Nighttime at a forest clearing. A Mistral airship can be seen landing. The doors open, revealing its occupant as Neo,

who drops her disguise and is revealed to be wearing a new outfit. She looks to see someone step out of the forest, revealed to be Cinder also sporting some new clothes: a cape which conceals her Grimm-ified left arm as well as an eyepatch that covers the left half of her scarred face. She stops to inspect the airship.

Cinder: It should get us to Solitas. After that, you might want to try materializing yourself some snow boots.

Neo rolls her eyes at Cinder's remark. She steps out of the airship and holds her hand out, and Cinder stops walking and has an irritated look on her face. Neo then places her hand on the airship and uses her Semblance to transform it into an Atlesian Manta aircraft. Cinder smiles at this. She then retracts the disguise and snaps her fingers with a smirk on her face.

Cinder: You know, Neo, someone once asked me if I believed in destiny.

The two of them board the airship.

Cinder: And I'm happy to say I still do.

The two smile evilly as the airship's door closes.

Back in Argus, multiple Manta aircraft engage in dogfights against Manticores and Sphinxs above the ocean. The Leviathan itself slowly trudges through the water approaching the city. Some aircraft fly by for a gun run on the towering Grimm. The Leviathan, however, simply dives below the ocean and swims.

Air Control: All units, be advised: Leviathan-class Grimm has submerged but is still on approach. Preparing hard-light shields, over!

Elsewhere, Rex, Ruby, and their friends overhear the radio chatter with looks of horror on their faces. Cordovin continues to struggle to get the Colossus' arm cannon out of the water with it being covered in ice and rock Dust.

Manta Two-Two: We're getting slammed by hostiles out here! Where is Cordovin?!

Cordovin: This is your fault! Do you hear me?!

Crim: Oh, shut the hell up. This was on you.

Yang: Ruby!

Shane: Hey!

Yang, Luke, Shane, Flora, and Blake can be seen running out of the forest to rejoin the group.

Rex: Guys!

Ruby: Yang! Blake! Are you okay?

Rin: Luke, what happened to you?!

Luke: It's okay, it's not my blood.

Yang and Blake notice the disabled mech.

Blake: What happened?

The group then hears the Leviathan roaring.

Flora: What the fuck is that!?

Mason: A Leviathan.

Yang: Was that a giant Grimm?

Weiss: Yes...

Weiss: and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it...

The group wastes no time boarding the aircraft. It begins to fly away. Ruby watches with pity as Cordovin continues to struggle to move the mech. Cordovin herself yells out in anger.

Cordovin: This is your fault!! YOUR FAULT!!! This is... (gives up)

Soldier: (over radio) Ma'am, what's your status? We need an answer, over!

Cordovin: ... your fault... (looks down sadly)

Zach: You old idiot...

Blake: I'm so sorry...

Yang: Don't be. This isn't on you.

Blake: But--

Luke: Sis. Don't.

Ruby: You're safe, that's all that matters.

Blake smiles at her leader and the two hug. Ruby looks to Yang and the two share a smile.

Rex: Dude, what happened to Adam?

Luke: He won't be a problem anymore. After I killed him, I feel like my Semblance evolved.

Briana: Well, at least that's one good thing.

Maria: I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority, and right now we have the perfect opportunity to head straight for it. We may not get another chance like this.

Yang: No way!

Weiss: We can't leave, not like this.

Blake: It's like you said, a Huntress is supposed to protect others to the bitter end.

Mason: Grandma, what the hell?! If we leave now, those Grimm will destroy Argus. Hundreds of innocent people will die, including Saphron and her family. We're not leaving until we take that big guy down.

Maria looks to her grandson, Rex, and Ruby, who just shrugs and smiles. Maria smiles back and continues to fly.

Ruby: We need to head for the Leviathan. Jaune, can you and Ren be ready to mask our ship?

Ren: I think we can manage.

Jaune: Got a few ideas?

Ruby: I've got one.

Rin: Better be a good one.

