be set in motion. He has a feeling that much will happen soon and everyone must be prepared. He hopes you, too, are ready for whatever comes next.

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One Week Later...

Harrier patiently waits within Muramasa's household. A few Grimm have entered the area, all of which were quickly dispatched by the Huntsmen. No humans or Faunus passed by, however, making Harrier realize how lonely the blacksmith must be. With no real need to eat or sleep, Harrier's developed a way to meditate so the time will pass by. It also grants him some reflection on events. Many people meditate to find inner peace or simply detach themselves from emotions. Neither of those are an issue for Harrier Slater. Thus, it's merely a method to pass time.

"Harrier," Muramasa slowly approaches with a weapon wrapped in cloth. Considering the amount of time and effort the man puts into making blades, and his age, he's barely winded or tired at all. "It is done..."

Harrier's eyes open and he looks down at the cloth.

"Who... is this blade for?" The shaky voice of the elder asks.

"A boy," Harrier grabs the blade hidden in cloth, wrapping the fabric around it. "Who wants revenge."

"Mm..." Muramasa stares at the covered blade. "Then... Fukushū – the sword seeped in revenge."

Harrier chuckles. "You and your unique names. We'll see if he keeps it."

"Hmph, the arrogance of young people," Muramasa slowly walks away. "If you need anything more, I'll be here. All I do is forge..." The elder sits by his bed, grabbing a cup. He looks up at Harrier and smiles. "And drink tea."

"Of course. Thank you, Muramasa," Harrier bows his head.

Harrier leaves the tree and takes a deep breath. The brilliant sun shines down, trying to cut through the dense treeline.

"Revenge... avenge... I wonder what he believes," Harrier begins walking. "Now, let us find the child."

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Vani, Dolph, and Chess exit a carriage and look around the town. From what he's gathered, Osiris should be somewhere in the area. There's a respectably sized village along with some smaller gathering in this area. For some, that would make it hard to find a single man. Fortunately, Vani will know which area Osiris will be in.

"So, where's the guy? Do we have to torture some people?" Dolph rubs his hands together.

"I'd rather get some food," Chess takes a few steps forward. "Is there any place around here that serves?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to check around the town," Vani notes. "Osiris has... a certain effect on the people around him. If these townsfolk act similarly, we'll know he's close by."

"And if he's not?" Chess rests her fist against her side.

"Then we keep looking. We need four."

"I don't think so," Dolph rubs his hands together. "This (Y/N) Slater guy sounds like fun to fight... uh," Dolph quickly retracts his body language and looks away. "Sorry..."

"'Sounds' is the keyword," Vani walks around, looking for some sort of gathering point for people. "Watch him murder dozens in a second and you tell me if that sounds fun. Come on, I think a bar is down here," Vani heads for it.

"Nice going," Chess shakes her head and follows the leader.

"Hey, I'm sorry! Vani, really!" Dolph quickly chases after them. "Let's go dismember a Grimm! It makes me feel better!"

The hooded brother refrains from speaking after matching the pace of his allies. Vani can't spot a single person outside of their home.

"Maybe I'm used to Mistral... but does it feel empty?" Chess notes, scanning the entire area for even movement.

"Maybe they're scared of us," Dolph snickers. "They should be."

"No..." Vani shakes his head. "Here, let's see," Vani makes a b-line for a bar with the other two close behind. He opens the door and takes a gander, finally finding some citizens. Vani instantly notices the glowing smiles on their faces, despite not doing anything that would warrant it.

"I... don't like their smiles," Dolph shivers. "Creepy happy."

"You're a pretty creepy happy too, brother," Chess says with a coy smile.

"Hey, I'm happy cause I love blowing stuff up!" He retorts. "Them," he flicks his hand towards the people. "They're just... weird."

"Hello," Vani approaches. "What's going on here?"

Everyone looks over at them, smiling and waving. The bartender is the one to speak up first.

"Welcome, traveller! Please, remain inside! We're dealing with a Grimm problem."

