Chapter 33: The First Steps (7)
Chapter 33: The First Steps (7)
~Third POV~
From the Emerald Forest, Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna step out into a clearing that reveals the circular stone temple, broken and decrepit but for the platforms around its inside, holding several black and gold objects.
Yang began to investigate the site as she noticed the black and gold objects in question, she speaks out loud to herself to Blake, "Think this is it?"
In response, Blake gives Yang an incredulous look and heads down the hill, her partner following. They walk across the floor and observe the items on each pedestal, now shown to be familiar shapes.
Blake looked at a black king, as she then expressed a confused voice, "Chess pieces?"
Yang then takes notice that there are only a few remaining as she replied to Blake, "Some of them are missing. Looks like we weren't the first ones here."
Blake then looks at the chess pieces she concluded while shrugging her shoulders, "Well, I guess we should pick one."
Yang approaches one of the relics as she studies the golden knight, then picks it up and shows it to Blake in her curious tone of voice, "Hmmmm... How about a cute little pony?"
Blake smirks at this as they walk towards each other to the center of the temple floor they share a smile, "Well, it's not like this place is very difficult to find."
*Rustle*
"Yee-haa!"
That was when the two were interrupted by the sounds of another student coming down the route where Blake and Yang were at riding a Grimm Ursai she jumps off and uses her weapon hammer slamming it on the Grimm's head crushing it.
"Take this!"
*BAM*
Slamming the head on the Grimm as it turns to dust as Nora makes a comment on it holding her weapon above her head, "Aw… it's broken."
Next comes Ren as he walks toward her as he remarks about Nora's antics in a calm tone, "Nora, would you please try to fight normally?"
Blake makes a short comment somewhat surprised seeing Nora's actions towards her, "That girl was riding an Ursa."
Yang on the other hand was impressed by Nora's antics, "Impressive!"
Nora then takes the castle relic piece in a shape of a rook piece as she shows it to Ren, "I got the castle relic. I'm the queen of the castle! You're the king, Ren!"
"Whatever."
*THUD*
That was when a sound of trees was falling down as Ruby and Weiss were now in clear view running away from a Nevermore Grimm coming after them.
"Ruby!"
Blake, on the other hand, raises her weapon turning it into a gun as she began to shoot at the Nevermore with her rounds.
*Bang*
*Bang*
*Bang*
Yang on the other hand was glad to see her sister was alive and teamed up with a different person as she talked to her, "Ruby, I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Yang!"
However, Weiss began to yell at her partner as she directed Ruby while on guard, "Hurry up and take the relic!"
"Which one?"
"It doesn't matter just take one!"
"SCREECH!"
That was when the Nevermore began to move around again back to the girl's locations as it began to flap its wings shooting out multiple shoots of large black feathers at the group.
But Weiss managed to create a barrier of sorts using her Semblance <Glyphs> to shield them all as the feathers were hitting the massive Glyph.
*Ping*
*Ping*
*Ping*
*Ping*
*Ping*
Just as Weiss shielded the members and the Nevermore flew past them it was when something else happened next.
"Whoa!"
*Thud*
That was when Jack and Pyrrha were both thrown to the side but were cushioned thanks to their Aura as the group looks in the direction to see a Deathstalker that threw them in the group direction.
As the two began to get themselves up Jack narrowed his eyes as he began to use <Aura Trapping> at the Deathstalker as it soon became apparent as Pyrrha holding her shield up in defense as she yelled at Jack, "Jack, get the relic first!"
"On it!"
Moving quickly enough Jack managed to see the white rook piece relic as he took it and used <Deep Pockets> to keep it safe as he turns around to see Pyrrha beginning to come around…
*Creee*
That was when a row of ice began to shield Pyrrha as Weiss used her dust to create a defense on the already captured Deathstalker as she spoke happily, "Pyrrha! I finally found you, Pyrrha!"
Hearing that as Jack rolls under his eyes thinking to himself about Weiss's attitude, 'Sigh… give me a break. You already have your teammate so back off already Ice Queen. When was Weiss this pushy?'
Getting close to Pyrrha as Jack activated his Gauntlets, he motioned Pyrrha to about the one above them, "Pyrrha careful we got a Nevermore above. While the professor said to defeat any Grimm, we also take priority of the Relic back first."
Hearing this Blake agreed as she replied in her own voice about what to do next, "The test is to bring back a relic, not to defeat those things."
Returning to their sides Yang began to look at Blake as she replied in surprise at the action, "Are you gonna just run?"
Jack remained quiet nodding his head with Blake's idea as Ruby questioned the actions taken and following orders, "But the professor said we'd have to kill the Grimm!"
Holding Ruby's hands as Weiss told Ruby what to do next following the rest of her peers, "We have to go now!"
Like that everyone agreed as they ran forward to what seemed like the ruins of a once old kingdom or place as students run towards the endpoint of the Emerald Forest.
"SCREEEH!"
The group is heading out of the forest and into another abandoned series of structures as the Nevermore follows them from the air. They spread out when it passes above, concealing themselves behind some of the stone blocks with their allies as it perches on a high column and caws.
Yang seeing that the Nevermore began to attack shooting more feathers at them she comment on the situation, "Well that's great! Looks like we have no choice but to fight now!"
With that Weiss, Yang, Ruby, and Blake all began to run ahead as Jack, Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren took a moment to see the return of the Deathstalker coming for them.
/////
~Jack POV~
Well then…
*Click*
Activating my Gauntlets as I see Nora and Ren talk to each getting ready to attack the Deathstalker.
"This is bad."
"We'll just have to fight."