Qrow: Eyes up, everybody. It's back.

The Leviathan swims for a bit before resurfacing above the water,

letting out a terrifying roar.

Manta Three-Four: Argus Base, this is Manta 3-4! Leviathan has hit the shallows and resurfaced! We need those shields up now, over!

From the city, a large crowd gathers as they look out to the ocean with concern. Terra is seen making her way through the crowd, eventually reuniting with her wife Saphron and their son Adrian, before looking out to the ocean again in concern. As the Leviathan approaches Argus, a hard-light Dust barrier is erected, halting its progress.

Manta Two-One: Target stopped! Engaging, over!

A pair of Manta aircraft are seen firing shots at the Leviathan. Suddenly, the Leviathan unleashes an energy beam attack from its mouth.

It shifts the beam over to one of the poles powering the hard-light Dust barrier, destroying it. The Leviathan roars.

Ruby and her friends watch in horror from their aircraft.

Yugo: No way...

Oscar: It tore straight through...!

Shane: It destroyed one of the barrier poles!

Air Control: All squadrons, fall back to evacuation procedures. Disengage Leviathan! I repeat, disengage! Over!

Ruby: No, wait!

Rex: Stop!

Ruby runs up to the radio.

Mia: Rex!

Qrow: Ruby!

Ruby: We can stop it!

Air Control: Who is this? Identify yourself!

Ruby: I'm a Huntress. My team and I are heading to the Leviathan and can weaken it for you to attack!

Rex: Just give us some time!

Everyone looks at them in shock.

Kyla: Excuse me, what!?

Jaune: We can?

Ruby: WE, can.

Rex: That's me and Rubes.

Maria: Ruby, when I said "trial by fire"--

Ruby: I did it at Beacon and at the farm.

Weiss: You really think you can do it now?

Ruby: I don't have a choice.

Rex: Either that or that Grimm will destroy Argus.

Air Control: Manta 5-1, your ship is currently flagged as hostile. You will receive no support, over.

Rex: (picking up radio) Fine! We'll do it ourselves if we have to. I swear, that's why I hate about Atlas military crap. You guys go only by protocols and follow orders like puppets, instead of doing your damn jobs to save people. Well, take your directives and shove 'em up your ass!

From her mech, Cordovin overhears Rex's radio chatter.

Ruby: We can hit it while it's stopped at the next barrier. Ren, you're up!

Ren, Athena, and Jaune proceed to combine their Semblances, masking the airship as it weaves between the air battles between Grimm and Atlas forces. The Leviathan makes its way to the next barrier and charges its energy breath again.

Qrow: We're too late! Pull up!

The Manta aircraft pulls up out of the way as the Leviathan fires its breath, destroying the next barrier and toppling a cupola off one of the buildings in Argus. Athena, Ren, and Jaune collapse as their Auras are drained.

Athena: No, not now! Not now!

Jaune: Damn it...!

Ren: That's all I've got!

Blake: It's on the move again! We need to stop it!

Yang: What do we do?

Ruby and Rex thinks for a moment, before to looking to Weiss.

The Leviathan continues to approach Argus, but suddenly, the aircraft carrying Ruby's group opens up its hatch doors.

Nora: Eyes on us, ugly!

Crim: It's us you want!

Crim, Nora, Mason, and Yang fire their respective weapons at the Leviathan.

Blake: Is it working?

Crim: I think we just tickled it.

Elena: Quite the opposite.

Maria: Unfortunately, yes! Hang on!

Blake runs over to Weiss, who is maintaining a Glyph she activated.

Rex and Ruby are seen riding on the back of Weiss' Queen Lancer summoning.

Ruby: (to herself) Okay, okay, you can do this... You have to do this!

Rex: It's okay, Rosebud, I believe in you.

Eventually, they stops in front of the Leviathan. Ruby closes her eyes and begins to concentrate, the noises all around her slowly muting out.