"You don't look like you're dealing with a Grimm problem," Chess whispers under her breath.

"No... they are," Vani rolls his shoulders. "It's Osiris, no doubt."

"Osiris! That was the nice young man! He told us to stay here!"

"You're too happy," Dolph slouches.

"It's what Osiris does... the whole town is probably like this. Thank you," Vani waves back at the bartender before leaving the building. "We just have to wait for them," he says to his following friends. "Grimm are attracted to negative emotions."

"Yeah," the two say, unsure where Vani is going with it.

"And Osiris' Semblance can change the emotions of people around to whatever he's feeling."

"That's no fun," Dolph buries his hands in his pockets. "Can't kill people with that."

"But it can help in a situation like this. Come on, if a town like this had Grimm around do you think they'd be calmly sitting in buildings with wide smiles?"

"No," Chess shakes her head. "So... we just have to wait for your friend to get back?"

"He's definitely nearby," Vani crosses his arms and stops. "I suppose..." Vani's voice trails off as he thinks. Waiting for Osiris is certainly a viable option. Vani's well aware of his friend's skills. Unless the Grimm is some new, overwhelming force then Osiris should be able to handle it. He also doesn't know how long Osiris has been gone. He could've just left, meaning it would be quicker to search for him. He also could've gone on this expedition an hour ago, entailing that he'll return soon. It's a shame that none of their Semblances can help in this situation, either.

"Vani?" A voice speaks from the side.

The three follow the source to spot Osiris, coming out from between two buildings. Vani smiles. "Good, no need to wait. Osiris, I need your help."

"Blunt," the boy chuckles. "But, uh... let me just talk to the leader of this village and, uh... yeah," he claps, smiling. "We'll go from there."

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The four sit in the local pub, a few cups of water at the table. Osiris takes a moment to process everything his good friend told him.

"That boy... he seemed so nice. To cut them all down... your family was good to me," Osiris stares into Vani's eyes with conviction. "If you want to avenge them, I'll certainly help you. Besides," Osiris lightheartedly smiles. "I've run out of things to do. This'll certainly be interesting. Though, actively attempting to take someone's life isn't quite what I enjoy..."

"It's what I enjoy," Dolph rubs his hands together. "The satisfying cracking of their skull, the pooling blood... maybe an explosion that sends their body parts splatting against the wall like little chunks for the rats to devour!"

The three stare at Dolph, high in his own mind.

"Well... he'll certainly be some company," Osiris nods. "Dolph..." Osiris snaps twice. "Anaph! Right? And you're..." He looks to the woman.

"Call me Chess. I'm Dolph's little sister."

"Chess Anaph, got it."

"No," the woman shakes her head. "Chess Vamor."

Osiris nods. "Different parent, I guess?"

Vani nudges his friend. "Leave it."

Osiris slowly nods. "Right, touchy thing, I suppose. Right," Osiris pats the table and smiles at them all. "I can't wait to learn more about you two," he smiles at the siblings. "I'll try to keep our spirits high!"

"Right... your semblance. I wonder how that'll affect my brother."

Dolph grabs Osiris' collar and pulls him across the table, his pupils shrinking. "Don't... make me not want to kill."

"Heh," Osiris chuckles. "I'll do my best."

"To not be intimidated... interesting," Chess whispers to herself.

"Osiris is competent. He can hold his own against a lot. I don't think Dolph scares him much."

"I'm right here," Dolph's face drops while he lets go of Osiris.

"Thank you," Osiris readjusts his clothes. "So... um... what do we do? You said that Harrier fellow was going to find us? I'm pretty excited to meet him. I've read a lot about the legendary Harrier Slater."

"I wouldn't be so excited if I was you," Vani remarks, thinking back on the twisted knot he felt while speaking to the man. "But I'm not sure, truly. I hope soon. For now..." Vani rests his hand on his chin. "We should find clues on (Y/N)'s whereabouts."

"Is that even possible? You said the dude can teleport," Dolph leans back in his chair. "Could be up in freezy town for all we know."