Nora readies her weapon as it changes into a grenade launcher and attacks using her shells, "Here I go!"
*Plop*
*BANG*
*BOOM*
"Creee!"
The Deathstalker roared in pain as I see Pyrrha opens her weapon into a rifle mode as she begins to take her shots as she spoke to me, "Jack go ahead – "
*Bang*
*Bang*
*THUD*
I was about to when I saw the bridge got destroyed with the Nevermore crashing straight into it as I clicked my tongue at the scene, "Tch. The bridge is damaged! Looks like we have to fight our way out now!"
Turning around I see that the Grimm tried to attack with its pincers and stingers destroying the buildings around here but Pyrrha and Nora dodge with ease shooting out their own weapons range attacks.
*Bang*
*BANG*
*BOOM*
But all the damage they did is all for nothing because the big guy is taking it all with stride I took this time to see its level as I hear Nora speak, "Nothing is working on the Deathstalker. Its bone skin is tough."
<Observe>.
[Deathstalker – Lv.? Alpha Grimm]
Seeing this the only choice is to fight close up.
<Aura Trapping>.
*Shiii*
"SCREEEE!"
That was when Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren all saw my aura react as it began to tightly wrap around the Alpha Grimm as it struggled free as I rushed in activating my stack, "If we can't harm it with bullets! Then we'll have to go close in for attacks! That thing is stuck so don't waste this chance!"
<Unarmed Combat>, <Combat Aura>, <Aura>, <Aura Amp>, and <Martial Arts Mastery>.
And for speed…
<Petal Burst>.
*SWOOOSH*
Suddenly turning myself into small petal particles I next move above the Deathstalker as I slam my fist on its head dealing massive damage to it like how Captain America landed.
*BAM*
"SCREE…!"
The fist managed to harm the Grimm as I managed to make a spider crater-like crack on its armor shell using the momentum force to my advantage.
That was when I heard Pyrrha's voice giving me a heads-up warning, "Jack look out right behind you!"
*Shing*
I managed to hear a sword swinging as I see Pyrrha slashing at the Grimm as it was trapped in place as Ren and Nora soon followed in to attack while the Grimm is in place as I gave him the order, "Ren the tail!"
Ren took a glance at me and nodded with no hesitation, "On it!"
Ren began to follow my order as he use his weapon to slice up the tail but sadly that was when the Grimm managed to escape as it powered through my <Aura Trapping> leaving Ren in trouble to getting smacked by its tail!
Shit!
*Swoosh*
*Bam*
Nora screamed as she saw Ren collide with a nearby stone, "Ren!"
"Screee!"
I managed to get off of the Grimm as it began to stand up, but I used <Petal Burst> to move away from my spot as I pull a Flash tas I began to spin around the Grimm beginning to left it up using the momentum of <Petal Burst> to throw the damn bug in insane speeds.
*WOOSH*
*WOOSH*
*WOOSH*
Creating a miniature uplift on the Deathstalker running in circles using Ruby Semblance as all the speed I pick up running around creating the uplift is causing the Grimm to fly above off balance as it flails around helplessly.
Repeatedly draining my aura using up <Petal Burst> for more than a few seconds I began to feel incredibly tired…
Time to use it.
[Ding!]
[You have chosen status recovery!]
*Shiii*
Feeling fully recovered and ready for action again I see Pyrrha throw her spear at the Grimm and hit.
"SCREEE!"
When it did so it finally flipped over its back I stopped myself as I get near the two girls I gave out a command to Nora right away, "Nora nail it!"
Nora nodded at my words as she rushed up and jumped with her hammer ready to nail it, "Heads up! Here I go!"
*BAM*
"SCREEEeeee….."
That was when I saw Nora nailed it and began to turn to dust as I felt mentally and physically tired at this but not before one final punch getting the EXP, "Good riddance disgusting bug."
*Bam*
Like that the final blow as it began to vanish fading into black mist as I see it fly away.
[You gain 115 EXP]
[Lightning Dust (Medium) x3]
[You got 8,000 Lien]
[LEVEL UP!]
[LEVEL UP!]
Good, I get some levels for this.
Breathing in a breath of relief as I go over to Ren as he stands up to see if I can heal him up as I spoke, "Whew… Good thing we made it. Ren comes here I'll give your Aura a boost to healing."
Ren nodded with small hesitation but agreed as I began to walk forward I used <Aura Amp> on him as I see his aura begin to heal his wounds.
He looked surprised to see his wounds healed up he looked at me with a smile as he responded in thanks, "Oh? Thank you very much for the concerned friend."
Nodding and saying no problem I began to turn my attention toward Team RWBY.
Ruby looks forward and pumps Crescent Rose as Weiss turns the circle from black to red and releases Ruby at such a speed that the ground behind her launch cracks, rose petals flying from her ascent.
With each new shot, she gets closer and closer to the trapped Grimm until her scythe catches the Nevermore's neck in its blade and causes them both to fall to the cliff wall. Weiss raises her sword and creates a series of white circles up the wall, which Ruby dashes through by firing the entire way up.
Yang, Blake, and an exhausted Weiss watch her climb up with the bird in her grasp until, both warrior and monster crying out, Ruby reaches the top of the cliff, circles up, fires one last shot, and rends the Nevermore's head from its shoulders in a shower of petals.
She lands beside the severed head as the body of the giant Nevermore falls lifeless to the ruins and crevice below while the girls and, farther away Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren watch in amazement as I did as well.
It was one thing to see in the show but in real life?
It's totally unreal.
I think the future might be in good hands hopefully in the future.