Yang: Ruby? Rex, hurry, something--

Ruby takes out her earpiece and tosses it into the water below. She closes her eyes again to concentrate. As she concentrates, Ruby thinks back on various memories:

She thinks of her father and sister, when she first met Rex at the shop, when Zwei first arrived at Team RWBY's dorm room, when she and her team are about to start a food fight, and when they get noodles after their victory in the tournament.

She then thinks of Penny, then to when she first saw Jaune, of Team JNPR, of Pyrrha...

Suddenly, Ruby starts to frown as bad memories start to flood her mind:

the night when Jaune trained alone with a recording of Rex and Pyrrha,

when she saw her friends wounded as Beacon was being evacuated, when Yang sank into depression over the loss of her arm.

Ruby whimpers upon remembering the deaths of Pyrrha, Penny, and Rex...

Rex: Ruby!

Suddenly, Ruby opens her eyes again and notices the Leviathan standing face to face with them.

Ruby: What?

Rin: I don't get it! It should've worked!

Yang: Why'd it turn away?!

Ruby and Rex then remember they have the Relic of Knowledge on Ruby's belt, which caused the Leviathan to have its attention on them.

Rex: The Relic!

Ruby: No, no, no, no!!

Suddenly, the Leviathan opens its maw and lunges toward Rex and Ruby...

Ruby: J--JINN!!!

Suddenly, time stops. Everything slows down and freezes, even Rin and Yang who calls out their brother and sister's name.

Yang: Ruby!

Rin: Rex!

They both then breathe a sigh of relief as they hears the rattling chains of Jinn.

Rex: (turns around) Jinn.

Ruby: I'm sorry... I don't have a question for you. I just... I just needed a little more time...

Ruby looks to Jinn, who has a stern look on her face.

Jinn: I know... and while you don't seek knowledge, just this once, I shall give it freely. I will not allow you to use me without a question again... (smiling) Even if this was clever.

Rex: (nods) Thanks, Jinn. And it really was clever, Rubes.

Ruby: Thanks. But we still have to take this thing down.

Rex: We will. (Hold Ruby's hand as she held his tightly) Together.

Ruby: Together.

They both turn to face the Leviathan again and Ruby closes her eyes to concentrate once more. Time slowly starts to go back to normal.

Rex: Just think about the good times we had.

She thinks back to when Team RWBY decorated their dorm room, when Weiss gave her coffee, when Blake cheered for Weiss in Professor Port's class, when Yang was training her before leaving for Beacon, when Team RWBY and REBL celebrated their victory after saving Vale.

Ruby smiles as she thinks back to the Beacon Dance and Team REBL and JNPR again, and then to when Zach and Qrow arrived at Beacon, to talking with Rin and Oscar, and then to Maria, and to Rex and Penny again, and then Rex and Natalie were singing together from their date...

And finally, Ruby thinks back to her mother, her white cloak blowing in the wind as she overlooks a cliff watching a sunset.

She then turns around, offering a warm smile. Her own Silver Eyes reflect back to her daughter's...

Ruby's own eyes then shine bright, the brightest it has ever been. A massive white light engulfs the area, turning the Leviathan to stone. The citizens of Argus and the Atlas military cheer as the Grimm threat has been nullified.

Rex even flips Ruby over making her yelp as he gives her a big kiss.

Rex: You did good, Rosebud.

Ruby's friends give proud smiles and Maria and Mia breathe a sigh of relief.

The light retracts back into Ruby's eyes, and she turns around to look at the city of Argus still standing. Suddenly, Rex and Ruby hear a stone crackling behind them.

Rex: You've gotta be kidding me...

The Leviathan's head manages to move and tries to aim at Ruby.

Ruby: No...

Cordovin: I'll take it from here!!

Suddenly, Cordovin shows up in the Colossus, its arm cannon now detached. Everyone looks in shock. Without the weight of the cannon, the Colossus begins to run toward the semi-petrified Leviathan.

Cordovin: (smiling) After all, I was sworn to protect the people!