"Dolph's right," Chess nods. "Finding him won't be easy."

"Perhaps waiting for Harrier is the best course of action?" Osiris speaks up.

Vani rubs his temples. "Very well... let's return to Mistral, I suppose. My house is better than any hotel we could find."

"That won't be necessary," Harrier steps inside the building, gathering everyone's attention. "Come, we don't have all day," he immediately turns around and leaves.

"What an asshole," Dolph huffs.

"He's earned the right to be," Osiris stands up. "The immortal Huntsman... Harrier Slater."

"Immortal?" Dolph raises a brow. "I bet I could kill him."

"Brother..." Chess sighs. "Don't start picking fights with our allies. Save it for that (Y/N) kid."

"Come on," Vani pushes his chair back and follows Harrier.

The rest follow soon after, all trailing behind the cloaked Huntsman as he leads them away from town.

"Is... he not going to say anything?" Chess whispers.

"I would follow quietly, for now," Osiris responds, staying between Vani, who's in front of him, and the sibling behind him.

"Don't much like this following orders stuff," Dolph huffs.

"You'll let out those frustrations soon," Harrier replies.

Once deep enough into the forest, Harrier stops. He looks around, examining the ground. "This should do well. I would lay down," he advises.

The young group slowly drop to their stomachs, unsure why he commanded this. It's made clear when, in a flash, Harrier spins around and slashes at the air. His intense power eviscerates all the trees in this area, creating a small, clear arena.

The young adults slowly get to their feet in complete awe. No leaves, no roots, no bark. Nothing is left from his one slash.

"Vani, come here," he commands.

"Right!" Vani jogs towards him.

"This," Harrier's arms push past his cloak and present the sword. "Is your new blade."

The three others slowly approach as Vani unwraps the present. It's a completely blank, white sheath. The handle, white with a black rayskin, and silver guard protecting his hand from the blade. Vani unsheathes it to reveal a very bright silver sword, nearly white as snow. Harrier immediately notices the colour swap between Jet's blade and this one. It nearly makes his snicker. Vani swings the blade a few times, getting a handle for it.

"I'm going to assure you're as potent as possible with that blade. I'm going to train you in every environment, fighting against different opponents. In three months, I will bring you to Salem. If you even show a hint of weakness... I'll kill all four of you."

"All four? But you're only training me!" Vani argues.

The three somewhat relax after hearing that. Vani has been different, all of them can tell. But he's still looking out for his friends. That means something to them.

"Indeed. You're all I care about... but," he looks past them. "You three will accompany him. You're a team, after all. I won't teach you anything directly, but feel free to spar alongside Vani and hone yout abilities. Or don't. I don't rightly care."

Harrier removes his cloak, dropping it on the ground beside him. "Now, I wish to see what you all can do. Do not hold back against me. This is a test. You, Vani... hold off on your Semblance for now. We'll handle that later.

The Slater unsheathes his weapon and steps back. "Now... come."

This is the first time I've ever trained someone... what an interesting situation. I wonder, (Y/N), how strong you'll be.

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Far from any civilization, in an open field, your training grounds are set up. Neo is taking a moment to recuperate – watching you as she does so. You lean past a bolt, spin around another, butterfly flip through two then cartwheel through another one. When you get to your feet you lean your body back to dodge the last. You smile to yourself...

"I got it."

And here we are again with Crimson Shadow! This chapter has actually been done for a while so I'm rewriting this little end part. As you may have noticed, Crimson Shadow has a new cover! It's been years, and I love the original one, but an update was definitely required. I'm really happy with how it turned out and I hope you all like it! I don't really have too much to say this time around. 49 is already done so it's going into the editing phase as soon as I put this one out! Hopefully that means there won't be a super long wait. I've been working on 50 too, so that's a decent way done. Look at me, ahead of the game. Won't last long, I assure you.

Oh! This is also where those OCs from the contest appeared! I hope you three creators will enjoy finally seeing them in the story!

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