The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 25: Light and Darkness

"Because of you, I can't sleep at night! Because of you, I had to kill people!" Vao continued. Yin's hands grabbed Vao's wrists, trying to pull his hands away from his throat. But Yin had spent his eight years in the Royal Capital; Vao spent it trying to survive. The thief only removed one of his hands to grab the katana still embedded into his gut, twisting the bled around.

"You have no bloody idea how long I've waited for this," he hissed. "For the day I BURY you!"

He ripped the blade from Yin's body, blood painting the floor, he stepped back, casually twirling it in his hand, flashing the blade in a stance. His eyes narrowed, his lips curling back.

Ozpin helped Yin to his feet, defending the healer as he prepared a miracle. Sasha and Salem stepped in front of them, their weapons ready. Vao dove forward again, throwing the sword at Sasha. The elf let out a cry of surprise, the thief using it to his advantage to attack Salem. He swatted her arm out of the way with his right hand, his right driving into her chin. The ring on his finger cut through her skin. She stumbled back, his leg sweeping her feet from underneath her.

He turned back to Sasha, bending backwards to avoid her sword, one hand holding the top of his head as he cartwheeled, driving his foot into her crotch with enough force to lift her off the ground. Sasha's face went scarlet, her eyes watering. Even if she was physically stronger than him, he still kicked like a horse.

The adventurers charged at him together, the thief sprinting away. He kicked off the wall, his fingers clawing at the cracks in the stone, scaling the pillars that supported the ceiling. And with a leap of faith, he grabbed onto the top of an old column, pulling himself up. He reached into his quiver, knocking an arrow. The moment Ozpin saw the smoking end, he screamed.

"HIT THE DECK!"

The arrow sizzled through the air, whizzing past the tops of their heads. The moment it touched the ground, the projectile exploded into a ball of fire. Sasha stared at the crater, her hopes crushed.

"Exploding arrows!?"

Vao nocked a second arrow, letting it sizzle before releasing the string. The explosive detonated into the air, the aftershock pushing Salem off her feet, shrapnel burying deep into her armor, scratching at the skin underneath.

Exploding arrows weren't common. Even in the Royal Capital they were rare, and very expensive. Living so far from society, there was no way Vao could have gotten his hands on them, leaving only one option - he made it with his own hands. Yin didn't think Vao even had that type of intellect. But Salem and Ozpin knew exactly what they had gotten themselves into.

Vao had always been dumb. Throughout all three Timelines, he was never smart, only getting into Beacon because he was good at fighting. But there was one crowning achievement he had alongside combat; engineering. Grimm Demise, the battle-axe and rocket-launcher he wielded on Remnant. Like most other students, he built it during his days in combat school. While the recoil was a technical error on his part, it was still a dangerous weapon. To see him using explosives again, it didn't surprise them. It just made them more wary.

A third arrow sizzled past, Vao leaping from his perch when Sasha drove her shoulder into the piller, making it shake. He flipped through the air, firing another arrow. Yin finished his miracle, picking his katana up again and running at the thief. But Vao didn't move for his daggers. He ran away from Yin, putting distance between them. He kicked off the wall and flipped over the healer, stabbing him in the backside with his dagger before firing another arrow at Ozpin and scrambling away.

Yin leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the pain in his butt. He slashed at an arrow, sending the explosive behind him before chargin forward. Salem moved at his side, the two forming a pincer attack. Vao gasped, throwing something onto the ground. The wooden ball splintered against the stone, smoke billowing around them.