The Colossus' left hand then transforms into a giant drill. Cordovin uses the drill to destroy the Leviathan, causing it to dissipate. The people of Argus cheer while the Arc family looks on with stupefied expressions.

The Colossus then walks over to Ruby and Rex. Its cockpit opens up revealing Cordovin herself standing in a stern military manner.

Rex: Thanks, Mrs. Cordovin.

Ruby: And... We're sorry.

Cordovin: The Atlas military can handle the stragglers.

Ruby: What, uh... What are you saying?

Cordovin: (smiling) I'm saying I don't think anyone would notice if one more ship went missing in my lengthy report.

Rex and Ruby smiles back at Cordovin, who then turns the mech around and runs off to join her men in taking down the remaining Grimm.

The airship Ruby, Rex and their friends are in flies through the night sky.

Maria: We should have just enough fuel to make it.

Ruby: Thanks, Miss Calavera.

Qrow: Hey, Ruby. You did great out there today, kid. Just don't go giving me heart attacks like that again.

Qrow is about to take a drink from his flask, but ultimately decides not to. Ruby hugs her uncle.

Ruby: I love you, too.

Qrow smiles at his niece as she walks away to join her friends.

Mia: And I should say the same to you, son. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I mean, what would you do if your fiance wasn't with you?

Zach: I'm with your mother on this one, kid.

Rex: Ok, ok, I get it. I'm a reckless guy.

Maria: You weren't half bad yourself today, Qrow.

Qrow: (smiles before sighing) I feel like they did all the heavy lifting.

Maria: But you were there to help when they asked for it, and you were there to catch them when they fell. Literally, if I recall.

Qrow: Thanks. You know, it was pretty incredible getting to see the Grimm Reaper in action.

Maria: Ha, you should have seen me when I was your age!

Qrow smiles as the two of them look out the cockpit's window to the night sky.

In the back of the aircraft, Weiss, Shane, Blake, Luke, and Yang sitting together.

Weiss: I'm sorry you went through that nightmare. But, I'm glad Yang was there for you in time.

Rin: Heh, what're friends for.

Luke and Yang smile before the latter takes the cat Faunus' hand.

Yang: We were there for each other.

Nora: Took the words right out of my mouth.

Everyone then looks to Ruby.

Ruby: Hey, stop it!

Ren: You petrified a Leviathan... after you took Rex with you diving down the barrel of a cannon!

Crim: Yeah, you turn that big guy into stone.

Ruby: (laughs) Don't act like you all haven't done crazy stuff before!

Ruby: I mean, Oscar made a successful crash landing! He's a fourteen-year-old farm hand!

Jaune: That was seriously impressive.

Briana: And crazy. Good job, Oscar.

Blake: We'd have been stranded without you.

Oscar: I... thanks, but... I've been meaning to tell you guys... I didn't land the ship on my own.

Elena: (confused) Who managed to land the ship then?

Oscar's eye glows as Ozpin takes control.

Ozpin: I've helped Oscar to maintain his calm and land the airship as safely as possible.

Flora: Am I missing something? I know that's Ozpin, but how...?

Kyla: It's a big long story, but you'll get used to it.

Yang: Does that mean you been watching us this whole time?

Mia: More like he was looking out for us.

Ozpin: You all did an excellent job of dealing everything without my guidance or assistance. I can proudly say that I have recruited the best students.

Briana: Since we've accomplished again, how about another song.

Kyla: Oi... here we go again.

Flora: Hey, I don't see the problem.

Crim: Believe me, they're naturals.

With that, Team REBL and Rex are starting to sing it out.

Rex and Team REBL:
We got all the ways to be
W-I-C-K-E-D (2x)

Come on

Hey (16x)

Briana:
Crashin' the party, guess they lost my invitation (boo-hoo)
Friendly reminder, got my own kind of persuasion

Luke:
Looks like this place could use a bit of misbehavior
"Happily ever after" with a little flavor

Rex:
Bad to the bone, with even worse intentions
We're gonna steal the show and leave 'em all defenseless

Rin:
A fairy tale life can be oh-so overrated
So raise your voices and let's get it activated (ayy)

Team REBL and Rex:
Long live having some fun
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on the right side of wrong
There's so many ways to be wicked

Apple, apple
Dip, dip
Wanna try it?
Tick, tick
Take a bite, come on, be bold
Change the way the story's told

Elena:
This time the dark is finally getting your attention

Rin:
We're wicked by the book, and class is back in session

Rex:
You like it, steal it
Gotta beat 'em to the treasure

Luke:
A right of passage

Rex and Team REBL:
Bad just doesn't get much better

Long live having some fun
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on the right side of wrong
There's so many ways to be wicked

Briana:
Mother always knows best

Rin:
Show her, pass every test

Luke:
Hear her voice in my head

Rex:
Evil is the only real way to live

Team REBL and Rex:
We got all the ways to be (ha)
Hey, hey, hey, hey
W-I-C-K-E-D

Rex:
Let's go

Rex and Team REBL:
We got all the ways to be
Hey, hey, hey, hey
W-I-C-K-E-D

Briana:
(Yeah)

Team REBL and Rex:
Long live having some fun

Elena:
(having some fun)

Team REBL and Rex:
We take what we want
There's so many ways to be wicked

With us, evil lives on

Rin:
(evil lives on)

Rex and Team REBL:
The right side of wrong
There's so many ways to be wicked

Cruel and unusual
We're taking control
There's so many ways to be wicked

With us (come on), evil lives on the right side of wrong
There's so many ways to be wicked

Hey, hey, hey, hey

We got all the ways to be
W-I-C-K-E-D (3x)

We got all the ways to be

Elena:
So many ways to be wicked

Everyone ponders their song before Qrow speaks up.

Qrow: Hey, if you've never seen Atlas in person before, you don't wanna miss this.

Rex and his friends walk up to the cockpit window.

Ruby: Is it weird that I'm sorta nervous?

Yang: No, I'll believe we've made it to Atlas when I see it.

Weiss: Well... believe it.

Kyla: Observe Atlas at its finest.

The airship comes out of the clouds, and the floating city of Atlas is seen coming into view.

Rex: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Atlas.

Nora: Wow!

Athena: Wow, indeed, Nora. It's beautiful.

Rin: First time seeing Atlas like this.

Maria: You know, you make the trip up to Atlas over and over, but you never get used to that view. (her prosthetic eyes start to act up again) Oh, come on!

Weiss leans forward and has a nervous look on her face. Ruby notices this.

Ruby: Weiss, what is it?

Shane: Uh, guys. Look. Up there.

Everyone looks up, and notice above the city of Atlas many Atlas Airships.

Weiss: The Atlas air fleet... I knew all of our ships were called back, but...

Qrow: They're set up like they're expecting an attack...

Mia: What the hell were you doing up there, James?

Suddenly, the radio turns on.

Atlas Air Control: Manta 5-1,

Atlas Air Control: welcome home...

In the Land of Darkness, Mercury is seen looking out the window in the meeting room. Emerald then walks in.

Emerald: Mercury, I wanted to...

Suddenly, she notices Mercury's face has an expression of horror as he looks out the window. Emerald looks to where he's looking.

Emerald: What is she doing?

A Beringel is seen crawling out of one of the black, tar-like pits, with Salem herself standing close by. She then uses her magic as Nevermore wings suddenly sprout from the back of the Beringel. The Beringel gets used to its new appendages, before flying up to join many other Beringels also grafted with wings. Emerald and Mercury continue to watch in horror.

Hazel: There's an old saying.

The two notice Hazel enter the room and stand next to them.

Hazel: If you want something done right... do it yourself.

Ben and Salem look up to the army of Grimm they have gathered, before turning around and using her magic on the black pools again,

engulfing the entire scene...

Ben: Let's get started...

END OF PART 78 AND VOLUME 6